Wonder why this octagonal church stands so prominently? Frederiksberg Kirke is not just the oldest church in Frederiksberg. It’s a testament to resilience and transformation.
Let’s step back in time. Imagine this area in the 1650s. Twenty Dutch families arrived. King Christian III moved them from Amager. This became Ny Hollænderbyen or New Dutch Town. These residents built a small wooden church in 1653. It stood across from where Frederiksberg Kirke stands now. Think roughly where the Storm P. Museum is. Disaster struck in 1658. Swedish troops burned it down during the Assault on Copenhagen.
After the war poverty gripped the Dutch community. A new church wasn’t completed until 1681. However big changes were coming.
King Frederick IV built Frederiksberg Palace nearby. This changed everything. The Dutch farmers were forced out. The area became a fashionable summer destination. From 1710 it was known as Frederiksberg.
In 1732 a decision was made to build a new church. The King contributed 2000 rigsdaler and land. His sister Princess Sophie Hedevig donated her tithe income for the year. Architect Felix Dusart designed the new Frederiksberg Kirke. He came from the Netherlands after the Copenhagen Fire of 1728. He mainly worked for Philip de Lange.
Frederiksberg Kirke was consecrated on January 6 1734. Bishop Christian Worm led the ceremony. King Christian VI and Crown Prince Frederick V attended. The old church bells were moved to the new church. The smallest bell has been partly preserved. The rest of the old church was sold at auction for 211 rigsdaler and 84 skilling.
In 1736 the church got its own pastor. Citizens of Vesterbro became part of the parish. Johannes Kinast was the first pastor. Over the 19th and 20th centuries the church was modernized. The current rectory was built in 1824. In 1865 the church was expanded westward with the porch. The original entrances for men and women were blocked. The church transferred from state to municipal ownership in 1868. In 1898 Frederiksberg Kirke became an independent institution.
The architecture is Dutch Baroque with an octagonal design. The slate roof dates from 1876. It replaced a tile roof.
Inside the first organ was installed in 1754. Hartvig Jochum Müller built it. It had 10 stops. Joachim Conrad Oehlenschläger was the first organist. He was the father of poet Adam Oehlenschläger. The current organ was built in 1947. Marcussen & Søn in Åbenrå made it. It has 34 stops 3 manuals and a pedal.
Johan Christopher Hübner and Christian Holfeldt created the combined altar and pulpit. The altarpiece is from 1841. Christoffer Wilhelm Eckersberg painted it. It depicts a scene from John 17:6-19. It’s placed below the pulpit according to Dutch reformed tradition.
Two memorials stand in Frederiksberg Kirke. Both were inaugurated on January 16 1873. One commemorates soldiers fallen in the Second Schleswig War. The other honors Adam Oehlenschläger.
The churchyard is now Frederiksberg Ældre Kirkegård or Frederiksberg Old Cemetery. It was established with the church. It expanded to accommodate Frederiksberg’s growing population.
So, as you stand here remember the layers of history beneath your feet. Frederiksberg Kirke is more than a building. It is a living story of community faith and transformation.