The tree in Fyrtøjet is a real tree that you can find in the King’s Garden in Odense in Denmark. It stands very close to Odense Castle, where Hans Christian Andersen as a child played with Prince Frits, the later King Frederik VII of Denmark.
So if you are visiting Odense, go on a search for the tree from The Tinderbox – however, there is not a hole in the top of the tree as in the fairy tale, but the tree stands right where Hans Christian Andersen played as a child.

There are up to 1,000 references to Hans Christian Andersen’s own life, work and times in Købke’s fairy tale book, so that both children, adults and Hans Christian Andersen experts will be able to get something very special out of this artwork.

The book has been published in 8 languages – and Købke has received the Hans Christian Andersen Award 2017 and The Klods Hans Award 2016 for the book in which this fairy tale artwork of the the Tinderbox is included.

The Hans Christian Andersen Award that Købke has received has also previously been received by, among others, Johannes Møllehave, Queen Margrete II of Denmark, Ghita Nørby, Günter Grass, Ib Spang-Olsen and others.