The Royal Danish CollectionHM The King's Reference LibraryResearch

Research

The King’s Reference Library affords many possibilities for research into a large number of fields and has over the years formed the basis of a many academic publications.
The library includes unique collections within the field of history – in particular the history of the Danish Royal Family – genealogy, the history of architecture and art, literary history, musicology, heraldry, cartography, and the history of books and bookbinding. It is furthermore well stocked with secondary literature about all these subjects.

  • The Reference Library has amongst other things collaborated on the following publications:
  • Erik Pontoppidan, The Danish Atlas, Tomus I-VI, facsimile published by Rosenkilde &Bagger, Copenhagen 1969.
  • Hilfeling’s Scanian Drawings, facsimile with commentary published by the Danish-Scanian Society, Copenhagen 1977.
  • Samples of Greenlandic Drawing and Printing 1857-61 by Hinrich Rink, facsimile with foreword by Bodil Kaalund, Forum, Copenhagen 1980.
  • Claus Røllum-Larsen, Frederik IX and Music: Musicological Studies in the Danish Royal Family, published by Her Majesty the Queen’s Reference Library and Poul Kristiensens Forlag, Copenhagen 1990.
  • Norwegian Journeys Anno 1733: Description of King Christian VI and Queen Sophie Magdalene’s Journey to Norway, 12 May to 23 September, facsimile published by Her Majesty the Queen’s Reference Library and Poul Kristiensens Forlag, Copenhagen 1992.

Selected literature about the Reference Library’s history and collections:

  • Klaus Kjølsen, Hendes Majestæt Dronningens Håndbibliotek 1746-1996. / Her Majesty The Queen’s Reference Library. Abridged version by Christian Gottlieb, Odense Universitetsforlag 1997.
  • H.P. Rohde, Christian X’s Library, in The Leitmotif: Studies in the History of Books, Poul Kristensens Forlag, Herning 1985.
  • C. Rise Hansen, The Private Library of Her Majesty the Queen – Hendes Majestæt  Dronningens Håndbibliotek, in: Sources of the History of North Africa, Asia and Oceania in Denmark, K. G. Saur Verlag, München – New York – London – Paris & The Danish National Archives, 1980, s. 17-46.
  • H. P. Clausen, A Royal Gift: P. C. Klæstrup’s Drawings in the Queen’s Reference Library, Convivium, Yearbook for Humanities, Art and Research 1979, Copenhagen 1979, pp. 20-43.
  • Holger Ehrencron-Müller, His Majesty the King of Denmark’s Library, Nordic Periodical for Books and Libraries IX, 1922, pp. 168-184.

Relations

Casper David Friedrich’s drawings

Amongst the Reference Library’s treasures are three drawings by one of the major figures of the German Romantic movement, Casper David Friedrich. Friedrich was educated at the Art Academy in Copenhagen in the 1790s and maintained the connection to Denmark both through the many Danish painters of the Golden Age who visited him in Dresden, and through the Norwegian painter J. C. Dahl. The drawings are part of the “Green Album”, a folder of drawings which belonged to Prince Christian Frederik, the later Christian VIII. Christian Frederik was for many years the governor of the Art Academy, had himself been instructed in drawing there (at the same time as Friedrich), and was seen as an important patron and support. He several times received gifts from artists, both as prince and king.

Hilfeling’s drawings from Scania

In the 1770s and 1780s, the Swedish artist Carl Gustav Gottfried Hilfeling travelled around Scania at the expense of the Danish government and drew historical and archaeological objects which predated Scania becoming Swedish at the Treaty of Roskilde in 1658. It was originally to be a collaboration with the Danish historian Jacob Langebek, but he died in 1777. Hilfeling’s drawings are of great documentary value and show a broad cross section of both prehistoric and historic Scanian cultural heritage, from the Bronze Age to the Renaissance. Shown here is the drawing of the largest Bronze Age burial site in Scandinavia, which lies in Kivik in south east Scania.

The Chess Book of Augustus the Younger, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, 1616/1617

Duke Augustus was one of the most well-read and educated European rulers of his time. The famous Bibliotheca Augusta in Wolffenbüttel is named after him. In his youth he wrote the first German language book on chess, Das Schach- oder König-Spiel. it was published under the pseudonym Gustavus Selenus, the first part of which is a rearrangement of the letters in Augustus, while the second derives from Selene = Luna and forms an allusion to Lüneburg. The book is a great rarity today, not least in the apparently complete condition in which it is found here.

Sale of photographs

Enquiries about taking photographs, scanning, and the use of reproductions of the Reference Library’s material should be made to haandbiblioteket@kosa.dk Any usage of material from the Reference Library outside of the library’s premises is subject to prior permission from HM the Queen. Applications regarding this may be sent to the same address as other enquiries. The price per photograph or scanning is 800 DKK plus VAT (25%).