The Frisch House (Danish: Frischs Hus) is a Neoclassical property overlooking the square Nytorv (No. 5) in the Old Town of Copenhagen, Denmark. The building was designed by the artist Nicolai Abildgaard although it has later been expanded with an extra floor. A room on the first floor features four Abildgaard paintings with scenes from Voltaire's Le Triumvirat.
History
18th century
The property was listed in Copenhagen's first cadastre of 1689 as No. 151 in Snaren's Quarter, owned by Hans Levesen. It was later owned by the physician Hieronimus Laub (1689–1753) until his death. His former property was listed in the new cadastre of 1756 as No. 133 in Snaren's Quarter.
The property was home to three households at the 1787 census. Wielhelm August Hansen (1743–1685), a high-ranking civil servant in Rentekammeret, resided in the building with his wife Inger Charlotte Graah, a servant, a coachman, a caretaker, a female cook and a maid. Morten Munck (1730–1796), a councilman and director, resided in the building with three sons, three daughters, a servant, a housekeeper, a female cook and a maid. Munck's wife Karen Barfred had died in 1781. The eldest of the three sons was naval officer Hans Munck (1877–1822). Martha Catharine Block, the proprietor of a tavern in the basement, resided in the associated dwelling with her four children (aged three to 12) and one maid. Munck's wife Karen Barfred had died in 1781. The eldest of the three sons was naval officer Hans Munck (1877–1822).
Frisch and the new building
The property was destroyed in the Copenhagen Fire of 1795, together with the Copenhagen City Hall and most of the other buildings in the area. The present building was built in 1799–1803 for Hartvig Marcus Frisch, who was director of the Royal Greenland Trade Department. The building was designed by Nicolai Abildgaard.
At the time of the 1801 census, the property was home to a total of 18 people. Peder Kiær, a 27-year-old grocer (), resided in the building with his wife Lovisa Augusta Bernsteen, an employee, an apprentice and a maid. Erlang Berg, a senior clerk (), resided in the building with his wife and two maids. Frederik Schwarz, an actor, resided in the building with his wife Anna Sophia Mays, three of their children (aged 19 to 21), a ten-year-old granddaughter, his mother Lise Swartz, a female cook and a maid.
The property was listed as No. 88 in the new cadastre of 1806. It was still owned by Frisch.
17491900
The property was acquired by Nicolai Aagesen (1783-1861) in the 1830s. He served as governor of the Bank of Denmark. He was married to Julie Augusta Drewsen, daughter of the wealthy paper manudacturer Christian Drewsen from Strandmøllen. Their eldest daughter Hanne Nicolaisen Aagesen married on 17 February 1838 Just Mathias Thiele.
Aagesen's property was home to a total of 38 people at the time of the 1840 census. The owner resided on the second floor with his wife Julie, their two youngest children (aged 14 and 18), his mother-in-law Ane Christine Dorthea Drewsen (née Lassen) and four maids. Lars Jess Holm, a civil servant () in the Danish Chancery and Aagesen's brother-in-law, resided on the first floor with his wife Gjertrud Cathrine Holm (née Aagesen), their three-year-old son, a servant and two maids. Henriette Jeremia Frederichsen (née Borch, 1792–1860), wife of Friderich Friderichsen (1798–1863), resided on the ground floor with her nieces Henriette Marie Borch (born 1824) and Alvilda Hansteen (1824–1908), one servant and two maids. Niels Jørgensen and Hans Andersen, two grocers (), resided in the basement with their respective families and a number of employees.
Julie Augusta Aagesen died in October 1847. Aagesen was still residing in the second floor apartment at the time of the 1850 census. He lived there with his son Andreas Aagesen, his mother-in-law Anna Christine Dorothea Drewsen (née Lassen), a housekeeper, one male servant and two maids. Samuel Jacob Ballin (1802-1866), a medical doctor, resided on the first floor with his wife Dorthea Ballin (née Trier), their two daughters (aged nine and 13) and two maids. Otte Didrich Lorentzen, a wine merchant, resided on the ground floor with his wife Karen Hansine Schou, their 16-year-old daughter, a housekeeper, two maids, a clerk, three wine merchant's apprentices and a workman.