Vejle
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Vejle – in IPA: – town in Denmark and site of the council of both Vejle municipality (kommune) and Vejle County (amt), located in southeast of Jutland peninsula.
Vejle is a picturesque town located at the head of Vejle Fjord, and for a country where the highest natural elevation is only about 170 m above sea level, Vejle is well known for the forested hills that rise up to the north and south of the town and fjord. The older, central part of town features a sizeable cobblestone pedestrian mall leading past the former Town Hall, built in 1878-79. Other prominent landmarks are St. Nikolai's Church, from the mid 13th century, and a windmill built on the slopes of the hills to the south, which, visible from almost everywhere in town, is a symbol of the town. The town is also an industrial center and features a large harbor for shipping.
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History
Vejle_Town_Hall_1963.jpg
The oldest form of the name Vejle was Wæthelæ, meaning ford, due to its location at an important crossroads at a ford over Vejle River. And throughout its history, it has played a significant role as a merchant town at a busy crossroads – today it is still an important junction for road and rail transport.
Vejle was first established on an islet where the small Vejle and Grejs Rivers converged before emptying into Vejle Fjord. The first recorded mention of the town is from 1256, and the first known municipal charter was granted in 1327, although the town itself is probably older. Contemporary Vejle's oldest building, St. Nikolai's Church, was built during the mid 13th century. During the Middle Ages it was important as a market town for traders and artisans, and it developed along those lines up to the mid 17th century. Throughout these years, the town developed its trade in agriculture and livestock, and traded with cities such as Lübeck and Flensburg, in what is now Germany.
During the late 17th and early 18th centuries, Vejle's population suffered considerably from bouts of the plague and war. However, in 1796, Vejle was made the seat of the newly founded Vejle County, and the town expanded throughout the 19th century, benefiting from technological advances such as a new harbor on the fjord, a railroad station, and modern utilities.
From the mid 19th century into the 20th century, Vejle successfully converted from a provincial market town into a busy industrial center. Because of the many wool mills, the town was at one point known as the "Manchester of Denmark", although the town's metal works also formed an important sector. More recently, however, Vejle's industry has moved into food production – it boasts of the worlds largest chewing gum factory, which produces Stimorol brand gum. Even so, industry has become less important in recent years, and as this has happened, other sectors such as data technology and communications have gained in strength.
With the industrial expansion, Vejle's residential areas also increased in size, and the town expanded into the hills surrounding it. Traffic congestion has also increased with the population, and in 1975, the Vejle Fjord Bridge was constructed over the fjord as part of a highway along Jutland's east coast so that through traffic would no longer have to be routed through Vejle's center.
Sports and culture
Vejle is home to the Vejle Boldklub (Vejle Football Club), which has won many Danish soccer (football) championships throughout the years. Vejle has fostered many great football players among them one of the few worldwide stars of Danish soccer history: Allan Simonsen, who was named Europe's best soccer player in 1977. Thomas Gravesen from Real Madrid also started his career in Vejle.
In the arts, Vejle was home to one of the most well known Danish composers, Jacob Gade, who wrote, among many other things, the Tango Jalousie. The writers Ulrik Gräs and Harald Kidde have also called Vejle home.
In the mid-20th century, the town had several popular cultural attractions, such as the restaurant Trædballehus, where popular musicians such as Jacob Gade would play. The Munkebjerg Casino, a bit out of town on the coast of the fjord, was also a popular getaway in its heyday – at one point featuring Europe's longest wooden escalator, carrying guests from the beach up to the hilltop casino. The Munkebjerg casino still stands, and is a modern hotel and conference center.
References
Much of the content of this article is derived from the equivalent Danish-language (http://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vejle) and German-language (http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vejle) Wikipedia articles on Vejle, retrieved 31 March 2005.
Also referenced:
Asbjørn Hellum. "History of Vejle (http://www.vejlestadsarkiv.dk/dk/default1.asp?what=historie&lang=en)". Vejle Byhistoriske Arkiv & Stadsarkiv (http://www.vejlestadsarkiv.dk). Retrieved 31 March 2005. (In English)
External links
- Vejle municipality (http://www.vejle.dk/) (In Danish)
- Vejle Kommuneatlas (Municipal Atlas) (http://www.vejle-kommuneatlas.dk/) (In Danish)
- Vejle-Egnens Touristbureau (Vejle Area Tourist Bureau) (http://www.visitvejle.com/default_UK.asp) (In English)
- Vejle Byhistoriske Arkiv & Stadsarkiv (City Historical Archive) (http://www.vejlestadsarkiv.dk) (In Danish, some English)da:Vejle