De Classenske Boliger, Social housing complex in Frederiksberg Municipality, Denmark
De Classenske Boliger is a residential complex in Frederiksberg made up of four rows with a total of 24 two-story blocks built with yellow brick between 1866 and 1881. The individual apartments were small, containing one or two rooms with a kitchen and measuring on average 12 to 15 square meters.
The settlement was built by the Det Classenske Fideikommis foundation and provided homes for about 378 working-class families during Denmark's period of rapid urbanization. It was part of a growing movement to create housing for people with fewer resources moving into cities.
The complex was built around the idea of a supporting community, with shared washrooms, a central house, and shops that helped residents manage their daily lives. These facilities show how important collective spaces were for working-class families in the 1800s.
The complex sits in a quiet residential area and is easy to reach on foot, with good access to the rest of Frederiksberg. The best time to visit is during the day, when you can see the architecture of the buildings and the layout of the rows more clearly.
Each family was given their own small garden plots to grow vegetables and other food, helping residents produce some of their own food. This combination of housing and private gardens was an innovative idea that showed how to give working-class families more independence.
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