Historian Niels Christensen, author of the four-volume work Dyrehaven, which traces the park's history from antiquity to the present day, takes the audience through the first of two lectures on the subject. This evening covers the period from thousands of years ago until around 1900.
Among the topics are how the forest moved from being ordinary nature to royal property, how Dyrehaven became a national symbol celebrated in poetry and painting, and how it turned into a political arena where popular interests clashed with economic and national forces. Christensen also brings anecdotes and cultural history, and answers questions from his unrivalled knowledge of Denmark's national symbol.
Christensen has previously served as director of the Danish Nature Agency and as subject editor at Trap Danmark, and he has been a university examiner in history.
