Højbro Plads and the statue of Absalon

Riding before you is the founder of Copenhagen. The bronze horseman is Absalon, Bishop of Roskilde and later Archbishop of Lund, adviser to King Valdemar I and, above all, a man of war. Notice the axe he is raising: this was no desk-bound bishop.

1From fishing village to city

In the mid-12th century there was only a small harbour of fishermen and traders here, called Havn, ‘harbour’. The king handed the area to Absalon, who in 1167 built a castle on the islet opposite, where Christiansborg now stands. From there he controlled the strait and guarded the coast against the Wendish pirates who were raiding the Baltic.

In the castle’s shadow grew the merchants’ town, Køpmannæhafn, the ‘merchants’ harbour’. That is where the name København comes from.

The chronicles of Saxo Grammaticus, Absalon’s secretary, recount his campaigns against the Wends and his role in 12th-century Denmark.

2A square born from fire

This square did not exist in Absalon’s time. It was opened up after the great fire of 1795, when the city seized on the disaster to widen streets and create open spaces. The statue, by Vilhelm Bissen, was unveiled in 1902.

Behind you, the green spire belongs to Nikolaj, a former church that burned in 1795; its tower was rebuilt in the early 20th century and the building is now an arts centre.

3What to look out for

• Absalon’s axe and helmet, more warrior than bishop.
• The Nikolaj tower at the far end of the square.
• Christiansborg across the canal: the site of the castle of 1167.