Close to Sweden

Denmark and Sweden have a long interconnected history; too long to fully describe it here. We have been at war with each other through centuries, and for a long time, Sweden was subject to the Danish Crown. The close proximity has shaped culture on both sides of the Oresund – both historically and in the present time.

Just take the story of the Sound Tolls.

In 1429, the Danish King Erik VII af Pommern (Erik of Pomerania) imposed a toll for all non-Danish ships who wanted to pass through the narrowest passage between Zealand (Helsingør) and Scania (Helsingborg), which was part of Denmark until 1658. If a ship refused to pay, the powerful cannons at Kronborg castle were fired to force them to pay.

During his reign, Erik VII built Ørekrog, the predecessor of Kronborg, which along with the castle Kernen in Helsingborg supervised the Tolls. The fortress of Malmøhus was also built to strengthen the king’s power over the passage.

The two names ”Helsingør” and ”Helsingborg” are also connected.

The meaning of ”Helsingør” can be interpreted in two ways. It may either have its origin in the name of the inhabitants of the area, helsings, a word derived from the place name Hals (literally meaning ”neck” or “throat”), which again refers to the narrow point in the Oresund. It may also stem from ”Helsinge”, which is the old name for the promontory (Nordisk Forskningsinstitut (Department of Nordic Research) (website in Danish)). Helsingborg similarly derives from the word Hals. Borg may derive from the plateau ”Landborgen” that runs along the coast. This is where King Erik VII built his fortress Kernen.

The close connection with Sweden exists to this day: Inhabitants of Helsingborg go to Helsingør as part of their daily routine, and the ferry between the two towns brings commuters back and forth.

Helsingør is a border town with a natural connection to our neighbouring country, but it is not only these two towns that are connected. The entire Oresund coast connects us to Sweden through ferry routes and the Oresund Link; through booze cruises and collaboration in Greater Copenhagen.

The PASSAGE festival is another example of the close connection between the towns today. It is a transnational street theatre festival with international artists and shows taking place on both sides of the Oresund. It is organized by the culture centres Helsingør Teater and Dunkers Kulturhus in Helsingborg and has taken place for more than 10 years. The shows not only take place in Helsingør and Helsingborg but also in other places in Scania and North Zealand. The festival takes place in August – you can read more about it here.

No matter whether you experience the special connection between Denmark and Sweden by land or by sea, there is no doubt that the distance between the two countries is quite small – both geographically and culturally.

Picture: Google Maps

Coordinates:  Latitude: 56.090825
Longitude: 12.592002