History Amerika-PLads

	History

An attractive area with a fascinating history At the end of the 1800s, the area around Dampfærgevej and Amerikakaj in the Port of Copenhagen was established as a free port docking area for the import and export of grain, commodities and other goods. Following the construction of the old warehouses along the quay, this section of the port quickly developed into a vibrant business environment. Later, it became the port of call for the large passenger ships sailing to and from New York. Hence the name Amerikakaj (the American quay). The Port of Copenhagen Authority established harbour basins and quays as a geographically integrated part of the Port of Copenhagen, but the Free Port was operated by the independent public limited company, Københavns Frihavns-Aktieselskab, incorporated on 25 April 1891.

The Free Port of Copenhagen ? 1893

The establishment of the Free Port represented an engineering feat fully comparable with the establishment of the Copenhagen-Malmö Fixed Link and other major contemporary civil engineering projects. The Free Port was officially inaugurated on 8 November 1894, less than four years after the decision to establish it was adopted. The harbour basins had a water depth of up to nine metres, which allowed even large ocean-going vessels to call at the port. After a difficult start, the traffic volume increased following the turn of the century, and the Free Port has since been enlarged several times. As a mark of respect for history, we have christened one of the port?s largest development areas Amerika Plads.