SORØ AKADEMI - An English Summary

Sorø Akademi is not a typical Danish "gymnasium", though the teaching is no different from that of any other similar school. But the Academy is unique in Denmark because of its location and buildings (which you can see for yourself), because of its history, and because though owned by a foundation it is the only state-run upper secondary school in the country.

Sorø first appears in history shortly after 1140 when a Benedictine monastery was founded there, which, however, already in 1161 was taken over by Cistercians. The founders belonged to the richest landowning family in the country, whose best known member was Absalon, bishop of Roskilde, archbishop of all Scandinavia, and founder of Copenhagen.

It is no wonder that over the next 400 years Sorø developed to be the wealthiest monastery in Scandinavia. And with the Reformation in 1536 both buildings and land fell into the hands of the Crown. In 1586, on the 31st of May, King Frederik II decreed that the monastery with all its lands from thence on was to be a school for 60 boys: 30 of nobility and 30 commoners; and with this Sorø began its existence as a school with boarders.

Three times various kings decided to supplement the school with a superstructure, an "academy", or the beginnings of a university study, and this is where the name comes from. All three times, however, it had to be recognized that Copenhagen University was too close and Denmark too small for such an institution.

The first academy was founded by Christian IV in 1623, but lasted only till 1665, partly because wars with Sweden ruined the economy. From this academy the present library building remains, originally meant for ball games and copied after a similar building at Hampton Court outside London, where the King's sister was married to King James I.

The second academy (1747) introduced "the Age of Reason" into Denmark, planned by one of the most "European" Danes ever, Ludvig Holberg, who in literature followed in the footsteps of Montaigne, but in Denmark is principally known as the father of the Danish theatre. He travelled widely in Europe and in his lifetime had his works published in the major European languages. His statue stands outside the Royal Theatre in Copenhagen, and he lies buried in the church at Sorø.

The third academy (1826) gained a certain national reputation in the period of Romanticism in Denmark. One of its professors was the poet B.S.Ingemann, whose songs are still sung all over Denmark, and both Hans Christian Andersen, the fairy tale writer, and Grundtvig, educationalist and church reformer, were frequent visitors.

Below the academies the school lived its own life and developed on the lines of other Danish schools. The first girls graduated in 1910, though they were not accepted as boarders till 1983. At present the school has 139 boarders (about one third from outside Denmark) and a total of 595 students.