The site is located in the area known as New Copenhagen, which was not incorporated into the fortified city until the 1670s. The site was initially part of a property listed in Copenhagen's first cadastre from 1689 as No. 157 in St. Ann's West Quarter. The same property was listed in the new cadastre of 1756 as No. 65 in 1756 and owned by one etatsråd Scheel's widow.[1]
The writer, politician and publisher Edvard Brandes resided on the third floor from 1793 to 1896. The politician Tyge Rothe (1877–1970) was a resident on the third floor from 1900 to 1904.[2]
The Grocers Guild's sugar refinery
The property was later merged with the adjacent No. 64 by Urtekræmmerlauget and used for the construction of a sugar refinery. The property was listed as No. 64 in the new cadastre of 1806.
No. 64B was home to four households at the 1834 census. Hermann Bech, a high-ranking government official (deputeret) in the General Toldkammeret of Kommercekollegiet, resided on the ground floor with his wife Marie Amalia Bech (née Callisen(, their four children (aged 12 to 20), one male servant and two maids.[3] Edvard Ryan, a businessman (grosserer), resided on the first floor with his wife Emma Ryan født Frølich, one male servant and two maids.[4] Ernst Frederik von Holstein, a first lieutenant and adjudant for Prince Frederick, resided on the third floor with his wife Ida von Holstein /née Wulff), huskomfru Marie Meyer, a male servant, a maid and the lodger Emil von Holstein (student).[5] Peder Larsen, a workman, resided in the basement with his wife Marie Regine Elisabeth /née Buchmann) and their four children (aged one to 14).[6]
Hedemann and the new building
In the early 1883s, the property was acquired by sugar manufacturer Christoph Hedemann (born 1780). Hedemann was the son of Christopher Hedemann (1742–1813) and Antje Prigg (1745–1826). On 9 November 1814 in Copenhagen, he had married to Clara Sophie Gosch (1784–1860s).[7]
In 1832, he constructed the building at No. 64A (now Store Kongensgade 77). In 1832 it was followed by the building at No. 64B. Hedemann was married to Clara Sophie Hedemann (née Gosch). At the 1834 census, Hedemann and his wife lived on the two lodger floors of No. 64A. They lived there with their foster son, Carl August Hedemann-Gade, who was the son of one pastor Gade.[8]
In 1844, No. 64 was formally divided into No. 64A (Store Kongensgade 66) and No. 64B (now Store Kongensgade 79) while two strips of land at the bottom of the property were transferred to No. 140 and No. 146 on the other side of the block as No. 64C and No. 64D.[9]
Christoph Hedemann and his wife Clara Sophie (née Gosch) resided in the two lower floor (ground floor and first floor) apartments. At the time of the 1840 census, they lived there with the wife's nephew and niece (aged 16 and 21) and 13 employees and servants.[10] Josias Feddersen, the king's cabinet secretary, resided on the third floor with his wife Vibecke Birgitte Feddersen née Krey, their eight children (aged nine to 23), 23-year-old Charlotte Christine Henriette Carstens and two maids.[11] August Frederik Howitz, another high-ranking civil servant (Justitsraad, Ridder af Dannebrog,Fuldmægtig i det Kongel. Cabinetssecretariat), resided on the third floor with his wife Mariane (née Holmer), his niece Severine Louise Johanne Caroline Howitz and one maid.[12]
By 1845, Clara Sophie Hedemann (née Gøsch), who had now become a widow, resided on the ground floor with her 21-year-old foster daughter Laura Clara Sophie Gade and two maids.[13] Bernhard Rathgen, a civil servant in the Schleswig Holstein Lauenburg Cancellie, resided on the first floor with his wife Cornelia Rathgen née Niebuhr, their two children (aged one and three), a male servant and two maids.[14] Andreas Heinrich Feddersen, 2nd Customs Inspector in Copenhagen, resided on the second floor with his wife Ane Magrethe Caspersen, their four children (aged 21 to 30), a housekeeper (husjomfru) and two maids.[15] August Friedrich Howitz, another high-ranking customs official (Creditoplagsskriver ved Kiøbenhavns Toldkammer), resided on the third floor with his wife Mariane Howitz (née Holmer), their lodger Christian Gottfred Wilhelm, a male servant and a maid.[16] Mads Hansen, the building's concierge, resided in the basement with his wife Karen Hansen and their five children (aged 12 to 18).[17]
At the 1860 census, No. 64B was home to five households. Clara Sophie Hedemann, Hedemann's widow, resided in the building with her foster daughter Laura Clara Sophie Gade and two maids.[18] Christian Michael Rottbøll, a Supreme Court justice, resided in the building with his wife Jensine Niels. Sehested Berregaard, three unmarried daughters (aged 32 to 36), 25-year-old Anders Hansen Thomsen and one maid.[19] Johan Peter Jacobsen, a chief physician at the 13th Infantry Batallion and livrist at the dowager queen's court, husfade) with title of justitsråd, resided in the building with his wife Marie Jeanette Christine Uedsen, two maids and a coachman.[20] Eduard August Dahlerup, a professor of medicine at the University of Copenhagen and former royal physician, resided in the building with his wife Elisabeth Dahlerup (née MacDengall), their seven children (aged one to 11) and three maids.[21] Anders Sørensen, a grocer (høker), resided in the basement with his wife Cicilie Dorthea Sørensen, their three children (aged two to six) and a maid.[22]
The first to fourth floor was operated as a boarding home by 1942. In 1964, it was converted into a hotel. In 1984, it was converted into offices and meeting rooms.[24]
Architecture
The building consists of four storeys over a raised cellar and is five bays wide. The ground storey is dressed with plaster rustication topped by a stucco frieze. The three upper floors stand in red-painted masonry with extruded "Hamburg joint".[24] The outer windows on the first floor are topped by triangular pediments supported by corbels. One long sill spans the three central windows on the second floor. The facade is finished by a dentillatedcornice at the top. The tile roof is penetrated by three chimneys and features three dormer windows towards the street. The gate is topped by a fanlight and the interior walls of the gateway features four round relief medaillons, two on each side. A rear wing and a warehouse in the courtyard were both constructed in 1880.[24]
Today
The building contains eight condominiums ranging in size from 67 to 161 square metres.[25]
