Beyond these walls lies a story etched in brick and compassion. This is Brumleby. It is an enclave of terraced houses in Copenhagen. Brumleby stands as one of Denmark’s earliest examples of social housing. It later became a model for similar projects.
Let’s step back into the Copenhagen of 1853. Imagine a city gripped by a devastating cholera outbreak. The disease claimed approximately 5,000 lives. The appalling living conditions of the city’s poorest residents exacerbated the crisis. Overcrowding and lack of proper sanitation were major contributors.
Driven by this tragedy, local politicians and medical doctors sought to provide cheap and healthy homes. The Danish Medical Association took decisive action. They purchased land on the Eastern Commons through private fundraising. They commissioned prominent architect Michael Gottlieb Bindesbøll to design the housing. Construction began in 1854. The first stage inaugurated in 1857 comprised 240 apartments.
Bindesbøll died in 1856. Vilhelm Klein, one of his employees, replaced him. The second stage was completed by 1872. By then, Brumleby had 550 apartments. Approximately 2,500 inhabitants called it home.
Brumleby wasn’t always its name. It was first known as Lægeforeningens Boliger or The Medical Association’s Residences. The name Brumleby emerged colloquially near the end of the 19th century. It gained official status in 1984. The prefix Brumle refers to the sound from the grazing cattle on the surrounding commons. The suffix by means town or area.
Brumleby’s architecture is distinctive. It consists of four rows of two-story houses. They feature bicolored facades, ochre-colored ground floors, and white first floors. Slate roofs top them off. Bindesbøll drew inspiration from Italian agricultural workers’ housing. He had observed these during his time in Italy.
The apartments were small at only 25 square meters. Yet, their design set new standards. They offered spacious layouts and abundant light. Fresh air flowed freely. Brumleby also integrated common facilities. These included wash houses, co-operative shops, and a bathhouse. There were also workshops and shared spaces.
Brumleby illustrated a new way of perceiving housing in Denmark. The settlement focused on the residents’ well-being. For this reason, Brumleby became a model for later social and public utility housing.
Over the years, many proposed demolishing Brumleby. They wanted to replace it with denser housing. But in 1959, the area received listing protection.
Today, Brumleby continues to serve as social housing. It is part of Københavns Almindelige Boligselskab. A major renovation in the 1990s reduced the number of apartments to 221. The renovation also added private bathrooms and toilets. Before that, these facilities were shared.
Writer Martin Andersen Nexø lived here as a child. He portrayed it in his 1952 childhood memoirs.
Brumleby stands as a testament to social reform. It reminds us of a time when compassion shaped cityscapes. It continues to offer affordable homes to those in need.