Griffenfeldsgade

Coordinates: 55°41′14.96″N 12°33′14.18″E / 55.6874889°N 12.5539389°E / 55.6874889; 12.5539389

Griffenfeldsgade around 1900

Griffenfeldsgade is a side street to Nørrebrogade in Inner Nørrebro in Copenhagen. The street has a multiethnic character, and houses a number of African specialty stores, coffee shops and restaurants.^[1]

Griffenfeldsgade is named after the Holstein statesman Peter Schumacher Griffenfeld, who served as Danish Chancellor from 1673. Later Griffenfeld fell from the Kings favor and was sentenced to death for treason. Judgement was, however, commuted to life imprisonment and he was released after 22 years of captivity. Until 1875 was Griffenfeldsgade was known as Parcelvej, named for Parcel bridge that led over Ladegårdsåen.

Between Griffenfeldsgade and Stengade is Folkets Park, which was built in 1971. In 2007 - 2008 the park was renovated and made more child friendly.^[2]

Griffenfeldsgade housed the former St. Joseph's Hospital. It was created by St. Joseph Sisters and built in Gothic Revival style in 1875 by famed architect Christian Hansen. The hospital was later nursing home, but closed in 2005.^[3]

Griffenfeldsgade during the occupation

At the outbreak of World War II the Danish Communist Party had its office on the 3rd floor of Griffenfeldsgade 50, the party newspaper Arbejderbladet were housed in the ground and first floor.

When the German Wehrmacht occupied Denmark on 9 April all the lists of party members, subscribers and magazine sellers were burned, but the Danish police had already secured the addresses.

After Nazi Germany's attack on the Soviet Union in 1941, the Communist Party was banned in Denmark. Simultaneously, several members were arrested and the release of the Arbejderbladet was banned. The party then continued as an illegal organization from November 1941 and published the illegal opposition magazine Land og folk. A small printing house in Griffenfeldsgade, usually printing occasional songs and the like, now printed illegal pamphlets and newspapers.

During the occupation Griffenfeldsgade was scene of several firefights between the Danish resistance and representatives of the occupying power. Many apartments and shops were also exposed to either raids or sabotage. The Danish communist youth organization still resides in Griffenfeldsgade.^[4]

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