Object
Christian IV's blood-stained clothes
Christian IV's blood-stained clothes from the naval battle against the Swedes in 1644 are on display at Rosenborg Castle.
✩ 12 April 1577 ✝ 28 February 1648 ♔ 1588–1648
Christian IV
Christian IV was the son of Frederik II. He was king for 52 years, the second longest reign in Danish history. He is remembered especially for his many building projects, including Rosenborg Castle, the Round Tower and the Old Copenhagen Stock Exchange.
Builder king, bon vivant and the second-longest reigning monarch in Danish history. Explore the history of Christian IV.
Grand parties and architectural projects
When Frederik II died, in 1588, Christian was just 11 years old. The Council of State installed a caretaker government that governed on Christian's behalf. Christian was crowned King in 1596. Throughout his life, Christian IV enjoyed opulent parties, as demonstrated by the festivities in connection with his coronation. Among other lavish features on this occasion, the fountain at for Copenhagen's central Gammel Torv (Old Square) ran with wine for several hours. Christian IV was a very active king, both in domestic and international affairs. He spearheaded a large number of construction projects, which define Copenhagen to this day. For example, the Copenhagen district of Christianshavn was founded by and named after Christian IV.
Family life
Christian IV was a bon vivant, and in addition to grand parties, he also enjoyed female company and fathered at least 21 children. In 1597, he married Princess Anna Cathrine of Brandenburg. The couple had six children, including the later King Frederik III. Anna Cathrine died in 1612, just 36 years old, and Christian IV married the noblewoman Kirsten Munk. Together, they had 12 children. The best known of the children from the King's second marriage was Leonora Christina. After her father's death, she was convicted of treason and spent nearly 22 years as a prisoner at Copenhagen Castle.
Explore history
Christian IV as a child
When Frederik II died, in 1588, Christian was just 11 years old. The Council of State installed a caretaker government that governed on Christian's behalf. Christian was crowned King in 1596.
Christian IV died in 1588
Christian IV passed away at Rosenborg Castle, in 1588. With 52 years on the throne, he was the second-longest reigning monarch in Danish history.
Christian IV's blood-stained clothes
At Rosenborg, you can see the blood-stained clothes that Christian IV wore in a naval battle with the Swedes in 1644. Obsessed with building his reputation after death, he preserved the bloodied clothes and other mementos from his heroic exploits.
Christian IV on board Trefoldigheden
The wounded Christian IV cheers on the troops on board his flagship, Trefoldigheden (Trinity). The painting, by Christian Mølsted, was a wedding gift to the later Christian X, in 1898.
The famous king
Christian IV is one of the most colourful and popular kings in Danish history. He is remembered especially for the many buildings he commissioned, including Rosenborg Castle, the Round Tower and the Old Copenhagen Stock Exchange.
King Christian Stood by the Lofty Mast
Christian IV is one of the most colourful and popular kings in Danish history, and he is remembered both as a bon vivant and a builder. He also did not shy back from waging war when he felt it was in the country's best interest. He fought in battles in northern Germany during the Thirty Years' War, and Denmark was invaded by the Swedish army in 1643. As a result, he spent his last years a pauper and left a kingdom on the verge of bankruptcy.
Later, he was given the lead role in the Danish royal anthem, ‘King Christian Stood by the Lofty Mast’, which is about the naval battle at Kolberger Heide, in 1644, where he lost an eye in combat with the Swedes. Several of the international conflicts that Christian IV engaged in stemmed from disputes about the Sound Dues, a toll on ships passing through the Sound between modern-day Denmark and Sweden. The King's building projects and lifestyle were enormously costly, and Christian IV raised the Sound Dues and also raised taxes on his subjects. Like most others, the Swedes would rather not have to pay to sail through Danish waters, and these disputes were a factor in many of the armed conflicts that Christian IV engaged in.
Christian IV died at his favourite castle, Rosenborg, at the ripe old age of 71, in 1648.
The fight against devilry
Christian IV was a very religious man, particularly during his later years, and this time in history is known, in part, for the widespread fear of devilry and witchcraft. Christian IV was very worried about sorcery, and even as a child, he witnessed trials, where women were found guilty of witchcraft and burnt at the stake. In 1617, he introduced a law against witchcraft that led to a sharp increase in the number of witch trials in Denmark. Of the approximately 1,000 people who were executed for witchcraft in Denmark, 600 were executed during Christian IV's reign.
