Søtorvet, Copenhagen
Encyclopedia
Søtorvet is an elegant late 19th century residential development facing The Lakes in Copenhagen
, Denmark
. It flanks the end of Frederiksborggade, where it turns into the Queen Louise Bridge
, at the intersection with Vester, Nørre and Øster Søgade
.
district emerged with Nørrebrogade, the continuation of Frederiksborggade on the other side of The Lakes, as its central artery.
founded the previous year by Carl Frederik Tietgen
together with a circle of prominent citizens including Carlsberg-founder J. C. Jacobsen, manufacturer Lauritz Peter Holmblad, later Prime Minister Tage Reedtz-Thott
, and later Speaker of the Danish Landsting
Carl Christian Vilhelm Liebe
.
The architects were Ferdinand Vilhelm Jensen and Vilhelm Petersen under supervision of Ferdinand Meldahl, one of the leading Danish architects of the period.
was one of the first residents.
At this point, the Queen Louise Bridge had still not been built. It was constructed a decade later to the design of Vilhelm Dahlerup
, another leading architect of the time.
In about 1900, the Café de la Reine opened at at 2 Søtorvet, further contributing to the French ambiance of the locale. It had outdoor service under a roof and was therefore nicknamed Café la' det regne ("Café let it rain"), a play on how the French name sounds in Danish. In the 1930s, the café became a hangout for poets such as Sigfred Pedersen and Otto Gelsted who would often recite their poems standing on the tables. Niels Clemmensen
sat behind the piano. When Nazi Germany
occupied Denmark
in 1940, the café closed.
, but was not planned as such. Supposedly it aggravated Meldahl that a development of similar prominence was never built on the Nørrebro end of the bridge.
The development consists of four buildings, symmetrically arranged with the two buildings on one side of Frederiksborggade mirroring the two on the other side. Named Gothersgade
and Venthersgade, a reference to the Goths
and the Wends
in the title King of the Goths and the Wends
which was used by Danish kings from the 14th century until 1972, the two streets separating the buildings on each their side of Frederiksborggade repeat the symmetry.
The design of the buildings in the 19th-century Neo-Renaissance style was inspired by the architecture of French castles and Haussmann's developments in Paris
. The buildings have rich stucco
ornamentation and are topped with towers and spires.
m which are replicas of two 1st century statues discovered during excavations in Rome
in the 16th century. They were donated by Carl Jacobsen
's Albertina Trust.
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
, Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
. It flanks the end of Frederiksborggade, where it turns into the Queen Louise Bridge
Dronning Louises Bro
Dronning Louises Bro is a bridge crossing The Lakes in Copenhagen, Denmark - specifically Peblingesø and Sortedamssø -, named after Queen Louise who was married to King Christian IX...
, at the intersection with Vester, Nørre and Øster Søgade
Vester, Nørre and Øster Søgade
Vester, Nørre and Øster Søgade is a succession of streets along the eastern side of The Lakes close to the centre of Copenhagen, Denmark. The streets run from Gammel Kongevej to the south to the beginning of Østerbrogade at Lille Trianglen to the north...
.
Background
When Copenhagen was still a fortified city, Frederiksborggade, passing through the Northern City Gate, used to be one of the main roads leading in and out of town, taking travellers north toward Frederiksborg Castle. After the Northern City Gate was demolished in 1853 and a law definitively provided for the decommissioning of the fortifications in 1868, redevelopment of the land outside the gate began and the present day NørrebroNørrebro
Nørrebro is one of the 10 official districts of Copenhagen, Denmark. It is northwest of the city centre, beyond the location of the old Northern Gate , which, until dismantled in 1856, was near the current Nørreport station.-Geography:...
district emerged with Nørrebrogade, the continuation of Frederiksborggade on the other side of The Lakes, as its central artery.
Construction
The Søtorvet development was built from 1873 to 1875 by the Copenhagen Building Company, a real estate companyReal estate development
Real estate development, or Property Development, is a multifaceted business, encompassing activities that range from the renovation and re-lease of existing buildings to the purchase of raw land and the sale of improved land or parcels to others...
founded the previous year by Carl Frederik Tietgen
Carl Frederik Tietgen
Carl Frederik Tietgen was a Danish financier and industrialist. The founder of numerous prominent Danish companies, many of which are still in operation today, he played an important role in the industrialisation of Denmark...
together with a circle of prominent citizens including Carlsberg-founder J. C. Jacobsen, manufacturer Lauritz Peter Holmblad, later Prime Minister Tage Reedtz-Thott
Tage Reedtz-Thott
Baron Kjeld Thor Tage Otto Reedtz-Thott was a Danish politician, member of the Højre political party. He was Council President of Denmark from 1894 to 1897 as the leader of the Cabinet of Reedtz-Thott....
, and later Speaker of the Danish Landsting
Landsting (Denmark)
The Landsting was a house of the Rigsdag in Denmark from 1849 until 1953, when the bicameral system was abolished. The house had powers equal to the Folketing, which made the two houses of parliament hard to distinguish....
Carl Christian Vilhelm Liebe
Carl Christian Vilhelm Liebe
Carl Christian Vilhelm Liebe was a Danish politician representing first the National Liberal Party and later the conservative Højre, lawyer and speaker of the Landsting, a chamber of the parliament...
.
The architects were Ferdinand Vilhelm Jensen and Vilhelm Petersen under supervision of Ferdinand Meldahl, one of the leading Danish architects of the period.
After the inauguration
When the buildings were completed, Johanne Luise HeibergJohanne Luise Heiberg
Johanne Luise Heiberg was one of the greatest Danish actresses of the 19th century. She is most famous for her work at the Royal Theatre in Copenhagen, where she achieved great success.-Early life:...
was one of the first residents.
At this point, the Queen Louise Bridge had still not been built. It was constructed a decade later to the design of Vilhelm Dahlerup
Vilhelm Dahlerup
Jens Vilhelm Dahlerup was a Danish architect who specialized in the Historicist style. One of the most productive and noted Danish architects of the 19th century, he is behind many of the most known buildings and landmarks of his time and has more than any other single architect contributed to the...
, another leading architect of the time.
In about 1900, the Café de la Reine opened at at 2 Søtorvet, further contributing to the French ambiance of the locale. It had outdoor service under a roof and was therefore nicknamed Café la' det regne ("Café let it rain"), a play on how the French name sounds in Danish. In the 1930s, the café became a hangout for poets such as Sigfred Pedersen and Otto Gelsted who would often recite their poems standing on the tables. Niels Clemmensen
Niels Clemmensen
Niels Clemmensen was a Danish pianist and composer.- Notable works :*Fra Kap til Kronborg *Den er fin med kompasset *Tjin-Tjin-Juanita *Union Jack *Paustians ur *Katinka, Katinka...
sat behind the piano. When Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
occupied Denmark
Occupation of Denmark
Nazi Germany's occupation of Denmark began with Operation Weserübung on 9 April 1940, and lasted until German forces withdrew at the end of World War II following their surrender to the Allies on 5 May 1945. Contrary to the situation in other countries under German occupation, most Danish...
in 1940, the café closed.
Architecture
Søtorvet stands as a gateway to the Inner City, coming from NørrebroNørrebro
Nørrebro is one of the 10 official districts of Copenhagen, Denmark. It is northwest of the city centre, beyond the location of the old Northern Gate , which, until dismantled in 1856, was near the current Nørreport station.-Geography:...
, but was not planned as such. Supposedly it aggravated Meldahl that a development of similar prominence was never built on the Nørrebro end of the bridge.
The development consists of four buildings, symmetrically arranged with the two buildings on one side of Frederiksborggade mirroring the two on the other side. Named Gothersgade
Gothersgade
Gothersgade is a major street in the City Centre of Copenhagen, Denmark. It extends from Kongens Nytorv to Sortedam Lake, passing Rosenborg Castle and Gardens, Nørreport Station and Copenhagen Botanic Gardens on the way....
and Venthersgade, a reference to the Goths
Goths
The Goths were an East Germanic tribe of Scandinavian origin whose two branches, the Visigoths and the Ostrogoths, played an important role in the fall of the Roman Empire and the emergence of Medieval Europe....
and the Wends
Wends
Wends is a historic name for West Slavs living near Germanic settlement areas. It does not refer to a homogeneous people, but to various peoples, tribes or groups depending on where and when it is used...
in the title King of the Goths and the Wends
King of the Goths
The title of King of the Goths was for many centuries borne by both the Kings of Sweden and the Kings of Denmark, denoting sovereignty or claimed sovereignty over the antique people of the Goths....
which was used by Danish kings from the 14th century until 1972, the two streets separating the buildings on each their side of Frederiksborggade repeat the symmetry.
The design of the buildings in the 19th-century Neo-Renaissance style was inspired by the architecture of French castles and Haussmann's developments in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. The buildings have rich stucco
Stucco
Stucco or render is a material made of an aggregate, a binder, and water. Stucco is applied wet and hardens to a very dense solid. It is used as decorative coating for walls and ceilings and as a sculptural and artistic material in architecture...
ornamentation and are topped with towers and spires.
Statury
There are two bronze statues on the square, the Tiber and the NileNile
The Nile is a major north-flowing river in North Africa, generally regarded as the longest river in the world. It is long. It runs through the ten countries of Sudan, South Sudan, Burundi, Rwanda, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda and Egypt.The Nile has two major...
m which are replicas of two 1st century statues discovered during excavations in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
in the 16th century. They were donated by Carl Jacobsen
Carl Jacobsen
Carl Christian Hillman Jacobsen was a Danish brewer, art collector and philanthropist, the son of J. C. Jacobsen, who founded the brewery Carlsberg and named it after him.-Career:...
's Albertina Trust.