Roskilde ( , ) is a city west of

Copenhagen Copenhagen ( or .; da, København ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a proper population of around 815.000 in the last quarter of 2022; and some 1.370,000 in the urban area; and the wider Copenhagen metropolitan a ...

on the Danish island of

Zealand Zealand ( da, Sjælland ) at 7,031 km2 is the largest and most populous island in Denmark proper (thus excluding Greenland and Disko Island, which are larger in size). Zealand had a population of 2,319,705 on 1 January 2020. It is the 1 ...

. With a population of 51,916 (), the city is a business and educational centre for the region and the 10th largest city in Denmark. It is governed by the administrative council of

Roskilde Municipality Roskilde municipality ( da, Roskilde kommune) is a municipality in Region Sjælland, 30 km west of Copenhagen on the island of Zealand (''Sjælland'') in east Denmark. The biggest city is Roskilde, the municipality covers an area of 212 ...

. Roskilde has a long history, dating from the pre-Christian

Viking Age The Viking Age () was the period during the Middle Ages when Norsemen known as Vikings undertook large-scale raiding, colonizing, conquest, and trading throughout Europe and reached North America. It followed the Migration Period and the Germ ...

. Its UNESCO-listed

Gothic Gothic or Gothics may refer to: People and languages *Goths or Gothic people, the ethnonym of a group of East Germanic tribes **Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths **Crimean Gothic, the Gothic language spoken b ...

cathedral A cathedral is a church that contains the ''cathedra'' () of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually specific to those Christian denominations ...

, now housing 39 tombs of the Danish monarchs, was completed in 1275, becoming a focus of religious influence until the

Reformation The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and in ...

. With the development of the rail network in the 19th century, Roskilde became an important hub for traffic with Copenhagen, and by the end of the century, there were tobacco factories, iron foundries and machine shops. Among the largest private sector employers today are the IT firm BEC (Bankernes EDB Central) and seed company DLF. The Risø research facility is also becoming a major employer, extending interest in sustainable energy to the

clean technology Clean technology, in short cleantech, is any process, product, or service that reduces negative environmental impacts through significant energy efficiency improvements, the sustainable use of resources, or environmental protection activities. Cl ...

sphere. The

local university Local colleges and universities (LCUs) are higher educational institutions that are being run by local government units in the Philippines. A local government unit (LGU) maybe a barangay, a municipality, city, or a province that puts up a post-sec ...

, founded in 1972, the historic Cathedral School, and the

Danish Meat Trade College The Danish Meat Trade College ( da, Slagteriskolen) founded in 1964 is a non-profit educational institution in Roskilde, Denmark. It offers vocational training courses in industrial slaughter, retail butchering, sausage making, nutrition Nut ...

, established in 1964, are educational institutions of note. Roskilde has a large local hospital which has been expanded and modernized since it was opened in 1855. It is now increasingly active in the research sphere. The Sankt Hans psychiatric hospital serves the Capital Region with specialized facilities for

forensic psychiatry Forensic psychiatry is a subspeciality of psychiatry and is related to criminology. It encompasses the interface between law and psychiatry. According to the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law, it is defined as "a subspecialty of psychiat ...

. The cathedral and the Viking Ship Museum, which contains the well-preserved remains of five 11th-century ships, attract more than 100,000 visitors annually. In addition to its internationally recognized tourist attractions and its annual rock festival, Roskilde is popular with shoppers thanks to its two centrally located pedestrian streets complete with restaurants, cafés, and a variety of shops. The city is home to the

FC Roskilde Football Club Roskilde is a Danish professional association football club based in Roskilde, Region Zealand. They will compete in the Danish 2nd Division in the 2022–23 season following their promotion. They play at Roskilde Idrætspark (also ...

football club which play in the

Danish 1st Division The 1st Division (''1. Division'') is the second-highest football league in Denmark, also known as NordicBet Liga for sponsorship reasons. From 1945 to 1991 the 1. Division was the name of the highest level of football in Denmark. With the format ...

, the

Roskilde Vikings RK Roskilde Vikings Rugby Klub began on 22 August 2010 when around 15 players attended the first ever training session. There had apparently also been an earlier attempt to start a rugby club in Roskilde, but little is known about this. The club wa ...

rugby club, and the rowing club,

Roskilde Roklub Roskilde Roklub (English: Roskilde Rowing Club) is a rowing club based in Roskilde, Denmark. Its home water is Roskilde Fjord. History The club was founded in 1890. International performances Carl-Ebbe Andersen, Tage Henriksen, and Finn Pede ...

. In the 1970s, the city benefited from the opening of the university and from the completion of the Holbæk Motorway connecting it to Copenhagen. Roskilde has the oldest operational

railway station Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in Track (rail transport), tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the ...

in Denmark, with connections across Zealand as well as with

Falster Falster () is an island in south-eastern Denmark with an area of and 43,398 inhabitants as of 1 January 2010.

Lolland Lolland (; formerly spelled ''Laaland'', literally "low land") is the fourth largest island of Denmark, with an area of . Located in the Baltic Sea, it is part of Region Sjælland (Region Zealand). As of 1 January 2022, it has 57,618 inhabitan ...

, and

Jutland Jutland ( da, Jylland ; german: Jütland ; ang, Ēota land ), known anciently as the Cimbric or Cimbrian Peninsula ( la, Cimbricus Chersonesus; da, den Kimbriske Halvø, links=no or ; german: Kimbrische Halbinsel, links=no), is a peninsula of ...

. The local

airport An airport is an aerodrome with extended facilities, mostly for commercial air transport. Airports usually consists of a landing area, which comprises an aerially accessible open space including at least one operationally active surfa ...

opened in 1973, mainly serving light aircraft for business use and flight instruction. Among the city's notable citizens are

Absalon Absalon (21 March 1201) was a Danish statesman and prelate of the Catholic Church who served as the bishop of Roskilde from 1158 to 1192 and archbishop of Lund from 1178 until his death. He was the foremost politician and church father of Denm ...

, the bishop who founded Copenhagen in the 12th century,

L. A. Ring Laurits Andersen Ring (; 15 August 1854 – 10 September 1933) was one of the foremost Danish painters of the turn of the 20th century, who pioneered both symbolism and social realism in Denmark. Considered one of the masterpieces of Danish culture ...

, the

symbolist Symbolism was a late 19th-century art movement of French and Belgian origin in poetry and other arts seeking to represent absolute truths symbolically through language and metaphorical images, mainly as a reaction against naturalism and realis ...

painter who gained fame in the 1880s, the writer Lise Nørgaard who wrote the popular Danish TV series ''

Matador A bullfighter (or matador) is a performer in the activity of bullfighting. ''Torero'' () or ''toureiro'' (), both from Latin ''taurarius'', are the Spanish and Portuguese words for bullfighter and describe all the performers in the activit ...

'' in 1978 and the rower

Thomas Ebert Thomas Ebert (born 23 July 1973 in Roskilde, Sjælland) is a Danish lightweight rower who won gold at the 2004 and 2008 Summer Olympics in the Men's Lightweight Coxless Fours with the Gold Four The Gold Four (Da ...

who became an Olympic gold medallist in 2004.

History

Roskilde, which developed as the hub of the Viking land and sea trade routes over a thousand years ago, is one of Denmark's oldest cities. From the 11th century until 1443, it was the capital of Denmark. By the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...

, with the support of kings and bishops, it had become one of the most important centres in Scandinavia. The ''

Saxo Grammaticus Saxo Grammaticus (c. 1150 – c. 1220), also known as Saxo cognomine Longus, was a Danish historian, theologian and author. He is thought to have been a clerk or secretary to Absalon, Archbishop of Lund, the main advisor to Valdemar I of Denmark ...

'' and other early sources associate the name ''Roskilde'' (meaning 'Ro's spring') with the legendary King Roar who possibly lived there in the 6th century. Old mao of Roskilde

According to

Adam of Bremen Adam of Bremen ( la, Adamus Bremensis; german: Adam von Bremen) (before 1050 – 12 October 1081/1085) was a German medieval chronicler. He lived and worked in the second half of the eleventh century. Adam is most famous for his chronicle ''Gest ...

and the ''Saxo Grammaticus'', Roskilde was founded in the 980s by

Harald Bluetooth Harald "Bluetooth" Gormsson ( non, Haraldr Blátǫnn Gormsson; da, Harald Blåtand Gormsen, died c. 985/86) was a king of Denmark and Norway. He was the son of King Gorm the Old and of Thyra Dannebod. Harald ruled as king of Denmark from c. 958 ...

. On high ground above the harbour, he built a wooden church consecrated to the Holy Trinity as well as a royal residence nearby. Although no traces of these buildings have been discovered, in 1997 archaeologists found the remains of Viking ships in the

Isefjord Ise Fjord ( da, Isefjorden) is a deeply branched arm of the sea into the Danish island Zealand. From its relatively narrow entrance from the Kattegat at Hundested and Rørvig, branches of Ise Fjord stretch 35 km inland and divide the northern ...

, the oldest of which is dated to 1030. At the time, there were also two churches in the area: St Jørgensbjerg, an early stone church, and a wooden church discovered under today's

St Ib's Church St. Ib's Church (''Sankt Ibs Kirke'' or Ibsker), 3 km south-west of Svaneke on the Danish island of Bornholm, is a fine 12th century Romanesque building. The altarpiece was painted by Christoffer Wilhelm Eckersberg in 1846.King Canute elevated

Roskilde Roskilde ( , ) is a city west of Copenhagen on the Danish island of Zealand. With a population of 51,916 (), the city is a business and educational centre for the region and the 10th largest city in Denmark. It is governed by the administrative ...

to a bishopric, giving it high national status.

, the Danish bishop, had a brick church built on the site of Harald's church in 1170. Today's cathedral was completed in 1275 after five of Absalon's successors had contributed to its construction. As a result of Absalon's influence, many other churches were built in the vicinity, making Roskilde the most important town in Zealand. Coins were minted there from the 11th to the 14th century. In 1150, Sweyn Grathe built a moat around the city. In 1151/2, a religious confraternity was founded for the defence of the town against Wendish pirates. Under the command of Wetheman, it also took part in the

Wendish Crusade The Wendish Crusade (german: Wendenkreuzzug) was a military campaign in 1147, one of the Northern Crusades and a part of the Second Crusade, led primarily by the Kingdom of Germany within the Holy Roman Empire and directed against the Polabian Sl ...

. The Roskilde bishops owned large areas of land in the region including, from 1186, Havn on the

Øresund Øresund or Öresund (, ; da, Øresund ; sv, Öresund ), commonly known in English as the Sound, is a strait which forms the Danish–Swedish border, separating Zealand (Denmark) from Scania (Sweden). The strait has a length of ; its width ...

which later became Copenhagen. By the time of the Danish Reformation in 1536, there were 12 churches and five monasteries in the city. Roskilde ratusz mpazdziora

It is not clear when Roskilde became a market town but it was certainly enjoying trading privileges under King Eric II who reigned from 1134 to 1137. These privileges were firmly established when the Roskilde City Council granted market town status to other towns on Zealand on 15 June 1268. By that time, it was probably the largest and most important town in Denmark. In 1370, the city owned 2,600 farms throughout Zealand. The Reformation brought Roskilde's development to an abrupt stop. While the cathedral continued to be the preferred location for the entombment of the Danish monarchs, most of the other religious institutions disappeared. For the next three centuries, the city suffered a series of disasters including the effects of the Dano-Swedish War which terminated with the

Treaty of Roskilde The Treaty of Roskilde (concluded on 26 February ( OS), or 8 March 1658) ( NS) during the Second Northern War between Frederick III of Denmark–Norway and Karl X Gustav of Sweden in the Danish city of Roskilde. After a devastating defeat ...

in 1658, the plague in 1710 and 1711, and a series of fires in 1730. Conditions improved in 1835 when the city became the Assembly of the Estates of the Realm () and in 1847 with the railway connecting Copenhagen and Roskilde. Maglekilde-Maskinfabrik

With the development of the rail network, Roskilde became an important hub for traffic with Copenhagen. In the 1870s and 1880s, the harbour was extended attracting industrial firms to the area. By the end of the century, there were tobacco factories, iron foundries and machine shops. At the beginning of the 20th century, Roskilde first prospered as a satellite community for Copenhagen but then, as ships increased in size, suffered from the fact that the harbour was too small and Roskilde Fjord too shallow for navigation. Industries began to move out of the harbour area but were still the largest source of employment, thanks in part to the spirits factory (''

De Danske Spritfabrikker Danish Distillers ( da, Det Danske Spiritus Kompagni known as ) is a company that was headquartered in Aalborg, Denmark. Isidor Henius, the father of Max Henius, was one of the founders of a company that was acquired by Danish Distillers, which en ...

'') and the slaughterhouse (). In the 1970s, the city benefited from the Holbæk Motorway which linked it to Copenhagen and the establishment of

Roskilde University Roskilde University ( da, Roskilde Universitet, abbreviated RUC or RU) is a Danish public university founded in 1972 and located in Trekroner in the Eastern part of Roskilde. The university awards bachelor's degrees, master's degrees, and PhD ...

in 1972. Since the 1980s, the service sector has prospered, replacing manufacturing industry as the major employer (65% by 2002). With the increase in population, several new districts have grown up, including Himmelev and Kongebakken. Some of the surrounding villages such as

Svogerslev Svogerslev is a small satellite town located four kilometres west of Roskilde, Denmark. The original village features a village pond, a Romanesque church, one of the smallest in Denmark, and a number of old farm buildings. The historic centre is ...

, Vor Frue, Vindinge and Veddelev have developed as satellite communities.

Geography

Roskilde is located in north-central

at the south end of Roskilde Fjord which is itself the south branch of the

. By road, it is west of downtown Copenhagen, northwest of Køge and northeast of

Ringsted Ringsted is a city located centrally in the Danish island of Zealand. It is the seat of a municipality of the same name. Ringsted is situated approximately 60 km from Copenhagen. Tourism and transport Ringsted is one of Denmark's busies ...

. The city centre around the cathedral, south of the fjord, is about above sea level. On the slope down to the harbour, there are a number of springs, the most powerful of which is

Maglekilde Maglekilde is the most powerful of several natural springs in Roskilde, Denmark. It formerly issued water at a rate of some 90,000 litres per hour but has now dropped to 15,000 litres per hour. A wellhouse was built over the spring in 1927. The bui ...

. The historic centre of the town covers the area around the main streets Skomagergade and Algade including the squares of Stændertorvet and Hestetorvet. Two parks, Byparken and Folkeparken which run down towards the fjord, are immediately north of the old town. Neighbourhoods in the vicinity include Himmelev, Hyrdehøj, Musicon,

Sankt Jørgensbjerg Sankt Jørgensbjerg is a district of Roskilde on the Danish island of Zealand. Initially a fishing village in its own right with a history dating back to the Viking era, it became part of Roskilde in 1938. Today it has become the most desirable d ...

and

Trekroner Trekroner is a district in the north-eastern outskirts of Roskilde on the Danish island of Zealand. The Trekroner district has been a major growth area of the city, expanding in the fields surrounding the campus of Roskilde University Roski ...

. Boserup Skov, a wood next to Roskidle Fjord northwest of the city centre, consists mainly of beech trees. In spring, its hilly slopes are covered with wild flowers, including white, blue and yellow

anemone ''Anemone'' () is a genus of flowering plants in the buttercup family Ranunculaceae. Plants of the genus are commonly called windflowers. They are native to the temperate and subtropical regions of all continents except Australia, New Zealand an ...

s. Chaffinches, nightingales and other songbirds can be heard in the early summer. Also of note is the recently planted wooded area of Hyrdehøj Skov, to the south of the stadium and just north of Route 23 in the southern outskirts of Roskilde.

Demographics and administration

As early as 1070, Adam von Bremen referred to Roskilde as "Zealand's largest town". At the time of the Reformation in 1536, it had some 6,000 inhabitants but as a result of war, fire and disease, by 1753 its population had dropped to only 1,550. By the 1860s, it had grown to around 5,000 and by the 1900s to some 9,000. Thereafter it increased appreciably until 1970 when there were almost 45,000 inhabitants. The population dipped slightly to 40,000 in the 1980s, but thanks to improved connections with Copenhagen and the establishment of the university, it grew steadily to reach 47,117 by 2014 making Roskilde Denmark's tenth largest city. In Roskilde Municipality as of 1 October 2014, 76,545 residents had Danish background, 6,287 were immigrants and 2,006 were second or third generation descendants of immigrants. The most common countries of birth of foreign-born residents of Roskilde Municipality are Turkey, Iraq, Poland and Afghanistan. Roskilde is governed by the administrative council of

. Following the local elections of November 2013, Joy Mogensen (born 1980), a

Social Democrat Social democracy is a political, social, and economic philosophy within socialism that supports political and economic democracy. As a policy regime, it is described by academics as advocating economic and social interventions to promote soc ...

, was reappointed mayor (first elected mayor in 2011), gaining three additional seats on the council. The council now consists of 13 seats for the Social Democrats, one for the Social Liberal Party, one for the Conservative People's Party, one for the Socialist People's Party, three for the People's Party, nine for the Left Liberal Party and three for the

Red–Green Alliance In politics, a red–green alliance or red–green coalition is an alliance of "red" (often social-democratic or democratic socialist) parties with "green" (often green and/or occasionally agrarian) parties. The alliance is often based on commo ...

Economy

In the 1890s, 37% of Roskilde's economy was in crafts and manufacturing industry with only 15% in administration and services. By 1984, industry had dropped to 16% while services had risen to 57%. In 2002, services had reached 62%, leaving industry at 15% and trade and transport at 22%.

Companies

One of the largest employers in Roskilde is BEC (Bankernes EDB Central) who provide IT services to the financial sector. In July 2014, Novo A/S acquired Sonion, producing micro-acoustical components for hearing aids. Top-Toy A/S with up to 200 employees is a major Scandinavian toy importer and retailer based in Tune near Roskilde Airport. DLF-Trifolium A/S, a seed producer for the farming sector, has its headquarters in Roskilde with a workforce of over 50.

Rambøll Rambøll Group A/S (also known as just "Ramboll") is a Danish consulting engineering group. History Rambøll was founded in October 1945 as "Rambøll & Hannemann" in Copenhagen. In 1991 the company merged with "B. Højlund Rasmussen A/S" into ...

, the international Danish engineering consultancy, has recently concentrated its Zealand operations in Roskilde bringing 60 new jobs to the city. Among the city's smaller companies are GPI (Glim Plastic Industri) established in 1987 producing plastic piping, Roskilde Galvanisering A/S, one of Denmark's leading

galvanization Galvanization or galvanizing ( also spelled galvanisation or galvanising) is the process of applying a protective zinc coating to steel or iron, to prevent rusting. The most common method is hot-dip galvanizing, in which the parts are submerge ...

companies, and Mathiesen A/S, a wholesaler of office equipment. Vestergaard Company A/S, an American firm which produces de-icing equipment and washing products for the aviation industry, has offices in Roskilde. The new city district of Musicon has already attracted 29 businesses in the area of culture and the creative arts, providing over 1,000 jobs. Several food industries have their headquarters or production facilities in Roskilde, including: Chr. Hansen A/S, producing cultures for the dairy industry, DanÆg, eggs, the Scandinavian Pizza Company, and Stryhns, a

cold cut Lunch meats—also known as cold cuts, luncheon meats, cooked meats, sliced meats, cold meats, sandwich meats, and deli meats—are precooked or cured meats that are sliced and served cold or hot. They are typically served in sandwiches or on ...

s and

meat paste Meat is animal flesh that is eaten as food. Humans have hunted, farmed, and scavenged animals for meat since prehistoric times. The establishment of settlements in the Neolithic Revolution allowed the domestication of animals such as chick ...

producer with over 100 on the payroll.

Research parks

There are a number of research institutes in the city including Risø, promoting sustainable energy, which is now part of The

Technical University of Denmark The Technical University of Denmark ( da, Danmarks Tekniske Universitet), often simply referred to as DTU, is a polytechnic university and school of engineering. It was founded in 1829 at the initiative of Hans Christian Ørsted as Denmark's fir ...

. The research facilities are being extended over an additional to cover the

area liable to provide up to 4,000 more jobs. The CAT (''Center for Avanceret Teknologi'') research park is also part of the university working mainly in the areas of

wind energy Wind power or wind energy is mostly the use of wind turbines to generate electricity. Wind power is a popular, sustainable, renewable energy source that has a much smaller impact on the environment than burning fossil fuels. Historically, w ...

and

biotechnology Biotechnology is the integration of natural sciences and engineering sciences in order to achieve the application of organisms, cells, parts thereof and molecular analogues for products and services. The term ''biotechnology'' was first used ...

. In the public sector, the

Accident Investigation Board Denmark Accident Investigation Board Denmark (AIB, da, Havarikommissionen for Civil Luftfart og Jernbane, HCLJ) is the aviation accidents and incidents and railway accident and incident investigation board of the Denmark government. The agency is headquar ...

has its headquarters in Roskilde.

Tourism

An important component of the city's economy is tourism which currently accounts for DKK 1.2 billion (US$200 million) per annum. Provisional figures show an increase of 16.6% in overnight stays for 2014. The cathedral and the Viking Ship Museum attract more than 100,000 visitors per year although 20 years ago there were some 200,000 visits to the cathedral. The city is also popular with shoppers, having received Denmark's Best Shopping City Award in 2012. In addition to a wide variety of shops and restaurants along its two downtown pedestrian streets, Algade and Skomagergade, Roskilde's shopping centre

RO's Torv Ro's Torv is a shopping centre in central Roskilde, Denmark. History Designed by Claus B. Hansen and built by the Keops property company, Ro's Torv was inaugurated in 2003. In 2006 Keops bought out Hansen and commenced an expansion before sell ...

on Københavnsvej to the east of the city houses 70 stores under one roof. One of the oldest restaurants in Roskilde is the ''Raadhuskælderen'', in a building dated to 1430, noted for its salmon steak with tartar sauce and grilled chicken and cream sauce dishes. Also of note is ''La Brasserie'' on Algade, the ''Gimle Musikcafe'' on Ringstedgade, which is an English-style pub-restaurant with live music, and ''Restaurant Toppen'' at the top of an water tower, built in 1961, with fine views of the town. The 76-room Hotel Prindsen has foundations which date to 1695. It has been a hotel for over 100 years and is decorated in the Nordic style with wooden floors and contains the large luxury Hans Christian Andersen suite.

Scandic Hotel Roskilde Scandic Hotels is a hotel chain headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, with its main operations in the Nordic countries. Alongside hotels in Sweden, Norway, Finland and Denmark, the company also has a presence in Germany and Poland. As of 31 Dec ...

is a 98-room chain-run hotel established in 1989, with a restaurant serving Danish and international cuisine. The thatched-roof Svogerslev Kro is an 18-room inn dated to 1727 in the

area, about 2.5 miles to the west of Roskilde's centre.

Cityscape

The old town of Roskilde is centred around the main square, Stændertorvet, just south of the cathedral. The original street plan is preserved in nearby Skomagergade, Algade and Hestetorvet although most of the buildings were rebuilt after serious fires in the 18th century. The area is flanked to the north by two large parks, Byparken and Folkeparken, which stretch down to Roskilde Fjord. The old town is bordered to the south by the railway and main station, beyond which there are commercial buildings and apartment blocks. The residential areas of Himmelev and Veddelev to the east and north of the city have grown up around former villages. More recently, with the establishment of Roskilde University even further to the east beyond the ring road, the district of

is in full development, expected to attain some 3,500 houses in the coming years. One of the most exclusive residential districts of the city,

, covers the hilly area to the northwest, bordered by the fjord. Initially a fishing village dating back to the Viking era, it became part of Roskilde in 1938. Finally, Roskilde Municipality is developing the innovative Musicon quarter to the south of the city in an area of where a cement factory once stood. Located in the same district as the fairgrounds used for the Roskilde Festival, there are medium-term plans for establishing creative companies and housing for young people in the area. A large rock museum named "Ragnarock" opened in April 2016.

Landmarks

Roskilde Cathedral

Located on the site of a 10th-century wooden church, the cathedral was built in the 12th and 13th centuries when the Romanesque style was influenced by

trends from northern France. It was the first

cathedral in Scandinavia to be built of brick, resulting in the spread of this style throughout northern

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

. With its 39 royal tombs, the cathedral is to this day the burial site for

Danish monarchs This is a list of Danish monarchs, that is, the kings and queens regnant of Denmark. This includes: * The Kingdom of Denmark (up to 1397) ** Personal union of Denmark and Norway (1380–1397) * The Kalmar Union (1397–1536) ** Union of Denmark, ...

. Since 1995, it has been listed as a

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international coope ...

World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for ...

, encouraging some 100,000 tourists to visit it each year. The cathedral houses a museum on its upper floor, tracing the building's history. A working church, it also hosts concerts throughout the year.

Roskilde Palace

Adjacent to the cathedral is Roskilde Palace, built from 1733 to 1736 on the site of the former residence of the bishops of Roskilde. It was used by members of the royal family when they were in the city or attended funerals. Today it houses the Museum of Contemporary Art. During the English siege of Copenhagen in 1807, the mansion served as headquarters of General Wellesley, the future Duke of Wellington. Built in the

Baroque The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including ...

style with yellow-rendered masonry and red tile roofing, the four-winged complex consists of a two-storey main wing, two one-storey lateral wings and a curved gate wing opening onto the Stændertorvet. The four wings are connected by curving galleries. Facing the courtyard, the façade of the main wing has

pilaster In classical architecture, a pilaster is an architectural element used to give the appearance of a supporting column and to articulate an extent of wall, with only an ornamental function. It consists of a flat surface raised from the main wal ...

s and a median risalit tipped by a triangular

pediment Pediments are gables, usually of a triangular shape. Pediments are placed above the horizontal structure of the lintel, or entablature, if supported by columns. Pediments can contain an overdoor and are usually topped by hood moulds. A pedim ...

decorated with the royal coat of arms.

Roskilde Convent

Roskilde Convent is on the site of the former St Catherine's Priory from the mid-13th century which belonged to the Dominican friars until it was dissolved after the Danish Reformation. A private manor house (''Sortebrødregaard'' or Blackfriars Manor) was built on the site in 1565 which in 1699 became a convent for women of high rank, the first of its kind in Lutheran Denmark. The building now houses a collection of 150 paintings from the 16th to 18th centuries as well as period furniture. The convent chapel has a carved altarpiece and pulpit.

Roskilde Museum

Roskilde Museum Roskilde Museum is a local history museum based in Roskilde, Denmark. The museum, which is run by the municipalities of Roskilde, Frederikssund and Lejre, has eight separate branches. The main branch in Roskilde, on the corner of Sankt Olsgade and ...

is a local history museum, run by the municipalities of

, Frederikssund and

Lejre Lejre is a railway town, with a population of 3,127 (1 January 2022),Danish West Indies The Danish West Indies ( da, Dansk Vestindien) or Danish Antilles or Danish Virgin Islands were a Danish colony in the Caribbean, consisting of the islands of Saint Thomas with ; Saint John ( da, St. Jan) with ; and Saint Croix with . The ...

. Jacob Borch constructed Liebe House in 1804 on the site next to the sugar factory. It replaced a modest house with timber framing and a straw roof dating from the 17th century. The building takes its name from the Liebe family who owned the property for two generations later in the century. On the occasion of his death in 1900, Liebe left the entire building complex to Roskilde Municipality. In 1908, the Sugar House came into use as a fire station. Roskilde Local History Museum was founded on 12 November 1929 on the ground floor of the Liebe House. When the fire station moved to new premises in 1989, Roskilde Museum took over the Sugar House. The museum has exhibits from prehistory, through the Viking Era and the Middle Ages to modern times. The Museum of Tools, housed in separate premises, contains a collection of tools used by craftsmen such as wheelwrights, carpenters, shoemakers and wood carvers from around 1850 to 1950.

Viking Ship Museum

Skuldelev 3 in Vikingeskibsmuseet, Roskilde

A major attraction in the city is the Viking Ship Museum (''Vikingeskibsmuseet'') located alongside Roskilde Fjord. The centrepieces of its collection are the well-preserved remains of five 11th-century Viking ships, excavated from the fjord some north of the city in the late 1960s. The ships were scuttled there in the 11th century to block a navigation channel, protecting the city, then the Danish capital, from seaborne assault. The five Viking ships represent several distinct classes, such as the Longship and Warship, and smaller fishing and ferry boats. The ships on display range from 10 feet (3 m) to 50 feet (15 m) in length. The museum also undertakes research in

experimental archaeology Experimental archaeology (also called experiment archaeology) is a field of study which attempts to generate and test archaeological hypotheses, usually by replicating or approximating the feasibility of ancient cultures performing various tasks ...

centred on Viking shipbuilding and seaworthiness. The boatyard, which also forms part of the museum, safeguards the Viking boat-building tradition by building and exhibiting full-scale ships on site.

Ragnarock Museum

On April 29, 2016, the Ragnarock museum for pop, rock and ungdomskultur (youth culture) in Roskilde was inaugurated by

Frederik, Crown Prince of Denmark Frederik, Crown Prince of Denmark, Count of Monpezat, (Frederik André Henrik Christian; born 26 May 1968) is the heir apparent to the Danish throne. He is the elder son of Queen Margrethe II and Prince Henrik. Early life Crown Prince Fred ...

. The 3,100 square-meter museum, designed by the Dutch architectural firm

MVRDV MVRDV is a Rotterdam, Netherlands-based architecture and urban design practice founded in 1993. The name is an acronym for the founding members: Winy Maas, Jacob van Rijs, and Nathalie de Vries. History Maas and Van Rijs worked at OMA, De Vri ...

and by the Danish architecture firm COBE Architects, presents and disseminates youth culture and

rock music Rock music is a broad genre of popular music that originated as " rock and roll" in the United States in the late 1940s and early 1950s, developing into a range of different styles in the mid-1960s and later, particularly in the United States a ...

from the 1950s to the present, both as a means of communication and to enhance socialization between people from different cultures and social backgrounds.

Historic churches

The Old Church of Our Lady (''Gammel Vor Frue Kirke'') is an 11th-century stone church on the southern outskirts of the old town. It is the only surviving

travertine Travertine ( ) is a form of terrestrial limestone deposited around mineral springs, especially hot springs. It often has a fibrous or concentric appearance and exists in white, tan, cream-colored, and even rusty varieties. It is formed by a p ...

basilica in Denmark with a high central nave opening onto two lower lateral aisles. Its carved altarpiece and pulpit from the 1620s are from

Brix Michgell Brix Michgell, also Brix Michael (born before 1612, died after 1627), was a carpenter and wood carver who was active in Roskilde on the Danish island of Zealand. He is remembered for his intricately carved pulpits and altarpieces in the area. Lif ...

's Roskilde workshop. The church was attached to a convent for women of rank until the

. It has been called the "Old" Church of Our Lady since 1907 when a new Church of Our Lady was built to the south of the city. There are two other historic churches in central Roskilde. St Ib's is located below the cathedral plateau near the harbour. Built in travertine around 1100, the Romanesque building was once richly decorated in frescos, remains of which can be seen on the rear wall. It is no longer a functioning church.

St Jørgensbjerg Church Saint Jørgensbjerg Church ( da, Sankt Jørgensbjerg Kirke) is a historic church in Roskilde on the Danish island of Zealand. With a nave and chancel in travertine limestone dating from c. 1080, it is Denmark's oldest preserved stone building. ...

stands on a little hill to the northwest of the old town, overlooking the fjord. With a nave and chancel in travertine dating from c. 1080, it is Denmark's oldest preserved stone building. It features a carved pulpit from 1616. The Sankt Laurentii Church Tower is all that remains of the Romanesque Sankt Laurentii Church, built of travertine in the 13th century. It was torn down after the

leaving only the tower which was built at the beginning of the 16th century and now forms part of the former town hall on Stændertorvet. It contains a museum where archaeological finds from 1998 can be seen.

Roskilde Jars

The three huge Roskilde Jars (''Roskildekrukkerne'') stand in a shallow water basin on the square outside the main railway station. They are in height and together weigh about 24 tons. The jars are the work of the Danish abstract sculptor

Peter Brandes Peter Brandes (born 5 March 1944 in Assens, Denmark) is a Danish painter, sculptor, ceramic artist and photographer. Brandes' art is abstract and often in brown colours. He had his breakthrough as artist in the beginning of the 1980s. He ha ...

(born 1944). They were commissioned by Elsebeth Stryhn of Stryhns Leverpostej, a local meat paste company, and presented to the city in 1998 on the occasion of Roskilde's 1,000th anniversary.

Roskilde Festival

Since it was first held in 1971, the

Roskilde Festival The Roskilde Festival is a Danish music festival held annually south of Roskilde. It is one of the largest music festivals in Europe and the largest in the Nordic countries. It was created in 1971 by two high school students and a promoter. In 1 ...

, a

festival, has been held annually on the fairgrounds south of the city centre. It has grown to become one of the biggest music festivals in Scandinavia, with a turnout of around 80,000 every year. It features a diverse selection of music, including rock, metal, hip-hop, electronica, dance, and world music. All profits from the festival are donated to charities. The fairgrounds are also the site of regionally popular agricultural and animal exhibitions, and large flea markets.

Education and sport

(Danish: ''Roskilde Universitet, RUC'') was founded in 1972. The university is on the eastern outskirts of Roskilde, in the

district (named after a signalman's cabin on the Roskilde-Copenhagen line). RUC hosts students from around the world. Roskilde University has on-campus dormitory style housing and apartments but many students commute from Copenhagen. In 2013, there were about 7,600 students, 630 teaching staff and 380 technical and administrative personnel. Designed by Preben Hansen (1908–1989), the university buildings were first brought into use in 1972. Founded around 1020 to educate priests for the cathedral, Roskilde Cathedral School is possibly the oldest school in Denmark. Initially located close to the cathedral, it moved into larger premises in 1969 to accommodate an increasing number of pupils (currently over 1,300). The

(''Slagteriskolen''), founded in 1964, is a non-profit institution offering vocational training courses in industrial slaughter, retail butchering, sausage making, nutrition and the meat service sector. Training is also offered to kitchen staff, waiters, cooks and bakers. The school employs about 150 teachers and supporting staff. Courses are also available for international students. There is a hostel with accommodation for some 200 students. Roskilde hala widsport mpazdziora

There are eleven public primary schools in the municipality split up between eleven school districts. Six

gymnasiums A gymnasium, also known as a gym, is an indoor location for athletics. The word is derived from the ancient Greek term " gymnasium". They are commonly found in athletic and fitness centres, and as activity and learning spaces in educational in ...

(including Roskilde Cathedral School and

Roskilde Gymnasium Roskilde Gymnasium is a gymnasium (upper secondary school) in central Roskilde, Denmark. It is based in the historical premises of Roskilde Cathedral School, facing the square in front of Roskilde Cathedral. The school has 1030 students and 90 ...

) offer Upper Secondary School Exit Examinations, Higher Preparatory Examinations, Higher Commercial Examination Programme and Higher Technical Examination Programme. There are many adult education, technical and trade schools in addition to the gymnasiums. Roskilde University Library (RUB) is a research library serving the students and staff at the university. On the sports front, Roskilde is home to the

football club which play in the

, the country's second highest league. Their home stadium is Roskilde Idrætspark with a capacity of 6,000. The city's rugby club,

, forms part of the Vor Frue Idrætsforening which also has facilities for badminton, soccer and gymnastics. Members of the rowing club,

, have distinguished themselves at the

Olympic Games The modern Olympic Games or Olympics (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques) are the leading international sporting events featuring summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a multi ...

and other recent championships. The

Roskilde Congress & Sports Centre Roskilde Congress & Sports Centre (Danish: Roskilde Kongres & Idrætscenter) is a multi-purpose venue in downtown Roskilde, Denmark. It is used for conferences, meetings, sport events Sport pertains to any form of competitive physical ac ...

provides facilities for sporting events accommodating up to 3,500 spectators. It is home to the Roskilde Handball Club. In 1955 a motor racing circuit called the Roskilde Ring was built in an abandoned gravel quarry. The circuit was just 670 metres in length, being extended to 1.38 km in 1957. The circuit had no straight and all of the corners were banked. The Danish Grand Prix for Formula Two cars was held at the circuit every year from 1960 to 1968. The last meeting was held on the 22nd of September 1968, and the site is now a park.

Transport

The principal road running through Roskilde is

Danish national road 21 Danish national road 21 is a road going from Copenhagen, Denmark to Randers, Denmark. it starts at in Copenhagen as a motorway and turns into an expressway west of Holbæk, to end in Randers close to . * * 1 Hvidovre * Brøndby Helsingør * ...

, better known as Holbæk Motorway, which connects the city to the capital in the east. Roskilde has a four-platform

. Its seven tracks serve as a central hub connecting western and southern Zealand, the islands of Falster and Lolland, and Jutland to Copenhagen. Also within the municipality is the

station, serving

and the developing residential areas to the east of Roskilde. Roskilde Station is the oldest railway station in Denmark still in operation and the first to be built of stone. The first train arrived from Copenhagen on 26 June 1847. The main airport for Roskilde is

Copenhagen Airport Copenhagen Airport, Kastrup ( da, Københavns Lufthavn, Kastrup, ; ) is an international airport serving Copenhagen, Denmark, Zealand, the Øresund Region, and southern Sweden including Scania. It is the second largest airport in the Nordi ...

which can be reached in about 40 minutes by train. Since April 1973, there has also been the small local Roskilde Airport, serving light aircraft for training, taxi, and flight instruction. There are plans to expand it for use by larger aircraft, possibly including discount international flights. The plans were approved, but lack of commitment from any carriers has postponed progress. The airport currently handles up to 100,000 operations (flights) per year, most of which are light aircraft operations associated with school flights. The airport is also home to a small

Royal Danish Air Force The Royal Danish Air Force ( da, Flyvevåbnet, lit=The Flying weapon) (RDAF) is the aerial warfare force of The Kingdom of Denmark and one of the four branches of the Danish Defence. Initially being components of the Army and the Navy, it was ...

detachment, maintaining a helicopter based search-and-rescue service covering Zealand and the

Baltic Sea The Baltic Sea is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that is enclosed by Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Sweden and the North and Central European Plain. The sea stretches from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from ...

. Military passenger services have occasionally used the airport. However, there are now plans to close the military facilities in 2017 or 2018.

Healthcare

The principal hospital in Roskilde is

Roskilde Sygehus Zealand University Hospital, Roskilde (former name Roskilde Sygehus) is the main hospital in Roskilde on the Danish island of Zealand. It should not be confused with Zealand University Hospital, Køge (formerly named Køge Sygehus). Zealand Universi ...

, founded in 1855. It currently has 437 beds for in-patients and several specialist wards, having been continuously modernized and expanded over the years. Recently physics facilities have been established in medical and hematological outpatient units, while in 2010 the cardiology laboratory was expanded for CAG/ PCI. In addition, in 2011 a haematological and a urological ward were modernized and re-equipped. The hospital works in conjunction with Roskilde University in biomedical research, health services research, research assignments, direct research and pharmaceutical biology. It is also involved in a scientific co-operation with the Risø Research Centre.

Sankt Hans Hospital Sankt Hans Hospital is a psychiatric hospital in Roskilde on the Danish island of Zealand, 30 km from Copenhagen. Although situated in the Zealand Region, it is owned by the Capital Region and serves patients from that region. The land was bough ...

is a psychiatric hospital located in Roskilde but operated by the

Capital Region of Denmark The Capital Region of Denmark ( da, Region Hovedstaden, ) is the easternmost administrative region of Denmark. The Capital Region has 29 municipalities and a regional council consisting of 41 elected members. As of 1 August 2021 the chairperso ...

. With a history beginning in 1620, the hospital now has 180 beds and offers specialized treatment in the areas of

and

dual diagnosis Dual diagnosis (also called co-occurring disorders (COD) or dual pathology) is the condition of having a mental illness and a comorbid substance use disorder. There is considerable debate surrounding the appropriateness of using a single catego ...

Notable people

Business

* Peter Heering (1792–1875), founder of Peter Heering, a liqueur flavored with cherries *

Arnold Busck Arnold Andreas Bull Ahrensen Busck (29 November 1871 – 22 February 1953) was a Danish bookseller and publisher, founder of Arnold Busck A/S, Denmark's largest chain of bookstores. Early life and education Arnold Busck was born into a well-edu ...

(1871–1953), bookseller and publisher, founder of

Arnold Busck A/S Arnold Busck, named after founder Arnold Busck, is a family-owned Danish company with activities in book distribution and publishing. The Arnold Busck chain of bookstores is one of the largest Danish book retailers with 30 stores. It went bankrupt ...

* Jørgen Kastholm (1931–2007) furniture designer and academic * Winnie Liljeborg, (born ca.1960) co-founder of Pandora AS, lives on Strandvejen * Morten Lund (born 1972) entrepreneur

Culture

Otto-bache-porträt-der-malerin-sofie-holten-(1858-1930)

Peder Syv Peder Pedersen Syv (also spelled Siuf) or in Latin Petrus Petri Septimius (22 February 1631 – 17 February 1702) was a Danish Philology, philologist, folklore, folklorist and priest, known for his collections of Danish proverbs and folksongs, and ...

(1631–1702)

philologist Philology () is the study of language in oral and written historical sources; it is the intersection of textual criticism, literary criticism, history, and linguistics (with especially strong ties to etymology). Philology is also defined ...

, folklorist and priest *

(17th century) carpenter and wood carver of pulpits and altarpieces *

Anders Nielsen Hatt Anders Nielsen Hatt (born before 1612, died after 1626) was a wood carver active in Roskilde on the Danish island of Zealand. He is remembered especially for his carved pulpits in the area. There is only one remaining work signed by Nielsen Ha ...

(17th century), created carved pulpits and altarpieces *

Ejler Andreas Jorgensen Ejler Andreas Christoffer Jorgensen aka Eiler Jørgensen (July 16, 1838 – December 17, 1876) was a Danish-American landscape and portrait painter Biography Eiler Jørgensen was born in Sømme Herred in Roskilde, Denmark. He was the eldest so ...

(1838–1876), a Danish-American landscape and portrait painter *

Carl Rohl-Smith Carl Wilhelm Daniel Rohl-SmithCarr, p. 375. (April 3, 1848- August 20, 1900) was a Danish American sculptor who was active in Europe and the United States from 1870 to 1900. He sculpted a number of life-size and small bronzes based on Greco-Roma ...

(1848-1900) Danish-American sculptor of life-size and small bronzes *

Golla Hammerich Golla Andrea Hammerich née Bodenhoff Jensen (1854–1903) was a prominent Danish concert pianist who had studied under leading Danish musicians. It was not, however, until she was 35 that she first appeared in public. In 1895, she played a leadin ...

(1854–1903), pianist *

(1854–1933), painter, lived at Sankt Jørgensbjerg from 1923 * Clara Schønfeld (1856–1938), a Danish stage and film actress * Sophie Holten (1858-1930) a Danish painter of portraits, flower paintings and genre works * Pauline Thomsen (1858–1931), painter and art teacher *

Gustav Wied Gustav Johannes Wied (6 March 1858 – 24 October 1914) was a Danish writer. He was generally known as a satirical critic of society in his time and he deliberately used his writing talents to expose the establishment, bourgeoisie and rulin ...

(1858–1914 in Roskilde), writer and satirical critic of society * Hans Knudsen (1865–1947) artist, landscape paintings * Aksel Schiøtz (1906–1975), a Danish tenor and later baritone; lieder singer *

Jørgen Beck Jørgen Beck (13 December 1914 – 5 October 1991) was a Danish film actor. He appeared in 32 films between 1945 and 1978. He was born in Roskilde, Denmark and died in Denmark. Selected filmography * '' Hvad vil De ha'?'' (1956) * '' Pigen ...

(1914–1991) a Danish film actor * Lise Nørgaard (born 1917), a writer of humorous portrayals of Danish cultural life *

Willy Rathnov Willy Rathnov (13 May 1937 – 29 August 1999) was a Danish film actor. He appeared in 32 films between 1960 and 1988. He was born in Roskilde, Denmark and died in Denmark. Selected filmography * ''Onkel Joakims hemmelighed ''Onkel Joak ...

(1937–1999) a Danish film actor * John Olsen, (born 1938) sculptor, illustrator and painter *

Jørgen Boberg Jørgen Boberg (24 October 1940 – 24 August 2009) was a self-taught Surrealist Danish painter and illustrator. Biography Born in Roskilde, Boberg was a self-taught artist. After first exhibiting at the Artists Autumn Exhibition (''Kunstneres Eft ...

(1940–2009), a self-taught

Surrealist Surrealism is a cultural movement that developed in Europe in the aftermath of World War I in which artists depicted unnerving, illogical scenes and developed techniques to allow the unconscious mind to express itself. Its aim was, according to ...

Danish painter and illustrator *

Ib Michael Ib Michael (born 1945 in Roskilde, Denmark) is a Danish novelist and poet. His writing style has been described as magic realism. He attended the University of Copenhagen, where he studied Central American and Indian Language and Culture. Michae ...

(born 1945), a Danish novelist and poet of magic realism style *

Else Torp Else Torp is a Danish soprano born 1968 in Roskilde. Career She is a member of Paul Hillier's Theatre of Voices, with whom she sings ancient and baroque works of composers such as Peter Abelard, Roland de Lassus, Thomas Tallis, and Heinri ...

(born 1950) a Danish soprano * Thomas Boberg (born 1960) a Danish poet and travel writer *

Ole Christian Madsen Ole Christian Madsen (born 18 June 1966) is a Danish film director and script writer. Among his most successful projects are the movies '' Flame & Citron'', '' Prag'', '' Angels in Fast Motion'' ( da. ''Nordkraft'') and the TV series ''Rejseholdet ...

(born 1966), film-maker, director *

Thure Lindhardt Thure Frank Lindhardt (; born 24 December 1974) is a Danish actor, educated at the drama school at Odense Theatre in 1998. Life and career Lindhardt was born in Copenhagen, and grew up in Roskilde. At the age of 12, he got a part in Bille Aug ...

(born 1974), actor, grew up in Roskilde *

Clemens Clemens is both a Late Latin masculine given name and a surname meaning "merciful". Notable people with the name include: Surname * Adelaide Clemens (born 1989), Australian actress. * Andrew Clemens (b. 1852 or 1857–1894), American folk artist * ...

Legolas Telling (born 1979) rapper, singer, music writer, actor *

Gitte Hanspal Gitte Hanspal is a Danish model who won the Miss Scandinavia 2005 contest. Early life Hanspal completed her master's degree in Business Innovation & Management in 2007 from Copenhagen Business School.Miss Scandinavia ''Miss Scandinavia'' is a beauty pageant for Nordic females. The contest was merged with the Miss Baltic Sea pageant for the years 2007 and 2008 and after that the merged pageant was also discontinued. It was sponsored by MTV3. In 2021, the Mi ...

2005 *

Simon Sears Simon Sears (born 25 January 1984) is a Danish actor. Early life and education Sears was born in Roskilde to an Italian father and Danish mother. He was raised in the town of Solrød Strand, and has two older siblings. When he was younger, Sear ...

(born 1984), actor, raised in Solrød Strand *

Natasha Thomas Natasha Thomas (born 27 September 1986) is a Danish singer and songwriter. Career In 2003, at the age of 16, Thomas released her debut single "Why (Does Your Love Hurt So Much)", which reached number 40 on the German chart. "Save Your Kisses F ...

(born 1986) a Danish pop singer-songwriter *

Freja Beha Freja Beha Erichsen (born 18 October 1987), also known as Freja Beha, is a Danish model. Dubbed as the "Queen of Cool", she is known for her androgynous look and for being one of the muses of the late Karl Lagerfeld. Early life and education E ...

Erichsen (born 1987) a Danish model, ''"Queen of Cool"'' with an

androgynous Androgyny is the possession of both masculine and feminine characteristics. Androgyny may be expressed with regard to biological sex, gender identity, or gender expression. When ''androgyny'' refers to mixed biological sex characteristics in ...

look

Politics

Canute Lavard Canute Lavard ( Danish: Knud Lavard; cognate with English Lord) (12 March 1096 – 7 January 1131) was a Danish prince. Later he was the first Duke of Schleswig and the first border prince who was both a Danish and a German vassal, a position ...

(1096–1131) Prince and first

Duke of Schleswig The following is a list of jarls and dukes, who ruled over Schleswig respectively Southern Jutland (Sønderjylland). First jarls/dukes Houses of Estridsen and Schauenburg (1080–1460) House of Oldenburg In 1864, following the Second ...

(1128–1291), Bishop of Roskilde from 1158 to 1192 *

Carl Christian Vilhelm Liebe Carl Christian Vilhelm Liebe (30 November 1820 – 24 August 1900) was a Danish politician representing first the National Liberal Party and later the conservative Højre, lawyer and speaker of the Landsting, a chamber of the parliament. He ...

(1820–1900) politician, speaker of

Landstinget Landstinget was the upper house of the Rigsdag (the parliament of Denmark), from 1849 until 1953, when the bicameral system was abolished in favour of unicameralism. Landstinget had powers equal to the Folketing, which made the two houses of parl ...

Louis Pio Louis Albert François Pio (1841–1894) was one of the principal founders of the organized worker's movement in Denmark, and the principal founder of the Danish Social Democratic Party. Early life Pio was born 14 December 1841 in Roskilde, ...

(1841–1894), a co-founder of the organized worker's movement in Denmark *

Carl Theodor Zahle Carl Theodor Zahle (19 January 1866 in Roskilde – 3 February 1946 in Copenhagen), was a Danish lawyer and politician who served as Prims Minister of Denmark from 1909 to 1910 and again from 1913 to 1920. In 1895, he was elected as a member of t ...

(1866–1946), 5th Danish Prime Minister and co-founder of the

Danish Social Liberal Party The Danish Social Liberal Party ( da, Radikale Venstre, , Radical Left) is a social-liberal political party in Denmark. The party was founded as a split from the Venstre Reform Party in 1905. Historically, the centrist party has played a cent ...

Slimane Hadj Abderrahmane Slimane Hadj Abderrahmane (5 August 1973 – 16 February 2013) was a Danish citizen who was held in extrajudicial detention in the United States Guantanamo Bay detention camps, in Cuba. His Guantanamo Internment Serial Number was 323. The US Dep ...

(1973–2013)a Danish citizen, held in Guantanamo Bay * Michael Aastrup Jensen (born 1976) politician *

Zenia Stampe Zenia Stampe Lyngbo (born 30 March 1979 in Roskilde) is a Danish politician, who is a member of the Folketing for the Social Liberal Party. She was elected into parliament at the 2011 Danish general election. Background Stampe graduated fro ...

(born 1979) politician, elected to the ''Folketinget'' in 2011 * Joy Mogensen (born 1980) a Danish politician, Mayor of Roskilde Municipality 2011 to 2019, Minister of Culture and Church since 2019

Sport

2019 Formula One tests Barcelona, Magnussen (32309895977)

* Oskar Nørland (1882–1941) a Danish amateur footballer, played 14 games for

Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of Denmark , establish ...

and won two team silver medals at the 1908 and

1912 Summer Olympics The 1912 Summer Olympics ( sv, Olympiska sommarspelen 1912), officially known as the Games of the V Olympiad ( sv, Den V olympiadens spel) and commonly known as Stockholm 1912, were an international multi-sport event held in Stockholm, Sweden, b ...

Tage Henriksen Tage Henriksen (8 April 1925 – 13 May 2016) was a Danish rower who competed in the 1948 Summer Olympics. He was born in Roskilde Roskilde ( , ) is a city west of Copenhagen on the Danish island of Zealand. With a population of 51,916 (), ...

(1925–2016) rower, team gold medallist at the

1948 Summer Olympics The 1948 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XIV Olympiad and also known as London 1948) were an international multi-sport event held from 29 July to 14 August 1948 in London, England, United Kingdom. Following a twelve-year hiatus ...

Finn Pedersen Finn Pedersen (30 July 1925 – 14 January 2012) was a Danish rower who competed in the 1948 Summer Olympics and in the 1956 Summer Olympics. He was born in Roskilde Roskilde ( , ) is a city west of Copenhagen on the Danish island of Zeal ...

(1925–2012) rower, team gold medallist at the

1948 Events January * January 1 ** The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) is inaugurated. ** The Constitution of New Jersey (later subject to amendment) goes into effect. ** The railways of Britain are nationalized, to form British ...

also competed at the

1956 Summer Olympics The 1956 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVI Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, from 22 November to 8 December 1956, with the exception of the equestrian events, w ...

Carl-Ebbe Andersen Carl-Ebbe Andersen (19 January 1929 – 14 June 2009) was a Danish rower who competed in the 1948 Summer Olympics. He was born in Roskilde. In 1948 he was the coxswain The coxswain ( , or ) is the person in charge of a boat, particularly its ...

(1929–2009), rower, team gold medallist at the

Reno Olsen Reno Bent Olsen (born 19 February 1947) is a retired Danish cyclist. Competing in the track team pursuit he won a gold medal at the 1968 Summer Olympics The 1968 Summer Olympics ( es, Juegos Olímpicos de Verano de 1968), officially known a ...

(born 1947), racing cyclist, team gold medallist at the

1968 Summer Olympics The 1968 Summer Olympics ( es, Juegos Olímpicos de Verano de 1968), officially known as the Games of the XIX Olympiad ( es, Juegos de la XIX Olimpiada) and commonly known as Mexico 1968 ( es, México 1968), were an international multi-sport ev ...

(born 1973), rower, team gold medallist at

2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight ...

and

2008 Summer Olympics The 2008 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXIX Olympiad () and also known as Beijing 2008 (), were an international multisport event held from 8 to 24 August 2008, in Beijing, China. A total of 10,942 athletes from 204 Nat ...

Jan Magnussen Jan Ellegaard Magnussen (born 4 July 1973) is a Danish professional racing driver and was a factory driver for General Motors until the end of the 2020 season. He has competed in Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART), NASCAR, the FIA Formula O ...

(born 1973), racing driver *

Rikke Olsen Rikke Olsen Siegemund (born 19 April 1975) is a retired badminton player from Denmark. She won the mixed doubles title at the World Junior Championships in 1992 and the girls' doubles title at the European Junior Championships in 1993. Born in S ...

(born 1975) a retired badminton player, three time contender for Olympic bronze *

Peter Madsen Peter Langkjær Madsen (; born 12 January 1971) is a Danish convicted murderer and former entrepreneur. In April 2018, he was convicted of the 2017 murder of Swedish journalist Kim Wall on board his submarine, ''UC3 Nautilus'', and sentenced ...

(born 1978) a retired footballer with 275 club caps and 13 for

* Jesper Christiansen (born 1978) retired football goalkeeper with 348 club caps and a coach *

Carsten Mogensen Carsten Mogensen (born 24 July 1983) is a former badminton player from Denmark. He was the gold medalist at the 2015 European Games, two time European champions winning in 2012 and 2017, and the silver medalist at the 2012 Summer Olympics. Moge ...

(born 1983) badminton player, team silver medallist at the

2012 Summer Olympics The 2012 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012) was an international multi-sport event held from 27 July to 12 August 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. The first event, th ...

David Ousted David Ousted Hansen (born 1 February 1985) is a retired Danish footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He played with SønderjyskE and Randers in the Danish Superliga, before moving to the Major League Soccer in 2013 where he went on to repre ...

(born 1985) a Danish football goalkeeper with over 350 club caps *

Lasse Lindbjerg Lasse Lindbjerg (born 15 April 1992) is a retired Danish footballer, who played as a center back. Lindbjerg has played for FC Vestsjælland, BK Frem, F.C. Copenhagen, AB Tårnby and Greve IF. Privat life Lindbjerg was born in Roskilde Hospi ...

(born 1992) footballer and physiotherapist *

Kevin Magnussen Kevin Jan Magnussen (born 5 October 1992) is a Danish racing driver currently competing in Formula One for Haas F1 Team. He is the son of four-time Le Mans winner and former Formula One driver Jan Magnussen. Kevin Magnussen came up through M ...

(born 1992), racing driver *

Dennis Lind Dennis Lind (born 3 February 1993 in Roskilde) is a Denmark, Danish racing driver of Colombians, Colombian descent who is currently participating in GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup and the British GT Championship. He is the nephew and cou ...

(born 1993), racing driver

Science

* Rasmus Bartholin (1625–1698), scientist, physician, grammarian and astronomer * Hans Egede Saabye (1746–1817) priest, missionary to Greenland and botanist *

Jacob Kornerup Jacob Kornerup (19 November 1825 – 9 March 1913) was a Danish archeologist and painter who is remembered above all for discovering and restoring medieval frescos in Danish churches.Ernst Østrup (1845–1917)

botanist Botany, also called , plant biology or phytology, is the science of plant life and a branch of biology. A botanist, plant scientist or phytologist is a scientist who specialises in this field. The term "botany" comes from the Ancient Greek wo ...

, phycologist, mainly working on

diatoms A diatom (Neo-Latin ''diatoma''), "a cutting through, a severance", from el, διάτομος, diátomos, "cut in half, divided equally" from el, διατέμνω, diatémno, "to cut in twain". is any member of a large group comprising sev ...

* Ejnar Hertzsprung (1873–1967 in Roskilde), chemist and astronomer *

Hans Helbæk Hans Peter Helbæk (8 April 1907, Roskilde – 10 February 1981, Kagerup) was a Danish archaeologist and palaeobotanist. He studied the plant remains from James Mellaart's excavations at Çatalhöyük and the last meal of the Grauballe Man. He ...

(1907–1981) a Danish archaeologist and

palaeobotanist Paleobotany, which is also spelled as palaeobotany, is the branch of botany dealing with the recovery and identification of plant remains from geological contexts, and their use for the biological reconstruction of past environments (paleogeogr ...

* Ada Bruhn Hoffmeyer (1910–1991) a Danish museum curator, writer and medieval weapons expert

Crime

Peter Lundin Peter Kenneth Bostrøm Lundin (born February 15, 1972), who later renamed himself to Bjarne Skounborg and most recently Thomas Kristian Olesen, is a Danish serial killer who, on March 15, 2001, was sentenced to life imprisonment by the Østre La ...

(born 1972), convicted murderer

References

;Bibliography * * *

External links

*
Wineroads.dk
græsk rødvine og hvidvine i Roskilde * {{Authority control Municipal seats of Region Zealand Municipal seats of Denmark Cities and towns in Region Zealand Viking Age populated places Former national capitals Roskilde Municipality Populated places established in the 10th century