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Sødring & Co. facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Sødring & Co. was a Danish company that made special kinds of water called artificial mineral water and soft drinks. It was located in Copenhagen, Denmark. The company moved its main factory a few times. It started in Christianshavn, then moved to Kompagnistræde, and finally to Østerbrogade. Sødring & Co. also had another factory in Aalborg. This Aalborg factory later became its own company in 1926. The rest of Sødring & Co. in Copenhagen was bought by another company, Rosenborg Brøndanstalt, in 1929.

How Sødring & Co. Started

Christopher Hansen Sødring
Christopher Hansen Sødring

The company was founded by Christopher Hansen Sødring (1822-1881). He was a smart person who studied science at the College of Advanced Technology. After finishing his studies in 1847, he worked as an assistant for a professor. Then, in 1849, he became an assistant at Rosenborg Brøndanstalt, which was another water company.

In 1855, Sødring teamed up with Frederik Marchus, Count Knuth. Their goal was to open a mineral water factory in Copenhagen. Count Knuth provided the building space and money for the factory. Sødring was in charge of running the factory every day.

The new mineral water factory opened in 1856. Before it opened, the factory and its ways of making drinks were checked and approved by health experts. The factory made artificial mineral water. People believed this water had special healing powers because it was based on extracts from natural springs.

Growing the Company

In 1860, Sødring became the only owner of the company. In October of that year, Sødring & Co. moved to a new building at Kompagnistræde 20. At the same time, they started using steam power in their factory. This made their work much faster and easier.

In 1870, Sødring & Co. opened a second factory in Aalborg, another city in Denmark. This helped the company sell its products to more people.

Prospekt over Sødring & Co's Fabriksvirksomhed på Østerbrogade (2)
View of Sødring & Co's factory on Østerbrogade

Sødring's son, Christian Sødring, joined the company in 1872. When his father passed away in 1881, Christian took over the business. He built a brand new factory at Østerbrogade 47 between 1885 and 1886.

Changes and End of Sødring & Co.

On January 1, 1926, the factory in Aalborg was sold to Arnold Sørensen. He continued to run it as an independent company. He called it Sødring & Co.'s Successor.

In 1929, the rest of Sødring & Co.'s business in Copenhagen was bought by Rosenborg Brøndanstalt. This was the same company where Christopher Hansen Sødring had worked many years before. The activities of both companies were then moved to a new factory in Bispebjerg.

Products Made by Sødring & Co.

Sødring & Co. made many different kinds of drinks. Here are some of the brands and products they sold:

  • ABC Sports Selters
  • Ananas Squash
  • Basta - Sofus Raaen
  • Citronvand (Lemonade)
  • Grape-Tonic
  • Gul Valencia (Yellow Valencia)
  • Hindbær Lomonade (Raspberry Lemonade)
  • Jule-Citronvand (Christmas Lemonade)
  • Jule Hindbær Lomonade (Christmas Raspberry Lemonade)
  • Messina Appelsin Squash (Messina Orange Squash)
  • Pompus
  • Vitallo
  • Ægte Lemon Squash (Real Lemon Squash)