The Founding of Frederik III's Kunstkammer The Royal Danish Kunstkammer was established around 1650 by Frederik III (reigned 1648-1670). Shortly after his election as king, a substantial collection was to be found at Copenhagen Castle in the Lathe Room, situated in the Round Tower, in the south wing of the castle. It was here that the King was taught and became proficient in the art of turning on his lathe, producing objects in various materials - an almost obligatory discipline among European princes. The room was under the supervision of the king's lathe-master, a trusted retainer, and there was no access without the express permission of the King in person. So it was perfectly logical that objets d'art, jewellery and ceremonial weapons should also be kept here. From the spring of 1650 an 'Attendant', or Keeper, was appointed for the collection. Inspiration Frederik was educated at the Academy for young noblemen at Sorø. It was probably here that he acquired his interest in theology, history and the sciences - interests which with the years came to be of importance for the creation of his Kunstkammer and Library. At Sorø he would no doubt have come across the so-called 'Absalon relics', which could later be found in the Kunstkammer. His stays in Holland (1628) and France (1629-30) no doubt contributed further to the development of his interest in unusual works of art, antiquities, and ethnographica, since we can assume that during his travels he would have been made aware of the then popular interest in collecting. The 'Absalon relics'. Engraving from Museum Regium 1696 Frederik was presumably influenced in the same manner during the years 1635-44 when he served as temporal archbishop of Bremen and prince-bishop for the diocese of Verden. Here he was quite close to the ports of Holland, centres of the trade in goods from overseas, and from where these exotic items before long were distributed over all of Europe. Close family connections to other European princes will certainly have been of further significance. Following the defeat of Denmark in the Torstensson War (1643-45), Frederik was deprived of these positions and became statholder (governor) in the Duchy of Schleswig-Holstein with his residence at Flensburg House, close by Schleswig and Gottorp Castle, at that time one of the centres for art and culture in Northern Europe. The Kunstkammer at Gottorp Castle Schloss Gottorp was the seat of Frederik's cousin, Duke Friedrich III of Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorp (duke 1616-1659). In these years the Duke founded his Kunstkammer in conjunction with the ducal library and in 1652 King Frederik III visited his cousin's collection. The history behind two of the surviving objects from the Kunstkammer links them to both princely houses and their collections. The frontispiece of 'Die Gottorfer Kunst- und Naturalienkammer', Schleswig 1674. To previous page Frederik III's Kunstkammer To next page The Kunstkammer at Copenhagen Castle