Borgergade
 Borgergade with one of the Grey Rows of theNyboderdistrict seen on the right | |
| Length | 850 m (2,790 ft) |
|---|---|
| Location | Copenhagen,Denmark |
| Quarter | Indre By |
| Nearest metro station | Kongens Nytorv,Østerport |
| Coordinates | 55°41′2.69″N12°35′7.42″E/ 55.6840806°N 12.5853944°E |
| Southwest end | Gothersgade |
| Northeast end | Store Kongensgade |
Borgergadeis a street in centralCopenhagen,Denmark.It runs fromGothersgadetoStore Kongensgade.As one of relatively few streets in central Copenhagen, the street, in its western part, is dominated by modern buildings. The eastern part passes through theNyboderdistrict.
History
[edit]Foundation of the street
[edit]Borgergade originates in the 1649 plan forNew Copenhagen,the large area which was included in the fortified city when the oldEast Rampartalong present day Gothersgade was decommissioned and a new one was built in a more northerly direction. According to the plan, the streets in the area were to be named after Danish territorial possessions, royalty and the upper classes.[1]The new district was spaciously planned with long straight streets. The most affluent families settled alongBredgadeandNy Kongensgadewhile the area around Borgergade andAdelgadecatered to a more modest clientele, typically craftsmen and shop-keepers. The buildings were generallyhalf-timberedand relatively small, and living conditions were still considerably better than in the crowded city centre.
Escaping disaster
[edit]
The neighbourhood escaped both theGreat Fires of 1728and1795,and was also left largely unharmed by the British bombardment of the city during theBattle of Copenhagenin 1807.
One of the finest buildings in the street was the Mint Master's House. It had been built in 1683 by Royal Mint Master Gregorius Sessemann as his private residence and was inhabited by successive mint masters until 1752. In 1720 the house was fitted with a fineBaroquestaircase. A separate apartment was created which was rented by theRussianAmbassador in 1728. In the 1760s the house was extended and adapted once again, reaching its finest state. In 1767, it was acquired by a master mason who lived there until 1803.[2]
Crowding and poverty
[edit]
While Borgergade escaped the direct effects fires and war, they would still have a deep impact on the street. Many people who had been left homeless and ruined by the disasters moved there in search of affordable accommodation, making it increasingly crowded. Gardens and courtyards were built over and extra floors were added on top of existing buildings to make room for the many new residents.
On26 January 1865,the first public bath house opened in the street after a donation from Carl Joachim Hambro, a banker residing inLondon,[3]but apart from that sanitation facilities were sparse.[4]
When theFortificationswere decommissioned in the middle of the century, many of the owners moved on to the new residential districts which had sprung up, such asNørrebroandVesterbro,and the area around Borgergade developed into one of the worst and most crowdedslumsin the city with a notorious reputation for poverty, vice and crime.
Condemnation
[edit]
In the end, it was decided to condemn the area. Clearing began in the early 1940s but was put on hold in 1943 due to the war. After theLiberation,the work was resumed and the area was built up with modern buildings in the late 1940s and 50s. Two smaller streets, Prinsessegade and Helsingørgade, ceased to exist.
Instigated by Christian Axel Jensen, director ofMuseum of Copenhagen,the Mint Master's House was dismantled, registered and stored in a shed atVestre Cemetery.The plan was to re-build it at a later date as part of anopen-air museumdedicated to urban architecture which was to complement the rural buildings atLyngby Open Air Museumbut it never materialised. In 1995,The Old TowninAarhustook over the materials and the house was finally reconstructed in 2009.
Buildings
[edit]As a result of the condemnations, the first, western, section of the street is lined with modern buildings. AtDronningens Tværgade,the street passes the south side ofDronningegården,a distinctive residential complex which forms a space round the intersection of Dronningens Tværgade and Adelgade.
The modern buildings finally give way to older buildings and the last section of the street fromFredericiagadepasses through theNyboderdistrict, an area of naval barracks founded by KingChristian IV.Both the more famous yellow houses and the younger so-called Grey (or New) Rows, designed byOlaf Schmidthand built between 1886 and 1893, are to be found along the street. The Historicist building at No. 111 was built as a girls' school and later served as a naval cadet academy. It is now known asBygningskulturens Husand serve as a centre for historical architecture and cultural heritage.
Cultural references
[edit]Borgergade at No. 28 is used as a location at 0:25:27 and again at 0:28:43 in the 1975Olsen-bandenfilmThe Olsen Gang on the Track.[5]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^"Borgergade"(in Danish). indenforvoldene.dk. Archived fromthe originalon 2012-04-24.Retrieved2011-09-28.
- ^"Møntmestergårdens dramatiske historie"(in Danish). Den Gamle By. Archived fromthe originalon 2011-06-13.Retrieved2011-09-30.
- ^"Badeanstalt i Borgergade".Museum of Copenhagen. Archived fromthe originalon 2012-04-07.Retrieved2011-09-28.
- ^"Borgergade"(in Danish). Selskabet for Københavns Historie. Archived fromthe originalon 2012-04-06.Retrieved2011-09-28.
- ^"Film 7 Olsen banden på sporet / Die Olsenbande stellt die Weichen".olsenbande-homepage.de(in German).Retrieved5 October2017.
External links
[edit]
- Borgergadeon indenforvoldene.dk