Herlufsholm School ( da, Herlufsholm Skole og Gods) is a private day and
boarding school
A boarding school is a school where pupils live within premises while being given formal instruction. The word "boarding" is used in the sense of "room and board", i.e. lodging and meals. As they have existed for many centuries, and now exten ...
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 ar ...
. Herlufsholm was founded in 1565 as a boarding school for "sons of noble and other honest men" on the site of a former
Benedictine
, image = Medalla San Benito.PNG
, caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal
, abbreviation = OSB
, formation =
, motto = (English: 'Pray and Work')
, foun ...
monastery from the 12th century.
Herlufsholm has been co-educational since the 1960s for day students, as of 1985 for boarding pupils. The student body currently exceeds 600 students, of which approximately 275 students are boarders who lived in the dormitories. The pupils follow a 10-day programme with lessons on Saturdays followed by 3-day weekends. The school offers a range of education: from 6th grade in the Danish lower-secondary school; the optional 10th grade; the three grades in upper-secondary school and the international programs: a preparatory class (1–2 year) with IGCSE exams and the
International Baccalaureate Programme
The International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) is a two-year educational programme primarily aimed at 16-to-19-year-olds in 140 countries around the world. The programme provides an internationally accepted qualification for entry into ...
.
The founding of the school
Herlufsholm is built on the site of a
Benedictine
, image = Medalla San Benito.PNG
, caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal
, abbreviation = OSB
, formation =
, motto = (English: 'Pray and Work')
, foun ...
monastery, founded in 1135, of which the church and a few other remnants are preserved and in daily use by the students and staff. The monastery was originally called Sct. Peder’s Monastery, but over the years it became known as Skovkloster. It was seized by King
Christian III of Denmark
Christian III (12 August 1503 – 1 January 1559) reigned as King of Denmark from 1534 and King of Norway from 1537 until his death in 1559. During his reign, Christian formed close ties between the church and the crown. He established ...
during the
Reformation in Denmark–Norway and Holstein
The Reformation in Denmark–Norway and Holstein saw the transition from Catholicism to Lutheranism in the realms ruled by the Danish-based House of Oldenburg in the first half of the sixteenth century. After the break-up of the Kalmar Union in 1 ...
in 1536. The king allowed the monks to remain, and the last monk left the monastery in 1559 in favour of another monastery in the close by city of
Sorø
Sorø () is a town in Sorø municipality in Region Sjælland on the island of Zealand (''Sjælland'') in east Denmark. The population is 7,999 (2022).
Herluf Trolle
Herluf Trolle (14 January 1516 – 25 June 1565) was a Danish naval hero, Admiral of the Fleet and co-founder of Herlufsholm School (''Herlufsholm Skole og Gods''), a private boarding school at Næstved on the island of Zealand in Denmark.
...
(1516–1565) and his wife Birgitte Gøye (1511–1574) took possession of the monastery in 1560 in exchange of their home Hillerødsholm (which later became
Frederiksborg Palace
Frederiksborg Castle ( da, Frederiksborg Slot) is a palatial complex in Hillerød, Denmark. It was built as a royal residence for King Christian IV of Denmark-Norway in the early 17th century, replacing an older castle acquired by Frederick II ...
). The couple changed the name into Herlufsholm and founded the school in May 1565, but Herluf Trolle never saw their dream materialise because he was fatally wounded on sea during the
Great Northern War
The Great Northern War (1700–1721) was a conflict in which a coalition led by the Tsardom of Russia successfully contested the supremacy of the Swedish Empire in Northern, Central and Eastern Europe. The initial leaders of the anti-Swedi ...
; he died in Copenhagen in June 1565.
Image:Herluf Trolle 1551.jpg, Herluf Trolle (1551), Collections of Frederiksborg castle
Image:Birgitte Gøye.jpg, Birgitte Gøye (1550), Frederiksborg collections
Image:Jrb_20050309_herluf_trolle_birgitte_goeye_herlufsholm.JPG, Herluf Trolle and Birgitte Gøye carved in wood
School buildings
Herlufsholm has evolved over a couple of centuries, with many characteristic changes in the past 50 years. The school campus still retains a
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 ...
appearance thanks to the former abbey church and the adjoining building, ''Klosterbygningen'' ("Monastery Building"), of which the only original part remaining is the cellars – the present building is from the 1870s. ''Klosterbygningen'' consists of the church (in which the students gather in the morning), two dining halls, a ballroom, the provost apartment, music studies, washing facilities and other amenities.
The second largest building is ''Skolebygningen'' ("School Building") which contains two dormitories and some classrooms. Up until the middle of the 20th century most of the teaching took place here, but now less than half the school's classrooms are located here.
The third most important building is ''Museumsbygningen'' ("Museum Building"), which contains another two dormitories, the science department, the biology department and the school's collection of historical scientific apparatus and specimens of animal species, many now endangered, in a collection dating back to the 1870s.
The campus also holds a library from 1911, a small hospital, the principal's house, a few house for teachers and various other service and administrative buildings.
The rest of the classrooms are located in ''Gymnasiefløjen'' where the teaching of the secondary school pupils takes place. The Gymnasium Building is connected to the principal's office, the staffroom and ''Helenhallen'', which is the second largest gym, also containing a stage.
The 10 school houses are:
The newest dormitory ''Bodil-Gården'' finished construction in 2010, houses the youngest boarding pupils, and is one of the three mixed-gender dorms along with ''Lassengården'' and ''Vuggestuen.''
School spirit
Because of its origin as a monastery, the pupils are referred to internally as disciples; but they are also called ''Herlovianere'' (Herlovians) and former students are thereby ''Gammelherlovianere'' (Old Herlovians). The members of teaching staff go by the name "hører" which is Danish for "hearer" and many of them gain nicknames that some even go by in the classrooms. The headmaster and his wife are known as "Heis and Mia" respectively. A number of senior year students are appointed prefects in every house.
A day at Herlufsholm is structured around the three daily meals, school before and after midday, and the private 2 hour study session on either side of the evening dinner; boarding students furthermore have specific timings for going to bed depending on their year. Every morning after the first session of lectures, the school gathers in the church or the gym hall to get an update on current matters of interest and sing from their personal songbooks.
The uniform
Herlufsholm is the only school in Denmark with a compulsory uniform.
Every student for 6th to 12th grade, boarding and day students, must wear the uniform in school - except at gym class where a sports uniform is used. The school has two uniform systems: Half and Full Galla.
Students are required to wear jackets on special occasions, e.g. exams and traditional festivities, but many choose to do so on other days as well for practical reasons such as cold weather. Students in middle-school, 6th-9th, wear a double-buttoned blazer, while students in the preparatory class (10th grade) as well as all high school students wear the single-row, school blazer with the Gøye arms on the chest.
All students have to buy the two school ties, which they are obliged to wear with their blazer. The ''"Herlovianerslips" ''(Herlovian Tie) is coloured in blue and silver/white diagonal stripes running down the tie from the wearer's left. The ''"Gøyeslips" '' (Gøye Tie) is full coloured, dark blue tie with the Gøye family crest, three pilgrims' scallops. Previously, there existed a corresponding ''"Trolleslips" '' (Trolle Tie) with the Trolle family crest, a beheaded, red troll; but it has gone out of production for reasons unknown.
''Half Galla''
Half Galla is the ordinary day uniform, dating back to the 1950s, used in school as well as less formal festivities. The uniform is centered on a sky blue, button-down shirt with the Gøye family crest on the chest pocket. Students are free to combine this shirt with charcoal-grey or blue pants/skirts and pullovers - light colour variations are banned and so is black. Though, denim is not accepted in class, the students are otherwise free to wear clothes of their liking as long as it is without large prints, patterns and logos. Furthermore, students are allowed to wear classic coats, sensible black footwear and inconspicuous belts.
The correct half galla, consists of the Herlovianerslips on the blue school shirt, charcoal grey pants and school blazer. This uniform is for instance used at the Fugleskydning and final exams.
In their senior year, corresponding to 12th grade, male students wear a peaked cap with a pilgrims' scallop on oak leaves, and white pants as was previously tradition among senior navy cadets. Female students wear a dark blue sailor hat made of straw with a white band and tails, and a white, high waisted, floor-length dress with pleats and gold buttons. Prefects, all senior year, wear the Trolle crest instead of the Gøye shield worn by the rest of the school.
''Full Galla''
Full Galla is the uniform used in festivities and solemnity. The correct full galla, consists of a dark blue, double-breasted suit or with a comely skirt, and the Gøyeslips on a white shirt. This uniform is used at the Trollemorgen and formal school dinner parties, where the tie is replaced with a bowtie for boys; or as a whole for girls who wear galla dresses.
In their senior year, male students often wear a white bowtie, especially at graduation where the white corresponds nicely with the Danish student cap.
''Herlovianersproget''
A unique characteristic of the school is that the students have developed their own language called the ''herlovianersprog''. Words are created by simply taking the first and last
syllable
A syllable is a unit of organization for a sequence of speech sounds typically made up of a syllable nucleus (most often a vowel) with optional initial and final margins (typically, consonants). Syllables are often considered the phonological "bu ...
s of a word and making a
portmanteau
A portmanteau word, or portmanteau (, ) is a blend of wordscygnet), which had not previously featured as a word in Danish, is originally Herlovian for Svane + Ælling (Swan + duckling). So far two dictionaries have been published.
Traditions
Herlufsholm has a long list of traditions. The two biggest events of the year are:
Trolle-morgen
''Trolle-morgen'' is on January 14 being the founder's birthday, is a major event, as many old students return to the school on that day to commemorate their founding father in the dark hour of early morning.
Fugleskydning
''Fugleskydning'' ("bird-shooting") in mid-August starts the new school year. It is a tradition dating back to the latter part of the 19th century. Old and new students meet at the school to shoot down a wooden bird on a pole with bows and arrows.
Evidence of abuse
A May 2022 TV 2 documentary revealed evidence, including testimony and video, of a culture of bullying and sexual abuse directed at young students; the documentary provoked an emotional reaction in Denmark. In response, Education Minister Pernille Rosenkrantz-Theil was summoned to a closed session of
parliament
In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...
, and the school's
board
Board or Boards may refer to:
Flat surface
* Lumber, or other rigid material, milled or sawn flat
** Plank (wood)
** Cutting board
** Sounding board, of a musical instrument
* Cardboard (paper product)
* Paperboard
* Fiberboard
** Hardboard, a ty ...
sacked its principal and abolished the prefect system. The entire board would itself resign the following month after sanctions and strong criticism from Denmark's National Agency for Education and Quality. The Crown Prince Couple also announced they were withdrawing Prince Christian and Princess Isabella from the school.
Knud Lyne Rahbek
Knud Lyne Rahbek (18 December 1760 – 22 April 1830) was a Denmark, Danish literary historian, critic, writer, poet and magazine editor.
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Biography
Fink-Jensen was born in Copenhagen, Denmark. From 1968 to 1972 he attended school in Store Heddinge where he was a classmate with t ...
(Photographer)
*
Nicolai Frahm
Nicolai Frahm (born 1975) is a London-based Danish art advisor, exhibition producer, collector, and the co-founder of Frahm & Frahm and Dairy Art Centre, a contemporary art gallery in London which closed in 2014.
Early life
Nicolai Frahm was b ...
(Art collector)
*
Sven Holm
Sven Holm (13 April 1940 – 11 May 2019) was a Danish author and playwright. Holm graduated from Herlufsholm School in 1958. His first short story collection, ''Den store fjende'', was published in 1961. In 1974, Holm was awarded the Grand Prize ...
(Author)
*
Kristian von Hornsleth
Kristian von Hornsleth (born 1963) is a Danish conceptual artist, painter, sculptor, political activist, performance artist and filmmaker.
Art projects
Hornsleth Village Project
Hornsleth became world famous for his controversiaHornsleth Vill ...
(Artist)
* Marie Tetzlaff (Journalist)
Government and Politics
*
Christian Albrecht Bluhme
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Bernt Johan Collet
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He served as defense ministe ...
(Danish Minister of Defence 1987–88, co-founder of
CEPOS
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)
*
Joachim Gersdorff
Joachim Gersdorff (12 November 1611 - 19 April 1661) was a Denmark, Danish politician, from 1650 to 1660 Danish Steward of the Realm, Steward of the Danish Realm. It was Gersdorff who negotiated the Treaty of Roskilde on Denmark's part during the ...
Member of parliament
A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...
Niels Trolle
Niels Trolle til Trollesholm og Gavnø (20 December 1599 – 20 September 1667) was a Danish nobleman who served as vice admiral under Christian IV and later as Steward of Norway from 1656 to 1661. He played a central administrative role d ...
Corfitz Ulfeld
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Anders Lassen
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(Major, recipient of the
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It was previously ...
Prince Christian of Denmark
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(2021-2022 – pulled from the school shortly after completing the first years of his upper secondary education due to reports of recurring incidents of bullying, violence and sexual abuse at the school)
*
Sven Clausen
Sven (in Danish language, Danish and Norwegian language, Norwegian, also Svend and also in Norwegian most commonly Svein) is a Scandinavian first name which is also used in the Low Countries and German-speaking countries. The name itself is Old ...
(Doctor of law, professor, author, playwright, poet)
* Frederik Harhoff (Legal Officer at the
International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia
The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) was a body of the United Nations that was established to prosecute the war crimes that had been committed during the Yugoslav Wars and to try their perpetrators. The tribunal ...
)
*
Michael Møller
Michael Møller (born 9 November 1952, in Denmark) is president of the Diplomatic Forum of the Geneva Science and Diplomacy Anticipator Foundation, principal advisor at Macro Advisory Partners and member of the boards of several foundations, inclu ...
( Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and current Director-General
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(Oenologist)
*
Christian Stadil
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Herlufsholm Strand
Herluf Trolle Land is an area in Peary Land, North Greenland. Administratively it is part of the Northeast Greenland National Park.Google Maps
The area has two clearly defined parts: Herlufsholm Strand, the flat southeasterly point of Peary Land, ...