COPENAGHEN (KØBENHAVN). — Etymologically “merchants’ harbor,” it is the royal and governmental seat,
the capital city and the see Denmark (v.). It has 617,000 inhabitants, and, if the suburbs are included, the figure rises to 843,277. Situated 37 m. above sea level in the eastern part of the exceedingly fertile island of Seeland, opposite the Swedish coast, it dominates the Oresund and is one of the most beautiful cities of northern Europe, with a lagoon-like appearance owing to the numerous canals that cross II.
As an inhabited center, it is recorded as early as 1943, when there was a fishing village on the site called Havn (= harbor), in Latin Hafnia. In 1165 Bishop Axel of Roskilde built a castle there. The University was founded in 1479. It is Denmark’s largest port, with a volume of approximately 6 million tons; its shipyards and factories producing machinery, gloves, porcelain (the city is home to a Royal porcelain manufactory), textiles, alcohol, preserved foods, and sugar are also highly efficient. Banking and stock-exchange activity is considerable. C. is connected by regular shipping lines with the Baltic, the North Sea, Iceland, America, and East Asia. The inhabitants, who represent one-fifth of the Danish population, are distributed among the three municipalities of C. proper, Christianshaven, Frederiksberg, and Gjentofte. The ancient part of the city is on the island of Amager; the districts contain palaces, gardens, and broad streets. Among the monumental buildings are the Municipal Palace, Amalienborg Palace, the Round Tower, the Stock Exchange, the Princes’ Palace, the Church of Frederick, Rosenborg Castle, an important library, the Academy of Arts, and the Ny-Carlsberg Museum.