Helsingør
Helsingør
Elsinore | |
---|---|
![]() Helsingør waterfront in November 2006, with Kronborg Castle | |
Coordinates:56°02′10″N12°36′30″E/ 56.03611°N 12.60833°E | |
Country | Denmark |
Region | Capital (Hovedstaden) |
Municipality | Helsingør |
Established | 1420s |
City charter | 1426 |
Current municipality | 2007-01-01 |
Government | |
• Mayor | Benedikte Kiær |
Area | |
• Urban | 17.9 km2(6.9 sq mi) |
Elevation | 8 m (26 ft) |
Population (2024)[1] | |
•Urban | 47,945 |
• Urban density | 2,639/km2(6,830/sq mi) |
• Gender[2] | 23,015 males and 24,930 females |
Demonym | Helsingoraner |
Time zone | UTC+1(CET) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC+2(CEST) |
Postal code | 3000 |
Area code | (+45) 49 |
Website | www |
Helsingør(/ˌhɛlsɪŋˈɜːr/HEL-sing-UR,[3][4][5]Danish:[helse̝ŋˈøɐ̯ˀ];Swedish:Helsingör), classically known in English asElsinore(/ˈɛlsɪnɔːr,ˌɛlsɪˈnɔːr/EL-sin-or, -OR),[6]is a coastal city in northeasternDenmark.Helsingør Municipalityhad a population of 63,838 on 1 January 2024, making it the 23rd most populated municipality in Denmark.[7][8]Helsingør is located at the narrowest part of theØresundstrait and together withHelsingborginSweden,forms the northern reaches of theØresund Region,centred onCopenhagenandMalmö.Helsingør is a ferry city with frequent departures with theHH Ferry routewhich connects Helsingør with Helsingborg, 4 km (2.5 mi) across theØresund.
Its castleKronborgwas used byWilliam Shakespeareas the setting for his playHamlet.[9]
Etymology
[edit]The first part of the name,Hels,is believed to derive from the wordhals'neck; narrow strait', referring to the narrowest point of theØresund(Øre Sound) between what is now Helsingør andHelsingborgin Sweden. The wordHelsingsupposedly means 'person/people who live by the neck' andørcorresponds to old Norseaurr'gravel beach' andeyrr'sandy or gravelly shore'. The city was first mentioned asHælsingørand the people asHelsingerinKing Valdemar the Victorious'sLiber Census Daniæfrom 1231 (not to be confused with the Helsings ofHälsinglandin Sweden).[10]Place names show that the Helsinger may have had their main fort atHelsingborgand a fortified landing place at Helsingør, to control the ferry route across the strait. The particularly 19th-century tradition to explain toponymies, place names, with features of the landscape does not necessarily exclude the much older tradition of reading place names as eponymous. Although an obscure legendary character, or several, Helsing is quite abundantly present in traces of lost legends in the Nordic countries.
Although probably not the first Helsing, one of the three sons ofGandalf Alfgeirsson(the antagonist ofHalfdan the Black,who was father of KingHarald Fairhair,the semi-legendary, historical first king of a feudalist Norway) is called Helsing. He was brother to Hake and Hysing Gandalfson. AlsoHelsinkiin Finland andHälsinglandinNorrland,Sweden, refers to Helsing, as "the Land of the Helsing/Helsinger," which makes the landscape theory of the name of Helsingør less likely.
History
[edit]![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/44/Kronborg_02.jpg/180px-Kronborg_02.jpg)
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f8/Porto_de_Helsingor.jpg/180px-Porto_de_Helsingor.jpg)
The city as it is known today was founded in the 1420s by Danish KingEric of Pomerania.He established theSound Duesin 1429, which were a toll on the use of the Øresund. Although a former toll had existed prior, the Sound Dues were paid in Helsingør providing immense wealth to the city. With the income, the king built a castle named Krogen or Ørekrog on the extreme northeastern tip of the island ofZealand.The city expanded around the castle and envelops it today. Krogen was rebuilt and expanded in the 1570s by kingFrederik IIand renamedKronborg.All ships had to stop in Helsingør to get their cargo taxed and pay a toll to the Danish Crown, which generated a significant trade for the city. In 1672, Helsingør had grown to be the third-largest town in Denmark.[11]Up until the middle of the 19th century, Helsingør was among the largest cities in the country.
The Sound Dues were abolished in 1857 with theCopenhagen Conventionin which all seafaring nations agreed to pay a one-time fee. The abolishment was a huge loss for the city; the following decades saw a slow growth in population.
The oldest known fortified building of Helsingør isFlynderborg,an early medieval fortress on a hill just south of the medieval city.
Around 1200, the first church,Saint Olaf's Church,was built.[12]
A number of convents once surrounded the church, but now all that remains is the church building, today the cathedral of theDiocese of Helsingør.The oldest parts of the cathedral of Helsingør date back to the 13th century and show that the fishing village, as Helsingør was then, had grown to a town of importance.
Johan Isaksson Pontanus(Rerum Danicarum Historica,1631) attributes a long and partially-fictitious history to Helsingør.
DuringWorld War II,Helsingør was among the most important transport points for the rescue of Denmark'sJewishpopulation during theHolocaust.Adolf Hitlerhad ordered that all Danish Jews were to be arrested and deported to theconcentration campsonRosh HaShanah,the Jewish New Year, which fell on 2 October 1943. WhenGeorg Ferdinand Duckwitz,a diplomatic attaché ofNazi Germanyto Denmark, received word of the order on 28 September 1943, he shared it with political and Jewish community leaders. Using the nameElsinore Sewing Club(Danish:Helsingør Syklub) as a cover for messages, the Danish population formed anUnderground Railroadof sorts that moved Jews away from the closely watchedCopenhagendocks to spots further away, especially Helsingør, just two miles across theØresundtoHelsingborg,in neutralSweden.Hundreds of civilians hid their fellow Danish Jewish citizens in their houses, farm lofts and churches until they could board them onto Danish fishing boats, personal pleasure boats and ferry boats. Over the course of three nights, Danes had smuggled over 7,200 Jews and 680 non-Jews (family members of Jews or political activists) across the Øresund to safety in Helsingborg andMalmöin Sweden.[13]
Transport
[edit]The car ferry line between Helsingør andHelsingborg,Scania,Swedenis the busiest in the world with more than 70 departures in each direction every day.[14]The route is known as theHH Ferry routeand has been sailed by several shipping lines throughout history. TheHelsingør ferry terminalis connected to the town'smain railway station.From the station, trains depart toCopenhagenevery 20 minutes. Trains also depart toHillerødandGilleleje.There are another six stations or train stops within the city and connected suburbs. Apart fromHelsingør Station and Ferry TerminalalsoSnekkersten,Espergærde,Mørdrupand the train stops on the line to Gilleleje,Grønnehave,MarienlystandHøjstrup.[15][16]
TheE47 motorwaytowards Copenhagen begins just outside the city limits. The town and surrounding areas also have a network of local and regional buses.[16][17]
Industrialisation
[edit]For a century theHelsingør Værftor Elsinore shipyard was a prominent landmark, which covered the whole area between the town and Kronborg Castle. It was founded in 1882. At its height in 1957, it had 3,600 employees. The last ship left the shipyard in 1983 and it closed the same year following substantial losses.
TheWiibroebrewery, founded in 1840, was the second brewery in Denmark to ship bottled beer, just three years afterCarlsberg.The last beer was brewed atWiibroein Helsingør in 1998.Carlsbergcontinues to brew beer under the Wiibroe Årgangsøl[18]label.
Post-industrialisation
[edit]![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/01/Kulturhavn_kronborg_opened_May_2013.jpg/360px-Kulturhavn_kronborg_opened_May_2013.jpg)
After the end of the industrial era, the town of Helsingør had to redefine itself, and came up with an ambitious project:Kulturhavn Kronborg,literally "Culture-harbour of Kronborg". It officially opened on 26 May 2013, intended to appeal to tourists with an interest in culture. The main attraction ofKulturhavn KronborgisKronborg Castle,aUNESCOWorld Heritage Site.Besides the historical attractions of the site,William Shakespeare's playHamlethas been performed annually in its courtyard since 1937. There is a longstanding tradition of performing the play in English, and notable actors in the title role have includedLaurence Olivier,John Gielgud,Christopher Plummer,Derek Jacobi,and in 2009Jude Law.At the heart ofKulturhavn Kronborglieskulturværftetor The Culture Yard, a new cultural centre and a public library located in the olddockyard.It opened in 2010. The formerdry docknow houses theDanish Maritime Museum.
In the centre of the harbour basin stands the polished steel sculptureHan(He) by artist duoElmgreen and Dragset,commissioned by the City of Helsingør in 2012. It was inaugurated by then Minister of culture,Uffe Elbæk,in June 2012. It is seen as the counterpart (and even little brother) toEdvard Eriksen's world-famousThe Little Mermaidstatue inCopenhagen,and has caused both praise and protests among locals.
The Swedish city ofHelsingborglies a short distance across theØresundfrom Helsingør, approximately 4 km (2 mi).European route E55joins the two cities;ferriesconnect the two sides.
Music
[edit]![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/46/Dieterich_Buxtehude.png/162px-Dieterich_Buxtehude.png)
Dieterich Buxtehudeorganist and composer of the Baroque period. He was born Diderich Buxtehude presumably in Helsingborg, he serving as organist from 1660 to 1668 in Helsingør as his father that held the position as organist at St. Olaf's cathedral.
Diderich Buxtehude's compositions and style became of significant influence, among others, on his studentJohann Sebastian Bach.
Architecture
[edit]![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c2/Helsing%C3%B8r_R%C3%A5dhus.jpg/160px-Helsing%C3%B8r_R%C3%A5dhus.jpg)
The newDanish Maritime Museumwas designed by Danish prize-winning architectsBjarke Ingels Group(BIG).
Jørn Utzonlived in Helsingør in his youth because his father was an engineer atHelsingør Værft.Utzon designed:His own house(1952), TheKingo Houses(1956–60) and The Hammershøj Care Centre (1962) in the city. The project was completed by Birger Schmidt (1966) after Utzon moved to Sydney to work on theSydney Opera House.
Notable people
[edit]Public service
[edit]![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3f/Johan_Isaksen_Pontanus.jpg/140px-Johan_Isaksen_Pontanus.jpg)
- Christiern Pedersen(c.1480–1554) canon, humanist scholar, writer and publisher
- Johannes Isacius Pontanus(1571–1639) Dutchhistoriographer.
- Niels Claussøn Senning(c.1580–1617) Danish/Norwegian clergyman,Bishop of Oslo
- Hans Ulrik Gyldenløve(1615–1645) illegit. son of KingChristian IV of Denmarkand Navy officer
- Jørgen Iversen Dyppel(1638–1683), first governor of theDanish West Indies1672/1680.
- Christian de Meza(1792–1865) commanded theDanish Armyin theSecond Schleswig War
- Robert Cleaver Chapman(1803–1902), pastor, teacher and evangelist, theapostle of Love
- Olivia Nielsen(1852–1910), a Danish trade unionist and politician[19]
- Hans Wright(1854–1925) city architect in Copenhagen from 1904 to 1925
- William Thalbitzer(1873–1958) a philologist and professor ofEskimostudies
- Morten Løkkegaard(born 1964) Danish politician andMEP.
Arts
[edit]![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9b/Ove_Verner_Hansen_2013.jpg/150px-Ove_Verner_Hansen_2013.jpg)
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/59/Jan-grarup_DSC08102.jpg/150px-Jan-grarup_DSC08102.jpg)
- Pieter Isaacsz(1569–1625), a Danish-bornDutch Golden Agepainter.
- Bernhard Keil(1624–1687) Danish Baroque painter, became a pupil ofRembrandt.
- Johan Frederik Møller(1797–1871) Danish painter and photographer.
- Anton Melbye(1818–1875),Vilhelm Melbye(1824–1882) &Fritz Melbye(1826–1869), brothers and Danishmarine artists
- August Schiøtt(1823–1895) Danish portrait painter.
- Peter Elfelt(1866–1931) photographer and cinema pioneer, made early Danish films[20]
- Harald Moltke(1871–1960) a painter, author and explorer on four Arctic expeditions
- Alfred Lind(1879–1959) cinematographer, screenwriter and silent era film director[21]
- Valdemar Andersen(1889–1956) screenwriter and film director forNordisk Film[22]
- Ove Verner Hansen(1932–2016) Danish opera singer and actor[23]
- Erik Wedersøe(1938–2011) a Danish actor, director and author[24]
- Birte Tove(1945–2016) a Danish actress
- Morten Rudå(born 1960) a Norwegian actor[25]
- Fredrik Lundin(born 1963) jazz saxophonist and bandleader, brought up in Helsingør
- Martin Glyn Murray(born 1966) a Danish-born British actor[26]
- Jan Grarup(born 1968 in Kvistgaard) a photojournalist, does war and conflict photography
- Helle Fagralid(born 1976) Danish actress ofFaroesedescent[27]
- Vicki Berlin(born 1977) a Danish actress[28]
- Susanne Grinder(born 1981) principal dancer with theRoyal Danish Ballet
Science and business
[edit]![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b9/Sophie_Brahe_portrait.jpg/150px-Sophie_Brahe_portrait.jpg)
- Sophia Brahe(1559–1643) a Danish noble woman and horticulturalist with knowledge of astronomy, chemistry, and medicine; lived in Helsingør from 1616
- Stephen Hansen(1701–1770) industrialist, businessman andGeneral War Commissioner
- Jean Abraham Grill(1736–1792), merchant, director of theSwedish East India Company.
- Hans Christian Amberg(1749–1815) a Danish lexicographer
- Hartvig Marcus Frisch(1754–1816) director of theRoyal Greenland Trading Department
- Sir Edward Knox(1819–1901) Danish-born Australian politician, sugar refiner and banker.
- Ludvig Lorenz(1829–1891), physicist and mathematician, named theLorenz gauge condition
- Jens Levin Tvede(1830–1891) a Danish distiller, industrialist and politician; member of Helsingør City Council from 1857 and of theLandstinget
- Gordon Norrie(1855–1941) Danish surgeon and ophthalmologist, namedNorrie disease
- Wilhelm Johannsen(1857–1927) Danish botanist, plant physiologist and geneticist
- Simon Spies(1921–1984) Danishtycoon.
- Steen Rasmussen(born 1955), a physicist, works onartificial lifeandcomplex systems
- Mette Blomsterberg(born 1970) Danish pastry chef, restaurateur and cookbook writer
Sport
[edit]- Fairfax Fenwick(1852–1920) a New Zealand cricketer
- Edgar Aabye(1865–1941) a Danish athlete and journalist, team gold medallist in the tug of war at the1900 Summer Olympics
- August Sørensen(1896–1979) track and field athlete, competed in the1920 Summer Olympics
- Willy Hansen(1906–1978) a Danish track cyclist, silver medallist at the1924 Summer Olympicsand gold and bronze medallist at the1928 Summer Olympics
- Jørn Steffensen(born 1944) a modern pentathlete, competed at the1968,1972and1976 Summer Olympics
- Mads Vibe-Hastrup(born 1978) Danish professional golfer
- Tobias Mikkelsen(born 1986) a footballer with over 250 club caps and 8 forDenmark
- Mikkel Hansen(born 1987),handballplayer who won theIHF World Player of the Year2011, 2015, 2018
Districts
[edit]Centrum
- North:Grønnehave (Green Gardens), Højstrup andMarienlyst,Hellebæk,ÅlsgårdeandHornbæk
- West:Sundparken, Grøningen, Nøjsomheden,Vapnagård,Gurre,Nygård,Tikøb
- South:SkotterupandSnekkerstenandEspergærde
Twin towns – sister cities
[edit]Helsingør practicestwinningon the municipal level. For the twin towns, seetwin towns of Helsingør Municipality.
In fiction and popular culture
[edit]- William Shakespeare's playHamlet(whence the English spelling "Elsinore" derives) takes place mostly atKronborg Castlein Helsingør.
- In the 1983 comedyStrange Brew,which is loosely based onHamlet,the protagonists are given jobs at Elsinore Brewery.
- InPatrick O'Brian'sAubrey–Maturin series,Helsingør firesmortar shellsat the heroes in book seven, The Surgeon's Mate, as they sail past on their way to a rendezvous in the Baltic.
- In the second chapter ofPhilip Roth's novelOur Gang(1971), Trick E. Dixon in a fictive speech tries to claim Helsingør as US-territory and tries to convince the audience to occupy the area
- InBret Easton Ellis's novelLunar Park,the street on which the character Bret Easton Ellis lives, with his own haunting father-son issues, is called Helsingør Lane.
- Several stories written by the Danish authorKaren Blixen(or Isak Dinesen) take place in Helsingør, including "The Supper at Elsinore" in her first published volume of stories,Seven Gothic Tales.
- A well-known poem by the Portuguesesurrealist poetMário Cesarinyis named "You are welcome to Helsingør".
- Children's authorRichard Scarrydepicted Helsingør as "A Castle in Denmark" in the bookBusy, Busy World.
- Indie-rock bandThe Essex Greenrecorded a song titled "Elsinore" for their 2006 albumCannibal Sea.
- InDavid Brin's novelThe Postman,the first chapter features an apparition that appears to protagonist Gordon Krantz. It is described as an "Elsinorian figure" and greets Gordon with "Alas, poor Gordon!", both allusions toHamlet.
- Surrealist artistRené Magrittehas a painting named after the city, depicting a castle, which might be modelled on Elsinore Castle.
- Thedetective showThe Sommerdahl Murdersis set in Helsingør[29]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^BY3: Population 1. January by urban areas, area and population densityArchived25 October 2019 at theWayback MachineThe Mobile Statbank fromStatistics Denmark
- ^BY1: Population 1. January by urban areas, age and sexThe Mobile Statbank fromStatistics Denmark
- ^"Helsingør".The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language(5th ed.). HarperCollins.Retrieved8 February2019.
- ^"Helsingør".LexicoUS English Dictionary.Oxford University Press.Archived fromthe originalon 3 February 2020.
- ^"Helsingør".Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary.Merriam-Webster.Retrieved8 February2019.
- ^"Elsinore Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com".
- ^"Population 1. January by urban areas (DISCONTINUED) - StatBank Denmark - data and statistics".Statistikbanken.dk.Archivedfrom the original on 12 June 2018.Retrieved15 December2017.
- ^"Kommuner i Danmark efter indbyggertal",Wikipedia, den frie encyklopædi(in Danish), 18 December 2023,retrieved26 February2024
- ^Bolt, Rodney (5 February 2016)."Shakespeare's Danish links".The Telegraph.Archivedfrom the original on 4 February 2018.Retrieved6 April2018– via www.telegraph.co.uk.
- ^early records of Helsingør and Flynderborg ( "possibly already mentioned by Saxo" ): J. D. Qvist,Annaler for nordisk oldkyndighed,Kongelige Nordiske oldskriftselskab, 1836,p. 306Archived26 February 2015 at theWayback Machine
- ^"Danske byers historie gennem 1300 år"(PDF).Byhistorie.dk.Archived(PDF)from the original on 6 July 2016.Retrieved15 December2017.
- ^"Helsingør Turistbureau - Victoria Design".Visithelsingor.dk.Archived fromthe originalon 28 August 2006.Retrieved21 October2009.
- ^Streit, Katie."Rescue of the Danish Jews: Evacuation & Effects".study.com.Archivedfrom the original on 24 November 2018.Retrieved23 November2018.
- ^"Helsingborg ferry, compare prices, times and book tickets".Directferries.co.uk.Archivedfrom the original on 6 July 2014.Retrieved15 December2017.
- ^Google maps
- ^ab"Forside - DOT"(PDF).Moviatrafik.dk.Archived(PDF)from the original on 14 April 2015.Retrieved15 December2017.
- ^"Forside - DOT".Moviatrafik.dk.Archivedfrom the original on 1 January 2016.Retrieved15 December2017.
- ^"Carlsberg Group - Wiibroe Årgangsøl".Carlsberggroup.com.Archivedfrom the original on 4 July 2016.Retrieved15 December2017.
- ^Sandvad, Karin."Olivia Nielsen (1852 - 1910)"(in Danish). Kvinfo.Archivedfrom the original on 11 September 2016.Retrieved31 August2016.
- ^IMDb DatabaseArchived17 February 2017 at theWayback Machineretrieved 29 June 2020
- ^IMDb DatabaseArchived17 February 2017 at theWayback Machineretrieved 29 June 2020
- ^IMDb DatabaseArchived1 June 2019 at theWayback Machineretrieved 30 June 2020
- ^IMDb DatabaseArchived18 April 2017 at theWayback Machineretrieved 29 June 2020
- ^IMDb DatabaseArchived18 September 2019 at theWayback Machineretrieved 30 June 2020
- ^IMDb DatabaseArchived18 March 2017 at theWayback Machineretrieved 29 June 2020
- ^IMDb DatabaseArchived8 September 2019 at theWayback Machineretrieved 30 June 2020
- ^IMDb DatabaseArchived6 May 2017 at theWayback Machineretrieved 29 June 2020
- ^IMDb DatabaseArchived13 February 2020 at theWayback Machineretrieved 30 June 2020
- ^"The Sommerdahl Murderson IMDb ".IMDb.Archivedfrom the original on 30 August 2020.Retrieved23 May2020.
External links
[edit]![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/dd/Wikivoyage-Logo-v3-icon.svg/40px-Wikivoyage-Logo-v3-icon.svg.png)
- Helsingør Tourist Bureau websiteArchived7 October 2012 at theWayback Machine(in English)
- Encyclopædia Britannica.Vol. VIII (9th ed.). 1878. p. 155. .
- Port of Helsingør(in English)
- Helsingør municipality's official website(in Danish)
- Helsingør Leksikon: Local history wiki(in Danish)