The Scientists Walk

The Niels Bohr institute was created for Niels Bohr, and opened its doors in 1921. For years, he had worked in humble conditions at the University of Copenhagen, but with the help of private funds and the parliament, he was able to open his own Institute of Theoretical Physics, where he also lived with his family.

When the European Physical Society declared the Niels Bohr Institute a historic building, the reason they gave was that in this creative, scientific environment inspired by Niels Bohr in the 1920s and 1930s was where the foundation stones for modern physics were laid.

Back then, the building was brand new, and it set the stage for Niels Bohr’s further work. Here, Bohr introduced a groundbreaking new way of approaching physics. Even during the tumultuous period between two world wars, he managed to foster an international milieu which attracted some of the brightest stars within the field of physics.

Today, the Niels Bohr Institute is home to the physical fields taught at the University of Copenhagen, spanning the fields of astronomy, geophysics, particle physics, quantum physics and biophysics.

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Ved Stranden 14 – in this big, beautiful house – right across from Christiansborg Palace and the Thorvaldsen Museum – Niels Bohr was born on October 7, 1885. He also lived here for the first few months of his life.

On the facade of the house is a memorial plate with the inscription: “In this house, atom physicist Niels Bohr was born 7.10.1885.”

Later, when his father was promoted to Professor, the family moved into another of Copenhagen’s impressive buildings: The house in Bredgade 62. Niels Bohr lived here with his father, mother and siblings until 1911.

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“Probably the best beer in the world.” This is the well-known slogan for the popular beer brewed at the Danish brewery Carlsberg. The building was founded by brewer Jacob Christian Jacobsen and is found in Valby, right outside of Copenhagen. When brewer Jacob died, his testament declared that after his son had lived there for his entire life, the house would stand as a “free residence for life, for a deserved man whose work within science, literature, art, or similar somehow contributes to society.”

The most prominent resident has been Niels Bohr, who lived here from 1932 until his death in 1962. Kings, queens and prime ministers visited the scientist and his family here. Today, the honourary residence stands as the Carlsberg Academy.

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