Copenhagen

THE HISTORY OF COPENHAGEN.

the b u ild in g of the splendid residential palace, "C hristiansborg", which was b u rn t dow n in 1794, rebuilt in the present century, and again consum ed by fire onO ctob er3 .1884 . Much the same h app en ed after the second g reat fire, in 1795, when 941 houses were b u rn ed to the g round . N ine years afterwards, no traces of the calam ity were to be found. The p rosperity of C o p en ­ hagen was ow ing to the very favourable state of trade tow ards the end of the century, when Denm ark succeeded in keeping aloof from the g reat European wars. D u ring the battle of “Rheden" (the road-stead of Copenhagen), on April 2. 1801, an English fleet threatened to attack the town, w ithou t h ow ­ ever carrying its th reat into execution. But in 1807 the English, w ithout any previous declaration of war, attacked Copenhagen and shelled it for three days, afterwards sailing off w ith the Danish fleet. This was a disaster for town and state, the political, financial, and econom ical effects of which m ight be traced even to the m iddle of this century. The year of freedom , 1848, b ro u g h t w ith it new strength and a fresh impetus, which has m ade itself felt to goo d pu rpo se in many different directions, especially d u rin g the reign of Christian IX, the present king. Carl Bruun.