See peripheral Denmark in a different light

There is much talk today about how ”the peripheral Denmark” is being de-populated as the Danes move to the cities where more jobs are available. Municipalities compete to attract new residents and jobs, enabling their towns to survive. These municipalities are often located along the ”periphery” of Denmark, which also means that the coastal areas are affected.

If we go back in history to a time before cars, trains and bridges, Denmark presented quite a different picture. For centuries, Denmark has been one of the world’s leading seafaring nations with trade, fishing and naval force. Sailors and sea ports have played a significant role in Danish history for more than 600 years. This has also contributed to determining where some of the country’s biggest cities are located today.

When people had to sail to travel around the country, coastal areas – what we often call the provinces today – were exactly the places where most trade took place and most jobs were found. Everything was close when reached by the water, even though the transportation time from town to town and country to country was long on a ship. The only place that was really far away for almost everyone was Western Jutland with its poor harbours and infertile soil. Everywhere else was seething with national and international trade and industry.

So the next time you hear about ”peripheral Denmark” or you sail from harbour to harbour, take a moment to consider how our perception of the country has changed over time.

You can learn more about Denmark as a trading seafaring nation at M/S Museet for Søfart (Maritime Museum of Denmark) in Helsingør – which, by the way, has been a building site for ships for centuries. Unique architecture forms the framework of the story, as the museum is located in the middle of the newly renovated cultural open space Kulturhavn Kronborg – underground.

Source: M/S Museet for Søfart

Picture: VisitDenmark / Jan Kofoed Winther

Coordinates:  Latitude: 56.106237
Longitude: 11.963808