For sale

One of the most recognisable buildings in the inner city of Copenhagen, the Old Stock Exchange, has been put on the market. Built in 1619-1629 by King Christian IV in Dutch renaissance style, it has only been sold two times before. The current owner, Danske Erhverv (Danish Chamber of Commerce), has been using it for conferences and offices, but they've been moving their activities to other locations. It hasn't been used as a stock exchange since 1974. The location can't be better with parliament and the National Bank within sight, but you'll need a big wallet to buy it. Hopefully it won't be sold to a fast food chain...

High

The towers and spires in Copenhagen is at the moment being outnumbered by the construction cranes. Here it's the metro construction site at the central island of Slotsholmen, where the parliament is, that is competing with the tower of Nikolaj Church.

The sun was out

At this time of year in Copenhagen, the sun is an all too seldom guest, but when it finally shines a bit the city lights up. The bridge being graced with a few sun rays here is the so called Marble Bridge. It was built by Nicolai Egtved in 1739-45 and it connects the back of Christiansborg (the Danish parliament), where the Riding Ground is with the street Ny Vestergade.

At the Royal Library

At the Royal Library in Copenhagen next to Parliament is a little nice garden, that only a few people use. So if you have the need for some peace and quiet, this is a nice place.

Canals

 

 

Around the Danish parliament of Christiansborg are canals like this one. Quiet and nice on an early spring morning, they are almost iconic for Copenhagen. Small pleasure boats and larger houseboats mingle with boats from the harbour cruises and old museum boats. This canal is called Frederiksholms Kanal and has Christiansborg on the left and the National Museum on the right.

Peace protest

In front of the parliament building at Christiansborg palace a lone protester has every day been appealing for peace since 2001.
-RS

The little opportunist

This little dachshund (gravhund in Danish) certainly knows who to charm to get a little extra food. It made me smile to see it "sneeking" behind the restaurant staff memebr when he went to the stores.

The photo was taken near the parliament building on Gammel Strand. This used to be where fish was sold and the area is under construction at the moment - as it seems most the rest of Copenhagen too - but the restaurants and coffee shops still operate.

-RS

Christiansborg Palace

This imposing complex on the islet of Slotsholmen in central Copenhagen is the only building in the world that houses all three of a country's branches of government: the executive power, the legislative power, and the judicial power.

The palace is open to the public after published schedule, with guided tours available.

-RS

Thinking about the future

The last post of the year (no, I'm not done with the review of the year) features this one of the tower of Christiansborg, where the Danish parliament resides, and with a sculpture thinking. The last day of the year is good time to reflect on the future. Hopefully the current economic crisis in the world will be solved, but I guess it will demand a lot of thinking, a lot of deciding and a lot of action. Unfortunately that is not the three things the current crop of politicians are best at. And with that gloomy thought I wish you all a happy New Year, I hope all your wishes come through and that you and your family may prosper despite all.

The prize in today's voting!

Some of our readers might wonder about the organisation of the Danish Parliament as seen in the photograph of the day.

The Danish parliament (‘Folketinget’ in Danish) consists of one chamber with 179 seats – 175 seats in Denmark and two each for the Faroe Islands and Greenland.

Of those seats, 135 are distributed through proportional representation in the 10 constituencies. Constituencies have as few as two representatives (Bornholm) and as many as 20 (Zealand Constituency).

An additional 40 seats are allotted based upon the total distribution of votes in three voting regions – Central and Northern Jutland, Zealand and Southern Denmark and Greater Copenhagen.

This is what today's voting is about!

The talk of the country

This is what it's all about in the news and among people in Denmark at the moment; the Danish Parliament at Christiansborg (Christan's Castle), or rather the elections for the 179 seats there coming up on September the 15th. The main topic so far has been the sorry state of the economics, with a lot of talk and a lot of promises being made.

Not less of a mess

For the last year or so Copenhagen has been looking like one big construction site with all the roadworks and the preparations for the new metro-line. In the last two weeks a lot of posters were added to the messy sight that greets citizens and tourists alike. Just about everywhere where it's allowed (and quite a few places where it isn't) election posters has been put up prior to the general election coming up on September the 15th. There's a debate going on if these posters actually turns any votes or not, but to me they don't add anything pretty to a city that's already a bit messy.

Super Hero Elephant

The Super Hero elephant here on Højbro Plads seems ready to storm the Danish Parliament. Maybe he too is tired of the idiocy coming from there...

For Freedom and Truth

István Bibo was acting Minister of State for the Hungarian National Government during the 1956 revolution. Rather than escape he stayed at the Hungarian Parliament building waiting to be arrested by the Soviets as they crushed the rebellion. During that wait he wrote his famous proclamation "For Freedom and Truth". Not far from the Parliament building this bust can be found on the bank of the Danube.

" The Hungarian people have already sacrificed enough of their blood to show the world their devotion to freedom and truth. Now its up to the world powers to demonstrate the fore of principles embodied in the United Nations Charter and the strength of the world's freedom-loving peoples. I appeal to the major powers and the United Nations to make a wise and courageous decision to protect the freedom of our subjugated Nation."

Eternal Flame

 

Outside the parliament building in Budapest is the eternal flame, a memorial to the 1956 revolution. It was unveiled in 1996 on the fortieth anniversary of the revolution which cost more than 2500 Hungarians and  700 Soviet troops their lives.

The eagerly pointing man on the imposing monument just outside the Parliament in Budapest is Hungarian Regent-President Lajos Kossuth. He was a Hungarian lawyer, journalist, politician and, from 1849, Regent President of Hungary. Widely honoured as a fighter for freedom and democracy he ended his life in exile in Italy.

A Man with a Hat

Right by the Parliament in Budapest sits a man with a hat, looking lost and sad. This is Attila Jozsef, a Hungarian poet of the 20th Century. A sad figure he was, as he showed signs of schizophrenia and withdrew into his poetry. At the age of 32 he was crushed by a starting train while crawling through the railway tracks. Whether this was an accident or a suicide nobody knows.

And so I've found my native country, that soil the gravedigger will frame, where they who write the words above me do not for once misspell my name.
— Attila József, And so I've found my native country… (first stanza)

A View to Parliament

As told before the view from Castle Hill in Budapest is a fine one. Here it's possibly to see the parliament in all its glory.

House of the Nation

The Hungarian Parliament in Budapest is the largest building in Hungary and the largest parliament in Europe. It's also one of the oldest legislative buildings in Europe.