The so-called brown tavern are still several other places in Horsens, but the spirit and camaraderie of almost 53 years in the smoke and steam on one of the oldest of them, the stock Exchange, the disappearance of Sunday 5. January, when the holder Philip Bank has served the last beer.
– It is tremendously sad in many ways. A culture, a special jargon and a unique community will be lost, and I think a little on how many of the regulars now will go. I hope that they will isolate themselves at home and losing everything they get here, says Philip Bank and adds that he does not think of the beers and alleys, but on the venskaberne, drillerierne, tosserierne, five largest religious groups, the discussions and, not least, safety and the best value of money, which are exchanged across among the approximately 30 daily regulars and other, less regular customers.
– To the outraged, that someone is going to a place like here or on another brown café, I will just say; they don’t know what they are talking about. Of course, come here to drink beer and socialise with a smoke and no one pretends that alcohol and tobacco can be harmful to health, but in return, you will find no such sentiment and unity in a smart café in the pedestrian zone.
– Here has people care about each other and have a social oasis, as they always have been able to seek out, continues Philip Bank of the site, where several from his own family, has come through the decades.
It had the previous elitefodboldspiller in clubs such as Horsens, B 93, Brabrand and Fremad Amager not, as he for soon three years ago took over the Restaurant the stock Exchange, which as the name suggests also consisted of an eatery.
the Article continues under the picture …
Photo: Ernst van Norde
Hospitals and funerals
His mother and aunt live even in its own apartment on top of the stock Exchange, and the two, together with, among others, Philips sister made it possible, that the 39-year-old family man with a wife and four-year-old daughter from her base in Copenhagen has been able to drive it good, old place a stone’s throw from the pedestrian area and bar quarter in central Horsens.
– It was supposed, that my mother and aunt, so to speak, was going to die here, behind the bar counter with the boots on, but it has the disease in both of them, unfortunately, put a stop to. It in combination with the fact that I live so far away and don’t have the economy to fuldtidsansætte replacements for them have led me to take the decision to stop, tells Philip Bank, helped by his Finnish wife’s background working at the Finnish embassy in Copenhagen as a senior adviser.
the Article continues under the picture …
Photo: Ernst van Norde
Philip Bank acknowledges that he himself has been called many prejudices about the taverns in the earth in the relatively short time, where he only in some periods work on the stock Exchange.
– Other people’s lives come suddenly closer, and the funerals and visits to hospitals with the regulars supplied with. It’s the same experiences, where you seek out a stamkunde private, because he has not been here in several days and does not answer the phone.
– Since we were last out of it, was he, fortunately, only outside of the reach because the phone was broken, tells Philip Bank.
This Saturday afternoon is a big part of the stamkunderne early to enjoy the last of the lagers within the very last serving. Philips mother and aunt, who have been a significant part of the backbone of the daily operations, participate as guests also in the værtshusets last memories of it, which a few hours past, always.
– We have the downright awful, say the sisters, Pia Bank and Bodil Sørensen, respectively the mother and aunt to Philip, in the mouth of each other, since the Extra Leaf put himself over to their table.
Bodil Sørensen, 65, and sister Pia Bank, 56, with scarf on his neck, has been the backbone of the operation of the Exchange, but disease of them have both helped to force their son and nephew to shut down the stock Exchange. Photo: Ernst van Norde
Pia Bank’s multiple sclerosis and Bodil Sørensen’s bone-tuberculosis can in length is not clear a working day of 15 hours, including the procurement, opening hours and cleaning.
– I have come here through 30 years both as a customer and employee, and it is terrible to be reached here, but there is no way around, says Bodil Sørensen.
little Sister Pia, the Bank adds:
– Some of the guests have come here ever since its opening in 1967. I may well be concerned as to what now will become of them.
***
Sadness and gravøl
Furniture and fixtures were already partly dismantled and shared for free to the interested of the customers – en Ekstra Bladet visited the stock Exchange on Saturday.
Vemodet also served outside on the clothes from the stamkunderne, as we met over a gravøl in the bar.
Ole Bom, to the left in the picture up to the windows, like the others in the bar, sad about the closure of the stock Exchange. Photo: Ernst van Norde
Ole Bom, 58 years old, a pensioner and a customer on the stock Exchange for 40 years:
– It thins the already out in the number of ‘waterholes’ (brown pubs), so it is annoying that the stock Exchange closes. The site you will find probably a replacement for, but not for the special atmosphere here and the unique unity.
– I especially miss the camaraderie and the loving banter, and to be able to go here in a few minutes, because I live in the block right next to it.
– If you look in the scrapbogen, there is also the fall of many former regulars from throughout the ages. Miss them of course I also.
Leo Nørum, with cap and beard, is as skibsassistent on a tugboat in the port of Bremerhaven in Germany, respectively, on the work in a month and has free in a month at a time. Photo: Ernst van Norde
Leo Nørum, 55 years old, a sailor and a customer through 24 years:
– Each tavern its jargon. Them from ‘Come often’, which is another pub a mile away, which also closed a few days ago, comes almost never here, because there just is a special atmosphere and jargon at each and every tavern.
– Therefore, I am also thinking very much on, where you now must meet with the people who come here on the Exchange.
– It is at the same time sad, that more and more of the places, where, as here, the smoke, turn the key on.
John Jepsen is the divorced father of two adult daughters and has in more than a dozen years, had the pleasure of his network on the stock Exchange. Photo: Ernst van Norde
John Jepsen, 62 years old, arbejdsledig blacksmith and machinist, customer through 11 years:
– the Closure makes me really sad. From the first time I came here, I felt welcome, and it meant a lot, because I came out of town and needed a network.
Sites like here are often door openers to be a part of a community and all help each other with large and small, in daily life.
– I have also come across other pubs, but I have not linked me to them in the same way, as I have done here on the stock Exchange thanks to the staff and the customers.
***
the Trickery for survival
Many of the remaining brown pubs in Denmark fighting for life. One of the ways to do it have been to take a very contemporary tool to use in the fight for customers.
An app with the name ‘DinLokaleBodega’ must draw the øltørstige back to the local bodegas in Copenhagen.
If you pay 99 dollars per month, you can go into any bodega (brown café), which is with in the app, and get a free beer every day of the year.
It is estimated that Horsens with its now almost 60,000 inhabitants, has lost more than half of the taverns, as the city had 25 years ago.
