Bishop's residence, Nørregade

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City hall, university and bishop's palace

The corner of Nørregade and Studiestræde in Copenhagen has housed many different institutions. In the 14th century it contained the city hall but later the university moved in. After the Reformation, the university swapped premises with the then bishop's palace, which has remained there ever since. The first Lutheran bishop to live there was Peder Palladius. His seal and motto are displayed above the door. In 1728, the old house burned down and today only the original basement remains. In 1896, the house underwent a comprehensive restoration project that still colours the bishop's palace to this day. Bishop Friedrich Münter's collection of cultural objects are bricked into the walls of the gateway and entrance hall.

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Almighty God and Master! For you, anything is possible." "

Story written by Frederikke Heick

Time / Periode 1807

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That is how Zealand's Bishop Nicolai Edinger Balle begins his: Prayer to God in the name of Jesus during the Englishmen's attack on Copenhagen for household use by anyone who wishes". The prayer was in preparation for the English bombardment of Copenhagen in 1807. During August, 30,000 soldiers had surrounded Copenhagen. The English were demanding the allegiance of the Danish navy in the war against Napoleon. When the demand was rejected, they bombed large parts of the city, reducing it to an inferno of ruins and flames. Perhaps the prayer worked to some extent, however, because although the Round Tower and the Church of Our Lady made good targets for the English cannons, and the bishop's palace was at the heart of the bombardment, it sustained no major damage. Cannon balls have been bricked into the walls of the gateway in memory of the bombardment. "