The City of Complaints - Violence and Everyday Life in 18th-Century Copenhagen

In the 18th century, Copenhageners lived tightly packed within the city's fortifications, with little space and deep social divisions. When conflicts could not be resolved amicably, they ended up as complaints to the city council - and this happened often.

This city walk follows the complaining citizens through the city they actually lived in: narrow courtyards, damp basement apartments, conflict-ridden workshops, and the town hall, where mayors and councillors tried to mediate. Along the way, we hear about slander, money disputes, violence, shoddy construction, broken agreements, and power struggles.

The guides are professor Ulrik Langen and archivist Peter Wessel Hansen.