Istedgade also called Strassen [1] is a 1-kilometer straight street in the district of Vesterbro in the Danish capital, Copenhagen. From the station in the cheap hotel district, it runs through the porn, prostitution [2] and drugs area to modern Vesterbro, where s tenement style blocks have undergone significant modernisation. It is generally considered the heart of Vesterbro and was a main traffic artery until where the street had traffic reducing measures installed.
Istedgade soon became known for being a colourful entertainment area, with its wild inns and prostitution. The history of the street, rooted in the classic working class, contrasts with today's expensive refurbished apartments and modern city life.
Before the urban renewal in the s, the street was characterised by speculation building with small apartments of poor quality with great social poverty, but there was unity amongst the inhabitants.
The slogan "Istedgade overgiver sig aldrig" Istedgade never surrenders originated in the People's strike in , when leaflets were thrown out the windows of the upper apartments with the text "Rom og Paris kan I ta — men Stalingrad og Istedgade overgiver sig aldrig" Rome and Paris you can take - but Stalingrad and Istedgade never surrender.
Istedgade is composed and diverse, and is one of the places in Copenhagen where there is life around the clock. Vesterbro in general and Istedgade in particular, over recent years have become attractive for young and resourceful citizens, mostly families with children, who against previous trends have chosen to stay in town instead of moving to the suburbs. Today, Istedgade and some of the adjacent side streets are known for the many hotels, designer shops, cafes, taverns, bars, sex shops and restaurants.
