# Toldbodgade > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Toldbodgade > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Toldbodgade.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toldbodgade > Source revision: 1343843931 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) Street in Copenhagen, Denmark The southernmost part of Toldbodgade with Nyhavn in the background **Toldbodgade** ([lit.](/source/Literal_translation) "Custom House Street") is a street in central [Copenhagen](/source/Copenhagen), [Denmark](/source/Denmark). It extends north from [Nyhavn](/source/Nyhavn) at the Nyhavn Bridge, continuing [Holberggade](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Holberggade&action=edit&redlink=1), passes [Sankt Annæ Plads](/source/Sankt_Ann%C3%A6_Plads) after just one block, and continues straight until it reaches [West India Warehouse](/source/Vestindisk_Pakhus) where it makes a sharp left turn which connects it to [Amaliegade](/source/Amaliegade), its parallel street, at the rear of the [Design Museum](/source/Danish_Museum_of_Art_%26_Design). The east side of the street is lined by a series of 18th century warehouses whose other sides face the [Larsens Plads](/source/Larsens_Plads) waterfront, which was a major hub for emigration to [America](/source/United_States_of_America). ## History ### Origins King Christian VI's Custom House in 1754 Ny Toldbodgade painted by [C. F. Sørensen](/source/Carl_Frederik_S%C3%B8rensen) in circa 1845. The wall towards Amalienborg seen to the right. The street traces its history back to Axel Ulstrup's New Copenhagen masterplan which recommended a regulation of the coastline north of the city, between [Bremerholm](/source/Gammelholm) and the [Custom House](/source/Nordre_Toldbod) which had been built in 1630. The name originally only referred to the southernmost section of the street while the section north of [Sankt Annæ Plads](/source/Sankt_Ann%C3%A6_Plads) was merely an embankment across the marshy terrain along the coast.[1] From about 1708 the area was filled and in 1719 the street was paved and became known as Ny Toldbodgade (English: New Custom House Street), a name it kept until 1940. It was described as the "most regular and longest street in the city".[2] The street led to King [Christian VI](/source/Christian_VI_of_Denmark)'s new custom house which was completed in 1734 to the design of [Johan Cornelius Krieger](/source/Johan_Cornelius_Krieger_(architect)). ### Place of contrasts When [Frederiksstaden](/source/Frederiksstaden) was founded in 1750, Ny Toldbodgade came to mark the boundary between the busy life in the port and the elegant new residential district with its [Rococo](/source/Rococo_architecture) mansions. In 1755, due to the risk of fires, it was decided to relocate the lumberyards which had previously dominated the area along the water to Greenland, an undeveloped site adjacent to [Nyboder](/source/Nyboder), but the quay remained a very active part of the port.[3] In the 1780s a row of warehouses was built along the east side of the street, where the lumberyards had once been, creating something of a barrier between the life of the port and that of Frederiksstaden. ### Shanty housing and America boats Shanty housing at Toldbodgade, drawing by [P. Klæstrup](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Peter_Kl%C3%A6strup&action=edit&redlink=1) Up through the 19th century the street continued to be a place of contrasts as Frederiksstaden remained the most fashionable neighbourhood for Copenhagen's elite while the area along the street was settled by people who had been left homeless by the [Copenhagen Fire of 1795](/source/Copenhagen_Fire_of_1795) and the British [Bombardment of 1807](/source/Battle_of_Copenhagen_(1807)). They lived in interimistic, one-storey sheds which existed up until 1869 when the custom house was expanded. An America boat at 8 Toldbodgade/Larsens Place In 1802, the site was acquired by a wealthy ship owner, Lars Larsen, who established a ship and lumber yard in the grounds which became known as [Larsen's Place](/source/Larsens_Plads) after its founder.[4] Later in the century Larsen's Place became a hub for the America steamers which transported thousands of emigrants from all of [Scandinavia](/source/Scandinavia) to [New York](/source/New_York_City) in search of a better future. ## Buildings The most characteristic buildings along the street are the old warehouses along its east side. They were all designed by [Caspar Frederik Harsdorff](/source/Caspar_Frederik_Harsdorff) and include the [Double Warehouse](/source/Copenhagen_Admiral_Hotel), the [Blue Warehouse](/source/Det_Bl%C3%A5_Pakhus) and [West India Warehouse](/source/Vestindisk_Pakhus). ## Sculptory relief from the pediment of King Christian VI's Custom House A relief from the pediment of King Christian VI's Custom House was saved when the building was demolished in 1891. It has now been installed on a wall, where it now serves as a *point de vue* at the north end of Toldbodgade, at the point where the street bends to join Amaliegade. It depicts the king flanked by [Neptune](/source/Neptune_(mythology)) and [Mercury](/source/Mercury_(mythology)), the [Roman](/source/Roman_mythology) Gods of seafaring and trade, holding a double edged trident and [Caduceus](/source/Caduceus) respectively. At the Amalie Garden stand two modern columns which flank the so-called [Amalienborg Axis](/source/Frederiksgade) which bisects both Amalienborg Palace and Garden, offering views across the harbour to [Copenhagen Opera House](/source/Copenhagen_Opera_House) on one side and views across the central plaza of the palace to the [Marble Church](/source/Frederik's_Church) on the other. The columns were designed by [Italian](/source/Italy) sculptor [Arnaldo Pomodoro](/source/Arnaldo_Pomodoro) and installed in 1984 as part of the Amalie Garden. ## Toldbodgade today Toldbodgade is centrally located between some of Copenhagen's most popular visitor attractions, including Nyhavn to the south, Amalienborg Palace and the design museum to the west and the [Citadel](/source/Kastellet%2C_Copenhagen) and [Langelinie](/source/Langelinie) with [The Little Mermaid](/source/The_Little_Mermaid_(statue)), although most pedestrians opt for the waterfront promenade along Larsens Plads. The old warehouses have been converted for other uses. The West India Warehouses now house the [Royal Cast Collection](/source/Vestindisk_Pakhus), part of the [National Gallery](/source/Statens_Museum_for_Kunst), as well as an exhibition of costumes from the [Royal Danish Theatre](/source/Royal_Danish_Theatre), while the Double Warehouse has become the [Copenhagen Admiral Hotel](/source/Copenhagen_Admiral_Hotel). ## See also Wikimedia Commons has media related to [Toldbodgade (Copenhagen)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Toldbodgade_(Copenhagen)). - [Kronprinsessegade](/source/Kronprinsessegade) - [Borgergade](/source/Borgergade) - [Dronningens Tværgade](/source/Dronningens_Tv%C3%A6rgade) ## References 1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["Toldbodgade"](http://www.indenforvoldene.dk/toldbodgade.html) (in Danish). indenforvoldene.dk. Retrieved 2012-01-02. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["1719"](http://www.kobenhavnshistorie.dk/bog/khsd/1700/1719.html) (in Danish). Selskabet for Københavns Historie. Retrieved 2010-01-04. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["1755"](http://kobenhavnshistorie.dk/bog/khsd/1700/1755.html) (in Danish). Selskabet for Københavns Historie. Retrieved 2012-01-02. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-Portal_4-0)** ["Amalie Garden - Amaliehaven"](https://www.copenhagenet.dk/CPH-Map/CPH-Amaliehaven.asp). Copenhagen Portal. Retrieved 2010-07-11. ## External links - [Edward Lehmann - English terrace](https://slaegtsbibliotek.dk/2023/935761.pdf) [55°41′03″N 12°35′42″E / 55.6842°N 12.5950°E / 55.6842; 12.5950](https://geohack.toolforge.org/geohack.php?pagename=Toldbodgade¶ms=55.6842_N_12.5950_E_source:wikidata) --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Toldbodgade](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toldbodgade) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toldbodgade?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.