Christiansfeld's Foundation

As it was the Moravians who founded the town, we will first give an outline of their history.
The Moravians originate from 1415, thereby predating the Lutheran reformation. The evangelists in Böhmen-Mähren, (after Johan Hus was put to death as a martyr at the state in Konstanz), formed a society whose members called themselves "brothers" and "sisters".
By 1457 they were established in the town of Kunwald in Böhmen. Together with like- minded people they called themselves UNITAS FRATRUM ("United Brethren"), i.e. the brethren who have united themselves with a church as a result of their love for it. This is where the name "Brodremenigheden", (the brethren's congregation), is derived from.
During the religious wars, the original Moravian community was nearly destroyed. Scattered groups migrated to various new destinations, one of which was Sachsen, where they received a warm welcome on Berthelsdorf, the estate of Count N.L.v.Zinzendorf. Count Zinzendorf allowed them to settle in a field named Hutberg, where the first house was started on June 17, 1722. The settlement was named HERRNHUT, which has two meanings; "under the Lord's care "and" keeping watch for the lord".
Count Nicolaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf belonged to Austria's oldest nobility, where the members of his family were prominent.
The population of Herrnhut quickly reached 300, and this colony provided the foundation for the renewed Moravian church. The modern Moravian church therefore gives August 13, 1727 as the official date of its foundation.
The most important event for Herrnhutism in Denmark, was Count Zinzendorf's visit to Copenhagen in 1731, on the occasion of King Christian VI's coronation.
Zinzendorf was a second cousin to Queen Sofie Magdalene. During the visit Zinzendorf gained a degree of influence within the royal court, which he used to raise the question of starting missionary work in Greenland, the Danish West Indies and Trankebar, which was a Danish dependency, as well as Lapland. These discussions resulted in the dispatch of the first missionaries to St. Thomas in 1732 and to Greenland the year after.
As in Copenhagen, the Moravian's work in the local area can also be traced back to the time of Count Zinzendorf's journey to the coronation in 1731; on both his outward journey and on his return he established links with the leading men within the duchy. One of the results was the foundation of a "Society of Brethren" in Stepping, and it was from here the Herrnhuter work in Jutland and on Fyn was led since 1745. Today, in Stepping churchyard, one can find graves from the Moravian sect, whilst a beautiful half-timbered house bears testament of the time when the leading members of the Moravians lived there prior to the foundation of Christiansfeld in 1773.
Gradually, as the Moravian's evangelical work in Denmark grew, there became a need for a town which could provide a centre for this work. Furthermore, in the light of the missionary work, it would be useful to have a Moravian town situated in Denmark. The government was also interested in having such a town in the northern part of the Duchy of Schleswig, in order to stimulate industry, trade and craftsmanship.
These plans came to fruition in 1768, when King Christian VII, accompanied by Struense, undertook a journey around Europe after his coronation, visiting Holland amongst other places. Here he took great interest in the town of Zeist, which the Moravians had recently founded. Seeing that industry and trade were on a much more advanced level here than in Denmark, he was prompted to consider the benefits of having a Danish version of such a town.
On his return from this journey, an approach was made to the Moravian leadership in Herrnhut concerning the foundation of a town in Denmark. The king promised to protect and support the brethren in every possible way. This invitation was met with great joy in Herrnhut on June 18, 1771.
Jonathan Briant and Johannes Prætorius- who were respectively the first principal and priest in Christiansfeld were dispatched from Copenhagen by the Moravians to find a place suitable for the foundation of a town. The royal manor of Tyrstrup was for sale and on September 23, 1771, together with Pastor Kastrup from Stepping, they walked the 8 kilometres from Stepping to "Tyrstrup Manor" to discuss its sale. They themselves wrote of this tour that " For every step we took, we could feel in our hearts; this is where the Lord wants to live.
On December 10, 1771, the sale was concluded and "brothers" and "sisters" ( from Moravian settlements throughout Europe were now drawn to Tystrup Manor to participate in the building of the new town.
On August 13, 1772, the king signed a far reaching concession offering many advantages; their own judiciary, no military service, no compulsory union membership, a cash contribution from the king's own coffers towards the foundation of the town, no duties on goods, tax concessions et cetera.
The new town in Denmark was to be called Christiansfeld, in honour of King Christian VII, who had granted the Moravians this important and long awaited concession.
Now the brethren could begin to plan and build their town. During the period from 13 August 1772 until 1 April, 1773 the town's entire street network and boundaries were measured and marked out on Tyrstrup Manor's fields. On April 1, 1773, the foundation-stone for "The First House", which amongst its functions was to include housing a temporary meeting hall, was laid amidst great ceremony. Today the building houses the Moravian nursery school.
On the same day the foundation-stones for 3 other houses were also laid: the vicarage for the priest, which retains its purpose until this present day, Principal Briant's house, which has now been converted into spacious flats, and finally the Moravian Hotel. The building work progressed at a rapid pace.
After a construction time of just 5 months, 2 dwelling houses were completed by the end of August, and soon after it was possible to move out of Tyrstrup Manor itself, as the hotel and "The First House" were completed before November. Yet another house was ready in 1773, that which is to be found at no. 5 Nørregade.
In the same year the churchyard ("Gudsageren" or "God's Acre" was established, the streets were paved and lime trees planted.
During a period of only 9 years (1773-1782), in addition to the smaller building projects, 35 houses were constructed, amongst them the stately "Choir houses" such as "The Brothers' House", "The Sisters' House", the church, and "The Widows' House" . During the next 18 years a further score of houses was built, both the girls' and the boys' boarding schools were erected and large extensions were added to the church and the "Choir nauses"; most of what is now the old part of Christiansfeld was thereby finished by the turn of the century.
The houses were solid and spacious, simple and uniform in style, though with a certain distinguished air. The town plan, like the building style, mirrored the German Moravian towns, with two straight main streets connected by a square, around which the most important buildings were situated.
The beautiful square in front of the church is the old town's center. It is here that the well is situated, where water was conveyed by means of hollowed out trunks from oak trees from springs in Kohave Wood, 3 km. west of the town.
The fountain and the encircling lime trees are the motif for Christiansfeld Council's arms.

Back | Home | Next