More than 1,000 skeletons have been unearthed in Copenhagen’s Hans Tavsens Park, where archaeologists are excavating a former cemetery for the city’s poorest residents. The discovery is offering new opportunities to investigate everyday life, poverty and health in 19th-century Denmark.
The excavation is taking place in Nørrebro, a district of the Danish capital, as part of a project to transform the park and its surrounding streets into a greener urban area.
Archaeologists from the Museum of Copenhagen (Københavns Museum) have been carefully uncovering graves using brushes, spades and other tools. According to Danish broadcaster DR, more than a thousand people’s remains have already been found.
What the skeletons may reveal about Copenhagen’s poor
Hans Tavsens Park was once part of Assistens Cemetery and served as a burial ground for Copenhagen’s poorest inhabitants. Many were buried without prominent gravestones or lasting records of their lives.
According to the City of Copenhagen, the cemetery also contains victims of the 1853 cholera epidemic, which killed thousands of people in the Danish capital.
The excavations could provide valuable information about people whose living conditions were rarely documented in historical records.
Archaeologist Olivia Persson, who is taking part in the excavation, told DR:
We can use this to gain insight into the poor population of this period and Copenhagen’s history.
Researchers plan to examine the health of some of the individuals and investigate burial practices, including how religious and cultural beliefs influenced the treatment of the dead.
Most of the recovered skeletons will be transferred to the Anthropological Laboratory at the University of Copenhagen for storage and examination. Some will undergo additional analysis, particularly where preservation is poorer, while the remaining remains will be reburied in the park.
A greener park designed to prevent flooding
The archaeological work is taking place ahead of a major urban redevelopment project.
Hans Tavsens Park and the neighbouring Hans Tavsens Gade are being redesigned as a connected green space, with new recreational areas and infrastructure intended to protect the neighbourhood from increasingly intense rainfall.
The park will be able to collect and temporarily store stormwater, reducing the risk of flooding in surrounding streets and basements during heavy downpours.
Construction began in autumn 2025 and is expected to be completed in spring 2028. Archaeological investigations are being carried out in stages before construction proceeds in each section of the park.
Public interest in the discoveries
The excavations have also attracted considerable attention from Copenhagen residents.
The Museum of Copenhagen organised free guided tours on 13 and 15 October, allowing visitors to observe the archaeological work and learn about the people buried beneath the park. All available places were booked.
Archaeologists have also reported regular visits from curious passers-by interested in the discoveries.
The excavation is expected to continue into 2027, giving researchers further opportunities to investigate a largely overlooked chapter of Copenhagen’s social history.
