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Old photos of Copenhagen

18 photographs of Copenhagen, from 1900 to 2022 — each pinned to the exact place it was taken.

JP Koebenhavn ubt in 1945 — Britiske panserstyrker passerer Rådhuspladsen ved deres ankomst til København efter befrielsen 1945 JP Koebenhavn ubt in 2015 — Den tyske rigsbefuldmægtigedes hovedkvarter på Dagmarhus ved Rådhuspladsen. Platformene på taget er til antiluftskyts 2015
Then and now: JP Koebenhavn ubt, 1945 vs 2015
Have an old photo of Copenhagen? A family album, a postcard, a print from the attic. Pin it to the map and it becomes part of the record.
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What the photos show

The 18 photographs of Copenhagen on PlaceWas span 7 decades, from 1900 to 2022. 7 of them were taken before 1980; the other 11 are recent views of the same streets and landmarks.2 spots were photographed more than once, so you can compare the same street, square or building across the years.15 of the photos carry a written caption explaining what is in the frame. Every picture is pinned to the place it was taken, so the map below shows where the photographers stood.

Pick a decade to filter the photos below and the map above. Open full map ↗

Places in Copenhagen through time

Spots photographed more than once — compare the same place across the years.

JP Koebenhavn ubt, Copenhagen — photos through time
JP Koebenhavn ubt 8 photos · 1900–2015
City Hall Copenhagen, Copenhagen — photos through time
City Hall Copenhagen 8 photos · 1901–2022

Stories from Copenhagen

What contributors wrote about these photographs.

Copenhagen, Copenhagen, 1900
Copenhagen 1900 Taken in front of the iconic neon lights over the lakes ( søerne ) in Copenhagen, Denmark. The Irma Block (Danish: Irma Karréen ) on Sortedam Dossering, a street that follows the western shore of Sortedam Lake in…
Britiske panserstyrker passerer Rådhuspladsen ved deres ankomst til København efter befrielsen, Copenhagen, 1945
Britiske panserstyrker passerer Rådhuspladsen ved deres ankomst til København efter befrielsen 1945 Dato: 8. Maj 1945 Se flere billeder her: erez.natmus.dk/FHMbilleder/Site/index.jsp Download and rights: natmus.dk/en/besoeg-museerne/frihedsmuseet/archives/photo... More about The Museum of Danish Resistance…
Grundtvigs Kirke. Fortepan, Copenhagen, 1966
Grundtvigs Kirke. Fortepan 1966 Grundtvig's Church rises above the Bispebjerg district of Copenhagen, its distinctive stepped brick facade completed in 1940 to a design by architect P. V. Jensen-Klint. This 1966 Fortepan photograph shows the…
Rådhuspladsen, Copenhague, Copenhagen, 2004
Rådhuspladsen, Copenhague 2004 Radhuspladsen, Copenhagen's City Hall Square, is pictured in 2004. The square has served as the Danish capital's central gathering place since the current city hall, with its landmark clock tower, was completed in 1905.
Dragon Fountain (Copenhagen), Copenhagen, 2014
Dragon Fountain (Copenhagen) 2014 The Dragon Fountain on Copenhagen's City Hall Square, depicting a bull locked in combat with a dragon, photographed in 2014. The fountain was unveiled in 1904, decades before the surrounding square took its present form.
Den tyske rigsbefuldmægtigedes hovedkvarter på Dagmarhus ved Rådhuspladsen. Platformene på taget er til antiluftskyts, Copenhagen, 2015
Den tyske rigsbefuldmægtigedes hovedkvarter på Dagmarhus ved Rådhuspladsen. Platformene på taget er til antiluftskyts 2015 Sted: Rådhuspladsen, København Dato: Mellem September 1943 og Maj 1945 Se flere billeder her: erez.natmus.dk/FHMbilleder/Site/index.jsp Download and rights: natmus.dk/en/besoeg-museerne/frihedsmuseet/archives/photo...
Copenhagen, Copenhagen, 2019
Copenhagen 2019 Dated June 19, 2019, this image records a street scene in Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark, during that summer. Copenhagen's core mixes canals, colorful waterfront housing, and centuries of Danish royal and maritime…
Rådhuspladsen drinking water, Copenhagen, 2022
Rådhuspladsen drinking water 2022 A drinking water fountain on Rådhuspladsen, Copenhagen, photographed in 2022. The square, whose name translates as City Hall Square, is the largest public square in the Danish capital and a hub for transport and public…
1900s · 2 photos
1940s · 1 photo
1960s · 2 photos
1970s · 2 photos
2000s · 2 photos
2010s · 8 photos
2020s · 1 photo