The Danish Navy
Denmark has always been a maritime nation. We have fought and traded everywhere, come rain or shine, from Cape Farewell to Cape Town.
Danish seafarers have risked their lives to protect Denmark's interests at sea for centuries. From the full-rigged ships of the past to today's frigates. Set sail in the exhibition “The Danish Navy”, and understand how the sea has shaped our society and continues to do so today.
Highlights
1.
AK47 taken from a Somali pirate
Terror of the seas
The Danish navy has always pursued pirates both at home and abroad. In the 18th century, the navy protected sailors on merchant ships from being taken as slaves by the North African Barbary States. Later, Danish warships fought against privateers and pirates in the West Indies, and today modern frigates regularly patrol in pirate-infested waters. See the many examples of the fight against the terror of the seas in the exhibition.
AK47 taken from a Somali pirate
2.
Sail fast, die young
Peter Wessel Tordenskiold is Denmark's most famous naval hero. He challenged not only the Swedish navy, but also his contemporaries' perception of how naval warfare should be conducted. His cunning tactics and daring attacks drew a wake of admiration and hatred. But he was also impulsive and short-tempered, and he died in a duel at the age of only 30. See highlights from his life, including the sword he used in the fatal duel, in the exhibition.
Portrait by Balthasar Denner, Natural History Museum
Image gallery
1 / 2
3. From soup bones to ship models
Danish and Norwegian sailors were taken captive by the English during the Napoleonic Wars. On British prison ships, they struggled against cold, hunger, and disease. To pass the time, they made jewelry boxes, domino pieces, and ship models from bones from their food rations.
2 / 2
3. Artworks of a Chicken Thigh
7,000 sailors were taken captive from 1807-14. A Danish priest in London helped the prisoners send letters to their families, gave them small gifts like combs or soap, and helped them keep their spirits up. The ship model here was given to the priest after the war as a token of gratitude.
4.
The King’s Naval Arsenal
Christian IV established the Naval Arsenal as a war harbor for the Danish Navy. In addition to the Old Arsenal - which today houses the Danish War Museum - the complex also included the Provisions Building and the King's Brewery, and in the center was the fortified harbor, which today is the Garden of The Royal Library. The area quickly became too crowded, and the fleet moved to Holmen. You can see the entire development in the exhibition.
Hit the sack
Life at sea is not for everyone. Curl up in one of the hammocks and imagine how sailors slept to the sound of waves and the smell of 100 packed sailors. Are you more landlubber than sailor? And will you sacrifice comfort and safety to defend your country?
