Sankt Thomas Plads
Sankt Thomas Plads is a round plaza located on Frederiksberg Allé, near its eastern end in the Frederiksberg district of Copenhagen, Denmark.
History
Sankt Thomas Plads traces its history back to the years between 1700 and 1704 when Frederiksberg Allé was established as the king’s private drive leading to the gardens at Frederiksberg Palace, the new royal summer retreat outside Copenhagen. For many years the small plaza had no official name, but became known colloquially as the Small Circle, as opposed to Frederiksberg Runddel, the Grand Circle, at the other end of the avenue.Albert Heinrich Riise, the first pharmacist on Saint Thomas in the Danish West Indies, bought a country house at the site in around 1868, renaming it Sankt Thomas after the island where he had lived for the past thirty years. When the villa was sold after Riise's death in 1882, it was transformed into an entertainment venue by the same name. This gave rise to the name Sankt Thomas Plads. The country house was demolished in 1903 but its name was transferred to the residential building built in its place in 1905. The name was officially adopted on 2 June 2003.
Sankt Thomas has had its round shape since its establishment in the beginning of the 18th century. Its current design dates mostly from a refurbishment which took place in 1932 in connection with the 75-year anniversary of Frederiksberg Municipality.