Østergade 24 is a mid-19th-century mixed-use building, with retail on the ground floor and office space on the upper floors, situated on the shopping street Strøget in central Copenhagen, Denmark. A gateway in the centre of the facade provides access to Pistolstræde, a passageway linking Østergade with Ny Østergade and Grønnegade on the other side of the block. Athenæum, a private library, was based in the previous building on the site. The present building on the site was constructed for Jewish clothing retailer Moses Magnus Ruben. It later served as headquarters of Jacob Heinrich Moresco's growing clothing empire from 1882. A photographic studio was for more than 120 years, from the 1850s until 1982, operated in the building, most notably by Peter Elfelt from 1805 until 1931. The building is today owned by Kirkbi A/S. Kirkbi's Copenhagen office is based in the building. The tenants include the fashion brand Gant.
History
Early history
A larger property on the site was listed in Copenhagen's first cadastre of 1689 as No. 50 in Klædebo Quarter, owned by Annike Rosenkrantz. In 1699, it was divided into smaller properties. The property now known as Østergade 24 was later acquired by Secretary of War Michael Numsen. He constructed a large Baroque-style town mansion on the site. His property was listed in the new cadastre of 1756 as No. 50 in Købmager Quarter. He was married to Margrethe Marie Thomasine Numsen.
Raben family
The property was later acquired by geheimeråd Otto Ludvig Raben. The property was only registered with two residents at the time of the 1787 census. They were Raben's chamber servant Lars Juul and the caretaker Christen Thomsen. The property was home to 27 residents in three households at the 1801 census. Raben was again not present. His son Friderich Raben resided in the building with the tutor Joachim Wilhelm Holm, coachman John Jørgensen, Jørgensen's wife Anne Cathrine Jørgensen, their two children (aged three and six), a caretaker, a gardener, a housekeeper and the housekeeper's four-year-old daughter. Christen Anker, a konferensråd, resided on the ground floor with his wife Hedevig Vegner, their four children (aged three to 16), one male servant and three maids. Peter Christian Møller, a flour merchant, resided in the basement with his wife Christine Hansen, their two sons (aged two and five), one male servant and two maids. In the new cadastre of 1806, Raben's property was listed as No. 68 in Købmager Quarter.
1840s No. 68 was home to 35 residents at the 1840 census. Morten Hansen, a restaurateur/barkeeper, resided on the ground floor with his wife Marie Hansen (née Petersen) and their two children (aged nine and 10). Søren Rasmussen, a workman, resided on the ground floor with his wife Sophie Charlotte Rasmussen (née Petersen) and their three-year-old daughter. Ole Christensen, a pastry-baker (konditorsvend) and a male servant resided on the first floor. Anne Margrethe Rippersen (née Hvidt), a widow with means, resided on the second floor with two unmarried daughters (aged 20 and 25), one maid and two lodgers. One of the lodgers was the painter Niels Georg Grønbæk Rademacher. The Athenæum reading society was also based on the second floor. Sakari Jacob Svendsen, a grocer (høker), resided in one half of the basement with his wife Elisabeth Svendsen (née Weber), their 14-year-old son and one maid. Simon Ferdinand Mühlertz, a lace merchant, resided in the other half of the basement with his wife Ane Margrethe Mühlertz (née Petersen), their three children (aged two to eight), three seamstresses, a female cook and a maid. Christian Petersen, a ciachman (hyrekusk), resided on the ground floor of the reatr wing with his wife Mette Marie Petersen (née Rasmussen), their one-year-old son and two male servants. At the time of the 1844 census, No. 68 was home to 39 residents in the side wing and another three residents in the rear wing (no residents are mentioned in the front wing). Carl Edward Fritzsche (1809–1873), a court glass merchant (cf. Kompagnistræde 12), resided on the ground floor with his wife Wilhelmine Fritzsche, their four children (aged three to 23), husjomfru Frederikke Tønnersbockand one maid. Georg Weisler, a master saddler, resided on the ground floor of the side wing with four apprentices. Theodor Brucke, a military physician, resided on the second floor of the side wing with his wife Marie Dorthea Brucke (née Rippurger), their five-year-old son, his widowed Ane Margrethe Elisa Brucke (née Ackermann) and one maid. Christiane Glæsner, a 69-year-old widow with means, was also resident on the ground floor of the side wing. Anna Margrethe Rippuger (née Hvidt), a widow, resided in the garret with her 25-year-old daughter Thomasine Regine Rippurger and one maid. Juliane Marie Amundsen (née Lund), a widow junk dealer (marskandiser), resided in the garret with her daughter Dorthea Hendriksen (née Amundsen). Marie Frederichsen (née Tellofsen), a widow needleworker, resided in the garret with her 18-year-old daughter Julie Christine Frederichsen. Johan Jacob Svendsen, a grocer (høker), resided in the basement with his wife Marie Elisabeth Svendsen and two maids. Simon Ferdinand Mühlertz, a fashion retailer, resided in the basement with his wife Ane Margrethe Mühlertz, their two children (aged two and seven), two female floor clerks and two maids. Christen Nielsen, a turner, resided in the rear wing with his wife ?? Nielsen F. Olsen and one maid.
M. M. Ruben, 1850–1880
In the late 1840s, No. 68 was acquired by Moses Magnus Ruben (1804–1870). He was originally from Helsingør. He had later moved to Copenhagen where he established a successful clothing shop at Østergade No. 31 (now Østergade 36). In an article in Politivennen on 2 GFebruary 1844, Ruben is mentioned as a "thorn in the side of the Tailors Guild, whose resentment has resulted in a series of lawsuits, all of which they have lost, and which has only expanded his trade even further.".
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