Ny Østergade


Ny Østergade is a street in the Old Town of Copenhagen, Denmark, linking the Østergade section of the pedestrian street Strøget in the south with Christian IX's gade in the northwest. Together with the intersecting streets Grønnegade and Store Regnegade, its forms part of Copenhagen's most exclusive shopping districts.

History

Peder Madsens Gang

Peder Madsens Gang, a narrow alley with tenements for the very poor, was for centuries located at the site where Ny Østergade runs today. It took its name after Peder Madsen, a local representative and alderman of the Community Representative's Guild, who constructed some of the buildings. Later in the century, it was already described as the worst slum in the city. It was entered through a gate in the Svaneapoteket pharmacy on Østergade and at Grønnegade in the other end.

The new street

It was first proposed to clear the area in the 1840s but nothing happened. In September 1872, a committee was established. It received four proposals and the newly founded Kjøbenhavns Byggeselskab was ultimately charged with renewing the area. The new, wide street Ny Østergade was inaugurated in 1876.

Notable buildings and residents

Built in 1732-1742, No. 11 is one of few buildings dating from before the street was created.
Many of the buildings along the street date from the 1870s when the street was created. A number of them were designed by Ove Petersen and Vilhelm Dahlerup, such as No. 5, No. 7 and No. 9. They also collaborated on the design of the Royal Danish Theatre. Dahlerup was also responsible for the adaption of Hotel D'Angleterre. Some of the other, such as No. 8, No. 10, No. 12, was designed by Ludvig Fenger.
No. 19-21, No. 23 and the two buildings on the corner with Christian IXs Gade were designed by Eugen Jørgensen in 1906-10.
The Svaneapoteket Pharmacy's former building is from 1938 and was designed by Bent Helveg-;øller.