Scan Magazine | Mini Theme | Our Top Experiences in Denmark
An architectural pearl
By Nicolai Lisberg
When architect Daniel Libeskind designed the Danish Jewish Museum, he wanted it to tell a story. That is why the story of the Danish Jews can be found in every little detail of the museum. In fact, it can even be found in the architecture itself. ‘Mitzvah’. It is a Hebrew word, which can be translated as ‘good deed’ – a word that has everything to do with the Danish Jewish Museum in the centre of Copenhagen, a museum designed by Daniel Libeskind, who was touched by the story of how the majority of Danish Jews were saved from Nazi persecution during the Second World War. “Libeskind always designs his work from a historical reference, and with our museum, he decided to focus on the escape in 1943, where 95 per cent of the Danish Jews escaped to Sweden and were saved due to the compassion of both Danes, who sailed them across the water, and their Swedish compatriots,” explains Sara Fredfeldt Stadager, curator at the Danish Jewish Museum in Copenhagen. The museum is the only building Libeskind has designed in the north. The word ‘mitzvah’
has become part of the museum’s logo; the corridor area is shaped in the form of the Hebrew letters from the word, and the wood used is from Sweden, as a tribute to the country’s good deed. “Every architectural detail tells the story of Danish Jewish history, and it’s also worth mentioning that the building the museum is set in – today the Royal Library – was built by King Christian IV, who was the first king to welcome Jews to Denmark,” says Fredfeldt Stadager.
Photo: Danish Jewish Museum
Web: www.jewmus.dk Facebook: jewmus Instagram: @thedanishjewishmuseum
Photo: Josefine Amalie
Denmark’s 19th-century superstar As one of the 19th century’s most famous artists, the artworks of Danish sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen can be found in museums all over the world. However, only one museum shows the entirety of his talent: Thorvaldsens Museum in Copenhagen. Built and funded by the people of Copenhagen in 1848, Thorvaldsens Museum stands as a monument of love and admiration for the artist and his work. The museum was designed by Thorvaldsen’s close friend, Michael Gottlieb Bindesbøll. “The museum is Denmark’s oldest, and the building itself is a piece of art,” says Maria Horn Rasmussen, PR and communications manager at Thorvaldsen Museum. “All the floors and ceilings are hand-painted and decorated; it’s an explosion of colours, and in the midst of it you have Thorvaldsen’s art and the artist himself – he’s buried in the courtyard, surrounded by his art.” Born in 1770, Thorvaldsen grew up in Copenhagen in poor circumstances. However, he was admitted to Denmark’s Royal Academy of Fine Arts at a young age, and later given a scholarship to work and study
in Rome. Doing so for 40 years, he became one of the most famous artists of his time, known not just for his incredible talent and Neoclassical marble sculptures, but also for his enlightened views. “Thorvaldsen believed in the French ideal of liberty, equality and brotherhood, and his talent along with his equalitarianism – he insisted on shaking hands with everyone
By Signe Hansen
in a room – made him quite the superstar of his time,” says Rasmussen. His dedication to equality was also the reason why Thorvaldsen, before his death in 1944, chose to donate his work to the people of Copenhagen.
Photo: Thorvaldsens Museum Thorvaldsens Museum in Copenhagen is a monument of love and admiration to one of the 19th century’s best-known artists, Bertel Thorvaldsen. Photo: Sarah Coghill
Web: www.thorvaldsensmuseum.dk
Issue 120 | January 2019 | 29