Middelfart
Encyclopedia
Middelfart is a town in central Denmark
, with a population of 14,781 (1 January 2011). The town is the municipal seat of Middelfart municipality
on the island of Funen
.
has a population of 37,701 people as of 2011. The municipality is also a part of the East Jutland metropolitan area
with 1.2 million inhabitants.
The town name Middelfart means central passage - and refers to one of the three ferry links formerly connecting the island of Funen
with the peninsula of Jutland
- the other two being Strib
and Føns. The earliest record mentioning the settlement is the Liber Census Daniæ (1231) listing it as Mæthelfar. The local dialect shortened the name to Melfar, a short form still popular in names of shops, institutions and events, e.g. Melfar-Posten, a local weekly.
From the Middle Ages
till 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 by sticks and branches they directed the migrating porpoises to low water areas where they could be slaughtered. The whale blubber
was used for lamps, indoors and outdoors, and the coming of electricity made whale hunting uneconomical. In the winter of 1854–55, 1742 whales were caught, but a normal winter's catch would only be half of this number 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.
Near Middelfart are two big bridges over the Little Belt
sea strait.
Middelfart is serviced by the passenger rail service between Copenhagen
and Jutland
.
The Cultural Center Kulturøen (literally, "Culture Island"), contains the town library, a cinema, a restaurant
, a café
, and the tourist office.
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, with a population of 14,781 (1 January 2011). The town is the municipal seat of Middelfart municipality
Middelfart municipality
Middelfart municipality is a municipality in Region of Southern Denmark on the west coast of the island of Funen in southern Denmark. The municipality covers an area of 297 km². It has a total population of 37,274 . Its mayor is Steen Dahlstrøm, a member of the Social Democrats political party...
on the island of Funen
Funen
Funen , with a size of 2,984 km² , is the third-largest island of Denmark following Zealand and Vendsyssel-Thy, and the 163rd largest island of the world. Funen is located in the central part of the country and has a population of 454,358 inhabitants . The main city is Odense, connected to the...
.
Overview
The Middelfart municipalityMiddelfart municipality
Middelfart municipality is a municipality in Region of Southern Denmark on the west coast of the island of Funen in southern Denmark. The municipality covers an area of 297 km². It has a total population of 37,274 . Its mayor is Steen Dahlstrøm, a member of the Social Democrats political party...
has a population of 37,701 people as of 2011. The municipality is also a part of the East Jutland metropolitan area
East Jutland metropolitan area
East Jutland metropolitan area is a geographic term for an area in Jutland, Denmark.The term denotes a functional coherent urban area linked by both infrastructure and labour across municipal boundaries...
with 1.2 million inhabitants.
The town name Middelfart means central passage - and refers to one of the three ferry links formerly connecting the island of Funen
Funen
Funen , with a size of 2,984 km² , is the third-largest island of Denmark following Zealand and Vendsyssel-Thy, and the 163rd largest island of the world. Funen is located in the central part of the country and has a population of 454,358 inhabitants . The main city is Odense, connected to the...
with the peninsula of Jutland
Jutland
Jutland , historically also called Cimbria, is the name of the peninsula that juts out in Northern Europe toward the rest of Scandinavia, forming the mainland part of Denmark. It has the North Sea to its west, Kattegat and Skagerrak to its north, the Baltic Sea to its east, and the Danish–German...
- the other two being Strib
Strib
Strib is a town in Region of Southern Denmark, Denmark. It is located at 55° North, 9° East, and has a population of 4,365 . The closest large towns are Middelfart and Fredericia. The town lies at an altitude just a few meters above sea level on the island of Funen. Strib has an excellent marina,...
and Føns. The earliest record mentioning the settlement is the Liber Census Daniæ (1231) listing it as Mæthelfar. The local dialect shortened the name to Melfar, a short form still popular in names of shops, institutions and events, e.g. Melfar-Posten, a local weekly.
From the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
till the end of the 19th century, the local fishermen were also whale hunters
Whaling
Whaling is the hunting of whales mainly for meat and oil. Its earliest forms date to at least 3000 BC. Various coastal communities have long histories of sustenance whaling and harvesting beached whales...
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
Little Belt
The Little Belt is a strait between the Danish island of Funen and the Jutland Peninsula.The belt is about 50 km long and 800m to 28 km wide, the maximum depth is approximately 75 m, and contains numerous small Danish islands....
and by beating the sea by sticks and branches they directed the migrating porpoises to low water areas where they could be slaughtered. The whale blubber
Blubber
Blubber is a thick layer of vascularized adipose tissue found under the skin of all cetaceans, pinnipeds and sirenians.-Description:Lipid-rich, collagen fiber–laced blubber comprises the hypodermis and covers the whole body, except for parts of the appendages, strongly attached to the musculature...
was used for lamps, indoors and outdoors, and the coming of electricity made whale hunting uneconomical. In the winter of 1854–55, 1742 whales were caught, but a normal winter's catch would only be half of this number 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.
Near Middelfart are two big bridges over the Little Belt
Little Belt
The Little Belt is a strait between the Danish island of Funen and the Jutland Peninsula.The belt is about 50 km long and 800m to 28 km wide, the maximum depth is approximately 75 m, and contains numerous small Danish islands....
sea strait.
Middelfart is serviced by the passenger rail service between Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
and Jutland
Jutland
Jutland , historically also called Cimbria, is the name of the peninsula that juts out in Northern Europe toward the rest of Scandinavia, forming the mainland part of Denmark. It has the North Sea to its west, Kattegat and Skagerrak to its north, the Baltic Sea to its east, and the Danish–German...
.
The Cultural Center Kulturøen (literally, "Culture Island"), contains the town library, a cinema, a restaurant
Restaurant
A restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...
, a café
Café
A café , also spelled cafe, in most countries refers to an establishment which focuses on serving coffee, like an American coffeehouse. In the United States, it may refer to an informal restaurant, offering a range of hot meals and made-to-order sandwiches...
, and the tourist office.