Lur Blowers Monument (Lurblæserne), Copenhagen

Bronze horns above the heart of Copenhagen

The Lur Blowers monument, or Lurblæserne, stands on a compact plaza beside Copenhagen City Hall, its twin bronze figures visible from across Rådhuspladsen. The two caped, helmeted men stand shoulder to shoulder, each raising a long, curved lur to the sky, as if sounding a call over the city. Perched on a tall column of warm red brick and terracotta, they add a vertical accent to a square otherwise dominated by the broad façade and clock tower of City Hall.From street level, you first notice the column’s sturdy proportions and the integrated circular bench at its base, inviting you to pause and look up. As your gaze climbs, the figures seem to step out against the northern sky, their outlines sharp in low sun and dramatically silhouetted after dark when the square is lit. Despite the rush of buses, bicycles and pedestrians, there is a sense of ceremony about the composition, as if the lurs might sound at any moment.

A Carlsberg gift and a brewer’s birthday

The monument owes its existence to Copenhagen’s famous brewing dynasty. It was commissioned as a gift to the city from the Carlsberg Foundation and the New Carlsberg Foundation to mark the centenary of J.C. Jacobsen’s birth in 1811, the founder of the Carlsberg brewery. The red-brick column bears his name and dates in crisp lettering, quietly linking the sculpture to Denmark’s industrial and philanthropic history.Architect Anton Rosen designed the column, while sculptor Siegfried Wagner created the dynamic bronze group at the top. Work took place in the early 1910s, and the monument was inaugurated a few years after Jacobsen’s centenary, in 1914. Its materials and detailing echo the National Romantic style of City Hall itself, allowing the new column to sit comfortably among the surrounding façades while still asserting its own identity.

From solo figure to synchronized pair

Early ideas for a monument here revolved around a single heroic figure, continuing a turn‑of‑the‑century fascination with Norse mythology and grand civic symbols. Late in the design process, however, plans shifted from one musician to two. The reason lies in the lurs themselves: these Bronze Age instruments are traditionally tuned and played in pairs. Representing two synchronized players rather than a solitary figure makes the sculpture more faithful to archaeological finds and musical practice.Up close, the compact pose of the two men is striking. Their bodies lean almost into one another, cloaks flowing together, lurs raised in perfect symmetry. The tight grouping was not just an artistic choice but a practical solution, ensuring stability against Copenhagen’s weather and giving the composition strength when viewed from far below. From the ground, you read them as a single, powerful silhouette rather than two separate characters.

Echoes of the Bronze Age in modern bronze

The instrument depicted, the lur, is a curved bronze horn dating back to the Late Bronze Age, around 1000 BC. Many of the finest examples have been found in Danish bogs, often carefully deposited in pairs, suggesting a ritual or ceremonial role. Their long, sweeping forms, animal‑like bell ends and polished surfaces have inspired artists and designers for generations, from butter brands to public monuments.Here on City Hall Square, that prehistoric sound world is evoked in modern metal. The lurs in the sculpture mirror the inverted curve seen on archaeological specimens, a deliberate nod to famous finds such as the Brudevælte lurs. While the monument itself is early 20th‑century, it projects your imagination back more than two millennia, bridging Copenhagen’s contemporary civic space with the ritual landscapes of ancient Scandinavia.

Part of the choreography of Rådhuspladsen

The Lur Blowers are only one element in the choreography of Rådhuspladsen, but they play an important visual role. From certain angles, they line up with the City Hall clock tower; from others they frame views down Vesterbrogade or toward Tivoli’s entrance. They stand near the Dragon Fountain and the Hans Christian Andersen statue, forming a cluster of sculptural landmarks within a few steps of each other.For visitors, this makes the monument an easy and rewarding stop: you can sit on the circular bench to rest between museums and shops, use the column as a meeting point, or simply photograph the figures contrasted against the copper roofs and brickwork around the square. The monument is always accessible, free to visit at any time of day, and offers a small but memorable slice of Copenhagen’s blend of mythology, history and urban life.