Middelfart

Middelfart is a town in central Denmark, with a population of 15,922 (1 January 2020).[1] The town is the municipal seat of Middelfart Municipality on the island of Funen (Danish: Fyn).

Middelfart
Saint Nicolaus Church
Coat of arms
Middelfart
Coordinates: 55°29′55″N 9°44′40″E
CountryDenmark
RegionSouthern Denmark (Syddanmark)
as Mæthælfar1231
as Middelfart1496
Middelfart Municipality1970
Area
 • Urban
10.7 km2 (4.1 sq mi)
Population
 (2020)
 • Urban
15,922
 • Urban density1,500/km2 (3,900/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code
5500
Area code(s)(+45) 3
Websitewww.middelfart.dk

Etymology

The name Middelfart, first recorded as "Mæthælfar" in Valdemar's Census Book in 1231, consists of the old Danish word mæthal meaning 'middle' and far meaning 'way'. This name originally referred to the strait Snævringen ('the narrowing'), which is the narrowest part of the Little Belt, and was subsequently applied to the settlement as well.[2][3]

History

It is not known when the town was established but it certainly owes its existence to its location at the narrowest point across the Little Belt. The town was granted its first privileges at the end of the 13th century at a time when fishing played an important role in addition to its ferry link to Snoghøj in Jutland. From the Middle Ages the town appears to have specialized in catching harbour porpoises. In the 16th century cattle export was also significant.[3]

The Old Little Belt Bridge just northwest of Middelfart

After the Swedish Wars in the 17th century the town suffered from losing its foreign export privileges and from competition from Fredericia on the other side of the belt, which not only had a ferry link to Strib but levied customs duties on traffic through the Little Belt. In the 18th century income from porpoise catches diminished but in the 19th century, with the establishment of its own harbour in 1836, conditions improved thanks in particular to the growing trade in agricultural products from the surrounding areas. From the mid-19th century small industries started to develop, especially the iron foundry. The rail link between Middelfart and Nyborg opened in 1865, bringing added prosperity despite the fact that it connected with the ferry from Strib rather than the one from Middelfart.[3]

By the beginning of the 20th century the iron foundry, with about a hundred workers, was the town's main industry. After the first Little Belt Bridge was completed in 1935 Middelfart became an important hub for traffic between Jutland and Funen. The population grew from 2,345 in 1880 to 11,056 in 1950 but in the second half of the 20th century the rate of growth declined. In 1970 a motorway bridge to Jutland was opened and in 2007 Middelfart became the seat of an expanded municipality, which included the former communes of Ejby and Nørre Aaby.[3]

Economy and transport
The half-timbered Henner Friiser Hus, now a museum

Middelfart Municipality had a population of 37,685 in January 2014.

From the Middle Ages until the end of the 19th century the local fishermen were also whale hunters in winter. The only whale common in Danish waters is the Harbour Porpoise Phocoena phocaena. The whale hunters linked their boats across the rather narrow Little Belt and by beating the sea with sticks and branches they directed the migrating porpoises to low water areas where they could be slaughtered. As the whale blubber was used for lamps, indoors and outdoors, the arrival of electricity made whale hunting uneconomical. In the winter of 1854–55, 1742 whales were caught, but a normal winter's catch would be half that or even less. In the 20th century the hunt was resumed during the two world wars. Two memorial stones now stand where the hunters landed the whales and where blubber was prepared.

Middelfart is served by the passenger rail service between Copenhagen and Jutland. Gammel Havn (Old Harbour) dates from the 1830s. At the beginning of the 20th century it was extended and deepened to the east.[4]

Landmarks

Middelfart Church, dedicated to St Nicholas, is located close to the harbour at the end of Algade. Built in several stages, it has a Late Romanesque chancel, a tower first constructed in the 14th century and a nave with aisles from the late 15th century. The richly carved altarpiece is from 1650.[5]

Henner Friiser Hus, a half-timbered house on Brogade dating from around 1575, is now part of Middelfart Museum and contains exhibitions related to the history of the town. Restoration work on the building was completed in March 2014.[6]

The Kulturøen (literally, "Culture Island") Cultural Centre contains the public library, a cinema, a restaurant, a café and the tourist office.[7]

Sport

Middelfart is home to football team Middelfart G&BK. Middelfart played host to the 1998 UCI World Cyclocross championships.

Notable people
Frederik Julius Bech, 1814
Christian Eriksen

Sport

Twin towns – sister cities

Middelfart is twinned with:

gollark: But blaming people for following the incentives is just silly.
gollark: You can blame… GPU-mined cryotocurrency, the increasing costs of newer fab infrastructure and duopoly in GPUs, COVID-19 disruption, that sort of thing.
gollark: It isn't scalpers' fault that supply is insufficient.
gollark: 0 dBIQ is 100, 10 dBIQ is 1000 and thus basically impossible, -10 dBIQ is 10 and vaguely possible.
gollark: I like it.

References
  1. BY3: Population 1st January, by urban areas The Mobile Statbank from Statistics Denmark
  2. "Skt. Nikolaj Kirke" (PDF) (in Danish). Danske Kirker: National Museet. Retrieved 11 July 2014.
  3. "Købstæder: Middelfart" (in Danish). Dansk Center for Byhistorie. Retrieved 9 July 2014.
  4. "Middelfart". Den Store Danske (in Danish). Retrieved 10 July 2014.
  5. "Middelfart Kirke". Den Store Danske (in Danish). Retrieved 11 July 2014.
  6. "Middelfart Museum - Henner Friiser Hus" (in Danish). Visit Middelfart. Retrieved 11 July 2014.
  7. "KulturØen i Middelfart" (in Danish). Middelfart Bibliotek. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 10 July 2014.
  8. IMDb Database retrieved 08 May 2020
  9. IMDb Database retrieved 08 May 2020
  10. Lindquist, Ted. "Internationella frågor och vänorter". Oskarshamn Municipality (in Swedish). Archived from the original on 12 August 2013. Retrieved 25 July 2013.

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