History – Since 1860

Klosteret (The Monastery) is a building in Copenhagen, Denmark built by the founder and CEO of the well-known Danish brewery Tuborg Philip W. Heyman (born 15 November 1837 in Copenhagen, died 15 December 1893 in the same place).

The warehouse, which is now privately owned as a townhouse, is located at Klosterstræde 17 at Gråbrødretorv, which is located between Skindergade and Vimmelskaftet.

The warehouse was built in 1857 and was originally built as a toy warehouse for the historic business Thorngreen Legetøj at Vimmelskaftet 48, a corner of Klosterstræde. It bears the land registry number 19.

In 1992, Klosteret’s builder, Philip W. Heyman, had a street named after him – Philip Heymans Allé in Tuborg Havn, Hellerup.

In 1970, the property with the characteristic crane, which was used to lift goods and heavy boxes of goods through the shutters, was converted into housing. Klosteret is now privately owned. The facade and the hoistway are preserved as they were when the property was built.

The building is characterized by its red bricks, shutters on each floor facing the street, and the classic original gate painted in the characteristic color Copenhagen green.

In recent times

In the early 2020s, climbing vines were planted at the foot of the property’s facade, and the front of the house facing Klosterstræde therefore appears covered in green planting in the summer months, which is unusual for properties in the Inner City.

The property, which today functions as a townhouse, was built several years after the Copenhagen fire in 1795, where large parts of the properties on Klosterstræde were severely affected. Klosteret therefore appears intact and preserved for posterity, as it was conceived by the developer Heyman.

The property is geographically located in the center of the Medieval City, which is the oldest part of Copenhagen.

The building’s nickname, Klosteret, is after the street, which was originally named after a Franciscan monastery that was located in the area from 1238. It was the most important Franciscan monastery in Denmark, but it was destroyed during the Reformation.

Klosteret has recently become a frequently photographed motif among tourists and visitors to the Medieval City.

Find more: Wikipedia