Storegade 28 was built for the Princely Chef Georg Friederich Ende and his wife Anna in 1769. The house is one of the oldest ducal houses in Augustenborg, and with a ground floor area of only 70 square meters, it is one of the smallest. Still, the couple had room for a tenant: Peter Ulrich Möller, who was battalion commander of the so-called “Landswehr” or “Landeværnet” – a home defence that was formed to defend Denmark during the English Wars in the early 1800s.

Later, the house was owned by widow Dorathea Christine Max, who bequeathed it to her nephew Captain Nis Jørgen Jordt, who took over the house in 1896.

The house is also known by the name the Shoemaker’s House, because shoemaker Jørgen Frost and his family lived there for almost 100 years from 1904. Another shoemaker, Thomas Davidsen, had a small shoemaker’s shop in the outbuilding at the end of the narrow alley.

The outbuilding was 30 square meters in size and has been demolished, but it was a great experience to visit the shop there. Thomas Davidsen had his own system for storing the shoes. Not even his very helpful wife Mette knew how it worked, but he would immediately find the right pair, and tell Mette to give them a good polish. The children of the town liked to visit the shop, and the shoemaker liked children – he allowed them to hammer small nails into the floor. Those were the days!

Over the door hung a small sign that said “Maybe”. When a customer, who had brought shoes in for repair, asked, “Can you have them ready by next Thursday?”, he would reply, “Yes, but remember to look up when you walk out the door.”

In 1970, the house was purchased by Augustenborg Municipality who converted it into a tourist office. The location was ideal and the tourist office worked well for many years, but was closed after the amalgamation of municipalities in 2007.

Although the wide wall dormer may seem a bit oversized, the house appears harmonious and beautiful. The doorway was made in peasant style and has many fine details. The muted green and grey shades of the woodwork go well with the house. The original windows were small paned like the top window in the wall dormer.

The house can be viewed from all sides, and is centrally located in the town next to the small square Apotekertorvet. On the app, you can find more stories about the houses in Slotsallé, on the other side of the car park. The large house on the opposite side of the road also has an intriguing story.