Immortalized as Elsinore in William Shakespeare’s play Hamlet, Kronborg Castle is one of the most important Renaissance castles in Northern Europe. A real castle, and historical stronghold that sits in the town of Helsingør, Denmark. Kronborg is as fascinating as it is beautiful.
Our guest this week is Laura Kiel, the Operations Coordinator at Kronborg Castle, where she plays a key role in caring for the castle’s remarkable collection — from grand paintings and heavy antique cabinets to exquisite historical costumes. During her 12 years at Kronborg, Laura has also become the castle’s in-house Hamlet expert, having taken part in coordinating many productions of Hamlet staged within the iconic setting of Kronborg itself.
Laura joins us today to take us inside Kronborg Castle to understand more about the history of the castle, why it was used in Shakespeare’s play, and what was going on at Kronborg when Shakespeare staged his famous tragedy within it’s gates.
Download a transcript of Ep 438 here.
About Laura Kiel
Laura Kiel is the Operations Coordinator at Kronborg Castle, where she plays a key role in caring for the castle’s remarkable collection — from grand paintings and heavy antique cabinets to exquisite historical costumes. During her 12 years at Kronborg, Laura has also become the castle’s in-house Hamlet expert, having taken part in coordinating many productions of Hamlet staged within the iconic setting of Kronborg itself.
What We Talk About
- Why the location of Kronborg made the castle a strong military fortification
- What the name “Kronborg” means in Danish
- How Shakespeare came up with “Elsinore”
- What the castle looked like structurally in the 1580s
- The famous visit to Kronborg by King James VI/I of England in the 1580s
- The history of Hamlet performances at Kronborg
- What rooms to visit for the true Shakespeare experience at Kronborg
- …and more!
Recommended Resources:
Kronborg Castle, Denmark (English version)
- Kronborg. The Renaissance Castle of ‘Hamlet’ – by Poul Grinder-Hansen, from Gyldendal A/S 2023
- Kronborg. A living castle – by Anette Molbech and Kurt Rodahl Hoppe, from KKart 2015
- Shakespeare at HAMLET’s Castle. 12 Interpretations of Hamlet at Kronborg Castle – by Arne Magnussen, from Nordisk Forlag for videnskab og teknik 2012 | Cassidy’s Note: I was unable to find an online copy of this book, so I linked to the bibliographic information. A librarian is your best friend for finding this one.
- The Sound Toll at Elsinore. Politics, shipping and the collection of duties 1429-1857 – edited by Ole Degn, from Museum Tusculanum Press 2017. **
Laura shares this wonderful photograph of herself in historical dress during a historical demonstration at Kronborg Castle. We love seeing historians bring the past to life in this way. Used by permission.
A few more resources:
These were not specifically recommended by our guest, but I came across them while preparing the episode and thought you might enjoy them as bonus resources.
Hamlet’s Elsinore Revisited: The author’s sources of knowledge about Elsinore and Denmark
The Sound Toll at Elsinore: Politics, Shipping and the Collection of Duties 1429–1857
