Istedgade Overgiver Sig Aldrig
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Istedgade (also called ''Strassen'') is a 1-kilometer straight street in the district of Vesterbro in the Danish capital,
Copenhagen Copenhagen ( ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a population of 1.4 million in the Urban area of Copenhagen, urban area. The city is situated on the islands of Zealand and Amager, separated from Malmö, Sweden, by the ...
. It starts at
Copenhagen Central Station Copenhagen Central Station (, ; abbreviated ''København H'', colloquially usually referred to as ''Hovedbanegården'' or simply ''Hovedbanen'') is the Central station, main railway station in Copenhagen, Denmark, and the largest railway station ...
and runs parallel to
Vesterbrogade Vesterbrogade () is the main shopping street of the Vesterbro, Copenhagen, Vesterbro district of Copenhagen, Denmark. The 1.5 km long street runs from the City Hall Square, Copenhagen, City Hall Square in the east to Pile Allé in Frederiksbe ...
to
Enghave Plads Enghave Plads is a central public square of the Vesterbro district in Copenhagen, Denmark. It is located where Istedgade reaches Enghavevej, which separates the square from Enghave Park. History Enghave Plads was established when the Vesterb ...
and
Enghaveparken Enghaveparken is a public park in the Vesterbro district of Copenhagen, Denmark. It was laid out in the late 1920s to cater for the citizens of the expanding city. The park is designed in the Neoclassical style. It has grassy lawns, flower bed ...
. From the station in the cheap hotel district, it runs through the porn,
prostitution Prostitution is a type of sex work that involves engaging in sexual activity in exchange for payment. The definition of "sexual activity" varies, and is often defined as an activity requiring physical contact (e.g., sexual intercourse, no ...
and drugs area to modern Vesterbro, where 1900s tenement style blocks have undergone significant modernisation. It is generally considered the heart of Vesterbro and was a main traffic artery until 2013 where the street had traffic reducing measures installed.


History

Istedgade's history dates back to 1858, when the first buildings were completed around Gasvejen (today called
Gasværksvej Gasværksvej ( lit. "Gasworks Road") is a street in the Vesterbro district of Copenhagen, Denmark. It runs from Vesterbros Torv in the north to Halmtorvet in the south. History The land where the street runs today was formerly the site of a n ...
), but it was not until 1859 that Istedgade got its official name, the street subsequently growing rapidly towards the railway station, and in 1900 Istedgade reached Enghave Plads. The street is named in memory of the 1850
Battle of Isted The Battle of Isted (; ) took place on 25 July 1850 near the village of Idstedt (Danish: ''Isted''), in what is today Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. The battle was part of the First Schleswig War. The Danes won the battle. The battle began early ...
in the
First Schleswig War The First Schleswig War (), also known as the Schleswig-Holstein uprising () and the Three Years' War (), was a military conflict in southern Denmark and northern Germany rooted in the Schleswig–Holstein question: who should control the Du ...
. Istedgade soon became known for being a colourful entertainment area, with its wild inns and
prostitution Prostitution is a type of sex work that involves engaging in sexual activity in exchange for payment. The definition of "sexual activity" varies, and is often defined as an activity requiring physical contact (e.g., sexual intercourse, no ...
. During
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, Istedgade was known for its resistance to the Germans and the resistance group
Holger Danske Holger may refer to: People * Holger (given name), includes name origin, plus people with the name * Hilde Holger, stage name of dancer, choreographer and dance teacher Hilde Boman-Behram (née Hilde Sofer, 1905–2001) Fictional characters * H ...
was founded in the back room of "Stjerne Radio" at no. 31, which is today a museum. During the Summer 1944 strike, there was a violent clash between the inhabitants of Vesterbro and the German military. After the "porn release" in 1969, Istedgade became one of the streets where almost every other store sold magazines, sex toys, etc. The history of the street, rooted in the classic working class, contrasts with today's expensive refurbished apartments and modern city life. Before the urban renewal in the 1990s, the street was characterised by speculation building with small apartments of poor quality with great social poverty, but there was unity amongst the inhabitants. The slogan ''"Istedgade overgiver sig aldrig"'' (Istedgade never surrenders) originated in the People's strike in 1944, when leaflets were thrown out the windows of the upper apartments with the text ''"Rom og Paris kan I ta – men Stalingrad og Istedgade overgiver sig aldrig"'' (Rome and Paris you can take - but Stalingrad and Istedgade never surrender). Istedgade is composed and diverse, and is one of the places in Copenhagen where there is life around the clock. Vesterbro in general and Istedgade in particular, over recent years have become attractive for young and resourceful citizens, mostly families with children, who against previous trends have chosen to stay in town instead of moving to the suburbs. Today, Istedgade and some of the adjacent side streets are known for the many hotels, designer shops, cafes, taverns, bars, sex shops and restaurants. In addition to the many tourists, there are also some
street prostitutes Street prostitution is a form of prostitution in which a prostitute solicits customers from a public place, most commonly a street, while waiting at street corners or walking alongside a street, but also other public places such as parks, bench ...
, drug addicts, alcoholics and homeless people. In support of these are ''Kirkens Korshær'' (The Church's Army), ''Mariakirken'' (The Church of Mary) and the ''Mændenes Hjem'' (Men's Home). The prostitutes on Istedgade are often of foreign origin, mainly from
Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surfac ...
and
Eastern Europe Eastern Europe is a subregion of the Europe, European continent. As a largely ambiguous term, it has a wide range of geopolitical, geographical, ethnic, cultural and socio-economic connotations. Its eastern boundary is marked by the Ural Mountain ...
. In August 2012, Istedgade became the subject of much media coverage, due to the police's failure to intervene with the drug-pushers at Vesterbro.


Notable buildings

The Church of Mary (Mo. 20) is from 1907 to 1909 and was designed by Andreas Clemmesen. The Shooting Range Wall, flanked by two residential buildings (Mo. 72) was constructed in 1887 when the Royal Copenhagen Shooting Society's shooting range (now
Skydebanehaven Skydebanehaven (in English, 'The Shooting Range Gardens') is a small public park in the heart of the Vesterbro, Copenhagen, Vesterbro district of Copenhagen, Denmark. Its name refers to the former shooting range of the Royal Copenhagen Shooting ...
) was shortened to keep people on Istedgade from being hit by stray bullets. The
Gothic Revival style Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic or neo-Gothic) is an architectural movement that after a gradual build-up beginning in the second half of the 17th century became a widespread movement in the first half of the 19th century ...
structure was designed by Ludvig Lnudsen. The complex was listed on the Danish registry of protected buildings and places in 1982.


Transport

The first part of the street is served by
Copenhagen Central Station Copenhagen Central Station (, ; abbreviated ''København H'', colloquially usually referred to as ''Hovedbanegården'' or simply ''Hovedbanen'') is the Central station, main railway station in Copenhagen, Denmark, and the largest railway station ...
. The far end of the street is served by
Enghave Plads Enghave Plads is a central public square of the Vesterbro district in Copenhagen, Denmark. It is located where Istedgade reaches Enghavevej, which separates the square from Enghave Park. History Enghave Plads was established when the Vesterb ...
metro station A metro station or subway station is a train station for a rapid transit system, which as a whole is usually called a "metro" or "subway". A station provides a means for passengers to purchase tickets, board trains, and evacuate the syste ...
. Movia bus line 23 runs through the street on its ways from
Valby railway station Valby station is a Main line (railway), main line and S-train railway station serving the Districts of Copenhagen, district of Valby in Copenhagen, Denmark. The station is located in the central part of the district where one of its main arteries ...
to Klampenborg railway station.


In popular culture

Over the years, Istedgade has housed many of Denmark's actors, artists and writers. It was referred to by
Liva Weel Olivia Marie Olsen (31 December 1897 – 22 May 1952), Liva Weel, was a Danish singer, comedian, and actress. Although she was trained in classical singing, her signature songs and performances were ballads. Upbringing Weel grew up in Vesterb ...
,
Tom Kristensen Tom Kristensen (born 7 July 1967) is a Danish former racing driver. He holds the record for the most wins at the 24 Hours of Le Mans with nine, six of which were consecutive (from 2000 to 2005). In 1997, he won the race with the Joest Racing te ...
and
Emil Bønnelycke Emil Christian Theodor Bønnelycke (21 March 1893 – 27 November 1953) was a Danish poet. Born in Aarhus, he was brought up in Copenhagen but as a young man also lived in Norway. Having worked as a clerk, scaffolding worker, and bricklayer's assi ...
. The love for Istedgade is still to be found in today's celebrities' work;
Dan Turèll Dan Turèll (March 19, 1946 – October 15, 1993), affectionately nicknamed " Danny" (English: ''Uncle Danny''), was a popular Danish writer with notable influence on Danish literature. His work crossed a number of genres including autobiography ...
's "Charlie Parker i Istedgade" and
Natasja Saad Natasja Saad (31 October 1974 – 24 June 2007), also known mononymously as Natasja and also as Dou T and Little T, was a Danish rapper, Toasting (Jamaican music), deejay, and singer. While already relatively successful in her native Denmark, her ...
's "Gi’ mig Danmark tilbage" (Give me Denmark Back). Istedgade's intense environment was the overriding source of inspiration for crime writer
Sara Blædel Sara Blædel (born 6 August 1964) is a Danish author. She is best known for her crime fiction novels featuring Louise Rick. Blædel founded the "Sara B" crime fiction publishing company in 1993, and in 1995 she started to work as a journalist. ...
's critically acclaimed 2008 novel ''Aldrig mere fri'' (Never More Free). The protagonist, Ole Jastrau, in Tom Kristensen's 1930 novel ''Hærværk'' (Heritage), lives on Istedgade. On the way down after lunch, the following exchange about the advantage of Istedgade falls between Jastrau and the poet Steffensen :
Peter Belli Peter Belli (born Georg Peter Brandt; 19 June 1943 – 8 June 2023) was a German-born Danish singer and actor. Career Belli's debut as a singer was in 1959, for a band called ''Trefters''. In the 1960s, he became Denmark's first rock star, a ...
had a big Danish hit in 1978 with an interpretation of the song " Copacabana" by
Barry Manilow Barry Manilow ( ; born Barry Alan Pincus on June 17, 1943) is an American singer, songwriter and record producer with a career that spans over sixty years. His hit recordings include "Could It Be Magic", "Looks Like We Made It", "Brandy (Scott ...
. The Danish version of the disco classic was named "Istedgade", and the lyrics of the song take place in the street. The chorus is ''"Istedgade, i Istedgade er der altid en hel del ballade..."'' (Istedgade, in Istedgade there is always a lot of trouble ... ). The song has become a classic in Danish popular music, and gained new life when the satirical radio program ''Tæskeholdet'' included it as a regular part of its program, and also included it on its CD. 28 Istedgade is used as a location at 1:05:32 in the 1978 ''
Olsen-banden The ''Olsen Gang'' (, ) is a Denmark, Danish comedy film series created by Danish director Erik Balling and special effects expert Henning Bahs about the eponymous fictional criminal gang. The gang's leader is the criminal genius and habitual o ...
'' film ''
The Olsen Gang Sees Red ''The Olsen Gang Sees Red'' () is a 1976 Danish comedy film directed by Erik Balling and starring Ove Sprogøe, Morten Grunwald and Poul Bundgaard. The film was the eighth in the ''Olsen Gang''-series, and was selected as the Danish entry for ...
''. The street is the location of Tove Ditlevsen's 1967 novel Childhood.


See also

*
Halmtorvet Halmtorvet ( English: The Haymarket) is a public square in the Vesterbro district of Copenhagen, Denmark. It is located next to Copenhagen Central Station in front of the Meat District. The oblong square eventually turns into Sønder Boulevard ...


References


External links

{{Vesterbro/Kongens Enghave Red-light districts in Denmark Streets in Vesterbro/Kongens Enghave Vesterbro, Copenhagen