Name and Founding

Copenhagen was founded by Bishop Absalon in 1167 when he fortified the city after gaining possession of it. Its processor was a small fishing village dating back to the Viking Age named Havn. The name of Copenhagen is made up from 2 parts. Copen, which in Danish means “commerce” or “trade” and the word Haven which means “harbor”. Copenhagen became the capital of Denmark in 1536 after the honor was moved from Roskilde.

Importance of Copenhagen

Denmark was a country that consisted of big parts of today’s Sweden between the years 1000 until 1658 after a defeat against the Swedish army.

Copenhagen also became the “capital” of the Kalmar union between Norway, Sweden and Denmark in 1397 and that lasted for almost 130 years before Sweden broke out of the union and declared independence in 1523.

After Sweden broke out of the union, Denmark firmed its grip of Norway and stayed in a union with them until 1814 when they, again, had to sign over land to Sweden in a peace treaty for their participation in the Napoleon wars on the French side. The 16th century was the most prosperous time for Denmark and Copenhagen and they grow to a powerful and wealthy nation and town since it controlled both sides of Öresund making them tax any trade traffic passing through the trade passage into the Baltic Sea

A Century of Tragedy and Rebuilding

Copenhagen was bombarded from a British-Dutch-Swedish navy in 1700 but didn’t suffer that much damage thanks to the fortifiment built by Christian VI in the mid 17th century. Plague hunted the town in 1711-1712 which killed a third of the population.

Copenhagen was on fire twice. In 1728 about a third of the town was turned into ashes and in 1795 a quarter was destroyed. It all was rebuilt till the end of the century.

In 1801 and 1807 the British navy heavily bombarded the town since Denmark tried to stand neutral in the Napoleon wars which weren’t seen with keen eyes by the British who wanted the big Danish navy at their disposal. Denmark refused and was bombarded in 1801 which led to their alliance with the French which led to a besiege in 1807 and new bombardments. The city suffered heavily damages since the towns defense line was from the mid 17th century making it more or less outdated against the British canons.

Growing area

Denmark became a constitutional monarchy in 1849 and the town grew rapidly with inhabitants. The population who already had grown during the last century now suddenly gained bigger areas as the ramparts of the city was moved outwards and new areas to build housing was accessed. During the last part of the 19th century six new neighborhoods was built to the town.

When the Second World War hit Europe, Copenhagen and the rest of Denmark was occupied by the German troops between the years 1940-1945.

The Danish navy sunk several ships in the port of Copenhagen in 1943 when the collaboration between the occupying forces and the government collapsed. The Danish feared that the ships was going to be used by the Germans and therefore disabled them.

After the war the town continued to grow with great speed and used commuter train lines to the nearby areas and suburbs. In 1992 the first move to construct a metro was made and in 2002 the metro opened. The Öresund Bridge has even opened up a bigger area for Danish people and Copenhagers to live in since the house prices are cheaper in the Malmö area in Sweden then in the Copenhagen area. Historically the area is an Old Danish area before they lost it to Sweden in a peace treaty.