Nyhavn 17

Nyhavn 17 is a late 17th-century building situated at the corner of Nyhavn and Lille Strandstræde in central Copenhagen, Denmark. It was listed on the Danish registry of protected buildings and places in 1951. Tattoo-Ole, a tattoo shop located in the basement, claims to be the oldest still functioning tattoo shop in the world.

17th and 18th centuries
The property was originally part of a much larger property. This property was listed in Copenhagen's first cadastre from 1689 as No. 9 in St. Ann's East Quarter, owned by stonemason Hans Friedrich at that time. The property was later divided into six smaller properties (now Nyhavn 17–27). The present corner building was constructed with two storeys some time between 1674 and 1698.

The property now known as Nyhavn 17 was again listed as No. 9 in the new cadastre of 1756. It belonged to Claus Buch. He dealt in porcelain from China. The porcelain was either acquired at the Danish Asiatic Company's auctions or directly from crew members of the company's Chinamen who were allowed a certain quantum of personal homebringings as part of their salary.

Christopher Schiøth
The property was later acquired by merchant and vinegar manufacturer Christopher Schiøth (1734-1800).

The merchant Johann August Bindseil became a tenant in the building in 1785. He had just sold his property in Fortunstræde. He was originally from Eisleben. He had worked as a ship's surgeon for the Danish Asiatic Company before settling as a merchant in Copenhagen. He moved in 1789 after buying the large property Vildmanden in Østergade.

Schiøtt's property was home to 19 residents in three households at the 1787 census. The owner resided in the building with his third wife Johanne Margaretha Mango (1742-1835), his five-year-old daughter (by his second wife) Karen Johanne Lorence, an office clerk and a maid. Johann August Bindseil resided in the building with his wife Anna Dorothea Menges and one maid. Rasmus Hansen, a beer seller (øltapper), resided in the basement with his two children (aged six and seven), his mother-in-law Mette Friederichsen, one maid and six lodgers (all sailors).

Christopher Schiøth died on 14 May 1800. Johanne Margrethe Mangor kept thee property after her husband's death. She was the daughter of pastor in Gentofte Christian Siegfred Mangor (1701-1758) and the paternal aunt of merchant Valentin Nicolai Mango. The latter was married to cookbook writer Anne Marie Mangor. At the time of the 1801 census, Mangor resided in the building with her 16-year-old stepdaughter Karen Johanne Schiødt, two maids, one male servant and two office clerks.

Peder Wedersøe
The property was later acquired by the merchant Peder Wedersøe. Peder Wedersøe (1778-1824) was originally from Ringkøbing. He was initially granted citizenship as a commission agent (commisarius) after joining his elder brother Niels Christian Wedersøe in Copenhagen. The brother was a timber merchant who also began to trade in colonial goods in partnership with Erich Nisson and two other business partners. In 1804, Peder Wedersøe was licensed as a wholesaler (grosserer). He invested in at least 15 privateering vessels during the Gunboat War, but only during the second stage from around 1810. His first investments in privateering vessels were in Kjøbenhavn (1810) and Speculationen (1810). He was a member of the Order of the Chain. He died on 24 February 1824.

Brandt family
The property belonged to Anders Espersen Brandt (1759-1845) from at least the middle of the 1820s. Brandt was a former sailing master (skibsfører) for the Danish Asiatic Company who became a tea-and-porcelain retailer and vinegar manufacturer after settling in Copenhagen. Brandt was married to Karen Kirstine Bohne, a daughter of skipper and vinegar manufacturer Hans P. Bohne (Overgaden neden Vandet No. 158, Christianshavn). Their wedding took place on 20 February 1794 in the Church of Our Saviour and at home. Brandt had prior to their wedding been married to her half sister, Anna Margareta Bohne, who had died not long after their wedding on 16 November 1792 in the Church of Our Saviour. Christopher Schiøth, Nyhavn No. 9's former owner, had served as best man at both weddings.

Anders Espersen Brandt and Kirstine Brandt (née Bohne) had a son and two daughters. The son Andreas Martin Brandt (-1872) was a tea merchant. He was married to Helene Steffensen, daughter of skipper Steffen Steffensen (Nyhavn No. 15). Their wedding took place on 26 July 1825. Their homes were at Store Strandstræde No. 70, Nyhavn No. 15 and Nyhavn No. 9. The elder of the two daughters,  Anne Margrethe Brandt (1803-1864), was married to Christian Carl von Mehren (1798-1842), son of Helsingør-based merchant Christian Carl von Mehren and Maren Mehren (née Ørsted). He was the paternal uncle of Orientalist August Ferdinand Mehren. Their wedding took place on 24 September 1832. He had been a merchant in Bordeaux before establishing himself in Copenhagen. In 1830, he was also English Consulate secretary. He and his wife lived at Sankt Giertruds Stræde No. 207 in 1827 and at Lille Strandstræde No. 72 in 1834–35. The younger daughter Pouline Bolette Brandt remained unmarried.

In 1826, Frederik Wilhelm Raaschou started his eponymous wine business in the basement. In 1827, it relocated to larger premises at the corner of Store Kongensgade and Gothersgade.

Anders Espersen Brandt's property was home to 16 residents at the 1834 census. The owner and his wife resided on the ground floor with their 23-year-old daughter Pouline Bolette Brandt and one maid. Cecilia Martha Wichmann (1799-1869), a widow teacher (widow of Andreas Brøndum and later married to Hans von Benzon), resided on the first floor with her 12-year-odl daughter Andreasine Cecilie Brøndum (1822-1855, later married to professor, civil servant and co-founder of Landmandsbanken Julius Peter Tamm Benzon-Buchwald). her mother Cecilie Martha Wichmann (widow with pension) and one maid. The three last residents on the first floor were three lodgers. Peter S.Giessing, a broker, resided on the second floor with his wife Catrine E.Giessing, their 16-year-old foster daughter Anine Jørgensen and one maid. Christian Jensen Jersild, a beer seller (øltapper), resided in the basement with his wife Anna Dorthea Jersild.

Brandt's property was home to 23 residents in four households at the 1840 census. Anders Espersen Brandt resided on the ground floor with his wife Karen Kirstine Brandt, their 36-year-old daughter 	Pauline Bolette Brandt, one maid and one lodger. Morten Johansen, a grocer, resided on the first floor with his wife Wilhelmine Johansen (née Andersen), their three children (aged zero to four) and two maids. Christian Carl von Mehren (1809-1942), a merchant (handelsagent), resided on the second floor with his wife Ane Margrethe Christine von Lehren (née Brandt, 1823–1964), their three children (aged four to 15). Knud Sørensen, a barkeeper and workman at the royal palace, resided in the basement with his wife Anne Marie Nelsen and three lodgers.

1850 census
The property was home to 27 residents in two households at the 1850 census. Karen Kirstine Brunck, a widow who owned the property, resided on the first floor with her daughter Pouline Bohne Brunck and one maid. Carl Frederik Coldwin, a major, resided on the same floor with writer and translator Ludvig Theodor Krøyer (1810-1864)and Ane Margrethe von Mehren. Mehren's daughters Ida Eluise Mehren and Fanny Margrethe Mehren	resided on the second floor. Carl Frederik Clausen, a bookbinder, resided in the garret with three other residents (servant, tailor and seemstress). Cathrine Marie Lange, a widow joiner, resided on the ground floor with her four children (aged 17 to 35, two of them joiners) and two lodgers. Mas Rasmussen, a barkeeper, resided in the basement with his wife Kirstine Rasmussen, their 10-year-old daughter and four lodgers (two sailors and two workmen).. Christian Schmidt, a flour and oats merchant, resided on the same floor with his wife Sophie Schmodt,

1860 census
The property was home to 20 residents at the 1860 census. Carl Frederik Schiøn, a former hotelier, resided in the building with his wife Christian Frederik Diedrichsen, his seven-year-old stepdaughter Emma Petrine Diedrichsen, his sister Caroline Sciøn and one maid. Jens Lauritzen, a barkeeper, resided in the building with his wife Maren Lauritzen, their 11-year-old foster daughter, three maids and one lodger (male servant). Three other residents are also listed as lodgers (two of them as travellers). Jens Jacobsen, a workman, resided in the building with his wife Marie Jacosen (née Larsen) and their two daughters (aged two and four). Peter Christian Sørensen, a former tobacco spinner, was the last resident of the building.

1880 census
The property was home to 28 residents at the 1880 census. Hilma Cornelia Lorenza Tersling, who owned the building, resided on the first floor with her nephew 	Hans Georg Tersling (1857-1920), a maid and the lodger Diderich Müller. Ernst Emil Voigt, a wholesale merchant grosserer), resided on the second floor with his wife Betty Emilie Voigt, their 13-year-old daughter Ingeborg Elise Voigt, his sister 	Emmy Mariane Voigt and one maid. Christiane Marge Holst, a widow, resided on the third floor with her 18-tear-old son (sailor). Ove Christoffer Falk, a retailer, resided on the ground floor with his wife Sara Falk and the clerk Carl Sigersen.Mads Hansen, a 40-year-old man (no profession mentioned), resided on the ground floor with his wife 	Juliane Margata Hansen and their four children (aged one to six). Anders Olsen, a retailer, resided in the basement with his wife Karen Marie Olsen, their five children (aged zero to 10) and one maid.

Later history
The upper floors of the building were for many years operated as a hotel, first under the name Stadt Hamburg and then as Hotel Garni. The facade of the building was used to advertize that Dagmar Hansen performed in the building.

Ticket offices of first the Trans-Atlantic Anchor Line and then the  Beaver Line were also based in the building.

A tobacco shop was located in the basement from the 1880s. From at least 1884, it was also operated as a tattoo shop by Gustav Bechmann. From 1919, it was exclusively operated as a tattoo shop by Hans J. Hansen.

The rest of the basement was operated as a bar under the name "Nyhavn" or "Nyhavn 17". Valdemar Emil Hansen was the proprietor of the café in 1935–36. From 1 June 1935, it was continued by Laurits Rasmussen.

In 1939, Tatto-Jack took over the tattoo shop. In 1947, he was succeeded by Tattoo-Ole. His customers included Frederik IC.

In 2010, Majbritt Petersen rook over the tattoo shop. In 2017 the owner of Restaurant Nyhavn 16 wanted to discontinue her lease to make way for an extension of the kitchen, resulting in a legal dispute between the two parties. In April 2019, she won the lawsuit at tKøbenhavns Byret.

Architecture
The corner building was originally constructed with timber-framing with just two storeys over a walk-out basement. with a six-bay-long principal facade towards Nyhavn and a five-bay-long gable towards Lille Strandstræde. Some time between 1752 and 1768 the building was heightened with one storey and the facades towards the two streets were at the same time reconstructed in brick. The main entrance is located in the third bay from the left (east). The two basement entrances are located in the first and fifth bay. The second and third window towards Lille Strandstræde have been bricked-up on the two upper floors. The building is topped by a pitched roof clad in red tiles and features two dormer windows towards the canal. The roof ridge is pierced by a robust brick chimney. The just two-bay-long, three-storey extension along Lille Strandstræde (Lille Strandstræde 1) was added in 1786. It is topped by a Mansard roof.

Today
The building is today owned by Ejerforeningen Nyhavn 17. The restaurant Nyhavn 17 and the tattoo shop Tattoo-Ole are located in the basement. The tattoo shop claims to be the oldest still functioning enterprise of its kind in the world.

Cultural references
The poet Tom Kristensen lived in Lille Strandstræde. He mentions the building in the opening stanza of his 1922 poem Nyhavns-Odyssé:

The building was used as the central location in the eponymous George Schneevoigt-directed 1933 comedy film Nyhavn 17. A just 12-year-old Buster Larsen had his feature film debut in the film as a boy dancing on one of the tables in the café. Nyhavn 17 was also used as the central location in the Alice O'Fredericks/Lau Lauritzen-directed 1939 comedy film I dag begynder livet.