Copenhagen Fire of 1728
Although the number of dead and wounded was relatively low compared to the extent of the fire, the cultural losses were huge.
In addition to several private book collections, 35,000 texts including a large number of unique works were lost with the University of Copenhagen library, and at the observatory on top of Rundetårn, instruments and records made by Tycho Brahe and Ole Rømer were destroyed.
On the corner facing Vestervold, there was a small house on lot "Vester Kvarter 146" (according to the cadastre of 1699) owned by Signe, widow of Boye Hansen.
[4] The lot is almost identical to the one on the corner of present-day Frederiksberggade (the western end of Strøget) and The City Hall Square.
Later that evening, the fire reached Sankt Peders Stræde, where the Valkendorfs Kollegium dormitory (lot "Nørre Kvarter 122") was engulfed in flames.
[9] Presumably simultaneously, the fire also reached Professor Hans Steenbuch's room on Studiestræde (lot "Nørre Kvarter 60").
[11] Around midnight the wind shifted to the west, and the situation on Nørregade turned critical as the fire was driven towards the street along a wide front.
Simultaneously, the fire moved from present day Nørre Voldgade towards Nørreport (North Gate).
The building housing the wine cellar known as "Blasen" on the corner of Vestergade and Nørregade was to be the first demolition, but this dangerous undertaking failed when the gunpowder blew up while men were still carrying in the charges.
[15] At Nytorv, the flames consumed Det Kongelige Vajsenhus (The Royal Orphanage) (now the location of the Copenhagen District Court).
[16] From Gammeltorv the inferno made its way down Klædeboderne, Skindergade, Skoubogade and Vimmelskaftet, heading towards Amagertorv, while from Nytorv the fire found fuel on Rådhusstræde towards Frederiksholms Canal and Slotsholmen.
New fires were reported: Count Adam Christoffer Knuth's house in Pustervig, a cellar in Købmagergade (Market Street) and a haystack at Nørreport (Northern Gate) all broke out in flames; the latter likely ignited by embers carried by the wind.
[20] A few hours later, the fire closed in on the church Helligåndskirken and at 8 p.m. its carillon bells came to life as they did every half-hour – playing Thomas Kingo's Vreden din afvend, herre Gud, af Naade (Eng.
The firefighting finally started to show some semblance of organization, and efforts were waged to stop the fire in the neighborhood around Magstræde.
Thirty-six homes were selected for demolition to create a firebreak, which did stop the fire at the corner of Store Regnegade and Gothersgade.
At the end of Snaregade was the house (lot "Snarens Kvarter 2") of the vice mayor, Christian Berregaard, which the people tried to save.
The gunpowder went off, people had to run for their lives and the vice mayor's house was set afire and burned to the ground.
In line with Christian interpretation of the day, the slowdown of the fire during Saturday was seen as a result of divine intervention.
To thank God, king Christian VI introduced on 23 October as a new annual holiday in 1731 on which every church in Copenhagen held a service of thanksgiving.
Property losses from the fire can be accounted for with relative certainty as detailed surveys were made immediately afterwards.
City surveyor Søren Balle submitted the first survey on 1 November 1728 and on 13 April 1729 the Magistrate of Copenhagen finished a second, made according to a royal request of 12 December 1728.
Árni Magnússon lost all his books, notes and records, but did manage to rescue much of his valuable collection of handwritten Icelandic manuscripts.
At Borchs Kollegium 3,150 volumes burned along with its Museum Rarirorum containing collections of zoological and botanical oddities.
Streets and alleys no longer followed the original paths and some even ceased to exist.The term ildebrandshuse (English: 'fire houses') today refer to a type of townhouses that was built in large numbers in the years immediately after the fire.
