Denmark

Tennis in Denmark (1597-1800)

The long reign of King Christian IV (1577-1648) was a turbulent period. At the start of his rule Denmark, forming a unity with Norway, enjoyed great prosperity. By the end his irrepressible urge for military expansion left his people impoverished.

In the early seventeenth century Denmark was recognised as the dominant Baltic power, but by the end of his reign this role was gradually taken over by Sweden. During the Thirty-Year War Denmark had to surrender part of Norway to Sweden and was reduced to a second-rate power. In the mid-seventeenth century Sweden’s era was just beginning. The first decade of Christian’s rule was marked by a flurry of palace construction. Between 1596-1600 the king had tennis courts erected at five of his favourite castles: Kronborg, Koldinghus, Frederiksborg, Copenhagen and Skanderborg. Two buildings are still recognisable as former tennis courts: the Teahouse at Frederiksborg Castle and the library at Soro Academy.

Kronborg Slot

• On 6 September Christian commissioned the Danish architect Christian Bernekow with the building of a boldhuset at Kronborg castle in Elsinor (Helsingor). This castle was used by Shakespeare as the setting of his Hamlet. The construction of the tennis court was obviously completed by 18 March 1597, because on this date Bernekow was to proceed with his building activities for another royal tennis court: at Koldinghus castle.

Frederiksborg Slot

• The commission to build the Frederiksborg tennis court was registered in the royal accounts (Kancelliets Brevboger) on the same day, 18 March 1597, as the boldhuset at Kronborg. It clearly reflects Christian’s great passion for the game. Again Christian Bernikow (or Bernekow) was involved in the construction of this court, which was linked to the stables. Major refurbishment of the court was undertaken in the years 1639-1640. Used as a garden house in the 19^th century, and at present as the Castle’s Teahouse (see photo).

Soro Akademi

• Soro Kloster was transformed into the Danish Knight’s Academy (dansk ridderakademi) in 1623 on the instigation of Christian IV. The Academy was founded to educate his sons and to provide suitable education for young noblemen. The academy’s tennis court was built in about 1628, modelled on the royal Kronborg boldhus.

The tennis court can be seen in Pa Resens’s Atlas Danicus of 1677. The building appears to be the only seventeenth century tennis court that has survived. The original boldhus now serves as the Soro Academy’s Library (see photo). The building has retained the characteristic rectangular shape of a tennis court (measurements c. 32 x 11 metres, 51 x 17.5 alen). Soro Academy employed a keeper of the tennis court (boldmester) for an annual salary of 60 Rdl.