Get right up close to the innovation, destruction, and fascination of war. From elaborately decorated cannons of the 17th century to deadly drones of the 21st.
Why did Danish soldiers train with nuclear dummy grenades and why did Frederick IV come home with four cannons when he went out in search of the woman of his life? In the Artillery Hall, you can delve into eight stories told through significant weapons in the history of Denmark.
Highlights
1.
The only way is up
Early cannons only shot as far as the eye could see. Today, this has been far surpassed. In The Artillery Hall, you can compare cannons from the 17th century with HAWK missiles from the 20th. Each weapon tells of power, prestige and technological development.
2.
The nuclear neighbour
Did you know that Denmark actually had nuclear weapons? In a depot just south of the German border there were rows of nuclear shells that were to be used if the Cold War got hot, but since they were stored in Germany and not in Denmark, it was officially possible to claim that we did not have nuclear weapons. Danish soldiers trained every day on a 203mm howitzer. They trained with dummies, but in the event of war they would fire nuclear shells. You can see both the howitzer and the dummy shell in the exhibition.
3.
A national identity blown to bits
The Germans carpet-bombed Denmark's self-image at Dybbøl in 1864 during the climactic ending of the Second Schleswig War. In The Artillery Hall you can see two cannons, one Danish and one German, that tell the story of a military defeat that shaped not only the geography but also the Danish self-image.
Image gallery
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4. A Royal Affair
Frederick IV fell in love with an Italian noblewoman on a trip to Italy in the late 17th century.
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4. He didn't get the woman ...
Several years later he returned. Unfortunately for him - but probably just as well for his queen - the Italian noblewoman had entered a convent, so he didn't get her.
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4. ... but four cannons
Instead, he took home four ornate Venetian cannons. You can see two of them in The Artillery Hall.
Bring home a piece of history
End your visit to the Danish War Museum in our museum shop. Here you'll find a large selection of historical books, toys and war gadgets. And you can also buy something sweet for the palate or something to drink.
