Det Kongelige Vajsenhus

From 1740, it had the right to print Bibles and psalmbooks (the profit from which goes towards scholarships for some of the school's students), and during the 18th century, it was a center for Pietism in Denmark.

In 1727 Frederick IV ordered the College of Missions to contribute materials for the opening of an orphanage in Copenhagen, and donated the buildings of the former chivalric academy in Nytorv (where the court is now located) to the project.

The orphanage opened on the 11th of October, with a wide variety of privileges provided by the king, such as operating a factory and a pharmacy, as well as the printing and trading of books.

In the late 1720s the pietist Enewold Ewald [da] was the priest of the Vajsenhus, bringing in the influence of the Moravian Church, and the orphanage became the site of many prayer sessions.

A competition was held to design the new building, which was won by Carl Ferdinand Rasmussen [da], who was inspired by the Florentine Renaissance.