Langelandsgade Kaserne is the oldest intact barracks still standing in Denmark. It was one of several barracks constructed in Aarhus in the late 19th century and was originally intended to house an
artillery regiment. The building was designed by the architects Agathon Just Müllertz (1842-1909) and
Sophus Frederik Kühnel (1851-1930). Construction began in 1887 and was finished in 1889. The building has three floors and a loft and basement. The basement housed the
sutler, while the first floor was used for offices and study rooms. The second and third floors and the loft were mainly reserved to house the soldiers. Along with the main building there were
stables, a workshop, an
ammunition depot and homes for officers and the barracks commandant. During the
occupation of Denmark during World War II, the barracks was confiscated by
German military forces. On 9 April 1940 the first German forces arrived, and wooden barracks were quickly erected in the courtyard. On 31 October 1944, the
Gestapo headquarters in the nearby university buildings
was bombed by the British
Royal Air Force, and Langelandsgade Kaserne was severely damaged. Twenty Germans, of whom eighteen were soldiers, were killed, two stable buildings and the workshop were destroyed, and the main building sustained heavy damage. In 1978 the last military contingent, Jydske Telegrafregiment, moved to
Fredericia, and only administrative staff remained until 1993, when
Aarhus University took over the buildings. Since then the Department of Aesthetics and Communication has had its home there. == Time Line ==