Niels Sigfred Nebelong
Niels Sigfred Nebelong (14 October 1806 – 9 October 1871) was a Danish architect who worked in the Historicist style. He was city architect in Copenhagen from 1863 and also designed many lighthouses around Denmark in his capacity as resident architect for the Danish lighthouse authority.
Also recorded as Niels Sigfried Nebelong
Niels Sigfred Nebelong

Public domain
- Name
- Niels Sigfred Nebelong
- Born
- 14 October 1806
- Birthplace
- Copenhagen, Denmark
- Died
- 9 October 1871
- Nationality
- Kingdom of Denmark
- Occupation
- architect
- Education
- Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts
- Honours
- Knight of the Order of the Dannebrog
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Documentary summary
Niels Sigfred Nebelong (14 October 1806 – 9 October 1871) was a Danish architect who worked in the Historicist style. He was city architect in Copenhagen from 1863 and also designed many lighthouses around Denmark in his capacity as resident architect for the Danish lighthouse authority.
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Niels Sigfred Nebelong was a Danish architect. Born in Copenhagen, the architect died in Copenhagen. Niels Sigfred Nebelong studied at Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts. The architect received Knight of the Order of the Dannebrog.
Composed from admitted, traceable facts · 29 September 2026
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wikidata · Q3433951 · wikipedia · Niels Sigfred Nebelong
In this article
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Niels Sigfred Nebelong • Born — 14 October 1806 • Birthplace — Copenhagen, Denmark • Died — 9 October 1871 • Significant Buildings — Old Carlsberg
Early life and education
Early life and education
Niels Sigfred Nebelong was born in Copenhagen, Denmark. He was the son of Johan Henrik Nebelong and Anna Christine Schreyber. He was the brother of architect Johan Henrik Nebelong. In 1819 he was admitted to the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts where he studied under German-born, Danish architect Gustav Friedrich Hetsch and won both the small and large gold medal, in 1833 and 1837 respectively. Nebelong taught at the academy for several years before he went abroad on its travel scholarship from 1839 to 1842. He first studied with Henri Labrouste in Paris and then continued to Italy and Greece. After a few years as a teacher at the academy, he travelled to Paris, where he studied under Henri Labrouste, and then continued to Italy and Greece, before returning to Denmark in 1842.
Career
Career
Back in Denmark, he had two commissions in Kolding. In 1846 he returned to Copenhagen. He became a member of the academy in 1855 and the following year was appointed City Architect in Copenhagen. He also had many private clients. Nebelong also served as resident architect for the Danish lighthouse authority, designing numerous lighthouses around the country. He also designed many town jails and court houses. His restorations included Ribe Cathedral (1843–45, along with F.F. Friis), Store Heddinge Church (1853–54), Garnisons Kirke, Copenhagen (1860), Tranekær Manor (1862-63) and Hårby Church on Funen (1856). He headed the re-building of Viborg Cathedral (study 1859, restoration commenced together with J. Tholle 1863, completed in 1876, the interior completed by H.B. Storck) but died before its completion.
Style
Style
Typically of the Historicist period, Nebelong worked in a number of different styles, including the late Neo-Classicism (Kolding Gymnasium, 1845–46), Gothic Revival (Slagelse Convent, 1857–59), and Romanesque Revival (Viborg Cathedral, 1863–76, completed by H.B. Storck).
Selected works
Selected works
• Skive Town Hall, Skive (1844) • Holsted Courthouse, Holsted (1845) • Kastrup Glasværk, Kastrup (o. 1845) • Kolding Gymnasium, Kirketorvet, Kolding (1845–46, ombygget) • Bogense Customs House, Bogense (1846) • Town Hall and Court- and Jailhouse, Holstebro (1846, lateral wing added in 1881) • Town Hall and Court- and Jailhouse, Nykøbing Mors (1846–47, since 1924 only town hall) • Odense Customs House (adaption and extension), 4 Londongade, Odense (1847) • Sølyst country house, 321 Vedbæk Strandvej, Vedbæk (1847, redesigned in 1915) • Blegdamsvej Jailhouse, 6 Blegdamsvej (1847–48, with M. G. Bindesbøll, rebuilt) • Old Carlsberg: Main building (1852–54) and various other buildings (with J.C. Jacobsen, listed) • Strandmøllen main building for Johan Christian Drewsen, 895 Strandvejen (1850, vinduer udskiftet) • Workers housing, 66-70 and 84-88Overgaden oven Vandet, Christianshavn, Copenhagen (1851–52) • Lunde Church ved Svendborg (1852, tårnet restaureret 1886) • Villa for rådmand Frederik Christoffer Bülow, 5 Ewaldsgade, Copenhagen (1853, listed) • 24 Bredgade/2 Sankt Annæ Plads (1855) • Vartov (rebuilding), Farvergade 27, København (1856–60) • Skagen Lighthouse, Grenen (1858, listed) • Vesborg Lighthouse, Kolby, Samsø (1858) • Slagelse New Convent(1857–59) • Vridsløselille State Prison (1859) • Copenhagen Pumping station, mow Pumpehuset, Studiestræde (1859, udpeget som nationalt industriminde 2007) • Odense Courthouse, 28 Albanigade, Odense (1861, extended) • Christianshavn Penitentiary, Christianshavns Torv, Christianshavn (1861–64, demolished1928) • Hirtshals Lighthouse, Hirtshals (1863) • Viborg Penitentiary (extension), Viborg (1863–64) • Town Hall, Court- and Jailhouse, Nykøbing Sjælland (1868–69) • Connecting building, New Carlsberg (1871–76, with Carl Florian Thomsen, demolished) • Bovbjerg Lighthouse (posthumously 1876–77)
Restoration work
Restoration work
• Ribe Cathedral, Ribe (1843–45, with F.F. Friis) • Store Heddinge Churchm Store Heddinge (1853–54) • Garrison Church, Copenhagen (1860) • Tranekær Castle (1862–63) • Hårby Church, Funen (1856) • Viborg Cathedral (restoration with J. Tholle 1863–1876) • Trinitatis Church and Rundetårn (1870–71, according to Christian Hansen's renderings)
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
Explore 1806–1876
The full dated record · 7 entries
1806
Niels Sigfred Nebelong was born on 14 October 1806.
1821
Ny Vestergade 11 is dated 1821.
1848
Skagen Lighthouse is dated 1848.
1858
Vesborg Lighthouse is dated 1858.
1863
Hirtshals Lighthouse is dated 1863.
1871
Niels Sigfred Nebelong died on 9 October 1871.
1876
Bovbjerg Lighthouse is dated 1876.
Places
Named by the record
Places
Only places the record itself states, plotted where the house gazetteer settles their coordinates. Nothing is inferred from a name or a nationality.
Niels Sigfred Nebelong was born at Copenhagen.
Birthplace
Niels Sigfred Nebelong died at Copenhagen.
Deathplace
Copenhagen.
Birth place
Context
Primary material
Context
The circumstances in which Niels Sigfred Nebelong stands. Recorded as having received Knight of the Order of the Dannebrog. Works and catalogued output.
Documents and archives
Primary material
Documents and archives
Institutional database
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q3433951: Niels Sigfred Nebelong
Scholarly · Wikimedia Foundation
reference work
- “Niels Sigfred Nebelong”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
References
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
Institutional database
Wikidata, structured authority record Q3433951: Niels Sigfred NebelongWikimedia Foundation
Institutional witnessreference work
Secondary witness
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 17 August 2026.
Elsewhere in Design
11,558 published records in this field, each with its sources named.
- Niels KjærbøllingDesigner
- Niels KnudsenDesigner
- Niels Peter Christian HolsøeDesigner
- Niels Schønberg KurtzhalsDesigner
- Niels Stockfleth Darre EckhoffDesigner
- Niels TorpDesigner
- Nieves LimachiDesigner
- Nigel CoatesDesigner
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