Assistens Cemetery
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A cemetery-cum-park in Copenhagen in which several famous deceased Danes can be found interred, including the grave of Niels Bohr, the nuclear physicist who played an important part in the Manhattan Project.
>Combinations with other dark destinations
More background info: the name of the cemetery, “Assistens Kirkegård” does indeed translate as ‘assistance cemetery’, as it was laid out in the mid-18th century to relieve overcrowded burial grounds within the inner city (which had filled up beyond capacity e.g. during the plague outbreak of 1711). Back then this location was on the edge of the city. In the 19th century the district of Nørrebro developed around it. There are several cemeteries with the same name across Denmark, for similar reasons.
As you find elsewhere with cemeteries in Denmark, this space is laid out to serve a dual function, both as a burial ground and a recreational park. Initially intended for the poor, the cemetery later became a preferred final resting place for celebrities, many of them artists. The names of most of these will mean precious little to non-Danes and non-specialists, but there are a few of international fame that are worth noting:
These include philosopher Søren Kierkegaard and Hans Christian Andersen of fairly tale fame (including the story of the Little Mermaid that inspired Copenhagen’s most iconic sculpture by the harbour), and, especially noteworthy from a dark perspective, Nobel-Prize-laureate nuclear physicist Niels Bohr, who was among the team of physicists that developed the atomic bomb in the Manhattan Project in Los Alamos. His is a family grave including other Bohrs as well, such as his father Christian and his brother Harald.
What there is to see: The main reason for a dark tourist to come to this cemetery will be to visit the grave of Niels Bohr. That’s something like a pilgrimage. The family grave as such is not especially spectacular in design, though (see photo above).
In general, there are few graves that stand out as pieces of sepulchral art, compared to the so much more flamboyant cemeteries in more southern European countries (such as Monumentale in Milan or the world-famous Père Lachaise in Paris). Still it’s worth having a good look around.
Hans Christian Andersen’s grave is even signposted (that’s obviously the one most people come for), Kierkegaard is in the eastern section closer to the main road. Other than being a cemetery, the park is also a nice green oasis of peace and quiet just steps away from the hustle and bustle of city life.
Location: in Copenhagen’s Nørrebro district a good mile (1.7 km) to the north-west of the edge of the inner city, west of the main thoroughfare Nørrebrogade.
Google Maps locators:
Main entrance: [55.6895, 12.5531]
Niels Bohr’s grave: [55.68981, 12.55011]
Access and costs: easy and free
Details: it’s walkable from the city centre of Copenhagen. Head north-west past the Round Tower and Nørreport metro station, proceed straight along Frederiksborggade past the Torvehalleren market, cross the bridge (Dronning Louises Bro) into Nørrebro and onwards along Nørrebrogade until you come to the small side street Kapelvej branching off to the left. This will take you straight to the main entrance. For the less mobile there’s also the option of taking a bus (line 5c) from e.g. Nørreport or the main train station. Get out at the Kapelveij stop.
Opening times: 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. in the summer season (April to September), only to 7 p.m. the rest of the year.
Admission free.
There are some rules, such as not consuming any food or drinking alcohol in the cemetery, and one should generally remain quiet to preserve the sombre atmosphere of the place. So even though it’s also a public park, it’s not a place for BBQs, picnics or open-air parties.
Time required: not long. To see just the most famous graves you’ll need only about 20-30 minutes at best; but longer if you want to explore the rest of the cemetery.
Combinations with other dark destinations: nothing in the immediate vicinity, but see under Copenhagen in general.
Combinations with non-dark destinations: the Nørrebro district is well worth exploring. It’s one of the more Bohemian parts of the city, and one with plenty of ethnic restaurants (Ethiopian/Eritrean, Mexican, Indian, Lebanese, Asian, etc.), good craft beer bars, shops and art galleries.
See also Copenhagen in general.
