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Kjaerulfs from Denmark, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, USA and Australia met for some inspiring days with the common feature that we are all related to each other.

Here are some highlights from Kiermeet 2014:

Welcome Brunch	Welcome Brunch	Welcome Brunch
National Museeum Copenhagen	Frederiksborg Castle	Frederiksborg Castle
Family Crest	Family Crest
	Roskilde Cathedral	Roskilde Cathedral
Kjøge Miniby	Kjøge Miniby
Bosjö Cloister	Häckeberga Castle
Häckeberga Castle	Kastellet, Copenhagen	Kastellet, Copenhagen
Kastellet, Copenhagen	Kastellet, Copenhagen	Langelinie Pleasure Boat Harbour
Kiermeet Committee	Winner of Competition	Family Dinner at Langelinie Pavillonen

The detailed program for Kiermeet 2014

Wednesday July 30, 2014 Morning - Welcome to Copenhagen. We start off Kiermeet2014 with a brunch (included) in a restaurant in the old part of the city of Copenhagen. We greet each other and go through the Kiermeet2014 program. Afternoon - Sightseeing tour in Copenhagen (included). We will see the old part of Copenhagen from the seaside on a canal tour through the harbour. We will see the "Little Mermaid" for the first time and some of you can compare her with the Kierulf Mermaid in Manila (2006). After the canal tour we will walk to the Danish National Museum in Copenhagen to see treasures from the Chinese empire. We have managed to get a special invitation from the Museum to see the impressive donations given by a Kierulff. The Museum has one of the world's most magnificent collections of Chinese lacquerware and other Chinese items. This is not least due the Danish businessman, Peter Arnt Kierulff, who from 1859 to 1894 lived in China and also made business with the Chinese court. He donated around 1900 a large collection of Chinese objects to the National Museum, including several coming from the imperial Chinese court. Peter Arnt Kierulff was born in Denmark, he arrived in China, aged 21 years in 1859. He was the first foreigner to be allowed to open a shop in the Forbidden City of Beijing and for many years his business was the main commercial link to the outside world. Kierulf’s shop had been the favourite shopping place of the foreign community in Beijing and members of the wealthy Manchu families who would spend large sums of money buying foreign goods such as perfume, coffee, wine and canned food. At the museum, we will also hear about Søren Kierulff who is the founder of the Australian and Philippine line. Afterwards we will take a walk in the heart of Copenhagen looking for places where Kjaerulf's lived and worked. The inner city includes Copenhagen's oldest neighbourhood with small, narrow streets and crooked houses. Here you will find some of the city's most popular attractions, the political and historic centre as well as a myriad of great shopping streets, cosy cafes, restaurants, green oases, charming canals and a modern waterfront. The main artery of the city centre is the pedestrian street Strøget, that runs from City Hall Square to Kongens Nytorv. Evening - on your own in Copenhagen. However, if you wish, we can take you to the "Tivoli Gardens" in the centre of Copenhagen and have dinner (at your own expense). The Tivoli Gardens is an amusement park dating back to 1843 and a major tourist attraction in Copenhagen.		Inner city of Copenhagen: Gråbrødre Torv Photo: Morten Jerichau/copenhagenmediacenter.com   Canal Tour of Copenhagen Harbour Photo: Cees van Roeden/copenhagenmediacenter.com   Tivoli Gardens
Thursday July 31, 2014   Full day excursion by bus to Frederiksborg Castle, Roskilde Cathedral and  Kjøge Miniby.   Our tour will take us north of Copenhagen to the region of North Zealand which is a popular holiday destination in Denmark, not least because of its beautiful nature, pristine beaches and proximity to Copenhagen. North Zealand has everything for the nature enthusiast - deep woodlands, open landscapes and varied coastlines. It's also an ancient playground for royalty with many castles and manors.   One of them is Frederiksborg Castle which is the largest Renaissance castle in Scandinavia, located on three small islands in the middle of a lake and is adjoined by a large formal garden in Baroque style. It was built in Dutch Renaissance style at the beginning of the 1600s by King Christian 4.   The castle church is used as the knight's chapel for the Order of the Elephant and the Order of the Dannebrog since 1693. This is of special interest for Kjaerulf's as we shall see the original Kjaerulf family crest of Andreas Kierulff (1782-1846).     After our visit we will drive further south through the lovely rural areas of Zealand to reach the ancient city of Roskilde. The town of Roskilde was named the new capital of Denmark by King Harald Bluetooth around the year 960. Roskilde is rich in historical and cultural attractions. Beautiful Roskilde Cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is the sepulchral tomb of Danish kings and queens. The city's early importance is evident from the fact that the Roskilde Cathedral was the only cathedral in Zealand until the 20th century. Built in the 12th and 13th centuries, it was the first Gothic cathedral to be built of brick and its construction encouraged the spread of this style throughout northern Europe. The cathedral is the burial site for Danish monarchs and is a major tourist attraction with more than 125,000 visitors annually.   Lunch (included) will be taken in a restaurant next to the Viking Ship Museum which has Viking ships on display that are 1000 years of age. The Viking Ship Museum, has five original Viking ships on display, and new boats are built in the associated boatyard using thousand-year-old techniques. The museum’s large boat collection is in the harbour.   Kjøge Miniby is a miniature model (scale 1:10) of the city of Køge south of Copenhagen as it looked like in 1865. The project was initiated by a Kjaerulf (Kaj Wohlert) who in 1965 aired the thought. Today, 130 persons are involved in building the miniature city. Visit the website: Kjøge Miniby   Evening - on your own in Copenhagen.		Frederiksborg Castle   Roskilde Cathedral   Kaj Wohlert
Friday August 1, 2014   Full day excursion by bus to Sweden via the bridge across Øresund, visiting Bosjö Cloister, Häckeberga Castle and Lund City.   The Øresunds Bridge was opened in the year 2000 connecting Denmark and Sweden. 16 km of motorway and railway connects the cities of Copenhagen and Malmo.   From the bridge we will enter the Swedish Skåne region with fertile farmlands, forests and lakes littered with castles, manors and museums plus magnificent gardens. A stronghold of the Viking era, you will also find an abundance of medieval churches as well as picture perfect renaissance style villages. Skåne is also a bit of a local artist silver, glass and pottery gallery mecca.   Bosjö Cloister. Our first destination is Bosjö Kloster, just south of Höör. This stunning white convent, located on a peninsula between two sparkling lakes, was built by the Benedictine Order in the late 11th Century. It served as a cloister until the 16th Century, but was then closed because of the Reformation.  Afterwards it became a private residence for Danish nobility, with many changes of ownership over the years.   During your visit you can enjoy exhibits in the castle, wander through the herb and flower gardens, spend some time in the convent museum, and even borrow a rowboat for a short row on the lake.   Lunch (included) will be taken at Häckeberga Castle. The stronghold built by Holger Ulfstand in the 1530s was demolished and replaced by the building of today. Assisting with the building works was the famous architect, Helgo Zetterwall. Zetterwall was responsible for the building of Lund Cathedral, the construction of All Saints’ Church and the University, both at Lund, as well as many castles and mansions around southern Sweden. The current building was constructed between 1872 and 1875.   We will now proceed to the city of Lund, which dates from the late 900s, is a vibrant university town. The University, founded in 1666, has over 40,000 students.  Cafés, small eateries, and unique shops dot the city center. The Lund Cathedral is a magnificent structure. The astronomical clock and the church organ are two remarkable sights, as well as Finn the Giant, who embraces a pillar in the crypt. A stroll through the Botanical Gardens, where over 7000 plant species are located, is also recommended.   We will visit Kulturen in Lund. It is a museum extending over two blocks in central Lund, filled with historic buildings and gardens for you to visit. Step into the houses and experience life in the city and the countryside, from the Middle Ages to the 1930s. You can also choose from among twenty exhibitions – from folk art to modern design, from medieval history to the present day, from local culture to world culture. In addition there is a programme of events for all ages.   We will have afternoon coffee and cake at the Grand Hotel in Lund, which is one of the city's oldest and most remarkable restaurant and hotel.   We will return to Copenhagen via the  Øresunds Bridge.       Evening - on your own in Copenhagen.		Øresundsbron   Bosjö Cloister   Häckeberga Castle   Lund   Kulturen in Lund   Grand Hotel in Lund
Saturday August 2, 2014 Morning and afternoon - on your own in Copenhagen.   You could go shopping on the walking street "Strøget" which is a collection of the most vibrant streets in Copenhagen with shops, department stores, cafees and street entertainment.   Strøget is Copenhagen's aorta and one of Europe's longest pedestrian streets with a wealth of shops, from budget-friendly chains to some of the world's most expensive brands. At some point during your stay in the city, you will without a doubt end up here. The 1,1-kilometre streets covers the streets of Frederiksberggade, Nygade, Vimmelskaftet and Østergade and runs from City Hall Square to Kongens Nytorv square. Strøget is most famous for shopping. Big international brands like Prada, Max Mara, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Mulberry are represented at the end of the street facing up to Kongens Nytorv. If your budget is a little tighter, you will find shops like H&M, Vero Moda and Zara closer to City Hall Square. Strøget is more than shopping, however. Look up and down the side streets during your shopping spree, and you will see several of Copenhagen's beautiful sights and attractions as well as street entertainers.     If you are interested in art it is well worth visiting The Louisiana Museum of Modern Art which is an art museum located directly on the shore of the coast in Humlebæk, 35 kilometers north of Copenhagen, Denmark. It is the most visited art museum in Denmark with an extensive permanent collection of modern and contemporary art, dating from World War II and up until now, as well as a comprehensive programme of special exhibitions. The museum is also acknowledged as a milestone in modern Danish architecture, noted for the synthesis it creates of art, architecture and landscape.     You could also visit the Karen Blixen Museum, Rungstedlund, which is a country house in Rungsted on the coast just 20 km north of Copenhagen, notable for its association with the author Karen Blixen, who lived there for most of her life. She was born on the estate in 1885, and returned there after her years in Kenya, chronicled in her book Out of Africa, to do most of her writings. Blixen is best known for Out of Africa, her account of living in Kenya, and one of her stories, Babette's Feast, both of which have been adapted into highly acclaimed, Academy Award-winning motion pictures. Prior to the release of the first film, she was noted for her Seven Gothic Tales, for which she is also known in Denmark.     Other possibilities for spending an exciting day in Copenhagen can be found on its official website: http://www.visitcopenhagen.com/copenhagen-tourist     Evening - our traditional Family Dinner in the restaurant Langelinie Pavillonen at Copenhagen Harbour close by The Little Mermaid sculpture.   Weather permitting, we will start the evening offering you a drink at the small Langelinie yacht harbour and afterwards take a little walk to Copenhagen's most famous tourist attractions: The sculpture of The Little Mermaid sitting at Langelinje Pier. On August 23, 2013 she turned 100 years old.   After our visit, we will walk to the restaurant and have our gala dinner celebrating ourselves being members of the old Kjaerulf clan.     Kiermeet 2014 has ended, good memories collected, we will meet again for the next Kiermeet in 2018 somewhere in the world not known at present.		A square on Strøget walking street   Louisiana Museum of Modern Art Rungstedlund, Karen Blixen Museum   Family Dinner at Langelinie Pavillionen
Sunday August 3, 2014 You may now continue on your own in Denmark and Sweden or other parts of Europe or maybe you want to return to your home country. The Committee hope that you have enjoyed your stay and wish you a safe journey.

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