GamleSkibeGamleHuse_1959

in the street with the somewhat remarkable name of Overgaden neden Vandet on Christianshavn. These premises had previously been used for very different purposes and the machine-shop was installed in what had formerly been a dance salon. The growing success o f the Company led to the purchase o f neighbouring properties and the workshops were constantly being extended. The Company took up shipbuilding, at the Englishman’ s Place on a hired area, and after Baumgarten’ s retirement, an Englishman, William Wain (ill. p. iy6) entered the firm in i 86£. In 1872 the partnership was formed into the joint stock company of Burmeister & Wain. By this time, the site of the old powder factory had also been acquired (ill. pp. 1 6 1 , 162). The church, Frederikskirken, (ill. pp. i 6£, 167) was at one period famous for its encumbent Nikolai Severin Frederik Grundtvig —author, priest, educa­ tional reformer and finally and most remarkable o f all, Bishop. This last despite his opposition to the Danish Established Church. He aimed to begin his work in the neighbourhood with services in one of Holm ’ s lofts, but was given permis­ sion to use the Frederik’ s Church for his nonconformist pastoral work, until few years later he again got his own parish church in Copenhagen. Later the German congregation dwindled, and the church was closed in 1886. It was reopened in 1 901 and reconsecrated as Christian’ s Church and became the parish church of the neighbourhood. The old rectory was for many years a private school until the buildings were acquired by Burmeister & Wain in 1930 (ill. p. 166). An advertisement illustration from 1879 showing the extent of the Com­ pany’ s properties on Christianshavn at that time (ill. p. 1 7 1 ) together with two paintings from the 1 880 ’ s the one, an exterior view of the workshops alongside Christianshavn Canal (ill. p. 179) and the other depicting the interior of the old foundry (ill. p. 1 73) help to give a picture o f B &W in the latter years of the nineteenth century. Later extensions to B & W have meant that Christian’ s Church is now entirely surrounded by the Company’ s buildings and these now extend the whole way along the north side of Strandgade as far as Knippels Bridge. The first bridge at this point was a wooden one, replaced in the 19th century by one of iron built by B &W (ill. pp. 169, 175"). The present double bascule bridge is actuated by machinery designed and built by Burmeister & Wain. On the site formerly occupied by the houses o f Torvegade (ill. p. 1 77) and close to Knippels Bridge, B & W are building their new administration headquarters. Adjoining the offices there will be extensions to the diesel engine works. The new B &W complex w ill then completely cover the site o f the old shipyards that dated from the 17th and 18th centuries. B & W ’ s own ship­ yard was moved to Refshale Island in 1874.