 The history of the street, rooted in the classic working class, contrasts with today's expensive refurbished apartments and modern city life.Before the urban renewal in the 1990s, the street was characterised by speculation building with small apartments of poor quality with great social poverty, but there was unity amongst the inhabitants.The slogan ""Istedgade overgiver sig aldrig"" (Istedgade never surrenders) originated in the People's strike in 1944, when leaflets were thrown out the windows of the upper apartments with the text ""Rom og Paris kan I ta – men Stalingrad og Istedgade overgiver sig aldrig"" (Rome and Paris you can take - but Stalingrad and Istedgade never surrender).