Planning and street names The area between Sortedam Lake and Blegdamsvej was formerly the site of a row of narrow lots with bleaching pongs. The plans for the new street was first presented in around 1860 as part of the plans for redevelopment of the area. It served the dual purpose of dividing the long lots in two and in the same time to facilitate the construction of a new main sewer along the lakes. The street and its side streets were named for military figures from Denmark's most recent wars,
First Schleswig War (1849–50) and
Second Schleswig War (1864). Ryesgade takes its name after
Olaf Rye. The side streets are named after Hans Hedemann (Hedemannsgade), Hans Hedemann (Helgesensgade), Niels Christian Lunding (Lundingsgade), Johan Trepka (Trepkasgade), Johan Irminger (Irmingersgade), Christoph von Krogh (Kroghsgade, (Frederik Læssøe (Læssøesgade) and Frederik Adolph Schleppegrell (Schleppegrellsgade).
Early development, 1860-1900 The street was constructed in stages with its last section, around Irmingersgade, not being constructed until the 1880s. For many years it was therefore made up of two dead end sections, accessed from the south and north respectively. The first development along the street was a mixture of industrial and residential buildings. Harald Drewsen designed a villa for
Andreas Aagesen at No. 46.
Goldschmidt & Nordholm's textile dyeing plant was located at No. 23. Ravnsborg Brewery (No. 27) was established in 1867 by the brewers F. C. Madsen and J. Vestberg. Nørrebros Iisværk, an industrial producer of ice, was located at No. 50.
Camillus Nyrop's factory (No. 105) producedmedical instruments. Schulstad & Ludvigsen operated an industrial bakery in the street.
Nordiske Kabel- og Traadfabrikker opened at No. 105 in 1893 but moved to La Cours Cej in
Frederiksberg in 1906. The entertainment venue Sortedamslund was also located in the street.
20th century On 1 June 1983 squatters moved into No. 58. No. 63–65 was also squatted on 4 December 1985 and cleared by the police on 11 February 1986. The situation culminated in the
Ryesgade Riots which occurred in mid-September. The squatters ultimately left No. 58 on 22 September. ==Notable buildings and residents==