1167

1167 - Bishop Absalon is granted control of the city

Saxo Grammaticus' work Gesta Danorum (The Deeds of the Danes) is the chief source of Denmark's early history. It was commissioned by Bishop Absalon, the man who more than anyone else can lay claim to be the founding father of Copenhagen.

Grammaticus calls Copenhagen 'the Traders' Port' (København in Danish) and tells us how King Valdemar gave control of the town to his friend Absalon in the late 1150s.

The coast of Denmark had been ransacked by Wendish pirates for many years. Absalon was charged with building a fort at Copenhagen (its ruins can still be seen in a museum beneath Christiansborg Castle) from which the Wends could be repelled. This he duly did, using his victory as a launch pad for the founding of Denmark's Baltic empire.



City maps Basic facts Practical information History Great Danes - past Great Danes - present Historic events The Little Mermaid Tourist information Vesterbro - Copenhagen's hippest quarter Tourist > About Copenhagen > History > Historic events > 1167 1167 1167 - Bishop Absalon is granted control of the city Saxo Grammaticus' work Gesta Danorum (The Deeds of the Danes) is the chief source of Denmark's early history. It was commissioned by Bishop Absalon, the man who more than anyone else can lay claim to be the founding father of Copenhagen. Grammaticus calls Copenhagen 'the Traders' Port' (København in Danish) and tells us how King Valdemar gave control of the town to his friend Absalon in the late 1150s. The coast of Denmark had been ransacked by Wendish pirates for many years. Absalon was charged with building a fort at Copenhagen (its ruins can still be seen in a museum beneath Christiansborg Castle) from which the Wends could be repelled. This he duly did, using his victory as a launch pad for the founding of Denmark's Baltic empire.