The Embassy of the Czech Republic in Copenhagen carried out thorough archival research and succeeded in documenting a number of interesting insights into the ambassador’s residence, located within the Embassy compound at Ryvangs Alle 14. The residence was originally built (and officially approved in 1925, exactly one hundred years ago) as a summer villa for Danish shipyard owner and ship operator Marius Henrik Nielsen. The design was created by then up-and-coming Danish architect Andreas Mehren Ludwigsen, a graduate of the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts. The villa was accompanied by a farmstead, which no longer exists today. In 1956, two years after Nielsen’s death, Czechoslovakia purchased the property from his family for 620,000 DKK, including reconstruction. At the time of purchase, the building was in poor technical condition. In the 1970s and 1980s, extensive redevelopment of the compound took place, during which the original farmstead was demolished and replaced by a new office building adjacent to the residence, designed by architect J. N. Clausen (approved in 1983). After the dissolution of Czechoslovakia in 1993, the residence and office building became the property of the Czech Republic.

The exhibition highlights not only the construction history but also original architectural details inspired by the maritime interests of the first owner—for example, a fresco of a Viking ship above the main entrance, a stylized shell in the glass window of the entrance hall, and decorations featuring Neptune and Mercury in the main dining room. A dominant feature of the interior remains the stained-glass window depicting the Norse goddess Gefion, a significant symbol of the residence, which thanks to the Embassy’s initiative is now illuminated during evening events.

The opening ceremony itself was conceived in the style of the 1920s, the era in which the building was created—the “Roaring Twenties.” Many guests, including members of the diplomatic corps, arrived in period costumes. Ambassador Jiří Ellinger delivered the opening remarks, followed by a short lecture on the building’s history by Consul Jonáš Vnouček. Musical accompaniment was provided by a jazz trio led by saxophonist Luboš Soukup (a long-term professional musician in Denmark), which performed a selection of pieces from the 1920s as well as songs by Jaroslav Ježek.

The event, also organized as a pre-Christmas party for the expatriate and diplomatic community and Danish guests, symbolically concluded and at the same time crowned the Embassy’s public diplomacy season in Copenhagen in 2025. The response to this unusually styled event was enthusiastic. It recalled the historical continuity of Czech presence in Denmark, strengthened awareness of cultural heritage, and offered space not only for informal meetings but, unusually, also for dancing. The combination of a historical theme with a cultural program contributed to presenting the Czech Republic as a country with a rich history and vibrant cultural tradition.

The exhibition panels with basic information about the building’s history are displayed on the Embassy’s fence, where they are frequently viewed with interest by passers-by and cyclists—residents of the neighborhood as well as the wider public thus have the opportunity to learn more about the history of one of the remarkable villas in this part of Copenhagen.

The realization of the exhibition and opening ceremony was financially supported by PPF.