Historical and old photos of Vejle, Southern Denmark

A small historical reference Geography: Vejle is a town in Denmark, in the southeast of the Jutland Peninsula at the head of Vejle Fjord, where the Vejle River and Grejs River and their valleys converge. It is the site of the councils of Vejle Municipality (kommune) and the Region of Southern Denmark. The city has a population of 57,051 (as of 1 January 2019), making it the ninth largest city in Denmark. Vejle Municipality has a population of 111,743 (as of 2016). The city is part of the Triangle Region, which includes the neighbouring cities of Kolding and Fredericia. Vejle is most known for its forested hills, fjord, harbour, shopping, pedestrian mall, and windmill. Date of foundation: First mentioned - 1256 History: Population: 57 051 Sights:
Banegårdspladsen - Railway station square, 1957	Banegårdspladsen - Railway station square, 1963	De Gamles Hjem - Old Home, 1910	Gammel Købmandsgård - Old Grocery Store
Harbour, ships, tower, 1931	Højbanen - Highway, railway road	Hotel and Restaurant Skyttehuset	Husholdnings skole - Household school, 1965

Kirketorvet - Church Square	Møllebakken - Mill, 1909	Møllen - Windmill	Rådhuset - City Hall and auto on square, 1919
Rådhuset - City Hall and auto on square	Restaurant 'Trædballehus' - 'Tree ball house', 1960	'Royal' Hotel	Sankt Johannes Church

School and Hospital (Missions Sisters of Berlaar)	Søndergade - Sunder street, 1936	Søndergade - Sunder street	Tirsbæk Slot - Castle
Torvegade - Torve street, 1913	Vandtaarnet - Water tower	Vejlefjord Sanatorium, 1909	View to Grejsdalen and Railway, 1959

History

The word "Vejle" derives from the Old Danish word wæthel, meaning "ford" or "wading place" due to its location at a busy crossing over Vejle River. During Viking times, the wetlands around Vejle had to be crossed at the Ravning Bridge, a nearly half-mile wooden boardwalk. The first recorded mention of the town is from 1256, and the first known merchant town privileges were issued by King Valdemar III in 1327.

Archaeological digs near St. Nicolai Church in downtown Vejle have shown that there were residences in the area as far back as 1100. The king's castle, Castrum Wæthel, was located where Vejle Trafikcenter is today.

During the Middle Ages, Vejle was important as a market town, and developed along those lines up to the mid-17th century, trading with cities such as Lübeck and Flensburg, in what is now Germany.

In the late 17th and early 18th centuries, Vejle's population was diminished as a consequence of plague and war. In 1796, though, Vejle was made the seat of the newly founded Vejle County, and the town expanded throughout the 19th century, benefiting from improvements such as a new harbour on the fjord, a railroad station, and modern utilities.

From the mid-19th century into the 20th century, Vejle developed from a provincial market town into a busy industrial centre, eventually becoming known as the "Manchester of Denmark" for its many cotton mills.

Origin: en.wikipedia.org