| Summary
| | The period 1900-1940 is where the industrial society and the rules of the parliamentary system set in.
The development of a new transport and communication technology created new possibilities for co-operation in the Sound region. |
The period 1900-1940 is where the industrial society and the rules of the parliamentary system set in.
The development of a new transport and communication technology created new possibilities for co-operation in the Sound region and the rapidly growing industrial workers´ class demanded influence through hard industrial conflicts. In the inter-war period an important result of these power struggles were Social Democratic prime ministers and mayors in Denmark as well as Sweden.
In the beginning of the century it was believed that the countries around the Baltic, i.e. Germany, Denmark, Sweden and Russia belonged together naturally. Numerous attempts were made to manifest this. For example through a number of joint industrial and cultural exhibitions in the Sound region, in which the countries presented their progresses in the areas.
However, at the outbreak of the First World War in 1914 these endeavours collapsed, because Germany and Russia were on different sides.
Sweden and Denmark pursued a policy of neutrality throughout the war, but was pressurized by both England and Germany. It was particularly the access to the Baltic, through the Danish straits, which was important and both countries were forced by Germany to mine the waters to prevent England from getting to the Baltic.
In the inter-war period, (1918 – 1940) new and more efficient means of communication across the Sound were developed. The capacity and number of the ferries was increased and with the invention of the aeroplane, Swedish as well as Danish plane pioneers were able to fly across the Sound.
The co-operation between Elsinore and Helsingborg was strengthened during the worldwide financial crisis in the 1930´s by the fact that the Swedish magnate, Dunker, opened one of his rubber factories, Tretorn, in Elsinore. With its about 1000 workers it became, next to the Elsinore Shipyard, the town´s largest place of work.
With its many industrial workers Elsinore became a strong Social Democratic bastion in Denmark, where the Social Democratic mayor from 1919, Peder Christensen, for many years was at the head of some sort of Social Democratic “municipal-socialism”. This involved, among other things, an extensive municipal funded building activity and the establishment of a number of co-operative enterprises.
The explosive industrial and cultural development can be seen, especially in Helsingborg, in the architecture of the town. A walk through the town shows examples of historicism, entire residential neighbourhoods in the Art Nouveau style and the functionalism of the 1930´s in the public buildings.
In Elsinore too there are examples of this, but here they have chosen to protect the town structure and architecture of the 18th century.Positive Future
| | The optimism for the future around the turn of the century found an expression in the many exhibitions in many countries, where products and capacities were shown. |
The optimism for the future around the turn of the century found an expression in the many exhibitions in many countries, where products and capacities were shown.
The first Nordic Art and Industry Exhibition took place in Copenhagen in 1871 and in 1903 Helsingborg was the host. In 1914 the first Baltic exhibition opened in Malmo, but in the middle of the exhibition the First World War broke out.
The Age of the Exhibitions
The optimism for the future was clearly shown in the many world exhibitions, which were arranged and they were meant to show all that man now was able to make. These large, spectacular events went hand in hand with the fast industrial expansion in Europe. After the first world exhibition in London in 1851, Vienna followed in 1873 and Paris was next in 1889.
The display of goods, buildings and inventions were a kind of directory of the future, and some times unusual edifices left as monuments for the exhibitions, like for instance the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
Also the North was seized with exhibition ardour and in the Sound region you could experience the so-called Industry and Art Exhibition in Copenhagen in 1872 and 1888. In Helsingborg Oscar II opened an Industry and Art Exhibition in June 1903 and at the same time opened the terrace stairs under Kärnan. Lund invited to an exhibition in 1907, where most of the town park was laid out.
The Industrial Exhibition in Helsingborg |
The Sound and the Baltic
The big Baltic exhibition in Malmo in 1914 received the greatest attention. Exhibitors from Denmark, Germany, Russia and Sweden were to demonstrate what industry and culture in these countries could offer. The exhibition should illustrate, what the countries around the Baltic Sea had in common. South-western Scania expected to have great significance as a centre in the Baltic region, which was expected to be established after the fast development of the ferry service between Malmo and Copenhagen and the train ferry connection from Trelleborg to Germany.
Trelleborg to Germany.The Sound Junction
When it came to traffic Scania had landed between Denmark and Eastern Europe. The Southern Sound had become a real centre of passenger traffic, and it was not only local transports. Copenhagen developed into and important harbour for shipping to USA. Many emigrants left, but also emigrants´ relatives left to visit. Many earlier emigrants returned to Scandinavia and Copenhagen and Malmo
The Baltic Exhibtion in 1914
The interest for the exhibition was great in the whole region. Ferdinand Boberg, the great architect of Art Nouveau in Sweden, was the man behind the style of the exhibition buildings. Swedish companies dominated the industrial part, but Danish and German industries were also richly represented.
But it was difficult to attract a large number of Russian exhibitors. However, it was easier to exhibit a fine Russian art collection. Many of the Russian art objects stayed after the exhibition. In the turbulence that the world war and the Russian Revolution had created, they were never sent back and this is why Malmo Museum has and interesting section of Russian art.
The Baltic Exhibition in Malmo 1914 | 
Mikhail Terestjenko | 
The Roller Coaster |
The War Comes
In the middle of the exhibition the First World War broke out, which meant that Russians and Germans became enemies. Exhibited German cars were called home, people became nervous and the number of visitors fell. It was a rude awakening from the dreams of a Baltic region. The Swedish journalist and author, Jan Olof Olsson described the end of the exhibition:
“During the Baltic exhibition the world war broke out – the Scanian summer festival was changed into catastrophe. There was much symbolism in the mark of the exhibition, the world’s tallest tree tower collapsed during a storm.”
Newsreading Guests |
The Men of Industry
| | In the childhood of industry around 1900 the chemists G.A.Hagemann, Denmark and J. Dunker, Sweden are both some of the most outstanding industrial magnates in the Sound Region.
G.A.Hagemann is to be seen on the balcony at the top of Krøyer’s painting from 1904.
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G.A.Hagemann
| | G.A.Hagemann (1842-1916), Danish chemistry engineer and one of the greatest and most creative industrialists in the Sound region. He invested heavily in Denmark as well as Scania. For example Borupgård in Snekkersten and Bergsjöholm at Ystad. |
Pioneer for the Chemical Industry in Denmark
Gustav Adolph Hagemann, (1842-1916), Danish chemistry engineer and industrialist, manager of the Technological College, co-owner of Øresunds Chemiske Fabriker, chairman of the board in Burmeister & Wain and De Danske Sukkerfabrikker and through 20 years a member of Copenhagen´s city council.
Hagemann was, as indicated, one of the most prominent and important industrialists in Denmark at the beginning of the 20th century. From his winter residence in Copenhagen and his summer residence in Borupgaard in Snekkersten he was instrumental in implementing and organizing a number of the largest companies and education institutions in Denmark.
A quick examination of the life of Hagemann will give some clue to the industrial evolution of the period and natural science´s importance in this process.
G.A.Hagemann 1912 |
Chemistry – a Useful Science
Chemistry played an important part in the form of practical results, which quickly and with a profit could be transferred to the industry.
These were the manufacture of such diverse things as soda, potash, chlorine, fertilizer, explosives, cement, soap, beer, alcohol, medicine, colours, butter and cheese. And Hagemann knew what he was doing. He was involved in almost everything.
The Cryolit Factory Øresund
In Vestre Churchyard in Copenhagen you´ll find G.A. Hagemann´s grave from 1916, which is ornamented with a menhir of cryolite. And this is no coincidence.
In 1864 the chemistry student Hagemann arrived at the Cryolit Factory Øresund and after his exam in 1865 the factory sent him to the US to inspect til cryolit deliveries to Pensylvania Salt. After having rebuilt this factory he started his own manufacture of bromine. An initiative, which helped found his significant capital.
The Cryolit Factory Øresund used cryolit from Greenland for the manufacture of soda after a method invented and patented by Julius Thomsen. Soda was a very important product, which was used for the manufacture of soap, glass and a number of chemical substances. The soda manufacture was one of the largest and most important chemical industries, built on a solid knowledge of chemical theory and called for a scientific basic research.
In 1869 “Øresund” was, through the industrialist C. F. Tietgen, the empire builder of the 19th century, sold to two young chemistry engineers, Vilhelm Jørgensen and G. A. Hagemann. In 1870 the factory manufactured 1.930 tons of cryolit soda. However, Thomsen´s method was too expensive and in time was replaced by more profitable methods. The manufacture of cryolit soda ended in 1895.
Julius Thomsen1826-1909 | 
C.F. Tietgen | 
G.A.Hagemann, stud. polyt. |
De Danske Sukkerfabrikker)( The Danish Sugar Factories)
In 1872 Tietgen founded De danske Sukkerfabrikker. Tietgen wanted at this time to tie the gifted and enterprising engineer to his network, and Hagemann became head chemist, a sort of technical manager for the company. And it was here that Hagemann´s technical genius flourished. His method of manufacturing of soft brown sugar is one example. In the period 1915-1918 43 millions kilos was produced. Tietgen said: "a mighty lever for the increase of sugar production".
In 1897 Hagemann retired as manager of the factory, but he remained chairman of the board and continued for many years to experiment with sugar production. Among other things, because of his interest and experience with sugar production in the Danish West-Indian Islands.
In today’s Denmark the company is part of the country’s largest foods company: Danisco.
Hagemann in the West-indian Islands
In G.A. Hagemann´s lifetime Denmark was still a traditional colonial power. The West-Indian Island belonged to Denmark at the time. In connection with sugar cane production Hagemann bought a number of plantations in St. Croix in 1894. In spite of extensive rationalisations and improvements in production methods it was not an absolute success for Hagemann. Unrest in the population because of the social conditions and a general wish to break away from Denmark in favour of the US meant that Hagemann shortly before his death also came to the conclusion that Denmark should leave the islands to the US. This happened in 1917.
The Technological College
The Technological College in Copenhagen was founded in 1829 with the main emphasis on physics, mathematics and chemistry, where H.C.Ørsted for many years held the chair in physics. The lessons and the research, however, were very theoetical, which was mostly due to the modest size of the Danish industry. New technical subjects, which benefited the trades and industries, had a hard time gaining footage.
It gained sped when Julius Thomsen became manager in 1883 and when he retired in 1902; it was his friend G.A. Hagemann, who took over. Hagemann hired teachers and established facilities for electronics, which held his interest.
When he retired in 1912 the teaching staff had doubled its size and every year the number of engineers had increased markedly.
H.C. Ørsted 1777-1851 |
The G.A. Hagemann Hall of Residence
From the beginning of his period as manager Hagemann was aware of the straitened circumstances of the students. To start with he gave the lesser fortuned students gifts and student loans out of his own pocket. The student loans were honour loans, but unfortunately he had to tighten it legally as some of the students had antoher understanding of the honour concept.
In 1908 Hagemann decided to establish a hall of residence for his students in in Kristianiagade in Østerbro. The hall of residence was the most liberal-minded of the day with an extensive participation in decision making for the residents and it was the first in Denmark, where female students were allowed to live.
With his usual energy Hagemann overlooked the building and the furnishing and left his stamp on it.
G.A.Hagemanns Hall of Residence | 
Hagemann Is Congratulated |
Ship Building, Beer production and the Finsen Institute
G.A. Hagemann´s technical knowledge and organization talent made him a coveted person in a large number of companies. Often as managing director or chairman of the boards. Notably in industrial giants like, Burmeister and Wain (ship building) and Tuborg (beer).
Hagemann also found time to occupy himself with the health issues of the day. Thus Hagemann was behind Niels Finsen´s Institute for light treatment. He funded Niels Finsen from the start and through his large network he also found alternative funding for Finsen.
Finsen 1860 - 1904 |
The Men of Industry
In February of 1904 the well-known painter P. S. Krøyer finished a group portrait of a number of leading industrialists. The painting was commissioned by G. A. Hagemann.
The motif was 53 industrialists, suåpposedly invited to participate in a guidede tour of Denmark´s largest electricity works, Østre Elektricitetsværk in Copenhagen. However, this event never took place!
A closer analysis shows that not everybody in the painting are industrialists, but the painting shows a powerful network among the leading technicians in the private industry, in the Technological College and in the municipal and governmental administration; a network, which has played an important part in the design of the Danish industrial society of the 20th century. Hagemann decided, who should be in the painting
The Men of Industry |
Summer Residents and Borupgaard
G.A. Hagemann and his family lived in luxurious surroundings in different places in Copenhagen. In the course of the 19th century it became normal for the upper classes of Copenhagen to go north with their families in the summer months. Hagemann embraced this lifestyle early and for many years spent his summers in the villa, "Øresundshøj" on Søbakken in Skovshoved.
In 1899 Hagemann bought the large estate, Borupgaard in Snekkersten close to Elsinore and from 1900 the family spent their summers there in rural surroundings. A few times a week he took the train to his office in Copenhagen, but his time on the estate was not idle.
Born on a manor in Jutland, Hagemann was very interested in agriculture. Thus he was one of the first to invest in a motor plough and with his skilled manager of the estate he established a model holding with Jersey cows. His inventive spirit was spent on a large poultry holding. The hens were his passion and with a number of intricate methods, he made the egg production effective.
Borupgaard | 
G.A.Hagemann | 
The Wife of G.A. Hagemanns |
Hagemann in Scania
Among friends Hagemann is supposed to have said: We can just buy Scania back! However it is documented that Hagemann bought Bergsjöholm in 1911 a few kilometres outside Ystad. The powerful Danish industrialist paid one million Danish kroner for the castle. The main building was built in 1850 in neo classicist style by the young Danish architect F. Meldal. But the original estate has a long and very dramatic story behind it.
Hagemann immediately started to improve the operations of the estate, but his main interest was the cosy rooms of Borupgaard, so he did not visit the large cold halls in the castle very often.
His oldest son did. He was also called G.A.Hagemann (!)and he made a number of modernisations. The family owned the castle until 1965.
Bjergsöholm 1911 | 
Bergsjöholm Castle 2005 |
Hagemann-Neighbourhood in Snekkersten and Elsinore
Today G.A. Hagemann and his important role in the industrial breakthrough in Denmark in the 1890´s and the beginning of the 20th century is not well-known. But if you take a walk in the parcelled land of the old Borupgaard, there are obvious traces in the road names of the residential neighbourhood. Here we find: G.A.Hagemannsvej, Mathilde Bruunsvej(the wife) Antonievej (the daughter) Sortevej, which is supposed to come from Antonie´s dog. And in the central corner at Snekkersten Station you can still see the old beautiful village hall, which the family donated to the old fishing village.
On the other side of the railroad tracks you will find K.A. Haselbalchsvej, Hagemann´s son in law, who as a doctor helped ease Hagemann´s death in 1916 in Borupgaard.
It should also be mentioned that the maternity home, Antoniehus in Elsinore is named after Hagemann´s daughter, Antonie, married name Hasselbalck. Thus: In 1944 "Selskabet for Mødre- og Børnehjælpen i Helsingør" received a gift of 150.000 kr. from lab manager, doctor of medicine Karl Albert Hasselbalch and his wife Antonie for the establishing of a maternity home for mothers in Elsinore and Tikøb municipality. Around the middle of the 1970´s the popular maternity home was made into youth homes.
Until the 1970´s you could see the family´s characteristic bathing hut with a viking ship on the roof on top of Snekkersten Stationsvej on the coastal road. Today there is an impressive view of the Sound and Helsingborg from there.
Borupgaard´s Bathing House |
Dunker
| | Dunker, the family that founded and developed the Tretorn-empire, came to Helsingborg from Denmark.
A new method to process raw rubber into a material, which was soft, waterproof and durable, gave opportunities for exploiting rubber industrially, for instance to produce galoshes, rubber shoes and other kinds of modern goods of quality.
“The rubber age” had arrived to the Sound. It turned out to be a fortune for the Dunker family, but later on also for the cultural life of the region. |
The Galosh King
Dunker, the family that founded and developed the Tretorn-empire, came to Helsingborg from Denmark.
A new method to process raw rubber into a material, which was soft, waterproof and durable, gave opportunities for exploiting rubber industrially, for instance to produce galoshes, rubber shoes and other kinds of modern goods of quality.
“The rubber age” had arrived to the Sound. It turned out to be a fortune for the Dunker family, but later on also for the cultural life of the region.
The Rubber Age
Rubber had been used for a long time and it worked very well – as india rubber. The American Charles Goodyear discovered a method, which opened up for completely different possibilities for the utilization of rubber in 1839. He had succeeded in processing raw rubber into a material, which was soft, waterproof and durable. The method was called retreading , and was, technically the heating of a mixture of caoutchouc and sulphur.
This method gave completely new opportunities for exploiting rubber industrially.
One idea, among many others, was to produce a protecting shoe, which was to worn on elegant shoes when it rained. The galosh, the French name for overshoes, was born. The winters by the Sound would now be bearable with the new wind- and waterproof shoes. Galoshes became extremely popular and were manufactured all over the world. Sweden imported the new idea from Russia.
Johan Dunker – the Beginning
In Helsingborg there was a harbour master called Johan Dunker. He was originally from Schlesvig-Holstein. The Dunker family lived in Esbjerg, when the son, Henry, was born in 1870. Johan, who was active in the Helsingborg economic life, understood that the demand for rubber would increase. With the optimism for the future of the age in mind, he built a rubber factory in the expanding Helsingborg. With the support of Petter Olsson, among others, he founded Helsingborgs Rubber Factory Inc. in 1891.
Johan Dunker |
Henry Dunker – a Man for Development
Johan Dunker´s son, Henry, went to Russia to find know how for his new factory. In St. Petersborg he did not have much luck, but in Riga, which belonged to Russia at the time, he came into contact with a chemist, who was interested in developing the factory in Helsingborg. His name was Julius von Gerkan and he was instrumental, when it came to the quality of the Helsingborg galoshes.
Henry Dunker became a sub-manager in 1984 and after some troubles in the beginning the factory expanded. He worked for his position in relation to other rubber factories. Thus he took over the rubber factory, Velox, in Trelleborg of founded Trelleborg´s rubber factory in 1905, which became a part of Dunker´s expanding empire. One of his ideas was to start his own sales offices, and thus avoid selling via wholesale dealers. In that way he could gain control over a bigger part of the chain from producer to consumer.
Sales offices opened between 1910-20 in all parts of Sweden, but also abroad, for instance in Copenhagen in 1909, Berlin in 913 and Vienna in 1913. Not only the company expanded but also the range of goods. What began with galoshes and other kinds of rubber shoes, now continued with balls, bathing caps and tyres. Henry Dunker realized the value of specialisation and moved the production of tyres to Trelleborg.
Henry Dunker |
Cartel and Group
In order to obtain a better competition situation abroad and avoid competition in the home market, he established a cartel in 1912. The result was that the prices could be raised in Sweden and lowered abroad, which resulted in a higher profit.
During the depression of the 30´s many states wanted to protect their own production by way of customs duties and import prohibition. Henry Dunker built factories in Hamburg and Elsinore and could maintain production and sale in Germany and Denmark. The factory in Elsinore, which was founded in 1935, grew steadily and at the end of the 50´s it was the second largest place of work in the town with more than one thousand employees. The old “Helsingborg Rubber Factory Inc.” had grown into a multinational group and the company had changed its name into Tretorn Inc., in order to get rid of the provincial ring of the old name.
Tretorn Factory in Elsinore | 
Tretorn poster from 1939 |
The Richest Man in Sweden
The demand for rubber products was enormous. From being used only as india rubber, the range of goods grew via rubber shoes to tyres, bicycle tyres, rain clothes, balls, gym shoes, rubber bands, weather strips - the list was almost endless, and the 30´s and 40´s were rightly called “the rubber age”. The fruits of this success made “the galosh king”, Henry Dunker to the richest man in Sweden.
Henry Dunker´s villa, ”Hevea”, which was built in the 20´s in northern Helsingborg, gives an insight to the environment of the well-to-do.
Villa Hevea | 
The Working Class District | 
Shower Room |
Dunker, the Employer
The management skills of Henry Dunker can be described as tough on the tough, but somewhat softer on the weak. The higher the position in the company, the more Dunker demanded. He was no friend of unions and strikes either, and naturally he did not engage himself in big business in order to play the part of the benefactor.
When he established a private kindergarten in 1911, it was in order to employ more women. In the 1930´s most of the employees in the company in Helsingborg were women.
The Unions | 
The Nursery |
The Municipality as Heir
From time to time Dunker displayed good will and released somebody from debt, but that was only his own workers. The staff in his villa, Hevea, liked him.
Dunker´s fortune was, at his death, willed to the Helsingborg municipality and his villa was made into a nursing home. In that way his money was given back to the people in town. Without these means it would not have been possible for Helsingborg to offer its citizens the theatre and arts centre, which now adorns the town. However, one should not forget the thousands of people who worked and slaved in dirty and evil-smelling factories.
Dunker´s Arts Centre |
The First World War
| | During the First World War the Nordic countries succeeded in staying neutral, but the warring countries made demands on the mining of the Sound. It was also possible to co-ordinate the foreign policy during the war, but afterwards there was much disagreement about the continuation of the policy of neutrality and the foreign policy collaboration. |
During the First World War the Nordic countries succeeded in staying neutral, but the warring countries made demands on the mining of the Sound. It was also possible to co-ordinate the foreign policy during the war, but afterwards there was much disagreement about the continuation of the policy of neutrality and the foreign policy collaboration.
A Neutral Skandinavia
At the outbreak of the war Denmark, Norway and Sweden declared themselves neutral in to the two big power blocks. This was partly the result of a diplomatic cooperation, which took place before the outbreak of war. As early as 1909 and 1910 joint neutrality initiatives were negotiated, and an agreement was reached in 1912. The Scandinavians´ neutrality declaration was thus well prepared and the three countries protested jointly against the English perception that all of the North Sea was to be considered war area, as well as the Germans´ mine blocade of the SOund and the Belts.
The Mining of the Sound |
The Malmo Meeting
In order to strengthen the joint Nordic policy the three Scandinavian kings met at the so-called Three Kings´ Meeting with their foreign ministers in Malmo on December 18th and 19th in 1914. Malmo´s possibilities of arranging this kind of summit was at this point very limited, but with a bit of good will it was possible for the participants to be accommodated. King Christian lived at Herslow, Haakon at the widow Kockum and Gustav at the county mayor, while the foreign ministers Scavenius, Ihlen and Wallenberg lived at Hotel Kramer.
Behind a splendid setting of student singers from Lund, the waving from balconies, visits to museums and churches, the diplomatic work was in progress. The result of the meeting was a new good will for increased Scandinavian cooperation. It was obvious that the wounds from Denmark´s loss at the German border, and Norway´s liberation from Sweden, had now healed. Hjalmar Bratning wrote in his newspaper that you could now get a glimpse of “The United States of the North, being formed under free circumstances”.
Three Nordic Kings 1914 | 
Three Bareheaded Kings | 
Drawing of The Monarchs |
The Scandinavism Is Revived
The meeting had evidently reawakened certain Scandinavistic hopes and it was followed by more Inter Scandinavistic gatherings. In Copenhagen the prime ministers and the foreign ministers gathered in March 1916 and in Kristiania (Oslo) a ministers´ meeting was held in September that same year. All three countries had problems with violations, done by the warring countries against the neutral. Especially problematic was the question of access to the Baltic. Here Denmark as well as Sweden landed in diplomatic difficulties.
The Mining of the Sound
Germany had free passage between the North Sea and the Baltic via the Kieler Channel, but naturally they did not want England to have the same opportunity for access to the Baltic. Therefore the Germans demanded that the belts were to be blocked by mines.
The neutrality declaration form the Scandinavian countries meant that none of the sides were to be given any advantages. The Danes, who were dependent on the English, landed in a difficult situation. If the Danes refused the German demand, the Germans would mine the belts anyhow, and then there was only one thing left for the Danes to do and that was to attack Germany, which was completely hopeless. Denmark also wanted to secure its domestic navigation and in the final end, they decided to close off the belts.
German Pressure
The Swedish government refused the German demand for the mining of the Swedish side of the Sound, but accepted to turn off all lighthouses and light buoys in the Sound in order to make passage difficult. The Germans closed off international waters south of the Sound in order to limit access further, but there was another fairway, close to Skanör, where vessels could pass. The Germans now demanded that this fairway should be mined and the Swedes gave in in the summer of 1916. The Baltic was thus completely closed off for English vessels and almost 100 English ships were closed in in the Baltic. Only one mine free passage was left, and Swedish war ships, which were to ensure that only Swedish ships passed, guarded it.
Pro-German Neutrality
The German fleet thus dominated the area. It had great significance for the Swedish decision that Gustav V´s queen, Victoria, had influenced the king in a pro-German direction. This was also the case with Prime Minister Hammarskjöld´s perception of the character of neutrality. He had promised Berlin that Sweden would maintain a “favourable neutrality”, while the allied had been informed of a “strict Swedish neutrality”.
The Germans tried several times to get Sweden involved in the war. Prince Max of Baden, who was related to the Swedish Queen Viktoria, took an active part in these pressure attempts. The royal couple were interested, but the government was mutually disagreeing. Foreign minister Wallenberg wanted to show more sympathy towards England and the Socialist opposition, lead by Branting, demanded strict neutrality, also towards Germany.
Sweden on the German Side
The Swedish government´s relationship to Great Britain was tense, even tenser than the relationship between Denmark and Great Britain. The Danish government had made an agreement with Great Britain about the import of goods, against the Danish guaranty that they would not be resold to Germany. The Swedish prime minister refused a similar agreement and therefore Sweden was hit by a severe shortage of goods. The shortage was especially serious in the winter of 1916-17, when Hammarskjöld received the nickname “Hungerskjöld”.
The relationship between the allied and Sweden became even more strained, when it was clear that the Swedish government had helped the Germans with the conveyance of cipher telegrams form the German government to German interests, via the Swedish foreign department. Even before this scandal was exposed a government crisis had forced the Swedish government to resign, and a conservative government took over. It held the power from March to September 1917. Then the Left won the election to the parliament’s second chamber, and a new government led by Nils Edén took over with Hjalmar Branting as minister of finance. It was a coalition government between Social Democrats and Liberals.
Scandinavia Under Economical Pressure
The total German submarine war hit both the Danish and Swedish merchant navy. When The United States entered the war in 1917, England had supplies with the help of the Americans. Convoys escorted the transports across the Atlantic and England was no more dependant on supplies from Denmark and Sweden. This threatened the Danish and Swedish economy perceptibly. The English anger at the Danish and Swedish indulgence of the Germans became expensive for the Scandinavians. Furthermore the total submarine war brought with it that the transport of goods was difficult.
All this led to the reopening of the Kogrund fairway in 1918. However, the reduced trade with the big powers in Europe led to an increase in trade between the Nordic countries. The new Swedish government worked hard to improve relations with the allied. The efforts were not entirely fruitless, first and foremost thanks to the Swedish chief negotiator, Marcus Wallenberg´s friendly relations with the British blockade minister
Normalization
At the end of the war in November 1918 the trade started up again. However, the lack of raw materials was great and prices rose. This led to further demands for increased wages, and a series of strikes and violent demonstrations occurred, especially in Copenhagen. But Denmark and Sweden had gotten off cheaply from the First World War. The Nordic countries developed into stable democracies and woman suffrage was introduced all over the North.
The contacts between the European states were revived; the growing air transport diminished the distances and arms reduction negotiations and the League of Nations gave hopes for a bright future.
If the relationship between the three Nordic states immediately after the dissolution of the union between Sweden and Norway in 1905 had been somewhat strained, the experience from the neutrality policy resulted in a certain common platform, even though circles in Denmark had been anxiously about the Swedish-German rapprochement.
Arms Reduction and Rearmament
In Denmark the arms reduction policy became the foundation stone in the government coalition between the Social Democratic Party and the Social Liberal Party, who formed a government firstly in 1924-26 and again from 1929 to the occupation of Denmark in 1940. The relationship with Germany became the decisive factor. Could and should they resist if a big power attacked Denmark? The Social Liberals maintained that it was useless, but in the Social Democratic Party there was an increasing resistance to the arms reduction. A defence settlement between the two parties in 1937 resulted in an increase of the defence budget.
Watchdog of the North:
The Watchdog of the North
That same year a debate of a joint Nordic defence federation to the preservation of neutrality was started. In Sweden wide circles looked at a threat against Denmark and Finland as synonymous with a threat against Sweden and they started a heavy armament, which also found its way as an argument in the Danish debate. However, it was a fact that the governments of the other countries found it much to risky to enter into a defence federation with Denmark, who was so close to an obvious aggressive Germany.
The Danish Prime Minister Thorvald Stauning was clearly annoyed by the debate and in a speech in Lund in March 1937 he reacted in strong terms and rejected the role as the
“I have heard the argument that Norway, Sweden and Finland would feel insecure if Denmark does not establish a defence at the Danish southern border, a defence, which Sweden can approve of. Is this not a dangerous consideration? I do not think that any responsible man would support this. Has Denmark been given the task as watchdog or some other guard duty on behalf of the North? To my knowledge no such deal has been negotiated. From history we know that it was a widespread belief in 1864 that Swedish troops would come to Denmark´s rescue in the enforced war. Naturally nobody came”.
Thorvald Stauning |
The Aeroplane
| | If the 1800´s was the century of the steamship and the railway, the aeroplane became the icon of the first part of the 20th century. In the Sound region it already started in 1906 with Ellehammer´s famous flight, in 1910 the Sound was crossed in aeroplane and the development of aeroplane types and airports picked up speed on both sides of the Sound. |
If the 1800´s was the century of the steamship and the railway, the aeroplane became the icon of the first part of the 20th century. In the Sound region it already started in 1906 with Ellehammer´s famous flight, in 1910 the Sound was crossed in aeroplane and the development of aeroplane types and airports picked up speed on both sides of the Sound.
From Steam to Plane
Steam ships and railways had revolutionized the communications in the 19th century and in the Sound region the new transportation systems became very important. The North Railway/Coast Railway in Zealand and the Main Railway (West Coast Railway in Scania were tied together with the train ferry connection between Helsingborg and Elsinore.
Another invention helped revolutionize the communications of the 20th century. The internal combustion engine did not only make motoring possible, but also a new collective means of transport – the air transport. The light internal-combustion engine could be used in aircrafts. But the road to the collective air transport was complicated and fantastic.
Ellehammer – The First in the North
The American Wright was the first to really take off from the surface of the earth in December 1903, but as early as three years later, September 12th 1906, the Dane, Ellehammer, flew ca.42 metres ca. 30 centimetres above the ground. In 1912 he constructed a helicopter, but in 1916 he crashed and did not revive his interest in aviation until the 1930´s, where he took part in the planning of Kastrup Airport, which opened in 1925.
Ellehammer´s Aeroplane | 
Ellehammer Flying |
The Sound in the Centre
In Europe France became the centre of aviation and enthusiasts form all over came to learn. Perhaps the temptation was the adventure, the venture or the joy of the novelty, but also the enormous attention, which the pilots were granted. Air shows gathered huge crowds, the pilots were considered heroes and was worshipped like idols. In Stockholm the “aviation Baron”, Carl Cederström was constantly cheered, but it was in Scania and Denmark that the aeroplane first took hold.
As early as 1909 the Dane Folmer Hansen tried to fly from Sofiro North of Helsingborg in Scania to Marienlyst outside Elsinore, but he had to cancel because of bad weather. In 1910 a price of 5.000 kroner was offered to the one, who could cross the Sound first. Carl Cederström loaded his aeroplane on to a goods wagon for Copenhagen in order to take this price. But a Danish aviator, Svendsen, came first, when he flew from Copenhagen to Malmo July 17th, 1910. Carl Cederström first crossed the Sound August 24th, 1910.
The Sandfangeren in Stockholm |
The First Swedish Aeroplane
In Stockholm the Swedish Aeronautic Society (SAS) arranged aviation weeks in the autumn of 1910. As usual big crowds gathered to get a glimpse of the aviator idols, especially Carl Cederström. But the big sensation came from the Sound region. Two aviator enthusiasts and engineers from Landskrona, Oscar Ask and Hjalmar Nyrop, who already in April had displayed the first Swedish built aeroplane on the City Hotel in Landskrona.
The aeroplane only had one problem. It could not fly very far and it hopped more than it flew. Nyrop and Ask had collegial difficulties and split up Nyrop continued his work with improving the machine and replaced the two-cylindered boxer motor with a three-cylindered fan engine. The test flights in Ljungbyhed, the first airport in Sweden, were not very promising and the aeroplane was called the grasshopper.
In the beginning of September 1910 he finally succeeded in getting the aeroplane in the air. It was the first time a Swedish aeroplane flew – and stayed in the air for almost five minutes.
The First Swedish Aeroplane | 
The News in a Hotel |
Danish-Scanian Cooperation
It was this Ask-Nyrop aeroplane, which was presented in Stockholm. The Scanian, Oscar Ask and the Danish descendant, Hjalmar Nyrop constructed the engine and the plane´s pilot was the Dane Knud Thorup. The presentation of the first functioning Swedish aeroplane was an example of Scanian-Danish cooperation.
After a crash Nyrop gave up his work with aeroplanes, but Ask developed his company in Landskrona further and built more planes, until he joined forces with Enoch Thulin, who became a giant in early Scandinavian aviation industry.
Thulin, the Pioneer
The Scanian Thulin started as early as 1908 to study aviation technique and the art of aviation in France and in 1912 in Lund he defended his thesis, “On Air Resistance in Flat Surfaces”. September 24th 1913 he became the first to fly across and back the Baltic, when he flew the distance Landskrona-Stralsund-Trelleborg. In 1914 he flew the distance Paris-Landskrona.
Thulin managed to get through hundreds of spectacular aviation shows and he built Scandinavia´s first real aviation industry in Landskrona, AB Enoch Thulin´s Aeroplane Factory, a further development of the company he ran earlier with Oscar Ask.
Enoch Thulin | 
Thulin-Plane |
Aviation Industry in Landskrona
During the First World War Thulin´s aviation factory grew and before long it had one thousand employees. 99 aeroplanes were built, almost 600 aviation engines and also 300 cars. Thulin was very popular among his employees. He was a scientist, constructor, manufacturer and aviator. The aeroplanes were built as light as possible. They consisted of light tree constructions covered with heavy canvas, and the landing wheels looked like bicycle wheels.
Aviation School in Ljungbyhed
Thulin started an aviation school in Ljungbyhed in 1915, which quickly became a centre for a pilot education. In the school Thulin used aeroplanes from his factory in Landskrona. In the beginning of the 1920´s they had educated more than 100 pilots. Among them the first Swedish woman pilot, Elsa Andersson. She was the daughter of a farmer in Strövelstorp between Helsingborg and Ängelholm and a strange woman of her time. She was also a parachutist. After some successful show jumps in Kristianstad and Helsingborg, she plunged to the ground in Askersund and died.
Thulin´s Aviation School | 
Elsa Andersson |
Thulin Dies
Thulin died in 1919 during a flight at Landskrona. After his death the factory in Landskrona was forced to close down. It had become mush too difficult to compete with the many manufacturers around the world. Moreover the demand decreased after the world war and the subsequent arms reduction efforts. The aviation industry in all of Europe decreased and there was not yet any civilian aviation traffic, which needed aeroplanes. The aviation school in Ljungbyhed closed too, but was reopened in 1926 as the air force´s own aviation school.
Post and Passenger Traffic
In the 20´s the aviation traffic developed into also to include transport of post and passengers. In Denmark the Danish Airline Company (DDL) had gone into regular air traffic. A number of airline companies in Europe, among them the Danish DDL and the Swedish SLA (Swedish Air Traffic AB), founded the International Air Traffic Association (IATA). DDl and the German, Deutsche Luftrederei (DL) started a co-operation in 1920 on the line Copenhagen – Malmo – Warnemünde – Berlin. German passenger planes were used and among the pilots were Hermann Göring, who in this way came in contact with Scandinavia.
Airports and Traffic Planes
The airports either lay in the sea (aeroport) or on land (aerodrom). The aerodromes were large grass fields. Enoch Thulin carried out a campaign as early as 1914 to get the authorities to lay out private airfields. In Scania Bulltofta Airport was opened in 1924 and thus became Sweden´s first airport for regular traffic. For a long time it was Sweden´s most important international airport, until Bromma in Stockholm was opened for traffic in 1936. In the 30´s concrete fields were laid out, which made traffic with bigger aeroplanes possible.
By means of the air traffic the Sound region was tied together early with other regions in Europe. Kastrup Airport was opened in 1925 and quickly became Scandinavia´s centre of international air traffic. An airline connection shuttling between Bulltofta and Kastrup made it possible for the Scanians to reach the whole world via Kastrup.
After the opening of Sturup Airport in the beginning of the 1970´s the shuttle service was abolished and replaced by the hydrofoil boats between Malmo and Kastrup. It also ended with the opening of the Sound Bridge, which turned Kastrup into a joint Danish-Swedish airport in line with the collaboration, which marked the infancy of aviation in the Sound region.
Bulltofta Airfield | 
Kastrup Airport |
The Dream of Community
| | The establishment of large industrial places of work in the Sound Region created the foundation for a strong workers’ movement, which attained a great economic and social influence.
In the neighbouring cities of Elsinore and Helsingborg the mayors belonged to the social democratic parties.
In Elsinore this had a great importance for social- and housing policies. |
Elsinore - on the way towards the Welfare State
| | From 1919-1946 the dynamic mayor Peder Christensen was the leading force behind the attempt to turn Elsinore into a Social Democratic model municipality. Similar efforts took place in several Danish municipalities in accordance with the socialist ideas of the time.
In present time Elsinore you can still see the results of this. Primarily in the extensive council housing estates which were started then. |
Elsinore – community spirit and solidarity
Seen from a contemporary perspective the period 1900-40 is remarkable because of a stubborn determination to insist on a collective and solidarity based outlook on life. The flight from the country into the towns, and the violent attack by the industrial society on the cultural and mental position of the rural workers, made these first generation industrial workers get together to maintain the feeling of community which had existed within the former agricultural culture.
For the labour movement the crucial efforts therefore became the gathering of the unions into a communal organization, the development of cooperative enterprises plus a direct political influence within the state and municipalities.
The fundamental idea behind this came to Denmark from abroad.At an international congress in Paris in the year 1900 the Social Democrats from all over Western Europe decided that socialism was to be introduced gradually via the municipalities. Opposite Sweden Denmark had a decentralized state government and a number of municipalities in Denmark therefore made an effort to live up to the recommendation from the congress to introduce the so-called municipal socialism. Thus also in Elsinore.
Blacksmiths |
Elsinore Iron Ship and Engine Building
Elsinore Shipyard from 1882 ushered in the industrialization of Elsinore. It quickly became the city´s largest employer unconditionally: From the outset, there were approx. 700 employees, in 1907 ca.1000, in 1932 approx. 1300 and in 1957 approximately 3600. It was from here that the co-operation and many of the city council members and mayors were recruited. First and foremost, shop stewards of the large Black-smiths and Operator Union.
In periods the shipyard employed both Swedish and German blacksmiths, and from 1920, there was a a good contact between the Elsinore smiths and smiths in Helsingborg. In 1930 there were alternately trips across the Sound-for both members and companions! The gregarious element was therefore quite large. But one of the largest excursions was, however, during the great lockout in 1936, when several hundred members from Elsinore were invited to the celebration and moral support from the Swedish colleagues in the People’s House in Helsingborg.
The shipyard hooter | 
Elsinore shipyard 1929 | 
The shipyard blacksmiths | 
Elsinore 1935 |
Municipal socialism
Municipal socialism was not implemented anywhere in Denmark but the labour movement became the frontrunner during the inter-war period in what after WWII was called the Welfare State. A state in which the local authorities, among other things via taxes, took responsibility for the whole population to a much higher degree than before.
In Elsinore this took place in a complicated interaction between the Communal Organization, the Co-operation and the Town Council.
The Communal Organization
On a national basis the Communal Organization was an organ for co-operation between the various trade unions in the individual towns in Denmark. A powerful organ which got a foothold at the Gothenburg Conference between the Nordic Social Democratic parties in 1886.
The main organization in Denmark gained an important influence in the 20th century when later like in Sweden it got the name “Landsorganisationen” (The Federation of Danish trade unions). Now just LO (TUC). The purpose was to promote the common interests of the workers within the unions as well as organizationally and culturally.
In Elsinore the local branch of the Communal Organization was formed in 1888 and became an important agent in the dominance which the Social Democratic Party was to exert in the town during the next century.
The headquarters were established the following year in the cultural stronghold of the movement, the People’s House in Søstræde. Among other things it was also from here that the establishment of a number of co-operative enterprises were organized.
The motive power behind this was the manager from 1907, the trade union chairman Peder Christensen. And from 1919 the political influence of the organization was established by the fact that Peder Christensen became the first popularly elected mayor in Elsinore. A mayor whose life blood was the co-operative idea.
The People´s House | 
The trade union |
The co-operation - the third chord in the labour movement
The co-operative idea was an internationally discussed one – namely that the workers by producing, purchasing and distributing together various goods and services could have their daily needs covered. In Denmark the idea had been found very satisfactory and at the Congress of the Social Democratic Party in 1908 it was made clear that the co-operation was considered the third chord in the labour movement – next to the trade union movement and the party.
Up until WWI a number of trade co-operations were now established, and besides the housing co-operation was established, too. In a historical perspective it is obvious that it is within the main areas of the agricultural production: milk, bread and the heating of houses that the idea of co-operation was most successful. Perhaps not so strange since it was here the new first generation industrial workers came from. They possessed the skills.
The co-operation grew to play an important part in the childhood of the workers’ movement, but after WWII the co-operative enterprises were gradually driven out of competition by national and international Big Business.
But in Elsinore of that time like in Copenhagen it was the establishment of the Workers’ Co-operative Bakery that became the flagship of the co-operation in the local area.
Elsinore Co-operative Society
Elsinore Co-operative Society was originally founded by railway workers in 1904 under the name, the State Railway Joint Purchasing. From the beginning they were members of the Social Democratic-led FDB, but they also bought goods in private grocery wholesalers. In 1917 the name was changed to Elsinore Co-operative Society, and the following year the Co-op was established in 9, Fiolgade.
The main objective was to get good groceries at reasonable prices. This was to be done by avoiding some costly intermediaries. It is hard to overestimate the importance of this part of the work of the Co-operation. The entire period 1900-1940 were tough times for the working classes and even a few pennies saving of daily goods were important in the small budgets.
From a modest beginning The Co-operative Society developed gradually to become North Zealand´s largest retail business. In the interwar period there was thus established Co-operative Societies in the "Negro village" at Rosenkildevej (1923), Hamlet Vænge and at Esrumvej and Solbakken at Rønnebær Alle. Around 1960 the number had gradually grown to 13 stores, with 100 employees and 3000 members.
With the construction of Kvickly in Stjernegade in 1965 and Kvickly 2 in Prøvestenscenteret in 1979 the Co-operative Society cemented its significance for the city and its hinterland.
Elsinore Coop 1935 | 
The Co-op in the “Negro Village” |
The Co-operative Bakery
In the 1880’ties bread was the principal food of the working classes. In spite of the downward tendency of prices of grain the private bakers did not lower the prices and with falling real wages the workers in Copenhagen felt provoked to establish “The Workers’ Co-operative Bakery in Copenhagen”. In many ways this initiative became a success which spread to the whole country. During the nineteen hundreds many of the co-operative bakeries united into a community which was called the Rutana Union. During the 1900s the union factory in Copenhagen, Rutana, almost became synonymous with the idea of rye bread, which was sold under the same name in the local co-operative bakeries.
The success also spread to Elsinore where the Communal Organization also established a co-operative bakery around 20 years later.
Immediately after his nomination as manager of the Communal Organization Peder Christensen entered into negotiations with a privately owned bread factory in Elsinore and in 1907 the Workers’ Co-operative Bakery was a reality with financial backing from a number of members’ unions.
After that followed some rough years with price wars and competition from the bakers of the town, but around the outbreak of war in 1914 the bakery was an accepted, modern and well-consolidated enterprise with a number of bread shops and bakeries in the town. An enterprise which functioned up until the 1970’ties.
Elsinore co-operative bakery 1907 | 
”Kooperativa Bageriet” 1910 | 
The oven of the co-operative bakery |
The Town Council of Elsinore
Already from 1894 the Social Democratic Party had been well represented in the Town Council. And in 1919 the Social Democratic Party became so strong that the chairman of the Communal Organization, Peder Christensen, could be nominated as the first Town Council elected mayor of Elsinore. For the first time the Town Council now had an absolute majority of workers with 10 seats as against 9 non-socialists, including 2 from the Social Liberals. And with a Social Democratic mayor at the front.
During the next 25 years the mayor and the Social Democratic Town Council members became the locomotive in the efforts to get the municipality to give financial support and backing for the benefit of the common good. And it was needed. The model municipality were to give financial support during the following years to among other things:
- Housing for senior citizens
- Municipal housing, the garden cities
- Allotment gardens
- Public production enterprise, The glass works
- Harbour construction, Nordhavnen
- Day-care institutions, Mother and Baby help
From 1919 to 1943 the Social Democratic Party had absolute majority in Elsinore Municipality. For instance in 1938 they had 11 out 19 members. Here gathered at a party meeting with “King Peder” well-established at the end of the table.
Elsinore City Council 1938 |
Housing for Senior Citizens
In the Town Council the Social Democrats managed to get the municipality to purchase the entertainment park “Hammershøj” and convert it into an Old people’s home.
And with the newly elected mayor Peder Christensen as promoter the housing estate for senior citizens at Gurrevej was constructed 1919-21. It was the first independent municipal senior citizens’ housing estate in Denmark.
The former entertainment park “Hammershøj” was converted into “Elsinore Old People’s Home” in 1915.
The Senior Citizens’ Housing Estate at Gurrevej, which was constructed during the years 1918-21, is still a conspicuous edifice.
Hammershøj | 
The Foundation on Gurrevej |
Municipal Housing Policy
At the present time it is the state- and municipal initiatives of the period in the disastrous housing situation of that time which catch the eye. Among other things because the buildings still exist.
In a progressive way the workers’ movement left its stamp on municipal housing policy. In 1916 the Communal Union in Elsinore called on the Town Council to build “a suitable number of buildings in villa-style” in order to relieve the housing shortage in the town. There was great resistance from the non-socialist parties against involving the municipality in these plans, but the Social Democratic and the Social Liberals´ votes carried the motion. The municipality was able to sell a suitable plot at Esrumvej to a newly established housing society and along the way they could grant a contribution. And in 1917 the construction could commence. Along the way the economy went bust for the housing society so the result was that the municipality became the building owner and landlord.
The estate, “Hamlets Vænge”, was inspired both architecturally and with regard to town planning by the British garden cities which in those years popped up in parts of Europe. A type of housing which it is worth paying attention to.
The Garden Cities in Elsinore
One of the reformist thoughts which became important for urban development in Europe in the 20th century was the British idea of the “The Garden City””. It was supposed to be a completely new town. Preferably right outside the metropolis. It was supposed to unite the benefits of the big city: social life, jobs, institutions etc. with the benefits of the countryside: light and air, low dwellings with gardens and green areas.
The inspiration was to come from the old villages and the nationally domestic pre-industrial style of building.
Both during and after WWI this development took place in Denmark and the result was a number of garden cities with a distinctively Danish character. Especially inspired by the building style of Southern Jutland with Frisian attics and bay windows from Tønder. In Copenhagen you will find that Grøndalsvænge and Præstevangen are both good examples, and in Elsinore you can still enjoy the cultural gems Hamlets Vænge and “The Negro Village”.
Hamlets Vænge
Hamlets Vænge was constructed in 4 stages during the period 1917-1928. The estate, which was supported by the state, consists of 43 houses and the architect during the period 1917-1921 was Poul Holsøe ( 1873-1965) from Elsinore. He was also one of the architects behind Grøndalsvænge in Copenhagen and is almost as “Southern Jutlandish” in his style of building with various forms of bay windows. Common to the graceful houses are the red half-hipped roofs.
The houses were constructed around a common access, Hamlets Vænge, as detached and semidetached houses with comparatively small flats. But with common wash-basements and nice green common grounds around each house.
The substantial financial support given by Helsingør Skibsværft (shipyard) towards the expansion of the built-up area down towards Gl. Hellebækvej meant that these flats were mainly reserved for workers and employees from the shipyard.
Along Esrumvej
The last stage, the buildings along Esrumvej were designed by another architect from Elsinore, Karl Zandersen (1889-1973). Zandersen was locally famous for having designed a number of villas in Elsinore, but maybe mainly for his version of another contemporary beautiful garden city in Elsinore. “The Negro Village”. See below.
Karl Zandersen did not have the same financial means at his disposal at Esrumvej as Holsøe did and therefore he left out the bay windows. Neither did the finances allow for Holsøe’s more varied buildings, so all the houses were identical semidetached houses. Still the buildings possessed Zandersen’s characteristic solidly built quality houses. See for instance his own house at no 10, Møllebakken.
Poul Holsøe
(1873-1965) | 
Hamlets Vænge
Four stages | 
Hamlets Vænge 1920´ erne | 
Bay windows in Hamlets Vænge | 
Hamlets Vænge Esrumvej |
Hamlets Vænge 2009 | 
Hamlets Vænge 2009 | 
Hamlets Vænge 2009 |
The Negro Village
The Negro Village is from 1920-21 and was created by the local architect Karl Zandersen in the heavily undulating grounds which were originally laid out for allotment gardens.
The garden city consists of 41 houses with altogether 68 flats. It is an enclave of 1- and 2-family houses.
The background for the construction was also in this case the great housing shortage around WWI. A number of housing societies were set up supported by the council. Thus the council put an area at disposal where Rosenkildevej joins Gefionsvej for “Andelsbyggeforeningen Helsingør” (a building society), established in 1920 by some employees. Primarily teachers and railway workers.
One of several theories for the somewhat politically incorrect name of the estate: The Negro Village, was supposed to be the black uniforms of the railway people!
The Social Democratic Mayor, Peder Christensen, was – here,too- the dynamic starter and had his way when the roads around the estate got prestigious names, named after former mayors. For instance: Olriksvej, Rosenstandsvej and Stenfeldtsvej.
The praxis and evaluation of the posterity
Gradually the interest shifted from the suburbs of the industrial towns to functionalistic house blocks, and culturally radical architects and town-planners among others called the ideas behind the garden cities reactionary and oldfashioned.
The middle classes and the bourgeoisie were mainly interested in individualistic, detached villas.
After WWII the interest in the idea behind the garden cities was renewed, though. In Denmark in the 80’ties under the name high-density/low-rise housing. People had got fed up with the conformist blocks and high-rises.
Karl Zandersen
(1889-1973) |
The Co-op in the “Negro Village” | 
The Negro Villag | 
The Negro Villag | 
Bust of King Peder |
Elsinore and the crisis in the 1930s
The worldwide crisis that spread from the United States from 1929, the Wall Street Crash, was in Denmark primarily an agricultural crisis. It was serious enough. But Elsinore was not particularly affected by this crisis. Among other things because the town never became a town where commerce and industry was based on agricultural production. And this now became a benefit for Elsinore.
The period was a period of prosperity for the shipyard, and with the social reform from 1933, it also meant a need for a growing number of public employees. In addition a series of state laws on housing and the law on two-week summer holiday for the whole population was brought to light. With the establishment of the Swedish factory, Tretorn, in the municipality with 300-400 employees and the relevant collateral benefits for the city´s vendors and retailers as one of Elsinore historians, journalist Birger Mikkelsen explained, " Elsinore was merely spectators to the crisis."
In practice this meant that the socialist majority in the City Council, undeterred, could continue its efforts to transform the local authority into a municipality model.
Public buildings and recreation areas
In 1928 and 1934 the municipality now bought the land around the old country houses like the Belvedere and Bergmannsdal. Here new neighborhoods were laid out around Pontoppidansvej and Mads Holmsvej.
On the other side of Kongevejen, along the newly built Stubbedamsvej, the so-called Jutland Road district was established. In this context, a green wedge from Stubbedamsvej to Kongevejen was exempted. The first piece of this wedge is known popularly, as Smørhullet.(A park)
Co-operative Building |
The allotment Park "Solbakken"
In the early thirties the City Council had been considering how to accommodate the demand from the many industrial workers to have their own small allotment with the opportunity to grow vegetables for the daily household. That was an old tradition in Elsinore, but because of the mayor´s building zeal multiple allotments had been confiscated.
In 1935 therefore The City Council decided to acquire new land for this. They chose one of the most beautiful countrysides in Elsinore. A 37 acres of land large area, which belonged to the country house, "Sophienlyst", at the corner of Gurrevej and Rønnebær Alle.
The area and the development
The area in the beautiful, rolling countryside, was divided into 210 plots of land and for an almost symbolic amount of money, the workers could now hire such a plot and build a small allotment house. The municipality asked the later very famous landscape architect in Gentofte, Gudmund N. Brandt, to come up with proposals for a carefully planned allotment park that would also function as a publicly accessible recreational area. Like the natural park of Stubbedamsvej.
Especially the municipal guarantee that it was a permanent measure made Brandt feel that allotment owners would defend the place and respect a number of restrictions relating to hedges height and a uniform planting. For instance at least one fruit tree should be planted in every garden.
The allotment house
It was the famous architect, Valdemar Drosted (1890-1956), who was commissioned to make suggestions for the layout and appearance of the small houses. Again a harmonious overall impression was to be ensured. Drosted came up with several types of which the residents could choose from.
A contemporary stroll through the beautiful area, however, illustrates in an exemplary fashion how the Danes feel about such construction restrictions when it comes to our national gem, the allotment house.
Thanks to King Peder
That allotment owners knew who was behind the initiative for this splendid park is marked by the fact that the garden association on 1 April 1944 raised a memorial stone in gratitude to the mayor´s initiative.
The parcelling out of Solbakken 1935 | 
Solbakken in the 50ties | 
Sketching of the gardens in Solbakken (extract) | 
Solbakken 1965 | 
Solbakken 1966 |
Glassworks
In the late 1920´ties the Social Democratic majority in Elsinore, for employment purposes, tried to get the municipality to engage in industrial production. This should be done by acquiring the privately-owned glass factory at Grønnehave. However, it should perhaps not have been done!
Mayor Peder Christensen put all his prestige on the project and got the city council in the municipality to provide guarantees. But the project met with strong resistance. Also from the state. And in 1930 the company was declared bankrupt, with heavy losses for the municipality as a result.
Instead, it was the industrialist from Helsingborg, Henry Duncker, who in 1934 was to promote employment in Elsinore. He assumed, in the midst of the world economic crisis, the collapse hit factory and established a rubber factory, Tretorn.
The Glass Works |
Tretorn Factory in Elsinore |
Nordhavn
In 1934 the mayor, Peder Christensen, could inaugurate an entirely new port, Nordhavnen, on the other side of Kronborg. It was one of the mayor´s key issues which now became a reality, after a long fierce controversy in the City Council with the bourgeois politicians and hate-filled articles in the bourgeois newspapers.
Why a new port?
The background was, inter alia, that the state port at Elsinore Station could not accommodate the many fishing boats and the growing number of yachts. They wanted a widening on the north side of Kronborg. But the project was coupled with a large-scale private-based water park, which only very few found realistic. Among other things because the Swedish-owned rubber factory, Tretorn, was established simultaneously in the same area at Grønnehave. From the Helsingborg side the lesson was that the factory sent evil-smelling smoke from the chimneys.
From Miami Beach to the rubber factory and camping site
It was indeed a significantly reduced project that the mayor held the inauguration speech for in 1934. The lofty ideas about the American-inspired waterpark remained on the drawing board.
In the present the area works as a popular campsite. The Rubber factory was demolished in the early 21st century. It was no beauty. But it provided much needed employment in Helsingør’s crisis periods.
The Rubber beach
In turn, the construction of the long wide beach with dunes has been preserved. In the local area known as "The Rubber beach". A popular recreation area for many Elsinore citizens in the hot summer months.
Kronborg Havbad
Of widespread regret, however, then and now is that the restaurant, Kronborg Havbad, in Nordhavnen, with its beautiful art-deco style has since been replaced by a far less charming wooden building.
The North Harbour Project | 
Helsingør Nordhavn 1934 | 
The activities at Nordhavn | 
The diving tower at Nordhavn 1938 | 
Kronborg Open Air Bath |
Elsinore / Helsingborg cooperation
The idea of community also reached across the Sound. Especially The Elsinore / Helsingborg cooperation in the 1920s and 30s reached an intensity which, except for the last two war years 1943-45, it has been difficult to live up to.
Johan Bååth
It was Helsingborg´s socialist mayor, Johan Bååth (1911-1936) who, via the "Norden Society", got the Elsinore mayor to intensify the great interest he already had for a close cooperation between the two border cities. It happened in May 1925, when Johan Bååth, the head of a southern Swedish delegation visited Peder Christensen at Elsinore City Hall to thank him for his zeal in the Nordic cooperation.
The Norden Society
Immediately afterwards the Elsinore mayor received an invitation from the "Norden Society" to create a local branch in Elsinore. With himself as chairman Peder Christensen now with heart and soul entered into this work. The result was among other things a common decision on a close collaboration between the urban schools, libraries, theatres, concerts and more. And the plans were largely realized. For example within the school area.
School collaboration, sports organizations, trade unions etc.
The starting point was to make school youth Nordic minded among other things by exchanging classes. The Principal folk school teachers and the high school headmaster from Elsinore were elected to the local branch of "The Norden Society" and stood at the head of a large number of mutual school visits and exchange of lecturers between the public school in Elsinore and "läroverket" in Helsingborg.
In addition a large number of exchange visits between trade unions, sports organizations, choir, youth, etc. Elsinore / Helsingborg cooperation was, at the nearest, an exemplary example of how friendly neighboring cities could benefit from each other.
At the political level
A case which was the concern of both mayors after the first world war was to resume the extensive cross-border trade. But here governmental initiatives were needed to change the customs union and passport compulsion when travelling across the sound.
Another important issue was to lower telephone charges between the two countries.
Nordic celebration of Elsinore town horn
The brotherhood with the many rallies, educational exchanges, etc., culminated in a huge party in 1938 in Elsinore, where they celebrated the 100 anniversary of a large drinking horn, which was in Peder Christensen´s cabinet at the mayor´s office.
The silver-gilt drinking horn was a gift from the heyday of Scandinavism when Helsingborg’s mayor, Lundberg, in 1838, had given this to Elsinore Mayor Stenfeldt.
The two festive-mooded mayors now both drank from the horn under big press coverage at Marienlyst Hotel in August 1938. Of course filled with Wibroe’s quality beer. Reliable witnesses report that the former machinist, Peder Christensen, took a large swig while teetotaller, Johan Bååth simply marked by inserting the tip of his tongue down into the golden drops.
The King and the Duke | 
The Elsinore City Horn 1938 | 
The City Horn | 
Swedish solidarity |
Extras
Theperiod is quite well-illustrated in a variety of popular depictions. Especially from the Town Museum. Please see the literature list.
The Danish high school teacher, Jan Horn Petersen, compiled a detailed section that can be downloaded in full text of the chapter: Extra material.
Scania
| | The social democratic mayors of Elsinore and Helsingborg.
The chapter is under construction. |
Architecture
| | The Stockholm Exhibition in 1930 ushered in the modern, functionalist architecture and interior design in Scandinavian. It was the day of reckoning with the style mixing and decorative style of the time. |
The Modernism
The Stockholm Exhibition in 1930 ushered in the modern, functionalist architecture and interior design in Scandinavian. It was the day of reckoning with the style mixing and decorative style of the time.
The Swedish architect Gunnar Asplund, who was behind the exhibition, inspired a number of architects and designers all over the North. Among these were the Danes, Poul Henningsen and Arne Jacobsen, who were behind several buildings on both sides of the Sound. They both fled to Sweden in 1943.
The Stockholm Exhibition in 1930 |
The Citizens´ Classicism
The increasing urbanization in the beginning of the 19th century was reflected in the increasing building activity in the cities. In Copenhagen this was especially clear after the big fire of 1795 and the bombings of the Englishmen in 1807. The central part of the city was renewed in the classicist style of the time. The neighbourhood around Amagertorv with the new cathedral (Vor Frue Kirke) and the courthouse and the church at Christiansborg Castle is, with the citizens´ houses in the same style, unique examples of this early citizens´classicism.
During the entire 19th century and the beginning of hte 20th century classicist buildings were built in numerous variations all over the region. The last great project in Copenhagen in this style was the police headquarters in 1918-24, designed by the architects Rafn and Kampmann.
Historicism
The early industrialization was not generally linked to a certain style. In spite of new, construction technical key materials like concrete and cast iron, no new distinct idioms are developed. The closest are the big pavilions in cast iron and glass, which appeared in connection with the exhibitions of the time and which later was found in more permanent buildings like the greenhouse in the Botanical Garden and Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek, both from the latter part of the 19th century.
Historicism is the most accurate style term for the 19th century. It characterized the extensive reuse of historical styles and elements.
Exotism and Skønvirke (Modern Style)
The exotic played an important part and perhaps expressed the uncertainty, which was prevalent before industrialism´s final break with millenniums´ agricultural societies. An electricity works in the middle of Copenhagen became and oriental palace, a ventilation channel in Svanemøllen´s station became a minaret and Turkish kiosks emerged here and there in the city.
The nostalgic, late-romantic Viking style was yet another common idiom. It was based on the old feudal craft, the handicraft, where the maker was still influenced by the unnatural production processes of the industrialization. It was richly represented in the many exhibitions. But the fantastic wooden constructions quickly deteriorated and many of them were doomed. But in Tivoli many of the buildings managed to survive. They were maintained because the public loved them and they were associated to the amusements, which had become very popular during the latter half of the 19th century.
By the end of the 19th century the style developed into Jugend and Art Nouveau, as can be seen in Palads Hotel at the town square in Copenhagen.
The Botanical Garden in Copenhagen |
Helsingborg as Example
If you want to follow the development from historicism´s style imitation at the end of the century via jugend and art nouveau to the ideal of modernism, Helsingborg is a fine example. Helsingborg expanded heavily in the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century and a great need for new buildings was the result. The architectural styles, which marked this period were therefore richly represented in the town. Classic style imitation can be found to a great extent. At Stortorget´s (the great square) upper part is the medieval inspired terrace and around the square there are many style imitations, for instance the Scania Bank building (opposite the post office) with baroque imitations and the Trade Bank from 1904 with antique touches. The city architect Alfred Hellerström designed the Trade Bank and he also designed Helsingborg´s town hall and the university library in Lund, both in neo-gothic monumental style.
Alfred Hellerström was then inspired to design buildings in the jugend style, which immediately after the turn of the century had a short, but important influence on especially the upper-class milieu. Immediately before 1910 an entire villa neighbourhood in this style was built in the Olympia district. Besides Hellerström several other architects participated in the designing of these jugend style neighbourhoods, among them Carl Rosenius and Ola Anderson. The houses had round towers and round corners, arched frontons, varied window styles and many ornaments, altogether a clear break from the 19th century´s strict building styles.
A strange building, in the transition period between classicism and modernism is the crematorium from 1929. It was designed by Ragnar Östberg, who is mostly known as the architect behind the town hall in Stockholm. The dome of the crematorium, which inside is carried by classic columns, has a historicist element, but the smooth surface points towards a pure modernism.
The Terrace in Helsingborg | 
Scania Bank | 
The Art Nouveau District in Helsingborg | 
The Art Nouveau District in Helsingborg | 
The Art Nouveau District in Helsingborg |
The Art Nouveau District in Helsingborg | 
The Crematorium in Helsingborg | 
The Crematorium in Helsingborg |
Modernism and Functionalism
The Stockholm exhibition in 1930 marked the entry of the modern, functionalist style in Scandinavia. The exhibition had buildings by Gunnar Asplund, among others, done in white, with supporting concrete constructions and large windows in glass and steel. The focus of the exhibition was everyday needs and it showed many examples of different housing and modern interiors. The inspiration is clear in the Blidah Park in Copenhagen and Arne Jacobsen´s famous Bellavista neighbourhood at Bellevue at Strandvejen north of Copenhagen.
The perhaps most interesting example of early modernism in Sweden, is the concert house in Helsingborg, which was finished in 1932. It was designed by Sven Markelius and is very similar to the students´ house he designed for the technical college in Stockholm in 1930.
The project of the concert house itself is very interesting inasmuch as Markelius´ first proposal was clearly classicist, but eventually the proposal was reworked and ended finally with its present functionalist style with smooth, white plastered walls, large glass fronts to let in the light in the vestibule and semi circled wings with cloakroom and restaurant.
In Hornbæk on the North Zealand Coast you find the first examples of summer cottages in the late-romantic Viking style, but also the fashionable, functionalist seaside hotel from 1935.
Early Functionalism | 
Early Functionalist-inspired Architecture | 
The Concert House in Helsingborg | 
Arne Jacobsen´s Bellavista | 
Arne Jacobsen´s Bellavista |
Oversæt |
Kronborg Open Air Bath | 
Hornbæk Seaside Hotel |
Art Nouveau for the Middle Class
While upper classes built white Art Nouveau houses the middle classes built Art Nouveau-styled bungalows. To oppose the acute housing shortage the state established a state housing fond, whose aim it was to create possibilities for cheap funding for the dream of everyman to buy a house with a garden.. This meant that you could buy finished drawings for bungalows at the architect, which in turn reduced the building costs.
The most significant characteristics of the bungalows are the square shape in red or yellow tile and the low pyramid-shaped roof covered with roofing felt, which in the 1930´s was a new and cheap material.
It was a standardized and simplified version of Art Nouveau, a relatively unpretentious house without any architectural refinements.
However, the cheap houses still signalized something modern. For example the bungalows´ windows an Art Nouveau detail, which indicated that the builder employed modern building techniques. The strict and symmetrical facades are more like the facades of classicism than the more free forms of modernism.
In most cases quality materials were used in the wall and wood constructions in connection with the high residential basements and many available room, mean that you often see bungalows in older Danish residential neighbourhoods. In the Elsinore area there are several bungalows in the old Snekkersten.
In Lund an Art Nouveau neighbourhood was established in 1937 with fitted wooden house and type drawn bungalows.
In the course of the 1940´s the interest in the hip roof dampened and they started to build more houses with gable roofs. A contributory factor could be that it was difficult to procure asphalt during the war to the production of roofing felt, which was necessary for the hip roof. The stronger construction of the gable roof could easier carry the heavy roof tiles. Examples of this building style can be seen in the district Eskilsminne in Helsingborg, where they built 60 small Art Nouveau detached houses in the beginning of the 1940´s. Each house is 56 square metres and there is a toilet with a bath in the high basements.
The initiative and the interest for building these small and light houses were part of the Swedish People´s Home Project (folkehjemsprojekt).
Bungalow in Snekkersten | 
Art Nouveau in Helsingborg |
Link
| | The link icon opens for homepages, where you will find further information on the period 1900-1940. Some of these also offer an English version or a summary.
|
Jan Horn Petersen: Kong Peders Helsingør
| | The interested user can find a more detailed exposition of Mayor Pedersen´s importance for Elsinore in the period 1900-1940 in Jan Horn Petersen´s : King Peder´s city. |
Jan Horn Petersen: Kong Peders by
For more than half a generation the dynamic mayor Peder Christensen, “King Peder”, governed Elsinore municipality. He tried to create a model municipality. It was based on an extensive social security system with co-operative initiatives and experiments, whose vision reached out far beyond the Sound.
The Background
The 20th century was the period, where the industrial society and the rules of the parliamentary system really showed itself. In Denmark it happened with the change of system in 1901, when Venstre (a Danish Liberal political party) after many years of bitter struggle against Højre (the Conservatives), came into power, and the political and welfare strategy of the Social Democracy still had not been determined.
The Role of the Municipalities
The municipalities were until the system change an important power basis for the party Venstre, and in time around the turn of the century there was a high degree of municipal self-government.
The municipalities administered the meagre social services according to a local estimate and had a decisive influence on the development of the school-, health- and housing policies. The centralisation of the Welfare State was still in the making and it gave, especially in the time from 1900 to 1920 the municipalities a large political scope.
When the reform of old age pension was carried in 1891 – the first example of modern social legislation in Denmark – it was a question of a 50% governmental reimbursement to a certain ceiling. It was characteristic, though, that the service was not universal, that is, automatically granted to everybody, and that the service varied considerably form municipality to municipality. After a tax reform in 1903 the municipalities were given a freer financial rein and little by little a governmental reimbursement system was developed, which meant that the municipalities could take on more tasks
The Unionisation of the Labour Movement
The so-called September Agreement of 1899 regulated the labour market’s conditions through the introduction of collective agreements for the whole country. This meant that the local unions and their umbrella organization, “The Co-operative Union” were forced to give up their right to negotiate and their competence. In Elsinore, where they had introduced local collective agreements at the end of the 1890´, it meant that the local Co-operative Union, which had headed the negotiations, existed in a vacuum.
“The Co-operative Union” was the organization, which represented the whole union and the labour movement, ant in the beginning it was the only link between pure union interests and the labour movement. Before 1898 the organisation was called “The Mutual Trade and Worker’s Union”, which even clearer shows the division there was. But now another division started to appear, with union questions on one side and the party, which was directed at the political system on the other.
The Role of the Co-Operative Union
If you look at the entire labour movement in a broader sense, there were many areas of interest, which the Co-Operative Unions took on, for instance the cooperative area and many common cultural interests. In Elsinore they concentrated their efforts in the cultural area, when they bought the “Workers´ Hall”, later called “The People´s House”, where the Co-Operative Union also resided.
The People´s House
The Co-Operative
The party´s superior position to the co-operation was unclear, as the party’s congress in Odense had been critical. The criticism had its roots in mistrust to the farmers´ co-operative societies, in spite of the fact that the wholesale society that they had been inspired by the English labour movement’s wholesale societies.
In Elsinore a cooperative wholesale fuel society had been formed, but the first attempts to start a co-operative society had been stopped by the Co-Operative Union. But later it was the cooperative societies, which played a central part for the social democratic mayor, Peder Christensen, a.k.a. king Peder.
King Peder´s Baptism of Fire
Peder Christensen had originally come to Elsinore to seek employment in the shipyard and joined the Social Democratic Party, when he was 20 years old in 1894. According to himself his political schooling came with activities in the People´s House in Søstræde. He was elected shop steward in the machine shop in the shipyard in 1897. In 1906 he was elected chairman of the union, but he left the shipyard to become manager in the Co-Operative Union. However, he stayed on as chairman of the union for seven years and it was in this electric field between union and movement that he really developed. He said of his job change:
“It was not really a party-political interest, which made me change my occupation in 1906, but a very strong urge to be involved in the work for an economical and cultural construction of the social democratic labour movement, in the same way as I had been a witness to the rise of peasantry through the co-operative movement, parish council work and information activities. I was not influenced by foreign methods, which did not apply to Danish circumstances.”
King Peder
The Co-Operative – a Matter of the Heart
Very early Peder Christensen had the co-operation very much at heart, and he characterized it as “perhaps the most important weapon in the hand of the workers.” Before he was appointed manager he had different for a wholesale co-operation, but it was the establishing of a co-operative bakery that became the breakthrough. Here Peder Christensen could draw on his experiences from a number of other towns and there was good propaganda value, as the established bakers, in spite of massive lowering of prices on flour, still could maintain high prices for their goods. Bread – especially rye bread – was, more than today, really a central food. The yearly consumption was 71 kilos of rye flour per person, approximately double as much as today.
The Co-Operative Bakery Is Established
Peder Christensen started, immediately after his appointment as leader of the Co-Operative Unions, negotiations to take over the bakery in Elsinore. January 20th 1907 the co-operative bakery in Elsinore became a reality with financial support from a number of members´ societies and with the support of the co-operative union. Difficult years followed with price war and tough competition with the bakers of the town, but at the outbreak of war in 1914 the bakery had become an accepted, modern and stable enterprise in town.
The establishment of a co-operative bakery became the start of long involvement in the co-operative movement. He participated in the forming of a central organization for bakeries and a wholesale society, which he led from 1916-19. The co-operation had been accepted as the “third leg” of the labour movement and was very important during the First World War, where it helped maintain the workers´ conditions of life during hard times.
”Kooperativa Bageriet”
The Municipal Work
At the election for town council in 1894 the party Venstre and the Social Democrats ran on a joint democratic list. This got the Social Democrats 3 seats (the most in the country), with Member of Parliament Christian Rasmussen as head, and that became the beginning of fifteen years of cooperative politics, headed by the royally appointed Jørgen Lyngbye. In 1919 Peder Christensen became the first mayor to be elected by the town council in Elsinore.
Reforms in the Town
One of the most important reforms of the time was a school plan (1909), where a comprehensive school was created with a seven-year primary and lower secondary school free of charge as basis.
Old age pension was another important area, where Peder Christensen made his mark. The pension area had a special legislation, which separated it from the old, humiliating poor-law authorities. In Elsinore a pensioner now (1890´s) up to seven kroner per month. The expenses to the support rose from 14.000 kroner (1891) to 66.000 (1912-13).
They also followed up with building investments. Peder Christensen suggested that the municipality buy the place of entertainment, Hammershøj, and rebuild it into an old people´s home. The plan was carried in spite of resistance and the building was opened in 1915. In 1918 an extension of 25 flats was added. During Peder Christensen´s first term of office (1919-1921) Denmark´s first municipal pensioners´ houses were built, an investment of, for the time, of the enormous sum of 1,7 million kroner.
Hammershøj
The Foundation on Gurrevej
Town Council and Co-Operative Organisation
Peder Christensen was a member of the town council and could therefore tie his work there together with his job in the Co-Operative Union. The advantages of this were especially clear in the years 1908-10, when the town was affected by unemployment problems. 42 % of the organised workers had no job and the number of employees at the largest work place in town, the shipyard, went down to approximately 300. The situation was critical to many, when the time limit for the unemployment benefit was running out. The town´s relief fund was empty and there was only the degrading poor relief. Then Peder Christensen took, on behalf of the Co-Operative Union, the initiative to ask the town council for money. At first 1150 kroner for 14 unions and 3000 extra for the relief fund, was granted.
It was also remarkable that the Co-Operative Unions were given responsibility for the administration and distribution of the means, which were also supplemented with the collection of money, goods and bread cards for the co-operative bakery.
Relief was one side of the matter, but there was also a political motive. It was an election year (1909) and it was a question of preventing people of becoming dependent of poor relief, because they would lose their right to vote. The election, where women for the first time were allowed to participate, resulted in 9 seats for the Social Democrats, 8 for the non-socialist parties, 2 for the Social Liberal Party (Radikale) and 1 for the royally appointed mayor.
War Time Economy
In the war year 1914 once again the need for extraordinary contributions arose, against the unemployment and the growing shortage of goods. The town council set up a committee for handling the cost of living, but all practical initiatives were handed over to the Co-Operative Union and Peder Christensen. In addition to extra unemployment benefit it was also a question of free a school meals service and contributions for milk and bread, but also large purchases of potatoes, herring, municipal slaughtering of pigs and during the last war winter, even the regulation of fuel and fuel prices.
The cost of living relief, where the state paid half, made up 16.000 kroner in 1915-16, but reached 1.095.000 kroner in 1918-19, which corresponded to a yearly contribution of 550 kroner for an average family with four children, two of which were school children.
The activities were many and were not always appreciated among the merchants. Depending on attitude you could these co-operative initiatives for pure planned economy or necessary depression measures. Peder Christensen himself felt that it was about initiatives, which aimed at the entire population:
“With these cost of living relieves we have emphasized, not the payment of money or a coupon system for the poor alone, but as far as it has been possible to guarantee the entire population certain basic goods at a cheap price.”
The reforms had a universal purpose, a touch, which also became characteristic of the governmental reform activity. Peder Christensen commented on the significance of the municipal regulation in Elsinore: “The town was one of the best, when it came to the provision of bread, fuel, potatoes, milk, pork and herring.”
The Movement Grows
The People´s House in Søstræde were enlarged and modernised and there was room for a union office as well as a local editorial office for the newspaper “Socialdemokraten”. In the house next door a cinema and a kiosk were established. In 1918 a hairdressing saloon was established and the co-operative shop that same year had the staggering turnover of 1.8 million kroner.
Municipal Housing Policy
Even before the world war, the town´s housing policy was the next area of work for the municipality. The arguments for the co-operation and the municipality should take up this area, was, partly the housing shortage, which was prevalent in the time before the world war and partly
labour political motives in connection with the recession during the 20´s.
In Copenhagen the Workers´ Housing Co-Operative had shown the way, and moreover it was now possible to receive contributions and loans from the state. In 1916 the Co-Operative Unions called on the town council to build “a suitable number of buildings in villa-style” in order to relieve the house shortage. There was great resistance in involving the municipality in the plans, but with the support of the Social Democrats and the Social Liberals the motion was carried. The municipality sold an appropriate plot and contributed with 35.000 kroner.
20 houses were built, but the economy of the project did not add up and the municipality had to step in as both owner and landlord. In spite of this another stage was begun and totally 66 houses were built. Later they also succeeded in cooperating with the shipyard, and in 1920 a further 60 houses were built, where the shipyard contributed with money.
King Peder as Member of Parliament
After the death of Member of Parliament Christian Rasmussen, Peder Christensen took over his seat. In 1919 he became mayor, but gave up his chairmanship of the Co-Operative Union. He only held his parliament seat until 1920, where he chose local politics. During his time in parliament Peder Christensen sat in the commission, which was to draw up the legislation on public libraries. But most important was his participation in the committee, which was to discuss the Social Democratic plank of the platform on “socialist communal property and socialist production”.
The result was a rather radical proposal, which had a wide support in the party and the labour movement, but in practise it did not have any significance, as the party prioritised another item in the programme, the increased influence on the state apparatus. The breakthrough in this matter came during the first Social Democratic-Social Liberal government under Thorvald Stauning in 1924-26.
The Empire Totters
When Peder Christensen took up his office as mayor in 1919, a new election law had abolished the earlier, royally appointed mayor. For the first time the Social Democrats now had absolute majority in the town council. Elsinore now had 15.400 inhabitants.
After the world war the co-operation had problems in line with the normalization of the market mechanisms. The main lender, The Worker´s Bank called a halt when the problems with investments, profitability and management increased. They demanded that individual companies should be separated and sold, if necessary. Peder Christensen took it upon himself to reorganize the activities.
The municipality had not done much better. The expenses had grown alarmingly during the war and the administration and staff in the municipality were out of step with the times. This task the mayor also took upon himself and he started a financing plan, which included the establishing of an operations foundation for the municipal electricity-, water- and gasworks.
Contineous development
One successful project was the so-called “Negro Village”, a non-profit building of co-operative houses, where the municipality donated the plot and support during the building.
All in all Peder Christensen could proudly sum up that the town had built 379 new houses, of which 171 in 68 private projects with a municipal guarantee. The Elsinore Shipyard had financed 60 houses and the rest had been built co-operatively with land and guarantees from the municipality. The municipality had invested a total of 1,4 million in the housing projects and almost one million in streets and sewers.
Co-operative Building
Bust of King Peder
The Continued Development of the Co-Operation
Besides all his local activities Peder Christensen also participated actively in the development of the co-operative movement on the political scene. In 1922 a national co-operative society was founded and Peder Christensen became its first chairman. He co-wrote a “handbook in co-operation” with the secretary of the society.
In the party there was still certain scepticism with reference to the activities of the co-operation and there was an aversion in the party committee, headed by Thorvald Stauning, to challenge FDB (the Danish Co-operative Wholesale Society) by establishing their own wholesale society. The idea of creating a co-operative insurance company was also met with resistance, but in still ended with the establishing of the insurance company ALKA.
In his view of the co-operation’s activity field Peder Christensen’s attitudes were often close to the Swedish attitude. Peder Christensen participated in the international co-operative world congress in 1924 and in the Co-Operative Society’s Anniversary in Stockholm, before he gave up his chairmanship in 1925.
Public Involvement
The dilemma of the co-operation was of course the question of which areas and to what extent they should run companies in direct competition with private business.
Peder Christensen had, with his building projects, often irritated private house owners and conservative politicians, and it did not help when the projects were pure manufacturing businesses. When it came to grey areas between production and public services like gas works and traffic installations it is still the authorities, which take care of these.
Public Infrastructure
In Elsinore the water works had not been owned by the municipality until 1894, while the gas works form 1853 was privately owned until 1920. By that time the works was worn down and the owner did not want to invest. In 1921 the municipality decided to buy the gas works, which was replaced by a new one, which was finished in 1925.
Another type of activity was the Hornbæk Railway, which was plagued by deficits despite the fact that it was extended to Gilleleje in 1916. In 1920 it was in fact the municipality, which ran the railway under heavy protests from the conservatives. On the other hand the conservative voters in the municipalities near the railway generally positive. They needed the railway, but could not afford to pay for the deficit. Even the state criticized Elsinore´s handling of the matter, but in spite of the uproar Peder Christensen survived the election in 1925, which did not change the relative strength of the town council.
The Slippery Slope
In his final big co-operative experiment Peder Christensen took on pure industrial production. The window glassworks in Grønnehave had had a long and changing history and the latest owner had been forced to close the company in 1919 after 13 years of operation. An engineer, Axel Hermansen, was interested in the works and spent several years trying to create a new foundation for the industry. He contacted the government, who did not want to go into the matter. In the end of the 1920´s it was possible for industries to take governmental loans and Hermansen was promised a loan of 300.000 kroner.
The economy did not balance, but Peder Christensen was enthusiastic by the idea of having a large company of national importance to the town. In 1928 he convinced the town council to step in with a building loan of 250.000 kroner. The loan was to be approved by the ministry of the interior, but after waiting for five months, it was turned down.
The project now had become political and prestigious. Peder Christensen convinced the town council to approve of a direct municipal loan to the company. This made the ministry of trade threaten to stop the already approved operation loan. The solution was, that the municipality took on the building costs for water, electricity, sewers and so on, which were within the scope of the law and the enterprise started.
The Glass Works
Victory and Defeat
At the town council election in 1929 Peder Christensen won and the Social Democrats had 11 seats, but the enterprise in Grønnehave was a ticking bomb. In the heat of the battle they had forgotten to listen to the objective criticism of the project. As early as 1929 the money ran out and the municipality was forced to pump more money into the project. By the end of the year the minister of the interior demanded explanations of the financial dispositions and even though they fell into place, the disaster was on its way. In May 1930, before the enterprise had really started, the bankruptcy was a fact.
There was never a total account of the course of events, but they referred to bad management and a poor financial basis. The mayor had his share of the responsibility, but nobody blamed him and he survived the next election too. Perhaps they felt that he acted unselfishly and in good faith. He himself said: “Employment is the most important of all. No matter the industrial policies, the state and the municipality cannot get around the workers´ rightful demand for work and support.”
The Development in the 1930´s
The adventure of the glassworks gave food for thought and there were no more prestige projects like this to the advancement of employment. In 1934 the glassworks were taken over by the rubber factory Tretorn, which was owned by Henry Dunker in Helsingborg. Tretorn and the shipyard’s great need for labour helped Elsinore to come relatively easy through the depression of the 30´s. Still, at Christmas 1933, 400 of the 750 members of the blacksmith union were unemployed.
The co-operative building activity had been slow, but it started up again. The municipality bought land in new areas and started building suburban residential areas.
The North Harbour Project
As early as the beginning of the 1920´s the town had plans for an expansion of the harbour, northwest of Kronborg. After several failed attempts to reach an agreement, they finally decided to start the building of the North Harbour in 1931. The project was very good for employment and was finished in 1934.
This project too, as well as Peder Christensen himself, was once again the object of controversy. In the capital and in the newspapers King Peder´s project once again led to ideological battles between the government and the opposition. The reason was among other things, an erroneous connection between the project and a private initiative, which was about seaside resort and an amusement park.
The North Harbour Project
War Time Initiatives
Peder Christensen this time only just avoided being involved in shady deals. The bath consortium went bankrupt in 1941 and the municipality took over beach, amusement park and restaurant. At the town council elections in 1937 king Peder somewhat hard-pressed because of the criticism of the North Harbour and the expensive constructions, which were necessary to continue the building of houses. But it was good for employment and just before the election he succeeded in getting a governmental support of 75% of the costs for a new esplanade.
The system with new construction projects, financed with generous governmental contributions, was then used extensively until 1945 and many millions were invested in new roads and sewer systems. During the occupation there were of course limited possibilities for new initiatives, but one important reform was carried through during these years.
The Mothers´- and Children Welfare in Elsinore
As early as the beginning of the century many women were employed in industry and elsewhere. The fishnet factory in Grønnehave, the two textile factories in the old railway station area and Wiibroe´s Brewery, employed many women. From this came a need for childcare facilities, which grew, when the Tretorn factory and the existing childcare institutions, for instance the Chrildren´s Asylum in Stengade, could not meet the demand.
The municipality could not afford to expand the childcare facilities, but the new law on mothers´- and children welfare (1939), made it possible to start activities, which could meet a great part of the growing demand. King Peder and 2 others called a meeting in 1941 in order to form a local
branch of The Mothers´- and Children Welfare and in August 1942 a day nursery for 35 children from 0-3 years was opened. The nursery rented rooms at the old railway station (Trækbanen) in town.
The Kindergarten Is Established
The activities expanded rapidly and the building was bought in 1943 with the aid of municipal loan guarantees. Working capital came from governmental and municipal contributions, private sponsors and taxes. When king Peder celebrated his 25th anniversary as mayor in 1944, the town council congratulated him by giving 2500 kroner per year to the kindergarten.
In 1946 the kindergarten had room for 205 children and 35 employees. In a survey from that same year you could read about the children’s background, for instance that 61 had parents, who worked for Tretorn and 70 in private work (household work). 49 had single mothers and 3 had single fathers.
The Economy of the Institution
The economy was strained after the world war and the municipality had to cover the continuous deficits. In the annual report of 1946 (probably written by Peder Christensen) you could read “the private contributions to the activities of The Mothers´- and Children Welfare have been discouraging, which goes for all groups of inhabitants in town.”
Still it must be admitted that king Peder Was successful in his social commitment. There were hardly any protests, when the municipality covered the deficits and the institution worked constantly to find alternative income sources, among them bazaars and the Children´s Day-arrangement, which made a profit. In spite of the economy the institution managed to increase its activities constantly with information activities, health care and the provision of meals.
In 1944 and 1945 the doctor K.A. Hasselbalch and his wife Antonie donated 150.000 kroner to the institution. This meant that they could build the municipal maternity home, Antoniehus, where a great part of Elsinore´s presents population has been born.
The Elsinore-Helsingborg Cooperation
Throughout his career king Peder were in close contact with the Swedish side of the Sound. He was deeply involved in the Nordic co-operative movement, but first and foremost in a practical cooperation with the neighbouring town, Helsingborg. The roots of the cooperation went back to the strong Scandinavistic current, which also had influenced the Social Democrats. The labour movement had created strong bonds across the Sound and worked to strengthen these bonds further.
The Town´s 500-Year Anniversary
King Peder had created a style, which echoed far beyond the narrow scope of the town. At Elsinore´s 500-year anniversary in 1926, they arranged a student meeting much like the 19th century´s Scandinavistic gatherings Students arrived on Midsummer Eve with boat from Copenhagen and Lund via Landskrona with the steamship, Hven. After dinner (roast lamb and strawberries) the Midsummer Eve bonfire was lit in the evening. Among the speakers was the Danish literary professor, Wilhelm Andersen, who said:
“The bonfire is a frontier fire, not a beacon, which used to signal strife, but like the Christmas tree star, a symbol of peace between nations. A large piece of Denmark was united with Sweden, but at the same time Danish blood was absorbed in Sweden. We have mixed blood and who can hate his own blood?”
June 2. 1926 the table was set for a big party. The town had been richly decorated and the inhabitants were woken up to the sound of trumpets. From Scania the governor, count de la Gardie, Member of Parliament, Johan Hansson and Helsingborg´s mayor Johan Bååth, whom king Peder through the years had had a close relation to.
It is said that Peder Christensen got his nickname in connection with his performance in a Knight´s play during the festival week in 1926, but he himself related it to Wilhelm Andersen´s principal speech three years later, where the professor referred to king Peder and duke Johann. The occasion at that time was the reopening of the banqueting hall in Kronborg with the participation of the royal Danish couple and the Swedish crown prince couple.
Tourist Pamphlet 1926
The King and the Duke
Scandinavism and Cross-Frontier Trade
One intention with these festive meetings was to strengthen the Nordic bonds, not least the relations between the two border towns. The Nordic Day, which was arranged in connection with the Festive week in 1926, was a good start on a work, which was carried on in Foreningen Norden (The Nordic Association), where the Elsinore-Helsingborg cooperation always has been a model to other cities.
But, of course, they also wanted to promote Elsinore´s commercial interests. Before the world war the cross-frontier trade in Elsinore extensive and they wanted to relive this, but that demanded a renewal of the customs union. Moreover the passport force, when travelling across the Sound, annoying. They tried to introduce an international effort to promote tourism in the Elsinore area, but that was only partly successful. |