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Martin Nyrop, 1915

About the work

This well at Kirketorvet by St. Nicolai Church, was designed by Martin Nyrup and was bestowed to the town in 1915 by Vejle Bank. The stonemasonry was done by stonemason and sculptor Billeschou in Vejle.

More than 100 years ago, the square on which the well stands was very busy. The church square was used for many different activities, including markets for potters, tinkers, and coppersmiths, and for amusements when travelling street performers came to town.

For many years, it was a tradition that graduating students danced around the well when they celebrated the end of high school. In the 1980s, however, this tradition shifted to Rådhustorvet, where, instead of the well, a beech tree is placed for them to dance around.

 

On the side of the well there is an inscription:

Anno Dom: 1915 Rejste Vejle Bank denne Brønd
(Vejle Bank erected this Well). Dav. Ps 46 v. 1-3.

 

The inscription refers to verses of the Psalms of David in the Bible, which read:

“God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.
Therefore will not we fear,
though the earth be removed,
and though the mountains be carried
into the midst of the sea.”


About the artist

Martin Nyrop (1849-1921) was an architect and builder of many well-known buildings, as well as a professor at and director of the Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen. He was trained as a carpenter in 1869 and attended the Academy of Fine Arts’ School of Architecture 1870-76, where he became interested in Nordic medieval architecture.

Nyrop’s personal style favoured wooden buildings painted in strong colours and ornamentation in the Norse style and was initially expressed in his first buildings. Due to his affiliation with Grundtvigian circles, he also built several buildings for folk high schools and congregations, and he worked for a better design of buildings in the countryside. Nyrop wanted to unite functionality with the Danish artisan tradition and presented his ideas in a number of literary works.

Nyrop had many fields of work, and was a co-founder of Akademisk Arkitektforening, 1879 and Bedre Byggeskik, 1915. The starting point for his work with building conservation, was the idea of architecture creating a connection between buildings and surroundings and between tradition and function, all with a national basis.

In 1889, Martin Nyrop won the competition to design Copenhagen City Hall, which was built in 1892-1905 and this is perhaps his most famous work. Here he combined Italian and Danish sources of inspiration, and you can see how the many decorations describe the connection between the city and the citizens, and between nature and history. He also designed furniture, fixtures, and the surroundings of the building.

 

In 1920, Nyrop also rebuilt the Town Hall in Vejle, which was built by Carl Lendorf in 1879.

Kort over Vejle midtby

Sculp­ture guide

The sculpture guide provides you with an overview on some of the sculptures there is to be found in Vejle. Go for a walk downtown and experience the art.

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