Hans Christian Andersen's Copenhagen

Hans Christian Andersen was only 14 years old when he first arrived in Copenhagen on the 6th of September 1819. His first accommodations were in the the inn Gardergården in Gardergade, today’s Vestergade 18.

It didn’t take long before Hans Christian Andersen found his way to the Royal Danish Theatre, his young head filled with dreams of acting. Throughout his life Hans Christian Andersen cherished the theatre and liked to live as near it as possible. That’s why you’ll find a lot of buildings on and around the square Kongens Nytorv with an Andersen history linked to them.

Near Kongens Nytorv

Hotel D’Angleterre was a preferred place were Hans Christian Andersen often dined and also stayed once in a while. From 1838-47 he lived in Hotel du Nord, which was situated on the corner of Vingaardstræde and Kongens Nytorv, where Magasin du Nord lies today. Only a stone’s throw away, on 6 Vingaardstræde, was Andersen’s student home. A small attic room where he stayed from 1827-29. He later mentioned this attic room in stories such as ”Kun en Spillemand” (1836) and ”Billedbog Uden Billeder” (1839-44). In 2004 a reconstruction was made of the room and this is now open to the public.

In 1866-69 Hans Christian Andersen lived in the blue house above Café a Porta, just next to Magasin du Nord.

If you move towards the south east corner of the square you’ll find Nyhavn. Hans Christian Andersen lived here on three separate occasions. From 1834-38 he lived in number 20, a red house on the right hand side of the canal. This is where he wrote his first fairytales, including ”The Tinder Box”, ”The Princess and the Pea” and ”Little Claus and Big Claus”. From 1848-65 he lived in number 67, a slim white house on the left side of the canal, and finally he lived in number 18 from 1871-73.

Other theatres

The Royal Danish Theatre wasn’t the only theatre of importance to Hans Christian Andersen. In Christiansborg Ridebane 18 you’ll find Teatermuseet Hofteatret, formerly Københavns Hofteater where Hans Christian Andersen attended ballet school in 1820-21. The popular theatre Casino, where Andersen enjoyed great success with his fairytale comedies, used to be situated in Amaliegade number 10. Just next to it was once the home of Andersen’s good friend Jonas Collins and family. They had previously lived in St. Strandstræde 3, where Jonas Collins also had a shop. When Jonas sold the shop in 1852 a new building was erected on the site. The new building contained a restaurant and a confectioner’s shop which Hans Christian Andersen often visited. Today you’ll find the restaurant Els in the rooms that once held the confectioner’s shop. But a great part of the original interior has been kept, so you can dine in exquisit surroundings from Andersen’s time.

In Store Kannikestræde, a side street to Strøget, you’ll find another restaurant that Hans Christian Andersen frequented, Det Lille Apotek. He’d often come here to lunch and drink a schnapps or two.

Copenhagen’s famous landmark Tivoli also played an important part in Andersen’s life. He attended the opening on the 15th of August 1843 and he used Tivoli as an inspiration for the emperor’s garden in ”The Nightingale”.

Hans Christian Andersen’s final years

During the last three years of his life Hans Christian Andersen was chronically ill. When he was no longer able to stay at 18 Nyhavn his good friends the Melchior family took him to their country house ”Rolighed”, where he died of liver cancer on the 4th of August 1875. ”Rolighed” has long since been torn down, but if you go to Gl. Kalkbrænderivej 16 you can see a memorial plaque in the house wall.

Hans Christian Andersen’s funeral took place in Vor Frues Kirke on the 11th of August 1875 and he is buried in the Collins family grave in Assistens Kirkegård in Nørrebro.

Published 2008-10-29 13:49