Urban Farm DB
Research catalogue
Database research record2026·Denmark (Copenhagen)

Kokspilleri i kolonihaver: en kulegravning

Hikoline Hylleborg Erlandsen

Arbejderhistorie - tidsskrift for historie kultur og politik

Urban Farm DB summary

This article explores the little-known practice of digging for coke residues ("pillekoks") in Copenhagen allotment gardens during WWI and WWII. Using ethnological surveys from the 1970s and contemporary newspapers, the study shows this was a widespread practice with significant yields. Individual allotment owners could gather enough pillekoks with a value equivalent to several weeks’ wages, easing fuel scarcity and improving daily life during wartime.