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T h e Church . Churches. — Cemeteries. — Soldiers graves. — Crematory.

: Only as late as in 1849 re- : ligious liberty was introdu- j ced in Denmark. Before this | time all Danish subjects had : to be Lutherans. Catholics, : Reformed and Jews, in the | meantime were perm itted to j live in certain towns. The j law then, besides giving the j religious liberty, abolished the compulsory baptism and perm itted civil m arriage and burial. The constitution though still m aintains the Lutheran religion as the S tate-religion; it is supported by the State and ranges under a special church department. All laws concernering the church must, as any other law, pass the P arliam ent and be signed by the King. I t is perm itted to form in ­ dependent congregations, w ith­ out these being considered outside the State-church and having permission to use the official church-buildings. Congregations like these may appoint their own pastors, but m ust pay them themselves. Each parish has a vestry w ith a certain amount of in- j tluence, when the pastors are j appointed.

The country is divided into 9 bishoprics and the prim ate of the church is the bishop of Sealand with domicile in Copenhagen and living in the old, venerable bishops palace right opposite the cathedral. A table in the wall under the bay-window tells about the changeable history of the building from town-hall to university and finally to a bi­ shops dwelling. Copenhagen is divided into 3 deaneries, which again are divided into 39 parishes (be­ sides the court and palace church). Of the population of the city about (300,000 be­ long to the national church (evangelic L utheran). Among other religious communities are the Catholics (Grcck- and Roman-catholic) and the Jews. In Copenhagen there are a Roman-catholic and a metho- dist bishop. The catholic church during the last years has had some progress and is building churches seve­ ral places in the country. At present there are about 1800 churches in Denmark, belon­ ging to the various religious communities.

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