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Vejle

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Vejle (Danish pronunciation: [ˈvɑjlə]) is a city in Denmark, in the southeast of the Jutland Peninsula at the head of Vejle Fjord, where the Vejle River and Grejs River and their valleys converge. It is the site of the councils of Vejle Municipality (kommune) and the Region of Southern Denmark. The city has a population of 61,706 (as of 1 January 2024)[1] making it the ninth largest city in Denmark. Vejle Municipality has a population of 122,022 (as of October 2024)[2] making it the fifth largest municipality in Denmark. The city is part of the Triangle Region, which includes the neighbouring cities of Kolding and Fredericia and it is located 110 kilometres (68 miles) north of Germany.

Vejle
City
Vejle City Hall
Vejle City Hall
Official seal of Vejle
Seal
Coat of arms of Vejle
Coat of arms
Motto: 
Vejle med vilje (Vejle on purpose)
Vejle is located in Denmark
Vejle
Vejle
Location in Denmark
Vejle is located in Region of Southern Denmark
Vejle
Vejle
Vejle (Region of Southern Denmark)
Coordinates: 55°43′N 9°32′E / 55.717°N 9.533°E / 55.717; 9.533
Country Denmark
RegionSouthern Denmark (Syddanmark)
MunicipalityVejle
First mentioned1256
Municipal charter1327
Government
 • MayorJens Ejner Christensen (V)
Area
 • Urban
33.1 km2 (12.8 sq mi)
 • Municipality1,066.32 km2 (411.71 sq mi)
Highest elevation
93 m (305 ft)
Lowest elevation
0 m (0 ft)
Population
 (1. January 2024)
 • RankDenmark: 9th
 • Urban
61,706
 • Urban density1,900/km2 (4,800/sq mi)
 • Municipal
122,022
DemonymVejlenser
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code
7100, 7120
Area code(+45)
Websitewww.vejle.dk

Vejle is most known for its forested hills, Vejle fjord, harbour, shopping, pedestrian mall, and windmill.

Etymology

The word "Vejle" derives from the Old Danish word wæthel, meaning "ford" or "wading place" due to its location at a busy crossing over the Vejle River.

History

Origins

During Viking times, the wetlands around Vejle had to be crossed at the Ravning Bridge, a nearly half-mile wooden boardwalk, west of the current city.

Archaeological digs near St. Nicolai Church in downtown Vejle have shown that there were residences in the area as far back as 1100. The first recorded mention of the town is from 1256, and the first known merchant town privileges were issued by King Valdemar III in 1327.

Middle ages

During the Middle Ages, Vejle was important as a market town, and developed along those lines up to the mid-17th century, trading with cities such as Lübeck and Flensburg, in what is now Germany. The king's castle, Castrum Wæthel, was located where Vejle Trafikcenter is today.

Early modern period

In the late 17th and early 18th centuries, Vejle's population was diminished as a consequence of plague and war. In 1796, though, Vejle was made the seat of the newly founded Vejle County.

Industrialisation

 
Map of Vejle, c. 1900.

Throughout the 19th century, the town benefited from improvements such as a new harbour on the fjord, a railway station, and modern utilities. From the mid-19th century into the 20th century, Vejle developed from a provincial market town into a busy industrial centre, eventually becoming known as the "Manchester of Denmark" for its many cotton mills.[3]

Geography

Topography

 
View of the hills of Vejle from Kiddesvej

Downtown Vejle was built on an island of glacial till in Vejle River remaining from a hill formed during the last ice age.[4]

In a country where the highest natural elevation is only about 170 m (558 ft) above sea level, Vejle is known for the forested hills that rise to the north and south of the town and fjord.

The valleys of the two rivers that converge at Vejle are both unique in Denmark: Vejle River Valley (Vejle Ådal) is the longest tunnel valley in Denmark, and the Grejs Valley (Grejsdalen) is the largest ravine in Denmark.

Both empty into Vejle Fjord, which connects Vejle by water through the Little Belt strait to the Baltic Sea, and through the Kattegat and Skagerrak straits to the Atlantic Ocean.

Cityscape

 
Bølgen, residential building complex

Development of new architecture, art and alternative town spaces throughout the 1990s has made the city an attraction. Vejle was the first city in Denmark, which had its own official architecture policy to set high standards for the urban development. The fjord is also the site of the modern wave-shaped apartment complex known as The Wave (Bølgen).[5]

Neighbourhoods

Many of Vejle's neighbourhoods began as separate towns or villages that merged with the city as it grew. Søndermarken, Nørremarken, and Grejsdalen, however, were all founded as extensions of the city onto the surrounding hillsides.

Vejle's neighbourhoods include:

  • Vejle centre
  • Bredballe - east of downtown and north of Vejle Fjord; considered an affluent neighbourhood
  • Grejsdalen - northernmost part of the city, located in the long, narrow valley of the same name
  • Hover - west of Grejsdalen
  • Lille Grundet - north of downtown in the northwest corner of Nørremarken, relatively new
  • Løget - southernmost part of the city
  • Store Grundet - established in 2000, north of Lille Grundet
  • Mølholm - southeast of the centre
  • Nørremarken - northeast of the centre, including the North Woods (Nørreskoven) and Vejle Stadium
  • Uhrhøj, Uhre, Petersminde
  • Vinding - southeast, next to Mølholm
  • Skibet, Knabberup - westernmost part of the city
  • Søndermarken - to the southwest, located on land belonging to the former Petersholm manor
  • Trædballe - north-west corner of centre

Economy

Vejle is the cultural and economic centre of Vejle Municipality and, as part of the unofficial Triangle Area (Trekantområde), is rich in industry, business, and the service sector. Historically speaking, industry has been very important for the city's development, while today more weight is placed on business and service, as well as high-tech firms.

Industry

During the Industrial Revolution, Vejle was known as the "Manchester of Denmark"[6] due to its extensive textile mills. The local rivers provided water power to mills, including the extensive facilities of De Danske Bomuldsspinderier (The Danish Cotton Mills). In the first half of the 20th century, Vejle was something of a behemoth within the Danish textile industry, with some 25% of the city's workers employed in the industry.[6] Despite the decline in the industry in Denmark, the last cotton mill in Vejle remained open until 1993. Today, many of the old mill buildings are used for art studios, office space, and, more recently, apartments.

In 1975 United Trailer Factories was founded by brothers Niels and Jens Buhl. The company, now known as ‘Variant’ like its products, has grown in strength to become one of the biggest quality trailer manufacturers in Europe.

Later on, newer industries took root in Vejle. The city is home to one of the largest chewing gum factories in the world, producing Stimorol brand chewing gum.

The Tulip slaughterhouses were also an important employer in the city. Today, Tulip has closed its factory at the harbour, but still maintains production in northern Vejle.

Today, Vejle's economy is shifting out of the industrial sector and into the high-tech sector, with a number of software companies operating out of the city.

Shopping

 
Vejle's pedestrian street

Vejle is known regionally as a vibrant shopping town with a wide and varied offering of both chain and specialty shops, primarily located along the city's central pedestrian street. Recently, in an effort to maintain its position as a premiere shopping destination, the town has invested in several public works projects to improve the city's appearance, including lengthening the Pedestrian Street, developing new public art and architecture, and uncovering and beautifying Grejs River, which until recently ran in a culvert underneath downtown.

 
The Bryggen shopping centre

In addition to the shopping experiences in the city, Vejle also has its own shopping centre, the Bryggen shopping centre, located in the center of the city. The shopping centre contains 38 stores and two restaurants and lies within the pedestrian street.

Street food concepts can also be experience at the Paladspassagen Social Dining at the former Mary's Shoppingcenter.

Government and politics

Main article: Vejle Municipality
 
Vejle City Hall

Vejle is located in and is the seat of Vejle Municipality which in its current configuration was formed under the Municipal Reform of 2007. Vejle's municipal council consists of 31 members, elected every four years.

Ever since Social Democrat Christian Jacobsen became Vejle's first elected mayor in 1919, the town has been a stronghold for the Social Democrats and trade unions. The longest serving Social Democratic mayor was Willy Sørensen, a union leader who joined the city council in 1937 and held the mayor's post for 31 years, from 1946 until his death in 1978.[3]

In 1993, the Social Democratic dynasty was broken, when a candidate from a coalition of opposition parties, Flemming Christiansen, became mayor. In 2009, the Social Democrats were out of power again when Liberal candidate Arne Sigtenbjerggaard won the elections.[7]

Several natives of Vejle have also made a career in national politics, including former Prime Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen (Liberal), the former Minister of the Treasury Troels Lund Poulsen (Liberal), former Minister of Health Torben Lund (Social Democrat), and former Minister of Transportation Flemming Hansen (Conservative).

Transportation and Infrastructure

 
Vejle Fjord Bridge

Historically speaking, Vejle's development has been guided by the city's central location in the country and its location on Vejle Fjord. Vejle's pedestrian street today runs along the same course as some of the earliest paths through town[8] – glass panels set into Torvegade allow pedestrians to see the historical market road a few meters under the current street surface.

The European route E45 motorway passes close to downtown Vejle on the Vejle Fjord Bridge. Vejle is also located on Primary Route 28, and the Mid-Jutland Highway (Midjyske Motorvej, Primary Route 18) from Herning.[9]

 
Vejle Transit Centre

Vejle Transit Centre (Danish: Vejle Trafikcenter) is the principal transport hub for public transport in Vejle, which provides nine city bus lines to various neighbourhoods, as well as national and international coach and train services. Vejle railway station first opened in 1868,[10] and is today a central station in the Danish train network. However, the station is currently the subject of political debate, due to a desire on the part of some politicians to reduce train travel time between Odense and Århus to one hour.[11] This may mean that a second bridge will be built over Vejle Fjord, bypassing Vejle Station.

 
The Port of Vejle in 2020

The Port of Vejle, in its current location, was inaugurated in 1827.[3][12] In the years following World War II, it grew to become the second largest port in Denmark after the Port of Copenhagen. Up until 1932, the steamboats Hvidbjerg (named after a local seaside community) and Jeppe Jensen (named after the harbour's founder) plied the waters between Vejle Harbour and Munkebjerg, Tirsbæk, Ulbækhus, and Fakkegrav.[13] The harbour is currently profitable, although there are plans to convert the northern section of the harbour into a park and residential area, which would reconnect the town with the fjord.

Vejle Municipality is part-owner of Denmark's second-largest airport, Billund Airport, located near the Lego Group's headquarters some 30 kilometres (19 miles) from the centre of Vejle. Airport buses run regularly to Billund Airport from Vejle Transit Centre.

Environment

 
Albuen Beach

A central point of Vejle's environmental policy since 1985 has been the sorting of garbage into non-compostable and compostable waste, which is then composted in the city dump. To this end, residents must place all household trash into either black or green bags.[14]

Vejle Municipality has also begun a range of nature restoration projects. The most ambitious of these has been the restoration of the Kongens Kær wetlands around the Vejle River just outside the city limits. The city has also undertaken a project to establish two new public beaches for swimming, Albuen and Tirsbæk Strand.[15]

Education

 
UCL University College

Vejle is home to the headquarters of University College Lillebælt, which is a merger of several educational institutions in East Jutland and Funen.[16]

Adult and professional education is available in Vejle through the Region of Southern Denmark, the Folkeuniversitet (Adult Education Centre), the Vejle Idrætshøjskole (Athletics Professional College), and Skolen for Gastronomi, Musik & Design (School for Gastronomy, Music, and Design).

On the secondary education level, Vejle offers several options: Vejle Handelsskole (Vejle Business School) offers business and professional programs; Vejle Tekniske Gymnasium (Vejle Technical School) offers vocational and technical education; and Rødkilde Gymnasium (on the fjord) and Rosborg Gymnasium offer academic programs with concentrations in language and science.

On the primary level, Vejle has 11 regular primary schools (folkeskoler), 2 independent schools (friskoler), and 5 private schools (privatskoler) – one secular, one Protestant, one Catholic, one Islamic and one Waldorf-Steiner method school – as well as 2 schools for special needs students. Unique to Vejle is a special program for athletically talented students starting in late primary school and continuing through Vejle Handelsskole.

Sports

 
Crowd at a Vejle Boldklub game at Vejle Stadium

The city's traditional football club, Vejle Boldklub (Vejle Football Club), has won the Danish Superliga Championships five times and the Danish Cup six times. Vejle Boldklub has trained many talented football players, among others one of Danish football history's few international stars: Allan Simonsen, who in 1977 became the first Danish player to win the European Footballer of the Year award. Today, Vejle Boldklub is in a ramping-up period, with the goal of bringing the club back to the top of Danish football. To this end, new Vejle Stadium was opened in spring 2008.

Vejle's largest indoor sports facilities are mostly housed in the DGI-Huset recreational centre in western Vejle. In the past, the facility has housed several high-profile events, including the European Women's Handball Championship and the Danish Open in badminton.

Former Swiss cyclist Tony Rominger was born in Vejle, and cyclist Bjarne Riis has a house in Vejle. Denmark's answer to the Tour de France, Danmark Rundt, includes a stretch through Vejle which is known as the hardest stage in the race, including a loop that requires the riders to climb the hillsides of Vejle several times. The race's winner is usually determined in the Vejle stage. Stage 3 of the 2022 Tour de France started in Vejle.

Arts and attractions

 
Vejle Music Hall (Vejle Musikteater)

In the arts, the most well-known personality from Vejle is composer Jacob Gade, who wrote the Tango Jalousie. Other artists include author Ulrik Gräs, priest and historial Anders Sørensen Vedel, poet Inger Christensen, artist Albert Bertelsen, and actress Bodil Jørgensen.

In the early and mid-20th century, Vejle had several popular cultural destinations such as Trædballehus in the western part of town and the Munkebjerg Casino south of the fjord.

Trædballehus, an inn and music venue, which burned down in 1954, got its big breakthrough in the mid-1930s when it was featured on Danish National Radio in connection with the opening of the old Little Belt Bridge. 1933 Hotel Munkebjerg boasted Europe's longest wooden escalator, carrying guests from the fjord-side beach up to the hilltop casino. Munkebjerg still exists as a hotel, casino and conference centre.

 
Vejle's windmill
 
Our Saviour's Church (Vor Frelsers Kirke)

Vejle Mill, located on top of the cliff at Søndermarken, is a well-known landmark because of its visibility, and is often used as a symbol of the city.

The Old Jail House in Vejle, which is connected to the Town Hall, was rebuilt in 1984 and received a prize for beautification.[citation needed]

Vejle's oldest extant building, St. Nicolai Church, was built in the mid-13th century. On display in the church is the Haraldskær bog woman, a body from the Iron Age that was preserved with its skin intact in a local peat bog. Another feature of the church are 23 spherical indentations on the north transept – legend says these are imprints of the skulls of executed robbers from the woods that surround Vejle.[citation needed]

Among the city's cultural institutions is the renovated and expanded Vejle Museum of Art. The museum features the Wörzner collection with several COBRA works as well as works by Rembrandt. Today, Vejle Town Museum is located in the renovated Spinning Mill.

 
The former Mary's shopping centre
 
Økolariet ecology-focused educational centre

The Socialists' former stronghold in Vejle, The Building, is today placed under glass in what used to be the shopping center "Mary's", and houses restaurants, cafés and two venues for e.g. jazz concerts. Økolariet is a free edutainment center for both children and adults, focusing on technology, ecology, recycling, etc.

Vejle is situated close to several Jutland attractions such as the original Legoland and the Viking Age royal capital of Jelling. Jelling's archaeological artifacts are considered a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and include two 10th century rune stones and two burial mounds, as well as a new exhibition centre.

Notable people

 
JJA Worsaae, 1885
 
LL Rasmussen, 2017

Public Service & public thinking

The Arts

 
Jacob Gade, memorial plate

Sport

 
DW Jørgensen, 2016

Twin towns – sister cities

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Denmark

Vejle is twinned with:[21]

Vejle also cooperates with:[21]

Notes

  1. ^ "I fire dage var Vejle Danmarks ottendestørste by - men så blev tallet rettet: Byen bider dog konkurrenterne i haserne og er tæt på at rykke op i by-hierarkiet". vafo.dk (in Danish). 2022-06-08. Retrieved 2022-06-08.
  2. ^ "Vækstbarometer oktober 2024: Vejle Kommune har rundet 122.000 indbyggere". Vejle Kommune (in Danish). Retrieved 2022-06-08.
  3. ^ a b c History of Vejle from Vejle City Archive
  4. ^ Jensen, Jørgen Elsøe: Danmarks middelalderlige byplaner, 1994 ISBN 87-7838-003-0 s. 142
  5. ^ Vinnitskaya, Irina (23 March 2011). "The Wave / Henning Larsen Architects". ArchDaily.
  6. ^ a b De Danske Bomuldsspinderier (The Danish Cotton Mills) from Kulturarvsstyrelsen (in Danish)
  7. ^ Vejle får ny borgmester
  8. ^ See Zinglersen and Jürgensen: Vejles ældste gader, ISBN 87-87683-23-7 pp. 10 and 15 (in Danish)
  9. ^ Vejdirektoratets planlægning, Accessed June 29, 2008. (in Danish)
  10. ^ Jensen, Poul Ulrich: Byens plan - Vejles fysiske udvikling 1786-2007, ISBN 87-90086-10-4 pp. 54-56
  11. ^ Landex, Alex, and Otto Anker Nielsen. 6-by samarbejdet - om hurtigere tog mellem byerne. November 2006. Accessed October 26, 2008. (in Danish)
  12. ^ Sandbeck, Thorkild: "Vejle Havn 175 år" in Vejlebogen 2002 ISBN 87-90086-29-5 pp. 19-24
  13. ^ Jensen, Poul Ulrich: Byens plan - Vejles fysiske udvikling 1786-2007, ISBN 87-90086-10-4 p. 151 (in Danish)
  14. ^ How to sort into green and black on vejle.dk(in Danish)
  15. ^ Water and Nature Projects (in Danish)
  16. ^ "About University College Lillebælt". Archived from the original on 2011-01-15. Retrieved 2011-02-16.
  17. ^ IMDb Database retrieved 07 May 2020
  18. ^ IMDb Database retrieved 06 May 2020
  19. ^ IMDb Database retrieved 06 May 2020
  20. ^ IMDb Database retrieved 06 May 2020
  21. ^ a b "Venskabsbyer". vejle.dk (in Danish). Vejle Kommune. Retrieved 2021-03-28.
Also referenced
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