The newly enclosed Jægersborg Deer Park was given its official name in 1671, the second year of Christian V's reign. In 1694, the King built a half-timbered house in two storeys, called "Hubertus" or "The Eremitage" on the site of the old village of Stokkerup.
In 1734, royal builder Lauritz de Thurah was asked to take charge of a new project, which would demolish the Hubertus chalet and replace it with the present hunting lodge built in 1734-36.
The palace is a wonderful example of Thurah's consummate skill: heavy and compact, yet beautifully modelled and extremely well proportioned. The location - on the hill top in the middle of the plain - the size, the proportions, the architectural and sculptural elements, the original bastions and stairs (unfortunately removed and later altered quite severely) were and remain the characteristics that make the palace one of the most outstanding late-Baroque works in Denmark.
Elevator Device
The palace is symmetrical on all four storeys. The kitchen is in the basement, right below the dining room. An intrictae elevator device used to hoist fully laden tables up through a hatch in the floor to the dining room, allowing the company to eat without waiters ”en ermitage” (hence the building’s name). However, the hoist was plagued by so many technical problems that it was removed completely in the late 18th century.
The staircase is covered with St. Kongensgade tiles. The large and richly decorated dining hall, with its marble, stucco, mirrors and mottled timbers, is situated in the middle of the bel étage. The three northern boudoirs belong to the King and Queen (Sophie Magdalene's). The north-western one belongs to the King, the two others to the Queen. The room in the middle of the upper storey is used as servants' quarters.
Mythological Figures
The Hunting Lodge is richly decorated with Greek Mythological Figures. Diana and Meleager adorn two niches on the western facade. The two frontons also feature four figures - Daphne and Apollo on the northern side, Pan and Actaeon on the southern side. The marble portrait of Christian VI above the balcony door is by stonemason Diedrick Gerckens who also decorated the two pediments with Christian VI's and Sophie Magdalene's back-to-back monograms. The two hunting trophies are by Andreas Nindel. Two figures representing summer and winter as well as two hunting trophies are found on the balustrade on the eastern façade.
The sandstone exterior was extensively renovated from 1979-1991.
Last updated:: Sunday, March 15, 2009
