The street is named after major-general and industrialist Johan Frederik Classen. whose summer retreat, Classens Have ("Classen's Garden") was located in the area. It had a vast garden as indicated by the name. Having no children, Classen endowed his estate to a foundation, Det Classenske Fideicommis.[1]
Classensgade originates in the access road to a property, Justineborg, which was named after Classen's sister-in_law. The street was officially named Classensvej ("Classen's Road#) in 1860. The short section from Lille Triangle to Kastelsvej was then part of Kastelsvej. In 1889, Classensvej and the first short section of Kastelsvej were renamed Classensgade.[2]
One of the only surviving country houses in Østerbro, Øbrogård or Vennero, is located in the courtyard of No. 11. It dates from the 19th century.
Classensgård (Np. 17-19), located opposite Kastelsvej, is a high-end apartment building. The facade surrounds a small cul-de-sac, a solution chosen to make the most of the site without employment of the traditional courtyard buildings. The building features two corner towers and a small bell tower as well as a clock gface at the bottom of the cul-de-sac. The building is from 1909.
Høkerforeningens Stiftelse (No. 44) is from 1862.
Classens Have (No. 52-68) is a large Neoclassical apartment complex from 1922-24 designed by Povl Baumann, Peter Nielsen and Ole Falkentorp based on a project by Hans Koch og Carl Petersen. The perimeter block surrounds a large garden complex.[3]
The Neoclassical property at No. 59-65 was designed by Henning Hansen. No. 70, a building from 1931 designed by Thorkild Henningsen, is an example of the transition from Neoclassicism to Modernism.
On a small mound in Classen's Garden stands a memorial to Johan Frederik Classen. The medallion with a portrait relief of Classen was designed by Johannes Wiedewelt.[4]
A marble plaque on No. 40 commemorates that the entertainer Victor Borge was born in the building. The plaque features a portrait of Borge as well as a quote by him, stating that the smile is the shortest distance between two people.[5]
Transport
The nearest station is Østerport, served both by metro, S-trains, regional and intercity trains. Movia bus line 37 runs through the street.
