The Permanent Exhibition
Experience how forms of communication have developed from the days of Christian IV to today's Internet and mobile telephones. The exhibitions take you on a thrilling journey through time, dipping into the most important and exciting episodes in the history of communications in Denmark.
The King's Post Office 1624 - 1848
The first public postal service in Scandinavia was founded in Denmark by Christian IV in 1624. Long before the abolition of the absolute monarchy in 1848, the Royal Postal Service was responsible for all public transport of letters, packages, and passengers in Denmark - as well as communication with the kingdom's dependencies and colonies.
The first Danish stamp: 4 Rigsbankskilling, issued on 1st April 1851.
The Age of Invention 1849-1920
Danmark was shrinking, but with the State's grip on communications growing. During the 19th century new inventions came along and formed the basis of the communication society. The stamp was introduced in 1851 and the electric telegraph in 1854. In 1897 the State asserted its monopoly of the telephone service which had been in private hands since 1881. Valdemar Poulsen's inventions served as the basis for sound recordings and early broadcasting.
Painting by Roelof de Roo: Public Telephone, an evening in June, 1996.
The Century of Communication after 1920
The Danes became heavy users of various means of communication under the wings of the Post & Telegraph Service and the state-concessionary telephone companies; a phenomenon that made its mark on our countryside and towns, our homes and everyday lives. In the name of liberalization most state monopolies have been relinquished. The world is waiting on the desk.
