Editing Copenhagen (section)

===Middle Ages===

In 1186, a letter from [[Pope Urban III]] states that the castle of ''Hafn'' (Copenhagen) and its surrounding lands, including the town of Hafn, were given to [[Absalon]], Bishop of Roskilde (1158–1191) and Archbishop of Lund (1177–1201), by King [[Valdemar I of Denmark|Valdemar I]]. Upon Absalon's death, the property was to come into the ownership of the [[Diocese of Roskilde (Roman-Catholic)|Bishopric of Roskilde]].<ref name=khdsd/> Around 1200, the [[Church of Our Lady (Copenhagen)|Church of Our Lady]] was constructed on higher ground to the northeast of the town, which began to develop around it.<ref name=khdsd/>

As the town became more prominent, it was repeatedly attacked by the [[Hanseatic League]]. In 1368, it was successfully invaded during the [[Second Danish-Hanseatic War]]. As the fishing industry thrived in Copenhagen, particularly in the trade of [[herring]], the city began expanding to the north of Slotsholmen.{{sfn|Harding|2009|p=38}} In 1254, it received a charter as a city under Bishop [[Jakob Erlandsen]]<ref name="Copenhagen1898">{{Cite book|last=Copenhagen|first=Dansk turistforening|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kJPVAAAAMAAJ|title=Copenhagen, the Capital of Denmark|year=1898|page=49|access-date=29 October 2015|archive-date=29 May 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160529093640/https://books.google.com/books?id=kJPVAAAAMAAJ|url-status=live}}</ref> who garnered support from the local fishing merchants against the king by granting them special privileges.{{sfn|Booth|2003|p=9}} In the mid 1330s, the first land assessment of the city was published.{{sfn|Booth|2003|p=9}}

With the establishment of the [[Kalmar Union]] (1397–1523) between [[Denmark]], [[Norway]] and Sweden, by about 1416 Copenhagen had emerged as the capital of Denmark when [[Eric of Pomerania]] moved his seat to Copenhagen Castle.<ref name="Ingebritsen2006">{{Cite book|last=Ingebritsen|first=Christine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=v1VRPBAF9NcC&pg=PA7|title=Scandinavia in World Politics|date=1 January 2006|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield|isbn=978-0-7425-0966-5|pages=7–|access-date=29 October 2015|archive-date=29 May 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160529042032/https://books.google.com/books?id=v1VRPBAF9NcC&pg=PA7|url-status=live}}</ref>{{Sfn|Christopher|2006|p=78}} The [[University of Copenhagen]] was inaugurated on 1 June 1479 by King [[Christian I of Denmark|Christian I]], following approval from Pope [[Sixtus IV]].<ref name="histuni">{{cite web|title=History of the University|url=http://introduction.ku.dk/presentation/history/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121023034930/http://introduction.ku.dk/presentation/history/|archive-date=23 October 2012|access-date=12 November 2013|publisher=University of Copenhagen}}</ref> This makes it the oldest university in Denmark and [[List of medieval universities|one of the oldest in Europe]]. Originally controlled by the [[Catholic Church]], the university's role in society was forced to change during the [[Reformation in Denmark–Norway and Holstein|Reformation in Denmark]] in the late 1530s.<ref name="histuni" />