Royal Danish Naval Academy

Royal Danish Naval Academy
Entrance to the academy
Motto	Nec Temere, Nec Timide
Motto in English	Neither rashly nor timidly
Established	1701
Type	Naval academy
Officer in charge	Chr. Nørregaard
Location	Copenhagen, Denmark 55°41′10″N 12°36′24″E / 55.6862°N 12.6066°E / 55.6862; 12.6066Coordinates: 55°41′10″N 12°36′24″E / 55.6862°N 12.6066°E / 55.6862; 12.6066
Campus	Holmen
Former names	Sø-akademiet, Sø-Cadet-Academiet, Cadetskolen, Søofficersskolen
Website	http://forsvaret.dk/SOS/

The Royal Danish Naval Academy (known in Denmark as Søværnets Officersskole or more commonly, Søofficerskolen) educates and commissions all officers for the Royal Danish Navy. Having existed in more than 300 years, it is the oldest still existing, officers academy in the world.

The education

All aspirants (unlike many navies all candidates begin their time as aspirants and then become cadets) begins their education with 6 months of basic military training and general seamanship. Parts of this at the Naval NCO and Basic Training School (Danish: Søværnets Sergent- og Grundskole) near Frederikshavn and other parts on the training vessel Georg Stage (not to be confused with the Joseph Conrad). This goes to both aspirants that begins their education without prior military service and those whom is recruited among enlisted and petty officers. Then follows an intensified NCO-training for another 6 months. If these periods are completed and passed, then the aspirant, will move onto the Naval Academy. Here follows the education for the two functional lines (either the master-line for 4 years or engineering-line for 4½ years). Included in these periods, where the aspirants of each line, is separated, is also an 11 months leadership training period, where both lines are educated together in courses like leadership, naval warfare, naval history, teaching, psychology, administration, social sciences and economics. At this time, the aspirant becomes a cadet. After 5-5½ years of training and education from the very start the aspirant is commissioned as an officer.

Besides career-officers, the naval academy also trains civilian licensed marine engineers and first officers, towards naval commissioning. This training-period is 11 months for first officers, and 14 months for engineers.

The naval academy also runs the junior staff officers course. This course runs for 11 months, and requires satisfactory service as a OF-1 (Danish premierløjtnant).

History

• January 1701: General-Admirallieutenant Ulrik Christian Gyldenløve proposes the creation of a Søe Cadet Compagni (naval cadet company), where young men can receive a training in seamanship, military tactics, navigation with the purpose of becoming naval officers.
• 26 February 1701: King Frederick IV approves the creation of the Søe Cadet Compagni.

The inspiration was found in the Netherlands and Crance, where a the training of naval officers has been put to system in the 16th century. With the creation of this Company, where also the creation of the second academic education facility in Denmark, only superseded by the University of Copenhagen (created in 1479). The education facility was initially located at Bremerholm, close to Holmens Kirke (approx. at the location which now houses the Ministry of Defence).

• 26 April 1701: Commodore C. T. Sehested adjourns as the first chief of Søe Cadet Compagniet.
• 1709: The Søe Cadet Compagniet is renamed to the Søe Cadet Academy (naval cadet academy).
• 1727: The education facility is moved to the 23 year old opera house (the building which now houses the Eastern High Court).
• 1788: The education facility is moved to the northeastern palace (Brockdorff's Palace) of Amalienborg Palace.
• 1827: The education facility is moved to the Søbøtkerske mansion on the corner of Bredgade and Esplanaden. A bookstore is now located there in a newer building.
• 1865: The education facality is moved to the former administration complex of the naval artillery on Christiansholm. These buildings still exist and houses the Danish naval museum Orlogsmuseet and the Danish Maritime Safety Administration (Danish: Farvandsvæsnet).
• 1869: The Søe Cadet Academiet is renamed to the Søofficersskolen (naval officers school) and moves into a facility in Gernersgade in Nyboder. This facility was originally build to house a girlschool in 1856. Today the building houses several companies.
• 1903: The Søofficersskolen is renamed to Kadetskolen (cadet school).
• 1946: The education facility is moved to the current buildings on Holmen naval base. The buildings where already completed in the 1930s, but because of the outbreak of World War II and the German occupation of Denmark, the movement is postponed.
• 1951: The Kadetskolen is renamed to its current name: Søværnets Officersskole.
• 1964: The aspirants and cadets, isn't required to live on the school anymore (actually it isn't even possible). These days they are mainly housed by the navy in Nyboder.
• 1966: The naval cadet association (Søværnets Kadetforening) is created as a social and educational institution.
• 1969: The naval specialty officers school (Søværnets Specialofficersskole) is disbanded and all education moved to the naval academy.
• 1970: The education is completely restructured and 10 faculties are created.
• 2007: Under the 2005-2009 defence agreement, the naval musical corps (Søværnets Tamburkorps) is moved to Holmen and will now be a part of the naval academy as well as all the training facilities on Holmen.

Location

The naval academy is located on Holmen in central Copenhagen.

Other Danish officers academies

• Army: The Royal Danish Army Officers Academy (Hærens Officersskole) located at Frederiksberg Palace in Copenhagen.
• Air force: The Royal Danish Air Force Officers School (Flyvevåbnets Officersskole) located in Jonstrup near Værløse.
• Emergency Management Agency: The Emergency Management Officers School (Beredskabsstyrelsens Center for Lederuddannelse) located at Bernstorff Palace in Gentofte

References

• Bjerg, Hans Chr.. "Søværnets Officersskoles historie" (in Danish). Royal Danish Department of Defense. http://forsvaret.dk/SOS/Historie/. Retrieved 2008-05-30. 
• Alsing, Finn (2001) (in Danish). Søværnets Officersskole 275 år. Marinehistoriske Skrifter. 
• Seerup, Jakob (2001) (in Danish). Søkadetakademiet i Oplysningstiden. 
• Steensen, Robert Steen (1951) (in Danish). Søofficersskolen i 250 Aar 1701-1951. Shultz Forlag. 
• Lund, H.C.A. (1901) (in Danish). Søkadet-Korpsets Historie 1701-1901. Thieles Bogtrykkeri.