18th century

No. 12 seen on a detail from Christian Gedde's map of St. Ann's East Quarter, 1757.

In the late 17th century, Nyhavn 17–27 was one large property. This large property was listed in Copenhagen's first cadastre from 1689 as No. 9 in St. Ann's East Quarter (Sankt Annæ Øster Kvarter). owned by stone mason Hans Friedrich.

The property was later divided into a number of smaller properties. The property now known as Nyhavn 23 was listed in the new cadastre of 1756 as No. 12 in St. Ann's East Quarter, owned by beer merchant (øltapper) Niels Jensen.

The property was later acquired by skipper Mads Tommen. At the time of the 1787 census, he lived there with his wife Elisabeth Klaus Datter, their two children (aged seven and 15), a maid and a lodger.^[1]

Olsen family and the new building

The present building on the site was built in 1803 for skipper Realf Olsen Schaarbech. He operated a tavern in the ground floor.^[2]

The property was again listed as No. 12 in the new cadastre of 1806. It was at that time owned by Rufolf Olsen.

The composer Frederik Kuhlau lived in the building until his death in 1832.

Kofoed family

The property was later acquired by ship captain Hans Isaac Poulsen Kofoed (1775-1822). He had captained at theast seven different privateering vessels during the Gunboat War. He later sailed as a captain of merchant ships and was also licensed as a wholesale merchant (grosserer). Kofoed was married to Ane Cathrine Kofoed (née Sørensen).The couple had many children.^[3]

Ane Cathrine Kofoed kept the property in Nyhavn after her husband's death. The property was home to five households at the 1834 census. Ane Catrine Koefoed, a 54-year-old widow and the owner of the property, resided on the second floor with her six children (aged 18 to 30). The three sons were all at sea when the census took place. Her late husband Hans Isaac Poulsen Kofoed (1775-1822) had been a ship captain and merchant (grosserer).^[4] Peter Georg Gynther, a 1st secretary in the Lord Chamberlain's Office, resided on the third floor with his wife Charlotte Amalie Lundell and one maid.^[5] Johan Hendrik Davn Kramer, a rye break baker and flour retailer, resided on the ground floor with his wife Dorthea Chatrine Kramer, their eight-year-old daughter Dorthea Chatrine Kramer and one maid.^[6] Antonette Fichsjer, a 68-year-old spinster, resided on the first floor with the ship captain Nels F.Volf (then at sea), Volf's five-year-old son Johan Anton Volff, the lady's companion Jensine Lange and the maid Ane Wold.^[7] Berte Sofie Glaser, 67-year-old widow supported by a "grant from Kofoed", resided on the fourth floor with three unmarried children (aged 22 to 30) and a 23-year old seamstress.^[8]

Ane Catrine Koefoed's property was home to 12 residents at the 1840 census. The owner had now moved down on the floor. She lived there with four unmarried children (aged 24 to 34).^[9] W. Prytz, a merchant from Saint Croix, resided alone on the first floor.^[10] Christiane Frederikke Christensen, widow of a butcher, resided on the second floor with her housekeeper Berthe Heinsen.^[11][12] Henning Christian Rønne, a ship caotain who was at sea when the census took place, resided on the third floor with his wife Marie Juliane Juditte Rønne and one maid.^[13] Christian Frederik Volkersen, inspector at the Royal Lithographic Workshop, resided alone on the fourth floor.^[14]

Ane Catrine Koefoed still lived on the ground floor with her son and three daughters at the 1845 census.^[15] Frederiche Tikiøb, widow of a book binder, was Kofoed's new tenant on the first floor.^[16] A former naval lieutenant (unreadable last name) shared the second-floor with gravedigger at the Garrison Church Søren Jørgensen.^[17] Christian Martin Bøje, prompter at the Rotal Danish Theatre, resided on the third floor with his wife Augusta Marie Bøje (née Haach, student at the theatre), their one-year-old son, his widowed mother dChristiane Bøje (née Dreyer) and one maid.^[18] Ane Cathrine Ingversen, a widow, resided on the fourth floor with one lodger.^[19]

Ane Catrine Koefoed and her four children had moved to the second-floor apartment at the 1850 census.^[20] A ship's master (sjobsfører) bow resided on the ground floor with his wife and a maid.^[21] Anna Marie Benedictsen, a widow with means, resided on the first floor with her five children (aged nine to 15).^[22] Christian Volmar Bruun (1794-1877), costume designer at the Royal Danish Theatre, resided on the third floor with his wife Engel Marie Bruun (née Heiberg, 1798-1867) and one maid.^[23] Jakop Heinrich Dahmake, a chamber servant for the English envoy, resided on the fourth floor with his wife Ane Elise Dahmake and their ten-year-old son.^[24]

The editor and writer Erik Bøgh was a resident of the building from 1851 to 1854. He had created the first Danish revue at the nearby Casino Theatre in 1857.

1860 census

The property was home to 20 residents in five households at the 1860 census. Mathias Secher, a medical doctor, resided in the building with his wife Juliane Marie Secher, their six-year-old son Viliam Secher and one maid.^[25] Trine Jørgensen, a widow, resided in another apartmemt.^[26] Jens Peter Gammelgaard, a skipper, resided in a third apartment with his wife Josephine Gammelgaard, their two children (aged 10 and 12) and one maid.^[27] Johan Frederik Valdemar Møller, a master painter, resided in the building with his wife Ludovika Møller, their two-year-old son Luis Oskar Møller, one maid and two apprentices.^[28] Anders Nielsen, a barkeeper, resided in the building with his wife Ane Christine Nielsen and the wife's father Jens Hansen.^[29]

1880 census

Nyhavn 23 in c. 1040

The property was home to 34 residents at the 1880 census, Poul Frederik Jeppesen, a hotelier, resided on the second floor with his wife Nielsine Jeppesen (mée Andersen=, their two sons, two maids and 16 lodgers. All the lodgers were sailors or ship's mates. Jens Peter Gammelgaard, a ship captain and senior clerk (fuldmægtig) at Mønstringskontoret, resided on the third floor with his wife Josephine Johanne Gammelgaard (née Møller) and two daughters (aged 30 and 32, both teachers). Lars Knudsen, a beer seller (ølhandler), resided on the fourth floor (garret) with his wife Anna Mathilde (néeJensen), their four children (aged one to seven), one male servant and one maid.^[30]