Five generations in a villa at Strandvejen

Henriette and Hjalmar Aae designed and built the villa at Strandvejen in Århus and moved into it in 1902. With them came their two small daughters, Vibbe and Karen, born in 1898 and 1901 respectively.

Henriette Jørgensen and Hjalmar Aae had both grown up in Horsens. Henriette was the eldest of five daughters. The daughters were raised primarily by their mother because she could not endure the climate of the West Indies, where Henriette’s father had gone. But the home bore witness to the father’s exotic travels; among other things the family had the nicest glass stirrers for drinks.

Hjalmar had one sister, who became a pastor’s wife and who, being the only daughter, kept in close contact with their mother till her death. He also had three brothers.

Henriette’s and Hjalmar’s mothers and sisters were all very good at crocheting, knitting, sewing and embroidery, and created many collars and cuffs, which were changed often. This allowed for variety in clothing, spared the dresses and limited the washing and cleaning necessary. Bought items, like silk stockings, were taken care of and mended as well, so they would last.

Henriette was in charge of the household in the villa at Strandvejen, while Hjalmar Aae worked for many years as town clerk in the former town hall at Domkirkepladsen 5, presently the Women’s Museum in Denmark.

The daughters Vibbe and Karen grew up in comfortable circumstances. Vibbe got her matriculation certificate and later married Alf Evens, a Norwegian student, who had lived in the family villa as a boarder. Karen took a lower secondary school exit exam, got married and moved to Copenhagen. After Henriette’s early death in 1926, Vibbe and Alf moved back to her childhood home, where their two daughters, Birgit born 1920 and Likken born 1922, grew up. Hjalmar Aae lived with Vibbe’s family till his death.

When Likken was young and unmarried she had a daughter. The little girl grew up with Vibbe, Alf and Hjalmar at Strandvejen. Alf had a shipping company at the harbour and his contacts to the wide world enabled him to bring home exotic toys for his grandchild.

The residents of the villa were culturally interested citizens. They attended concerts, matinees and plays. Hjalmar was on the committee for the National Exhibition in Århus in 1909, and Vibbe opened her doors to the Århus Symphony Orchestra during the occupation and allowed them to practise at Strandvejen because the city’s practise rooms were unheated.

Glasses and pictures, mended plates and silk stockings, embroidered collars and crocheted shawls, passports and matinee tickets are preserved in the Women’s Museum’s collections and bear witness to productivity and repairs, riches and moderation in five generations in the villa at Strandvejen.

Henriette and Hjalmar’s engagement period, Vibbe and Karen’s childhood and later that of Birgit and Likken were captured on glass negatives and paper photos. A selection from 1890 to 1930 is shown as slides in the exhibition.