History

It is almost 140 years since the youngest of the small gardens in Pile Allé, Krøgers Have, opened. The deceased castle manager’s widow, Bolette Christine Krøger, was in charge of serving coffee and tea water to the families on a Sunday excursion. Pile Allé dates from 1782 where the road is planted with willow trees. The road itself appears for the first time on a map In connection with the construction of Frederiksberg Church in 1734. The small gardens were landscaped offices for Frederiksberg Castle in the early 1800s, where castle guards, material drivers and carpenters inhabited the houses. The gardens became the rest and resting place of the common people after a stroll in the castle park, and they were also called the breathing tubes because the houses were narrow and elongated. The residents were given a tacit unofficial permission to serve the pleasure-seekers with water on the machine for making coffee or tea.

The first historical document of 12 December 1859 gives one of the gardens permission to buy boiled water, bread, milk, cream and in that connection sell tea and coffee in portions. In addition, beer was sold in bottles, something completely new. All other spirits could only be enjoyed in the gardens when the guests brought it themselves, in which case “cork money” had to be paid – a tax to the state. You had to bring your own food, as it was not possible to buy anything dry at all. Until 1956, the dishes were done outdoors – there was not even a half-roof – and then it was done by hand.
Around Krøgers there are the following anecdotes: Krøgers is the youngest of the small gardens and dates back to 1864. It was castle keeper Joachim Krøger who was given “Special Obligation to receive and collect all letters arriving at the nearby castles”.

It is also said that in the old Lillehus – before Madame Krøger was given a replacement house by the Ministry in 1889 – it was so damp in the low buildings that shoes became moldy and unusable in 8 days. Inger Andersson inherited the garden from Bolette Krøger, as it should be. For generations, it has been the daughters and not the sons who have been licensees. Inger Andersson, who was the owner from 1918-1966, says that Krøgers originally had 13 copper machines. People ordered water by machine and also got 6 or 12 pairs of cups plus cream, coffee pot and a tealight. You had to bring your own sugar and coffee beans. It cost DKK 1.25 for water for 12 cups. That was when a cup of coffee was valued at 15 øre and a lager for 1 øre more. The ladies sometimes came in the afternoon with the food basket, and when so men came from their work and one had eaten, the coffee was consumed.