Bispetorv, Copenhagen
Encyclopedia
Bispetorv is a small public square
Town square
A town square is an open public space commonly found in the heart of a traditional town used for community gatherings. Other names for town square are civic center, city square, urban square, market square, public square, and town green.Most town squares are hardscapes suitable for open markets,...

 in central Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...

, Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...

, located on the corner of Nørregade and Studiestræde. It takes its name from the Bishop's House
Bispegården, Copenhagen
Bispegården in Copenhagen, Denmark, is the residence and office of the Bishop of Copenhagen. It is located across the street from Copenhagen Cathedral and Vor Frue Plads, on the corner of Nørregade and Studiestræde, in the city centre...

, the official residence of the Bishop of Copenhagen, on the other side of Studiestræde. The square is dominated by the main entrance of Church of Our Lady which faces it on the other side of Nørregade. The Reformation Memorial which stands in the middle of the square is from 1943.

History

Bispetorv was established in connection with C. F. Hansen
Christian Frederik Hansen
Christian Frederik Hansen , known as C.F. Hansen, was the leading Danish architect between the late 18th century and the mid 19th century, and on account of his position at the Royal Danish Academy of Art the most powerful person in artistic circles for many years...

's rebuilding of Church of Our Lady after its destruction in the British bombardement of the city during the Battle of Copenhagen
Battle of Copenhagen (1807)
The Second Battle of Copenhagen was a British preemptive attack on Copenhagen, targeting the civilian population in order to seize the Dano-Norwegian fleet and in turn originate the term to Copenhagenize.-Background:Despite the defeat and loss of many ships in the first Battle of Copenhagen in...

. As properties which occupied the site had also been destroyed, Hansen was successful in having the Establishment take over the lots, and he also designed the surrounding buildings.
Hansen's buildings were sold in 1899 and demolished to make way for a new building for Studentersamfundet, a student society which had been founded in 1882. The new building, was designed by C. F. Jeppesen og Carl Thonning in a National Romantic
Romantic nationalism
Romantic nationalism is the form of nationalism in which the state derives its political legitimacy as an organic consequence of the unity of those it governs...

 style at the corner of Studiestræde, topped by a steep pyramidical roof. In 1916 the building was sold and redesigned by Gotfred Tvede  who removed the tower and adapted it to a more sober, Neo-Classical design. In 1949 the building was acquired by the University of Copenhagen
University of Copenhagen
The University of Copenhagen is the oldest and largest university and research institution in Denmark. Founded in 1479, it has more than 37,000 students, the majority of whom are female , and more than 7,000 employees. The university has several campuses located in and around Copenhagen, with the...

, which already had a number of buildings in the area, and it became known as the Bispetorv Annex.

Reformation Memorial

A monument in the centre of the square conmemorates the Reformation of Denmark. It was inaugurated on 6 June 1943. The monument was designed by the sculptor Max Andersen and architect Harald Lønborg-Jensen. It consists of a column decorated with reliefs and inscriptions on all four sides. The reliefs present key events from the Reformation.
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