Copenhagen had its first fire department on 9 July 1687 when King Christian V founded the Royal Copenhagen Fire Department. With the adoption of the Copenhagen Fire Act on 18 May 1868, the Copenhagen Fire Department was established as a municipal institution as of 1 August 1870.[1]
In the middle of the 19th century, the fire station in the former St. Nicolai's Church had become outdated. It was therefore decided to construct a new purpose-built central fire station on the former grounds of the city's Western Rampart. The Bastioned Fortifications until now enclosing Copenhagen had recently been disbanded and the vacant land was now used for a number of large public building projects.
The recently instituted post of City Architect held by Ludvig Fenger was put in charge of the project.[2]
Construction began in 1889 and the new Central Fire Station was inaugurated on 30 April 1892. At that time, the City Hall had still not been built and the new premises therefore had an unhindered view of the haymarket which was located where the City Hall Square is today. The tower of the building was also used in training with life nets and use of tall fire ladders.[2]
The Central Fire Station in 1893
Architecture
The Central Fire Station is built to a Historicist design. With its crenellated gables, ogival gates and tower, the main source of inspiration is Medieval North Italian castle architecture.[2]
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