 | This article needs to beupdated. The reason given is: The museum has been closed since 1 January 2016.. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(September 2025) |
Orlogsmuseet | |
 The museum viewed fromWilder's Canal | |
 | |
| Established | 1976 |
|---|---|
| Location | 58Ovengade Oven Vandet Copenhagen,Denmark |
| Coordinates | 55°40′27″N12°35′40″E / 55.6742°N 12.5945°E /55.6742; 12.5945 |
| Director | Ole Louis Frantzen |
| Website | Official website |
TheRoyal Danish Naval Museum (Danish: Orlogsmuseet) is a museum dedicated to the history of theRoyal Danish Navy. The displays include a collection of naval models which dates back to late 17th century. The museum is based inSøkvæsthuset, a former naval hospice which overlooksChristianshavn Canal.
The museum is a branch of the Museum of Military History which also includes theTøjhus Museum atSlotsholmen and three museum ships, the frigateHDMS Peder Skram, the fast attack craftHDMS Sehested, and the submarineHDMS Sælen, all located atHolmen.
The museum traces its history back to the foundation of the Royal Model Collection which dates back to the 17th century when it became common practice to build accurate models of ships, or detail models of components of them or their fittings, as part of the ship building process. In 1773 the collection was installed atGammelholm but later passed into oblivion. The 1830s saw a renewed interest in ship models, both the historic ones and of new ships, and the collection was finally installed once again in 1862. In 1894, a new building for the Royal Model Collection was constructed atHolmen.[1]
In 1940, the collection was evacuated and put in storage out of fear that it would be destroyed in the event of aGerman attack on the Danish Navy. After theLiberation in 1945, its building had been taken into use for other purposes. The museum was founded 1957 at the initiative of Vice Admiral A.H. Vedel and found a temporary home inSt. Nicolas Church. In 1974 a branch of the museum opened atValdemars Castle on the island ofTåsinge which mainly focussed on the naval heroNiels Juel who had owned the estate in the middle of the 17th century. In 1984 the temporary premises at St. Nicolas' closed and the exhibition moved to a building atChristianshavn Rampart at Christianshavn. In 1884 the south wing of Søkvæsthuset was put at the disposal of the museum which reopened at its new premises on 4 October 1989.
In 2015, the museum permanently closed.[2]
The building was designed by J. C. Conradi and completed in 1755 as the home of the Royal Orphanage (da.Det Kongelige Opfostringshus) which had been founded a few years earlier and took care of the upbringing of sons of single parents from poor backgrounds. In 1775 the institution moved to new premises in Store Kongensgade and the building was instead converted into a new home for the Royal Naval Hospice which had until then been located atSankt Annæ Plads. The wing toward Bådsmandsstræde, which now houses the Naval Museum, was built in 1781 by the mason J. B. Schottmann (1734–1786).[3]
The long building stands in yellow-dressed masonry with light grey pilasters. The rounded pediment is decorated with war trophies.[3]
The oldest ship in the Model Collection is an unnamed vessel from the 1660s with a bust resemblingNiels Juel decorating itsTransom. The collection consists of several hundred large and small models, ranging from fully riggedships of the line to over model docks to various detail models. A common trait of the models is that they display fine craftsmanship and an immense richness of detail. The models served as a sort of "blue prints" and are therefore crafted in accurate scale.
The museum has also acquired several modern models of contemporary naval vessels, including a model of a flexible support ship of theAbsalon class.
The exhibitions also comprise a vast number of weapons, uniforms and artifacts such as navigational equipment and tools.
The museum also holds a large number of artworks which depict naval history. Represented artists includeChristian Mølsted,Anthon Melbye andChristoffer Wilhelm Eckersberg.
Apart from the collections, the museum also usediorama of important naval battles and mock-ups to present the history of the Danish Navy.
![[icon]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=https%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aWiki_letter_w_cropped.svg) | This section is empty. You can help byadding to it.(March 2013) |
The museum also takes in three decommissioned naval ships of theCold War era which are docked atNyholm. They can only be visited during the summer months (June–August) and on limited opening hours.
During opening hours visitors are free to walk around the largest of the ships,FDMSPeder Skram, aPeder Skram class frigate, while the two others,HDMSSælen, a submarine, andHDMS Sehested, a Willemose-classmissile boat, can only be visited on tours. They start every 30 minutes during opening hours and are available in English.[4] The opening hours for the ships are:
June:Sælen and Sehested: Weekends from 11.00 am - 5 pm.Peder Skram: All days from 11.00 am - 5 pm.
July:All ships from 11.00 am - 5 pm.
August:Until 15 August: All ships from 11.00 am - 5 pm.From 15 August: Only Peder Skram, open 11.00 am - 5 pm.
