Rådhusstræde 9

No. 44 seen on a detail from Christian Gedde's map of Snaren's Quarter, 1757.

In the late 17th century the site was part of a larger property. It was listed in Copenhagen's first cadastre of 1689 as No. 50 in Snaren's Quarter, owned by tailor Christen Christensen. After the Copenhagen Fire of 1728, the property was divided into two separate properties. The present corner building was constructed between 1734 and 1752 for master glazier Jacob Petersen. It was listed in the new cadastre of 1756 as No. 44 in Snaren's Quarter and belonged to lawyer Frederik Rohde's widow at that time. The eastern part of the old No. 50 was listed as No. 45 (now Kompagnistræde 31), owned by candlemaker Martn Pohlman.[1]

The property was later acquired by kammerråd and renteskriver Jørgen Spliid. His property was home to three households at the time of the 1787 census. The owner resided in the building with his wife Kirstine Magdalene Rosenstand, two sons from his first marriage, his relative Laurits Biørn Spliid and two maids.[2] Matthias Pedersen (1733–1799)m a former Norwegian consul, resided in the building with his wife Charlotte Amalie van Deurs (1737–1804), three children and a maid.[3] Charlotte Nielsen, widow of a beer seller (øltapper), resided in the basement with her thirteen-year-old son and a ten-year-old poor, orphaned girl.[4]

At the time of the 1801 census, the property was owned by grocer (urtekræmmer) Laurits (Lars) Biørn Olivarius. He lived in the building with his wife Anna Margretha Dorothea née Rasmussen, their one-year-old daughter Tomaly Georgine Henriette Olivarius, his sister Henriette Lovise Olivarius, two apprentices, two maids and two lodgers.[5] Olivarius was originally from Asnæs in Odsherred. He had been licensed as a grocer in Copenhagen on 26 May 1797 and married his wife on 7 June the same year. She had previously been married to his younger brother, Frederik, who had also been a grocer in Copenhagen (on 11 February 1793) but died on 4 April 1796.[6] The former owner of the house, Jørgen Spliid, was also still living in the building with his wife Kirstine and a maid. Peter Ascanius, a professor and former berghauptmand in Norway, resided in the building with his housekeeper Maria Kirstina Lillevang and a maid.[7]

The property was listed as No. 42 in the new cadastre of 1806. It was still owned by Olivarius then.[1] Around that time, he turned to farming after purchasing a farm in Kongens Lyngby. He later continued to Frederiksværk where he worked as a senior clerk at the local copper works for a while. Around 1816, he returned to Copenhagen where he resumed his career as a grocer and served as rodemester (a sort of district executive) of Nørrebro and Østerbro from 1817.[6]

Knabrostræde 28 seen on a detail from Berggreen's cadastral map of Snaren's Quarter, 1884.

Rådhusstræde 42 was home to a total of 25 people at the time of the 1840 census. Caroline Mortensen, a 73-year-old widow, resided on the second floor with her unmarried daughter, two lodgers and one maid. Juliane Sophie Lynge, another widow, resided on the first floor with her daughter Christiane Rebekka Lynge and stepdaughter Sigfriede Amalie Lindberg. Johan Thorsen, an unskilled labourer, resided on the third floor with his Elisabeth Margrethe and a lodger. Carl Georg Lenkewitz, an employee of Tallotteriet, resided on the ground floor with his wife Anna Kristine Elisabeth Pisselhøy, their three children (aged 11 to 22) and a maid. Carl Frederik Wilde Simonsen, a master plumber and first lieutenant in Copenhagen's Civilian Artillery, resided in the basement with his wife Caroline Wilhelmine Hertzløv and their five children (aged 7 to 17).[8]

The rear wing was home to a total of 26 people at the time of the 1860 census. Sisters Marie and Sophie Eckstrøm resided in the first floor apartment with a maid and a lodger. 23-year-old marine painter Christian Eckardt resided on the third floor with his parents and four siblings. His mother and three sisters were all employed with needlework. The other residents included a master shoemaker, a tailor and a number of other women employed with needlework.[8]