Koldinghus, kings and religion
Feel the presence of history in the royal castle that was razed by fire and rose from the ashes as a modern museum. Explore 250 years of religious history at Koldinghus and in Kolding's St Nicolai Church.
Highlights of this tour
If possible, we begin this guided tour with a visit to Kolding's large, beautiful St Nicolai Church, which for centuries belonged to the castle. In the church we can see the historical traces left behind by the impressive Lord Lieutenant of Koldinghus, Caspar Markdanner, who was probably the son of a king.
After our visit to the church, we move on to Koldinghus, exploring the history from Catholicism to Protestantism to Pietism through the history of the castle and of the kings associated with this period. How have the three religious periods influenced the history of the castle?
You will hear about what Catholicism has to do with Denmark's first university. We visit Denmark's first place of worship built for a Protestant service and hear what Christian III had to do with Protestantism. Little remains of Christian IV's magnificent castle chapel today, but the story conjures up images that leave no doubt about The King's faith, given the many Christian symbols adorning the chapel.
Finally, we visit the Knights' hall at Koldinghus, where one of the most spectacular events in Danish royal history took place, when Frederik IV fell in love with a young noblewoman, whom he went on to marry. Their bond led them both to embrace Pietism, which played an important role for their Christian atonement. The King may have held absolute power, but bigamy was a sin, and the awareness of it wore them both down. How did it all work out, and what happened?
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