Kartoffelrækkerne also called Farimagsgade district is a neighborhood in Copenhagen consisting of 480 houses built by the Workers Construction Association.
Kartoffelrækkerne was built in 1873 after English model and was designed by the architect Friedrich Christian Bøttger. The houses were public housing built by the Workers Construction Association (Arbejdernes Byggeforening), an association initiated by the workers at Burmeister & Wain.
For the sake of the defense of Copenhagen, no construction had been allowed in the area where the terraced houses now stand. The area was used for cultivation of potatoes and since the houses are juxtaposed in eleven streets in straight rows, like plants in a field, the houses was named after "rows of potatoes" - "Kartoffelrækkerne". The location of "kartoffelrækkerne was much debated ever since the Labor Construction Association bought the land. In the association's old negotiation protocols are referred to a heated debate about the location. It was a general view that hte houses was so "remote" from Copenhagen (10 minutes walking) that no one would choose to stay in the houses.
The terraced houses were built to provide the working class with hygienic housing that they could afford. Cholera epidemics ravaged in the 1800s in the dirty and densely populated working class areas further into the city. The epidemic was largely due to the poor conditions in the poorest part of the Copenhagen buildings and an inadequate waste disposal and sewage system.
To buy one of the new workers' houses, the applicant had to pay a deposit of the equivalent of USD 20. The house cost what today is equivalent to USD 40-50.000 , with an annual pay of approximately USD 4.000. A a result of the "high" price it was mainly artisans and officials in lower positions who could afford these houses. The construction was financed by the workers who paid a weekly contribution to the building fund. The houses were divided by lot among the members. Those who did not win a house in the draw, could after 10 years withdraw their deposits in the building society - with interest. The winners of the homes paid their houses over a period of 25 years.
Houses facades facing the street are originally yellow brick with red horizontal stripes, resulting in a late classical impression. architecture reflects the way the building association idea's desire for social advancement. architect Bøttger won several international prices for these houses.
At the time the house was too expensive for one family and it was therefore common for two or three families to stay in each house.