Nestled by the Hooghly River, this former Danish colony, during the 14th and 15th centuries, was a hub of global trade. Indian cotton, oils, sugar and spices were exported from the port town of Saptagram to Burma, Sumatra, Java, the Malay Peninsula, China, Persia and the Arab world. In return, foreign merchants paid with silver, gold, pearls, porcelain, camphor, wood and tropical spices. The quest for direct access to these luxury goods drove European trading companies to seek sea routes to India, circumventing expensive Arab intermediaries. The Portuguese were the first Europeans to arrive in Bengal in the early 1500s, followed by the Dutch, French, British, Danes and others. These European powers established trading colonies in the region through agreements with the Mughals, whose empire was headquartered in Delhi, with governors overseeing various provinces.

The Danish trading company first set up a station in Bengal in 1698, north of Serampore. However, their involvement in piracy, enslavement and a conflict with the Mughal Empire led to their expulsion. The Danes retreated to their South Indian trading hub at Tranquebar. They returned to Bengal in 1755 under the Danish Asiatic Company, aiming to trade in silk, cotton, spices, indigo and saltpetre (used in black powder production). A new agreement with the Mughal governor permitted them to establish a trading station in Serampore, provided they paid taxes and maintained local order.

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The Danes named their settlement Frederiksnagore after King Frederik V of Denmark, but it was commonly known as Serampore or Srirampur, “the city of Lord Ram”. Adjacent towns were under French and British control. Initially, the Danish settlement consisted of simple clay houses and was considered insignificant compared to other European trading stations. However, Serampore soon blossomed into a multicultural town. European trade spurred Serampore’s urbanisation. Thousands of Indians, especially weavers, migrated to the town to work. Others found employment as guards, managers, bookkeepers or servants, while some women worked as sex workers. The Danish settlement attracted not only traders but also fugitives, bankrupt merchants and criminals escaping British jurisdiction.

In 1777, administration of Serampore was transferred from the Danish Asiatic Company to the Danish Crown. The town prospered under Ole Bie’s administration (1776–1805), becoming one of the Danish monarchy’s largest towns. Bie, who is buried in Serampore’s Danish cemetery, oversaw the town’s growth. Along the riverside, Europeans built grand mansions, while wealthy Indian merchants constructed palatial homes with courtyards and colonnades. Serampore was renowned as the best-built and best-kept European town in India. However, away from the riverfront, the poorer residents lived in small clay houses or bamboo huts, enduring floods, disease and poverty.

The Denmark Tavern

Perched along the banks of the Hooghly River, a regal yellow building with green-trimmed windows catches the eye. The plate says it all: The Denmark Tavern.

However, before 2015, a large ruin stood quietly by the river at the same location on Nishan Ghat in Serampore. The city’s residents had long forgotten the name and history of the crumbling structure, though its grandeur hinted at a storeyed past. Only two solitary columns remained of the once-stately façade, while the rest of the building lay in ruins, overgrown with trees and vines. This decayed landmark stood adjacent to the old Danish landing site, where flagstaffs, cannons and warehouses once defined the bustling riverside. To uncover its secrets, a team from the National Museum of Denmark delved into archives and museums in both Denmark and India. Their meticulous research revealed the ruins to be the remains of the Denmark Tavern and Hotel, an iconic establishment from the late 18th century.

Built around 1786 by an English innkeeper named James Parr, the tavern was advertised in the Calcutta Gazette. The announcement read: “Gentlemen passing up and down the river may be accommodated with breakfast, dinner, supper, and lodging; also liquors sold by the single dozen and a good billiard table and coffee room with the newspapers”. The inn’s double-columned Tuscan façade and open portico provided a picturesque view of the Hooghly River, and it offered a convivial atmosphere for socialising with fellow Europeans. Evenings brought a genteel charm as European ladies and gentlemen strolled along the riverfront, clad in their finest clothes.

Between 2015 and 2018, the tavern underwent a remarkable restoration led by conservation architect Manish Chakraborti and Flemming Aalund of Raadvad Architects, with funding from Denmark’s Realdania (approximately £336,000) and the Government of West Bengal (approximately £112,000). The National Museum of Denmark spearheaded the project, which included restoring the building structure and completing interior decor and electrical installations. On 28 February 2018, the Denmark Tavern reopened its doors, inaugurated by Indranil Sen, minister of state for tourism and information & cultural affairs, alongside the Ambassadors of Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Iceland and Norway. The restored tavern is now owned by the Government of West Bengal and operated by the Park Group, a prominent Indian hotel chain. The West Bengal Heritage Commission declared it a heritage building in 2015 under the West Bengal Heritage Commission Act, 2001.

Today, the Denmark Tavern welcomes everyone, no longer an exclusive retreat for Europeans. The menu offers a blend of Indian and continental cuisine, with highlights like Danish roast and Danish pastries for a unique culinary experience. Visitors can book a room to immerse themselves in the local café culture.

St Olav’s Church

Strolling back from the Denmark Tavern, you can’t miss the striking white-and-yellow church that dominates the scene. This is St Olav’s Church, a Lutheran landmark commissioned in 1800 by Colonel Ole Bie for the Protestant community of Serampore. Fondly called the “Danish Church” by locals, it took six years to complete and was named after Norway’s patron saint, Saint Olav.

Initially designed as a modest three-aisle structure with a flat roof, the church later gained a grander touch—a portico with double columns, a vestry and a spiral staircase behind the altar. Its cornice still displays the royal monogram of King Christian VII of Denmark, and above the portico, a functional town clock keeps time as it has for centuries. The church’s design blended European influences, drawing inspiration from British churches in London and Kolkata, as well as Copenhagen’s Church of Our Lady. Inside, Danish epitaphs continue to grace its walls, a testament to its heritage.

Colonel Bie raised Rs 18,500 through subscriptions from Serampore, Calcutta, Copenhagen, and beyond, with contributions even from Lord Wellesley. Sadly, Bie passed away in 1805 before seeing his vision realised. The project was completed a year later in 1806 under Captain Krefling, with English architects John Chambers and Robert Armstrong bringing the plans to life.

St Olav’s Church became a cultural gem of Danish Serampore, enduring beyond the Danish departure in 1845, when Serampore was handed over to the East India Company. By 1953, it came under the care of the Calcutta Diocesan Trust Association. However, years of neglect led to its closure in 2009 as termites ravaged the rafters and the roof began to collapse. Between 2013 and 2016, the church underwent a meticulous restoration through the combined efforts of the National Museum of Denmark’s Serampore Initiative, Serampore College and the Diocese of Kolkata. Reopened and consecrated in 2016 by the Bishop of Kolkata, St Olav’s Church stands as a restored masterpiece, earning the UNESCO Award of Distinction for Cultural Heritage Conservation.

Danish Cemetery

Serampore’s modest Danish cemetery wasn’t exclusively for Danes; it also served as the final resting place for the town’s other European Protestants. French and Portuguese residents, in contrast, were interred in the nearby Catholic cemetery. The Danish cemetery is divided into two distinct sections—one for Roman Catholics and the other for Protestants. The oldest graves date back to 1787 CE, with notable figures such as Colonel Krefling, the Danish chief and director, who passed away in 1828, and Danish Governor Hohlenburg, who was buried here after his death in 1833. The renowned author of the Lepcha language dictionary, General Mainswaring, also rests in this cemetery.

Since the Danes departed India in 1845, no one has been buried here. With no family members left to care for the graves, the cemetery gradually fell into neglect. Over time, many of the names and epitaphs have faded, though a few, including the tombstone of Ole Bie, remain partially legible.

Serampore College

The Serampore Mission of the Baptist Missionary Society was founded on 10 January 1800, after William Carey had already spent seven years in North Bengal since his arrival in Calcutta on 11 November 1793. He joined forces with fellow missionaries Joshua Marshman and William Ward. In July 1818, the three published the prospectus for Serampore College, which aimed to “instruct Asiatic Christians and other youths in Eastern literature and European science.” While the founders were keen on training Christian leaders for the church in Asia, they also envisioned the College as an inclusive institution open to all students, regardless of caste, colour or creed.

Serampore, being a Danish colony from 1755 to 1845, during this period, the Baptist missionaries received strong support from the Danish Governors, Colonel Bie and his successor, Colonel Krefting. Joshua Marshman even visited Copenhagen and secured a Royal Charter from King Frederick VI, which granted the college the authority to confer degrees across all faculties. As a result, Serampore College became the third university in the region, alongside those in Copenhagen and Kiel. When the Danish settlement was acquired by the British in 1845, the purchase treaty ensured that the College’s rights and immunities, granted by the 1827 Royal Charter, would be preserved.

Beyond education, the founders made lasting contributions to society. They pioneered the publication of periodicals like Dig Darshan, Samachar Darpan and The Friend of India, the precursor to The Statesman. William Carey, a linguist and scholar, produced numerous works on Sanskrit, Bengali and other Asian languages, cementing his legacy as one of the founders of modern Bengali prose. He also translated the Bible into several Asian languages, collaborating with other scholars. His passion for Indian flora led to the creation of the Agri-Horticultural Society in Calcutta in 1820.

Joshua and his wife, Hannah Marshman, played key roles in founding schools for both boys and girls in Serampore and its surroundings. Meanwhile, William Ward, who oversaw the Serampore Press—one of the largest printing presses of its time—was a distinguished scholar and prolific publisher. The pioneers also developed fonts in various Indian languages, working with pundits and craftsmen, and even produced their own paper and ink.

The Goswami Palace

Many Indians accumulated their wealth through trade with the Danes and other Europeans, one of whom was the merchant Raghuram Goswami. His father had worked as a tax collector for the Danish Asiatic Company, using his earnings to start his own trading venture, which eventually established the family’s fortune. Raghuram became so wealthy that he even offered to buy the entire town of Serampore from Denmark. Though the Danes chose to sell it to the English, Raghuram’s offer stood as an attestation to the Goswami family’s immense power and influence in Serampore.

Raghuram built a grand palace for his family and their numerous servants, hosting extravagant parties filled with food, drink and dancers. The palace, which featured multiple buildings with inner courtyards, boasted over 100 rooms. As new generations married and expanded their families, additional structures were added to accommodate them. The Goswami family owned several other palaces and mansions throughout Serampore, many of which still stand today. However, most of these buildings, including the Goswami Palace, are now in a state of decay. The palace is often used for photoshoots and other events. The current owner is Raghuram Goswami’s great-great-great-grandchild.

Photographs by the writer