Ever wondered what secrets are held within those yellow-dressed brick buildings? These are the Jægersborg Barracks. Also known as Jægergården, the Jægersborg Barracks stand in Gentofte. This is in the northern suburbs of Copenhagen. Once a military facility, it transformed into housing in 2010.
Let’s step back in time. Christian IV built a hunting lodge named Ibstrup here in 1620. Later, Christian BII renamed it Jægersborg. Part of the building served as barracks from 1818.
The current buildings you see were constructed between 1734 and 1738. Royal architect Lauritz de Thurah designed Jægersborg Jægergård for royal hunting dogs. It also housed horses and officials connected to the royal hunts. These buildings replaced older ones west of Jægersborg House. The Hermitage Hunting Lodge replaced Jægersborg, and the old building was torn down in 1760.
Christian VI stopped traditional Par force hunting in 1741. Frederick V reintroduced it and completed Jægergården in 1747. However, a hunting accident injured Frederick V. He stopped the par force hunts again in 1760.
In 1797, the Guard Hussar Regiment took over Jægergården. They used it as an equestrian facility. An equestrian house and new stables were built east of Jægergården. This was where the royal hunting lodge once stood.
From 1909 to 1948, the Royal Life Guards’ recruit school was located here. The Royal Danish Military’s medical corps then took over the buildings in 1963. The Guard Hussar Regiment’s old stables were demolished in 1862. A new educational building replaced them.
The facility was renamed Forsvarets Sanitetsskole in 1974. It remained here until 2009. In 2010, Jægergården was sold to Ehendomsselskabet Norden. Gentofte Municipality acquired the educational building from 1963. They replaced it with a nursery home.
The complex is centered around a large rectangular lawn. A row of large trees runs along its central axis. The yellow brick buildings feature red tile roofs. The four buildings south and north of the lawn once served as residential wings. They have three tall, gabled wall dormers. Wooden staircases lead to the entrances of the northwestern building.
The four lower buildings east and west of the lawn were originally dog houses. The two long stable wings run along Jægersborg Allé south of the residential wings. A short side wing with gabled wall dormers divides the space between the southern wings and stable wings. This creates two cobbled courtyards. Access to the complex is from a parking lot to the east.
Look for the three commemorative plaques on the walls facing the parking lot. One honors the Royal Life Guards stationed here from 1853 to 1908. It also notes the recruit school’s presence from 1909 to 1946. Another plaque commemorates Lars Johannes Bøtcher Larsen. This royal life guard was killed in battle on August 29, 1943.
Jægersborg Barracks has even appeared in films. You might recognize it from “Frøken Nitouche” 1963 “Hurra for de blå husarer” 1970 and “Olsen-banden Junior” 2001.
Today, Jægersborg Barracks stands as a testament to its layered past. From royal hunts to military training to modern housing it has constantly evolved. It reminds us that even historic structures can adapt and find new life.