# Christian IV's Arsenal > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Christian_IV's_Arsenal > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Christian_IV's_Arsenal.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_IV's_Arsenal > Source revision: 1355785239 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) Building in Copenhagen, Denmark Christian IV's Arsenal Interactive map of the Christian IV's Arsenal area General information Architectural style renaissance Location Copenhagen, Denmark Construction started 1598 Completed 1604 Client Christian IV **Christian IV's Arsenal** ([Danish](/source/Danish_language): Christian IV's Tøjhus), is a historic building on [Slotsholmen](/source/Slotsholmen) in central [Copenhagen](/source/Copenhagen), [Denmark](/source/Denmark). It was built by [Christian IV of Denmark](/source/Christian_IV_of_Denmark) in 1604 as part of a grand scheme for the construction of a new naval harbour. The [arsenal](/source/Arsenal), along with several other buildings, surrounded the harbour basin which was connected to the main harbour by a narrow canal. Later, when ships became too large to enter the harbour, the fleet moved to [Bremerholm](/source/Gammelholm#Bremerholm) and the decommissioned naval harbour was later filled in. Today Christian IV's Arsenal houses the [Tøjhus Museum](/source/T%C3%B8jhus_Museum), a museum of weapons and military history, while the site of the former naval harbour has become the [Royal Library Garden](/source/Royal_Library_Garden%2C_Copenhagen). ## History ### Construction of the new naval harbour Christian IV's Arsenal Dock in 1611. Shortly after King [Christian IV](/source/Christian_IV_of_Denmark) was crowned, he decided to re-arm. The rivalry with [Sweden](/source/Sweden) for control over the [Baltic Sea](/source/Baltic_Sea) called for a strong fleet with a well protected base. He therefore decided to build a new naval harbour at [Slotsholmen](/source/Slotsholmen) next to [Copenhagen Castle](/source/Copenhagen_Castle) which used to be located where [Christiansborg Palace](/source/Christiansborg_Palace) stands today.[1] The Arsenal Dock at Slotsholmen There had been an arsenal on the site for half a century but it was a fairly small, [half-timbered](/source/Timber_framing) building, one of several such arsenals spread across the city, and it was now outdated. In 1598, the king charged Bernt Petersen who had just completed the large tower at [Koldinghus](/source/Koldinghus), with the commission. Six years later a huge new arsenal was completed, 163 metres (535 ft) long and 24 metres (79 ft) wide with walls three metres (9.8 ft) thick at the base. Next to it, [Proviantgården](/source/Proviantg%C3%A5rden), a supply depot was built with the same length and design but a bit narrower. The entrance to the Arsenal Dock and the statue of Leda and the swan to the rightm painting by [Johannes Rach](/source/Johannes_Rach), c. 1750 It was between these two buildings that the new harbour was to be constructed. A local contractor, Melchior Spangenberg, was commissioned to dig out the harbour for a price of 1,800 [thaler](/source/Thaler), a load of [rye](/source/Rye), a load of [barley](/source/Barley) and a barrel of butter.[1] The harbour basin was to have an area of more than one-half hectare (1.2 acres) and a depth of four metres (13 ft). A canal, 125 metres (410 ft) long and also four metres (13 ft) deep, was to connect it to the coast. To protect the mouth of the harbour, two more buildings, the Galley House and the Sulphor House, were constructed on either side of the canal, each serving other practical purposes relating to the new naval complex. The Arsenal Dock and the Supplies Building, painting by Christian Hetsch The entire complex was completed around 1610. Ships could berth along either the arsenal or the supply depot and be loded and unloaded through gates facing the water. The complex also had its own bakery and brewery today known as [Christian IV's Brewhouse](/source/Christian_IV's_Brewhouse) even though the building outdates him and originally served defensive purposes. When the brewhouse was completed, the brewer was provided with a large number of discarded [mail sleeves](/source/Mail_(armour)) for the scrubbing of brew kettles. Mail armour was no longer of practical use in the event of war and might just as well find new applications.[1] Outside the entrance to the new harbour, a [sculpture of Leda and the swan](/source/Leda_and_the_Swan_(Copenhagen)) was mounted on a tall column constructed on a [sandbar](/source/Shoal) known as the Mermaid Bar because sightings of [mermaids](/source/Mermaid) were supposed to be particularly common there. The sculpture served as a [landmark](/source/Landmark) for the city until it was dismantled in 1795 to make more room for the increasing ship traffic in the harbour.[2] ### Decommissioning of the harbour and later history The east gable of the building As ships grew larger, the Royal Fleet moved to [Bremerholm](/source/Gammelholm#Bremerholm) and, in turn, to [Nyholm](/source/Holmen_Naval_Base) which was created in the 1680s by a series of [land reclamations](/source/Land_reclamation) north of [Christianshavn](/source/Christianshavn) on the other side of the main harbour. Christian IV's Arsenal remained in use until the 19th century. In the 1880s a new arsenal was constructed on reclaimed land on the other side of the harbour at along the coast of Amager in what is now known as the [Islands Brygge](/source/Islands_Brygge) district.[3] - The Arsenal Passageway ## See also - [Proviantgården](/source/Proviantg%C3%A5rden) ## References 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Berlingske_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Berlingske_1-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-Berlingske_1-2) ["Krigshavnen ved Tøjhuset"](http://www.berlingske.dk/kultur/krigshavnen-ved-toejhuset). Berlingske. Retrieved 2010-02-22. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["Havfruegrunden"](https://web.archive.org/web/20110719125956/http://www.kobenhavnshistorie.dk/bog/kko/h/kko_h-6.html). Selskabet for Københavns Historie. Archived from [the original](http://www.kobenhavnshistorie.dk/bog/kko/h/kko_h-6.html) on 2011-07-19. Retrieved 2010-02-22. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["Islands Brygges historie og udvikling"](https://web.archive.org/web/20080204010700/http://www.njalsgade.dk/omraadet/historie/). njalsgade.dk. Archived from [the original](http://www.njalsgade.dk/omraadet/historie/) on February 4, 2008. Retrieved 2009-08-07. [55°40′28″N 12°34′49″E / 55.67444°N 12.58028°E / 55.67444; 12.58028](https://geohack.toolforge.org/geohack.php?pagename=Christian_IV%27s_Arsenal¶ms=55_40_28_N_12_34_49_E_type:landmark_region:DK-84) --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Christian IV's Arsenal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_IV's_Arsenal) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_IV's_Arsenal?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.