Bremerholm (street)

Bremerholm is a street in central Copenhagen, Denmark. It extends south from the major shopping street Strøget to Holmens Kanal. Together with Kristen Bernikows Gade, its extension to the north, it forms one of only two places where car traffic crosses pedestrianized Strøget on its way from Kongens Nytorv to the City Hall Square, the other being at Gammeltorv-Nytorv. The small square Magasins Torv is located in front of one of the entrances to the department store Magasin du Nord at the beginning of the street

The area where Bremerholm runs today was originally a shallow-watered area called Dybet (The Abuss), as commemorated in the name of the intersecting street Dybensgade, which separated mainland Copenahgen from the small isle Bremerholm where a naval dockyard was established in about 1510. The area was reclaimed in the middle of the 16th century. The new area, which became part of the city's East Quarter (Østre Kvarter), was used for the construction of row houses for naval personnel. The houses were known as 'boder' and became known as Gammelboder ("Old Houses") after Christian IV began the construction of Nyboder ("New Houses").

The streets in the area were named after types of fish and shellfish. The majority of what is now known as Bremerholm was called Ulkegade ("Sea Scorpion Street"). Other street names in the area included Laksegade ("Salmon Street"), Hummergade ("Lobster Street") and Størrestræde. Ulkegade and the surrounding neighbourhood developed an infamous reputation for prostitution and its many bars which were frequented by seamen.

The street was completely destroyed in the Copenhagen Fire of 1795 which began at Gammelholm and lasted for two days. It was rebuilt with Neoclassical properties but failed to obtain a better reputation and was renamed Holmensgade in 1823. The writer Hans Christian Andersen lived on the first floor at No. 8 doe a couple of years.

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Wikipedia