The building was completed on 12 November 1897, with the name "Folkets Hus" ("The People's House"). The house functioned as one of the resorts for the then-incipient labour movement of Copenhagen. Since labour organisations were unpopular in the eyes of the authorities. Years later the place helped poor people and was used for others uses. In 1918 when workers stormed the Danish Stock Exchange ("Børsen"). In 1910, The Second International held an International Women's conference at the house, during which Clara Zetkin launched the idea of an International Women's Day. Lenin and Rosa Luxemburg visited the centre. During the 1950s it was still primarily used by the different sections, associations and unions of the labour movement. All kinds of different activities took place: for example, boxing matches and end-of-season dances. Several years later Brugsen, a Danish chain of co-operative supermarkets, bought Folkets Hus, for makin a cheap supermarket. However, as this was prohibited by authorities for the historic importance of the place, so Brugsen sold the ground to the folk music ensemble Tingluti in 1978. The Tingluti sold the ground to the municipality of Copenhagen after few time.The price at the time was DKK 700,000. In 1982 Folkets Hus was assigned to a group of young people — the original founders of Ungdomshuset — however the municipality of Copenhagen still owned the building. It was at this time that the building was given its current name: Ungdomshuset. Nick Cave and Björk played there. In January 1996 Ungdomshuset was ravaged by a fire. It also had fungus and rot. The municipality of Copenhagen made plans to renovate the building for safety reasons, but encountered resistance from the occupants. In 1999 the building was put on sale to the highest bidder by the municipality, but same this time occupants opposed to the thing, and for jocking put over the build a large banner with the message ""For sale along with 500 autonome, stone throwing, violent psychopaths from hell."". After that a company called Human A/S bought the building in December 2000 (although ownership did not actually change hands until 2001), after which Human A/S was sold to the independent Christian sect "Faderhuset. However, the squatters refused to leave the house. Until 1 March 2007 the young squatters used the house as if the change of ownership had not happened and the new owners were not allowed inside at any time. The "Ungdomshuset" received more than 500 visitors a week.