Copenhagen was founded in 1167 by tough-as-nails Bishop Absalon, who erected a fortress on Slotsholmen Island, fortifying a small and previously unprotected harbourside village. Absalon’s fortress stood until 1369, when it was destroyed in an attack on the town by the powerful Hanseatic states. In 1416 King Erik of Pomerania took up residence at the site, marking the beginning of Cop­enhagen’s role as the capital of Denmark.
The reign of Christian IV, in the first half of the 17th century, the city was endowed with much of its splendour. A lofty Renaissance designer, Christian IV built two new castles and many other grand edifices, including the Rundetårn observatory and the glorious Børsen, Europe’s first stock exchange. In 1711 the bubonic plague reduced Cop­enhagen’s population of 60, 000 by one-third. However, the worst scourge in the city’s history is generally regarded as the unprovoked British bombardment of Copenhagen in 1807, during the Napoleonic Wars. The attack targeted the heart of the city, inflicting numerous civilian casualties and setting hundreds of homes, churches and public buildings on fire.
Copenhagen flourished in the 19th and 20th centuries, expanding beyond its old city walls and establishing a reputation as a centre for culture, liberal politics and the arts. Dark times were experienced with the Nazi occupation of the city during WWII, although the city managed to emerge relatively unscathed.