Jump to content

Helsingør

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Fa bene si (talk | contribs) at 11:04, 27 June 2013 (→After Industrialization - Helsingør today). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

"Elsinore" redirects here. For other uses, see Elsinore (disambiguation).
Helsingør
Elsinore
View of Helsingor from Elsinore
View of Helsingor from Elsinore
CountryDenmark
RegionCapital (Hovedstaden)
MunicipalityHelsingør
Established1420s
City charter17th century
Current municipality2007-01-01
Government
 • MayorJohannes Hecht-Nielsen
Area
 • City
121.61 km2 (46.95 sq mi)
Elevation
8 m (26 ft)
Population
 (2013)
 • City
46,474
 • Density380/km2 (990/sq mi)
 • Metro
61,359
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+1 (CEST)
Postal code
3000
Area code(+45) 49
Websitewww.helsingorkommune.dk

Helsingør (Danish pronunciation: [hɛlseŋˈøɐ̯ˀ]; often known in English-speaking countries by Elsinore, as in Shakespeare) is a city and the municipal seat of Helsingør Municipality on the northeast coast of the island of Zealand in eastern Denmark. Helsingør has a population of 46,474 (1 January 2013)[1] including the southern suburbs of Snekkersten and Espergærde. It is known internationally for its castle Kronborg, where William Shakespeare's play Hamlet is set.

History

Elsinore Castle
Helsingør port

The name Helsingør is derived from the word hals meaning "neck" or "narrow strait", referring to the narrow strait (Øresund Øre Sound or, locally Sundet "The Sound" ) between what is now Helsingør and Helsingborg, Sweden. The Rerum Danicarum Historica (1631) claims that the history of Helsingør can be traced back to 70 BC, but this information is highly dubious. The people were mentioned as Helsinger (which may mean "the people of the strait") for the first time in King Valdemar the Victorious's Liber Census Daniæ from 1231, but they should not be confused with the Helsings of Hälsingland in Sweden. Placenames show that the Helsinger may have had their main fort at Helsingborg and a fortified landing place at Helsingør, to control the ferry route across the strait.

Before the Middle Ages, Helsingør was just a marketplace where people sold goods. About 1200 AD, the first church, Sct Olav Church, was built.[2] A number of convents once surrounded the church, but now all that remains is the church building, today the cathedral of the Diocese of Helsingør. The oldest parts of the cathedral of Helsingør date back to the 13th century and tell us that the fishermen's village, as Helsingør was then,had grown to a town of importance.

Helsingør, as it is known today, was founded in the 1420s by the Danish king Eric of Pomerania. He established the Sound Dues in 1429. Meaning all foreign ships passing through the strait had to pay a toll, which constituted up to two thirds of Denmark's state income. With this income Eric of Pomerania built the castle Krogen, which was expanded in the 1580s and named Kronborg. All ships had to stop in Helsingør to get there cargo taxed and pay a toll to the Danish Crown, but it also generated a significant trade for the town. In 1672 Helsingør had grown into the third biggest town in Denmark.[3] The Sound Dues were abolished in 1857 with The Copenhagen Convention, where all naval nations agreed to pay a one time fee.

Industrialization

Elsinore Shipyard 1938

For a 100 years a notable sight of the town was Helsingør Værft or Elsinore Shipyard, it coveret the hole arear between the town and the Kronborg Castle. It was one of the great shipyards of the danish ship bulding nation. Founded in 1882 and at its hight in 1957 it had 3600 employees. The Wiibroe brewery founded in 1840, were the second brewery in Denmark just tree years after Carlsberg to ship bottled beer. The last beer were brewed at Wiibroe in Helsingør in 1998 and the production is now maintained by Carlsberg. And the last ship left the shipyard in 1983.


After Industrialization - Helsingør today

After the industrial era had ended, the town of Helsingør had to redefine itself, and it came up with an ambitious project : Kulturhavn Kronborg Culture harbor Kronborg. Officially oppede the 26. may 2013. Helsingør has to ship culturelle experiences. The main protagonist of Kulturhavn Kronborg is the Kronborg Castle , UNESCO's World Heritage Site. On top of the historical experiences of the site, The play Hamlet, Prince of Denmark has been performed a number of times in its courtyard, and it has been a tradition also to play in William Shakespeare's nativ english language by english actores included Laurence Olivier, John Gielgud, Christopher Plummer, Derek Jacobi, and in 2009 Jude Law. In the heart of Kulturhavn Kronborg you find the kulturværftet or The Culture Yard Elsinore’s new cultural centre located in the old shipyard opened 2010. The former dry dock is housing The Maritime museum ( under construction 2013). In the center of the harbor bassine stands the sculpture "han" by the artist duo Elmgreen and Dragset commissioned by city of Helsingør 2012.


The Swedish city of Helsingborg lies a short distance across the Øresund from Helsingør. European route E55 joins the two cities; ferries connect the two sides.

Notable natives

An alley in Helsingør

Districts

Centrum

  • North: Grønnehave (Green Gardens), Højstrup and Marienlyst, Hellebæk, Højstrup, Ålsgårde and Hornbæk
  • West: Sundparken, Grøningen, Nøjsomheden and Vapnagård Gurre, Tikøb
  • South: Skotterup and Snekkersten and Espergærde

International relations

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

Twin towns — sister cities

Helsingør is twinned with:

  • William Shakespeare's play Hamlet takes place at Kronborg Castle in Helsingør, whence the English spelling "Elsinore" derived.
  • In the 1983 comedy Strange Brew, which is loosely based on Hamlet, the protagonists are given jobs at Elsinore Brewery.
  • In Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey–Maturin series, Helsingør fires mortar shells at the heroes in book seven, The Surgeon's Mate, as they sail past on their way to a rendezvous in the Baltic.
  • In Philip Roth's second Chapter of his novel Our Gang ('71), Trick E. Dixon in a fictive speech tries to claim Helsingør as US-territory and tries to convince the audience to occupy the area
  • In Bret Easton Ellis's novel Lunar Park the street on which the character Bret Easton Ellis lives with his own father-son haunting issues is named Helsingør Lane.
  • Several stories written by the Danish author Karen 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 Portuguese surrealist poet Mário Cesariny is named "You are welcome to Helsingør".
  • Children's author Richard Scarry depicted Helsingør as "A Castle in Denmark" in the book Busy, Busy World.
  • The indie rock band The Essex Green recorded a song titled "Elsinore" for their 2006 album Cannibal Sea.

See also

References

Notes
  1. ^ BEF44: Population 1st January, by urban areas database from Statistics Denmark
  2. ^ "HELSINGØR TURISTBUREAU - VICTORIA DESIGN". www.visithelsingor.dk. Retrieved 21 October 2009.
  3. ^ [1] Danske byers historie gennem 1300 år
  4. ^ "Gdańsk Official Website: 'Miasta partnerskie'" (in Polish & English). © 2009 Urząd Miejski w Gdańsku. Retrieved 11 July 2009. {{cite web}}: External link in |publisher= (help)CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Helsingør.

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/enwiki/w/index.php?title=Helsingør&oldid=561806598"