Store Kongensgade 81

No. 66 seen on a detail from Christian Gedde's map of St. Ann's West Quarter, 1757.

The property is located in an area formerly known as New Copenhagen, which was not incorporated into the fortified city until the 1670s. The property was listed in 1689 as No. 158 in St. Ann's West Quarter (Sankt Annæ Vester Kvarter) owned by Jochum Scharnhorst. It was listed in 1756 as No. 66 owned by cellarman Philip Jacob Salathe.[1]

Otto Christopher von Munthe af Morgenstierne

The current building was constructed in 1784–1785 by master mason Melchior Henrick Petermann. At the time of the 1787 census, Petersen was himself among the residents of the building. He lived there with his wife Anne Augustine, their seven children (one son and six daughters), an apprentice, a coachman and two maids.[2] Otto Christopher von Munthe af Morgenstierne resided in another apartment with his six children (one son and five daughters), a tutor, two male servants, a coachman, the building's caretaker and six maids.[3] Carl Friderich Castonier (1651–1676), a lieutenant-colonel in the Danish Life Guards Regiment, resided in a third apartment with his wife Cornelia Eleonore, two of their children (aged 15 and 23), two soldiers from his regiment and a maid.[4] Johann Chreok, a 27-year-old first mate (styrmand), resided in another apartment with his 47-year-old wife Anne Catharine, eight children from the wife's three earlier marriages (aged four to 21), a maid and a lodger.[5]

Niels Ditlev Riegels (1755–1802), a historian and social critic, was among the residents of the building from 1788 to 1792.[6]

Ernst Frederik von Walterstorff

The property was later acquired by commander-captain Hans Conrad Brøer (1740–1812). His property was home to 31 residents in five households at the 1801 census. The owner resided in one of the apartments with his wife Frederikke Christiane (née Silberschild), his 12-year-old niece Frederikke Trepka, one male servant, one coachman and two maids.[7] Ernst Frederik Walterstorff, a former Governor-General of the Danish West Indies and the owner of Kokkedal, resided in another apartment with his wife Sally Walterstorff, their son Christian Korteligt Walterstorff, two maids and four black servants (aged eight to 26).[8] He later moved to Paris as part of the Danish diplomatic mission. Ole Christian Borch (1751–1818), a bookkeeper, resided in another apartment with his wife Christiane Borch (née Nielsen), six children (aged one to 21) and four maids.[9] Jorck Christopher Snorbusch, a mason, resided in the last dwelling with his wife Marie Lisbeth Snorbusch, a maid and a lodger.[10]

The property was listed as No. 65 in the new cadastre of 1806. It was still owned by Brøer at the time. Johan Daniel Herholdt (1764–1836), a surgeon, then with the title of Admiralty Medicus, was among the residents from 1814 to 1816.[6]

Marie Sophie Frølich, née de Coninck, by Christian Gottlieb Kratzenstein Stub

The property was later acquired by the brothers and business partners Heinrich Lorentz Frølich (1787–1873) and Johan Jacob Frølich (1781–1858). Their father had founded the successful trading company Frølich & Co., which was for many years based at Østergade 49. The two brothers had previously owned Admiralgade 25 for a few years, from 1813 until 1816.[11]

Heinrich Lorentz Frølich—who for a while served as one of the managers of the Bank of Denmark—was married to Marie Sophie de Coninck (1782–1874), a daughter of Jean de Coninck. The couple, who had no children, resided on the ground floor. At the time of the 1840 census, they lived there with 24-year-old Sophie de Coninck (1816–1870), concierge Pehr Pehrson and his wife Birthe Person, a coachman, a male servant, a maid and a female cook.[12] Sophie de Coninck was a granddaughter of Jean de Coninck's brother Frédéric de Coninck.[11]

Johan Jacob Frølich

Johan Jacob Frølich was married to Pouline Wilhelmine Tutein (1789–1881), daughter of Friederich Tutein. At the time of the 1840 census, they resided on the first floor with their three children, a caretaker, a male servant and two maids.[13] Frederik Emil Frisch (1790–1853), Generalkrigscommissair, Land og Søe Krigscommissair, resided on the second floor with his wife Juliane Frølich, 16-year-old Emma Jacobsen, a female cook, a maid and a male servant.[14] The eldest of their sons Jacob (James, 1811–1850) had by then already settled in Spain. The youngest son was the artist Lorenz Frølich. Their third son, Frederik (1913–1880), a naval officer, reached the rank of commander. Their daughter Wilhelmine (1817–1962) would later marry Petrus Frederik Constantin Brun, a grandson of Constantin Brun and the owner of Krogerup Manor.[11]

In 1847, Heinrich Lorentz Frølich constructed the country house Blidah on the coast north of Copenhagen. His brother had already owned the country house Bloksbjerg for some time.[11]

Rich. Jensen, Smede & Maskinværksted

August Schiøtt, one of the leading Danish portrait painters of his time, resided on the second floor from 1875 to 1879 and again from 1881 to 1884. He then moved to a residence at Charlottenborg after being appointed as professor at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts.[6]

A/S Oscar Frønckel & Co.'s Bogtrykkeri, a book printing business, was founded in the building in 1916. In 1918, it relocated to larger premises at Nyhavn 31.[15]

Alex Vincent's Kunstforlag A/S, an old printing business converted into a limited company with Alex Vincent (1906-) as owner and CEO, was based in the building in 1950.[16] Richard Jensen, Smede & Maskinværksted, a machine workshop, was based in the courtyard in the 1960s.[6]