Hamlet's Grave

In Helsingør, tradition since at least the late 18th century located "Hamlet's grave" just north of what is now Højstrup halt. Touristic interest in visiting Hamlet's Grave arose in the 1850s. By that time, a stone obelisk marked Hamlet's Grave in the park of Marienlyst Castle (56°02′32″N 12°36′02″E / 56.0423°N 12.6005°E / 56.0423; 12.6005), on an old fortification on the crest of a hill.^[2]

According to Jacob Riis, there were two stone obelisks erected (subsequently) at the spot, which were both eventually carried away by relic-seekers. Therefore, in 1879, J.S. Nathanson, who rented Marienlyst castle and operated a luxury hotel there from 1859 to 1896, marked Hamlet's grave with a large heap of stones. He would re-supply the stones regularly as they were carried away as relics by tourists. Nathanson's display of Hamlet's grave for the benefit of "the credulous and sentimental" and the aggressive use of the name of Hamlet in the advertisement of Hotel Marienlyst was much criticized at the time.^[3]

A granite stone shaped like a sarcophagus was erected on the site in 1926, on the occasion of Helsingør's 500-years anniversary. The relief on the stone was designed by Einar Utzon-Frank. At this point, no pretence was made to the effect that the site was in any way the historical burial-place of Hamlet. Postcards of the period identify the monument as Hamlets mindesten ("Hamlet's memorial stone").^[4] At a later time, a bronze plaque was added to the stone reading

Einar Utzon-Frank, Hamlets Mindegrav, på Sarkofagen Symboler for mandlig Styrke og Jomfruelighed, 1926

"Einar Utzon-Frank, Hamlet's memorial grave, on the sarcophagus symbols of virile strength and of virginity, 1926"

This refers to the design of Utzon-Frank's relief, showing a lion-like creature on one side (for Hamlet) and a unicorn on the other (for Ophelia).^[5]