Helsingør ( , ; sv, Helsingör), classically known in English as Elsinore ( ), is a city in eastern

Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark ...

Helsingør Municipality Helsingør Municipality (a variant English name: Elsinore Municipality; Danish: ''Helsingør Kommune''), is a municipality in the Capital Region on the northeast coast of the island of Zealand (''Sjælland'') in eastern Denmark. The municipali ...

had a population of 62,686 on 1 January 2018. Helsingør and

Helsingborg Helsingborg (, , , ) is a city and the seat of Helsingborg Municipality, Scania (Skåne), Sweden. It is the second-largest city in Scania (after Malmö) and ninth-largest in Sweden, with a population of 113,816 (2020). Helsingborg is the cent ...

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...

together form the northern reaches of the

Øresund Region The Øresund Region ( da, Øresundsregionen ; sv, Öresundsregionen ), also known as Greater Copenhagen for marketing purposes, is a metropolitan region that comprises eastern Denmark and Skåne in southern Sweden. Centred around the Øresund ...

, centered on

Copenhagen Copenhagen ( or .; da, København ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a proper population of around 815.000 in the last quarter of 2022; and some 1.370,000 in the urban area; and the wider Copenhagen metropolitan ar ...

and

Malmö Malmö (, ; da, Malmø ) is the largest city in the Swedish county (län) of Scania (Skåne). It is the third-largest city in Sweden, after Stockholm and Gothenburg, and the sixth-largest city in the Nordic region, with a municipal populat ...

. The

HH Ferry route HH may refer to: Organizations * Happy Hippie Foundation, a non-profit organization founded by Miley Cyrus * Hartmann House Preparatory School, an independent preparatory school in Harare, Zimbabwe * Heirs Holdings, a Nigerian conglomerate with ...

connects Helsingør with Helsingborg, 4 km (2.5 miles) across the

Øresund Øresund or Öresund (, ; da, Øresund ; sv, Öresund ), commonly known in English as the Sound, is a strait which forms the Danish–Swedish border, separating Zealand (Denmark) from Scania (Sweden). The strait has a length of ; its width v ...

. It is known for its castle

Kronborg Kronborg is a castle and stronghold in the town of Helsingør, Denmark. Immortalized as Elsinore in William Shakespeare's play ''Hamlet'', Kronborg is one of the most important Renaissance castles in Northern Europe and was inscribed on the UNES ...

, which

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

presumably had in mind for his play ''

Hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...

.''

History

The name ''Helsingør'' has been believed to be derived from the word ''hals'' meaning "neck" or "narrow strait," referring to the narrowest point of the ''

'' (Øre Sound) between what is now Helsingør and

, Sweden. The people were mentioned as ''Helsinger'' (which may mean "the people of the strait") for the first time in King Valdemar the Victorious's ''

Liber Census Daniæ The Danish Census Book or the Danish book of land taxation ( la, Liber Census Daniæ), ( da, Kong Valdemars Jordebog) dates from the 13th century and consists of a number of separate manuscripts. The original manuscripts are now housed in the Da ...

'' from 1231 (not to be confused with the Helsings of

Hälsingland Hälsingland (), sometimes referred to as Helsingia in English, is a historical province or ''landskap'' in central Sweden. It borders Gästrikland, Dalarna, Härjedalen, Medelpad and the Gulf of Bothnia. It is part of the land of Norrland. ...

in Sweden). Place names show that the Helsinger may have had their main fort at

and a fortified landing place at Helsingør, to control the ferry route across the strait. This particularly 19th century tradition to explain toponymies, place names, with features of the landscape is not necessarily excluding the much older tradition of reading place names as eponymous. Although an obscure legendary character, or several, Helsing is quite abundantly present in traces of lost legends in the Nordic countries. Although probably not the first Helsing, one of the three sons of

Gandalf Alfgeirson Gandalf is a protagonist in J. R. R. Tolkien's novels ''The Hobbit'' and ''The Lord of the Rings''. He is a Wizards (Middle-earth), wizard, one of the ''Istari'' order, and the leader of the Fellowship of the Ring (characters), Fellowship of t ...

(the antagonist of

Halfdan the Black Halfdan the Black (Old Norse: ''Halfdanr Svarti''; fl. c. 9th century) was a king of Vestfold. He belonged to the House of Yngling and was the father of Harald Fairhair, the first king of a unified Norway. In sagas According to ''Heimskringla'' ...

, who was father of King

Harald Fairhair Harald Fairhair no, Harald hårfagre Modern Icelandic: ( – ) was a Norwegian king. According to traditions current in Norway and Iceland in the eleventh and twelfth centuries, he reigned from 872 to 930 and was the first King of Nor ...

, the semi-legendary, historical first king of a feudalist Norway) is called Helsing. He was brother to Hake and Hysing Gandalfson. Also Helsingfors/

Helsinki Helsinki ( or ; ; sv, Helsingfors, ) is the Capital city, capital, primate city, primate, and List of cities and towns in Finland, most populous city of Finland. Located on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, it is the seat of the region of U ...

in Finland and

Norrland Norrland (, "Northland", originally ''Norrlanden'' or "the Northlands") is the northernmost, largest and least populated of the three traditional lands of Sweden, consisting of nine provinces. Although Norrland does not serve any administr ...

, Sweden, refers to Helsing, as "the Land of the Helsing/Helsinger," which makes the landscape-theory of the name of Helsingør less likely. Helsingør as it is known today was founded in the 1420s by the Danish king

Eric of Pomerania Eric of Pomerania (1381 or 1382 – 24 September 1459) was the ruler of the Kalmar Union from 1396 until 1439, succeeding his grandaunt, Queen Margaret I. He is known as Eric III as King of Norway (1389–1442), Eric VII as King of Denmark (1 ...

. He established the Sound Dues in 1429, meaning all foreign ships passing through the strait had to pay a toll, which constituted up to two-thirds of Denmark's state income. With this income

built the castle Krogen. The castle was expanded in the 1580s and renamed

. All ships had to stop in Helsingør to get their cargo taxed and pay a toll to the Danish Crown, but it also generated a significant trade for the town. In 1672 Helsingør had grown into the third biggest town in Denmark.

Johan Isaksson Pontanus Johan Isaaksz PontanusIn Latin Johannes Isacius Pontanus, in Danish Johan Isaksen (21 January 1571–7 October 1639) was a Dutch historiographer. Pontanus was the son of Margaretha van Delen and Isaac Pietersz, the Dutch consul to Denmark stat ...

(''Rerum Danicarum Historica'', 1631) attributes a long and partially fictitious history to Helsingør. The Sound Dues were abolished in 1857 with the Copenhagen Convention, where all naval nations agreed to pay a one-time fee. The oldest known fortified building of Helsingør is ''Flynderborg'', an early medieval fortress situated on a hill just south of the medieval city. Around 1200, the first church, Saint Olaf's Church, was built. A number of convents once surrounded the church, but now all that remains is the church building, today the cathedral of the

Diocese of Helsingør The Diocese of Helsingør (Danish: Helsingør Stift) is a diocese within the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Denmark. It comprises the Danish Capital Region except for the core municipalities of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Tårnby and Dragør. Disjo ...

. The oldest parts of the cathedral of Helsingør date back to the 13th century and tell us that the fishing village, as Helsingør was then, had grown to a town of importance. In

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, Helsingør was among the most important transport points for the rescue of Denmark's

Jewish population As of 2020, the world's "core" Jewish population (those identifying as Jews above all else) was estimated at 15 million, 0.2% of the 8 billion worldwide population. This number rises to 18 million with the addition of the "connected" Jewish pop ...

during the

Holocaust The Holocaust, also known as the Shoah, was the genocide of European Jews during World War II. Between 1941 and 1945, Nazi Germany and its collaborators systematically murdered some six million Jews across German-occupied Europe; a ...

Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Nazi Germany, Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his death in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the le ...

had ordered that all Danish Jews were to be arrested and deported to the

concentration camps Internment is the imprisonment of people, commonly in large groups, without charges or intent to file charges. The term is especially used for the confinement "of enemy citizens in wartime or of terrorism suspects". Thus, while it can simply ...

Rosh HaShanah Rosh HaShanah ( he, רֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה, , literally "head of the year") is the Jewish New Year. The biblical name for this holiday is Yom Teruah (, , lit. "day of shouting/blasting") It is the first of the Jewish High Holy Days (, , " ...

, the Jewish New Year which fell on 2 October 1943. When Georg Ferdinand Duckwitz, a diplomatic attaché of

Nazi Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in ...

Germany to Denmark, received word of the order on 28 September 1943, he shared it with political and Jewish community leaders. Using the name Elsinore Sewing Club (Danish: ''Helsingør Syklub'') as a cover for messages, the Danish population formed an

underground railroad The Underground Railroad was a network of clandestine routes and safe houses established in the United States during the early- to mid-19th century. It was used by enslaved African Americans primarily to escape into free states and Canada. T ...

of sorts, moving Jews away from the closely watched

docks to spots further away, especially Helsingør, just two miles across the

from

in neutral

. Hundreds of civilians hid their fellow Danish citizens—Jews—in their houses, farm lofts and churches until they could board them onto Danish fishing boats, personal pleasure boats and ferry boats. Over the course of three nights, Danes had smuggled over 7,200 Jews and 680 non-Jews (gentile family members of Jews or political activists) across the Øresund, to safety in Helsingborg and

in Sweden.

Transport

The car ferry line between Helsingør and

Scania Scania, also known by its native name of Skåne (, ), is the southernmost of the historical provinces of Sweden, provinces (''landskap'') of Sweden. Located in the south tip of the geographical region of Götaland, the province is roughly conte ...

is the busiest in the world with more than 70 departures in each direction every day. The route is known as the

and has been sailed by several shipping lines throughout history. The car ferry terminal is connected to the town's

main railway station Central stations or central railway stations emerged in the second half of the nineteenth century as railway stations that had initially been built on the edge of city centres were enveloped by urban expansion and became an integral part of the ...

. From the station, trains depart to

every 20 minutes. Trains also depart to

Hillerød Hillerød () is a Denmark, Danish town with a population of 35,357 (1 January 2022)Gilleleje Gilleleje () is a fishing town and seaside resort on the north coast of the peninsula North Zealand, Denmark. The town is located at the northernmost point of the island of Zealand. It is one of the main towns of the Gribskov municipality in Re ...

. There are another six stations or train stops within the city and connected suburbs. Apart from ''Helsingør Station and Ferry Terminal'' also ''Snekkersten station'', ''Espergærde station'', ''Mordrup station'' and the train stops at the line to Gilleleje, ''Grønnehave'', ''Marienlyst'' and ''Højstrup''. The E47 motorway towards Copenhagen begins just outside the city limits. The town and surrounding areas also have a network of local and regional buses.

Industrialisation

For a century the Helsingør Værft or Elsinore shipyard was a prominent landmark, which covered the whole area between the town and Kronborg Castle. It was founded in 1882. At its height in 1957, it had 3,600 employees. The last ship left the shipyard in 1983 and it closed the same year following substantial losses. The Wiibroe brewery, founded in 1840, was the second brewery in Denmark to ship bottled beer, just three years after Carlsberg. The last beer was brewed at Wiibroe in Helsingør in 1998. Carlsberg continues to brew beer under the Wiibroe Årgangsøl label.

Post-industrialisation

After the end of the industrial era, the town of Helsingør had to redefine itself, and came up with an ambitious project:

Kulturhavn Kronborg Kulturhavn Kronborg is an area in the harbour of Helsingør dedicated to culture and events, designed to attract residents and visitors. It is a joint initiative by Kronborg Castle, the Danish Maritime Museum, Kulturværftet (The Culture Yard) an ...

, literally "Culture-harbour of Kronborg". It officially opened on 26 May 2013, intended to appeal to tourists with an interest in culture. The main attraction of

Kronborg Castle Kronborg is a castle and stronghold in the town of Helsingør, Denmark. Immortalized as Elsinore in William Shakespeare's play ''Hamlet'', Kronborg is one of the most important Renaissance castles in Northern Europe and was inscribed on the UNES ...

, a

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...

. Besides the historical attractions of the site,

's play ''

'' has been performed annually in its courtyard since 1937. There is a longstanding tradition of performing the play in English, and notable actors in the title role have included

Laurence Olivier Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier (; 22 May 1907 – 11 July 1989) was an English actor and director who, along with his contemporaries Ralph Richardson and John Gielgud, was one of a trio of male actors who dominated the Theatre of the U ...

John Gielgud Sir Arthur John Gielgud, (; 14 April 1904 – 21 May 2000) was an English actor and theatre director whose career spanned eight decades. With Ralph Richardson and Laurence Olivier, he was one of the trinity of actors who dominated the Briti ...

Christopher Plummer Arthur Christopher Orme Plummer (December 13, 1929 – February 5, 2021) was a Canadian actor. His career spanned seven decades, gaining him recognition for his performances in film, stage, and television. He received multiple accolades, inc ...

Derek Jacobi Sir Derek George Jacobi (; born 22 October 1938) is an English actor. He has appeared in various stage productions of William Shakespeare such as ''Hamlet'', ''Much Ado About Nothing'', ''Macbeth'', ''Twelfth Night'', ''The Tempest'', ''King ...

, and in 2009

Jude Law David Jude Heyworth Law (born 29 December 1972) is an English actor. He received a British Academy Film Award, as well as nominations for two Academy Awards, two Tony Awards, and four Golden Globe Awards. In 2007, he received an Honorary Césa ...

. At the heart of

lies

kulturværftet Kulturværftet (The Culture Yard in English) is a cultural centre located in Helsingør, Denmark. The center was established in 2010, in the buildings of the former Helsingør Værft or Elsinore Shipyard. Kulturværftet is part of Kulturhavn Kr ...

or The Culture Yard, a new cultural centre and a public library located in the old

dockyard A shipyard, also called a dockyard or boatyard, is a place where ships are built and repaired. These can be yachts, military vessels, cruise liners or other cargo or passenger ships. Dockyards are sometimes more associated with maintenance ...

. It opened in 2010. The former

dry dock A dry dock (sometimes drydock or dry-dock) is a narrow basin or vessel that can be flooded to allow a load to be floated in, then drained to allow that load to come to rest on a dry platform. Dry docks are used for the construction, maintenance, ...

now houses the

Danish Maritime Museum The M/S Maritime Museum of Denmark ( da, M/S Museet for Søfart) is a maritime museum located in Helsingør, Denmark. Established in 1915, its collections cover Danish trade and shipping from the 15th century to the present day. The museum was o ...

. In the centre of the harbour basin stands the polished steel sculpture ''Han'' (''He'') by artist duo

Elmgreen and Dragset Michael Elmgreen (born 1961; Copenhagen, Denmark) and Ingar Dragset (born 1969; Trondheim, Norway) have worked together as an artist duo since 1995. Their work explores the relationship between art, architecture and design. Elmgreen & Dragset liv ...

, commissioned by the City of Helsingør in 2012. It was inaugurated by then Minister of culture,

Uffe Elbæk Uffe Elbæk (born 15 June 1954) is a Danish politician, social worker, author, journalist, entrepreneur. In 2013 he founded the green political party The Alternative, which he led until February 2020. He is an independent member of the Folketin ...

, in June 2012. It is seen as the counterpart (and even little brother) to

Edvard Eriksen Edvard Eriksen (10 March 1876 – 12 January 1959) was a Danish–Icelandic sculptor. Biography He apprenticed as a wood carver, after which he trained at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts between 1894 and 1899. Eriksen's most famous work i ...

's world-famous ''

The Little Mermaid "The Little Mermaid" ( da, Den lille havfrue) is a literary fairy tale written by the Danish author Hans Christian Andersen. The story follows the journey of a young mermaid who is willing to give up her life in the sea as a mermaid to gain a h ...

'' statue in

, and has caused both praise and protests among locals. The Swedish city of

lies a short distance across the

from Helsingør, approximately .

European route E55 European route E55 is an European Route, E-route. It passes through the following cities: Helsingborg … Helsingør – Copenhagen – Køge – Vordingborg – Nykøbing Falster – Gedser … Rostock – Berlin – Lübbenau – Dresden – Te ...

joins the two cities;

ferries A ferry is a ship, watercraft or amphibious vehicle used to carry passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo, across a body of water. A passenger ferry with many stops, such as in Venice, Italy, is sometimes called a water bus or water tax ...

connect the two sides.

Music

Dieterich Buxtehude Dieterich Buxtehude (; ; born Diderik Hansen Buxtehude; c. 1637 – 9 May 1707) was a Danish organist and composer of the Baroque period, whose works are typical of the North German organ school. As a composer who worked in various vocal a ...

organist and composer of the Baroque period. He was born Diderich Buxtehude presumably in Helsingborg, he serving as organist from 1660 to 1668 in Helsingør as his father that held the position as organist at St. Olaf's cathedral. Diderich Buxtehude compositions and style became of significant influence, among others on his student

Johann Sebastian Bach Johann Sebastian Bach (28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque period. He is known for his orchestral music such as the '' Brandenburg Concertos''; instrumental compositions such as the Cello Suites; keyboard w ...

Architecture

The new

was designed by Danish prize-winning architects

Bjarke Ingels Group Bjarke Ingels Group, often referred to as BIG, is a Copenhagen and New York based group of architects, designers and builders operating within the fields of architecture, urbanism, research and development. The office is currently involved in a ...

(BIG).

Jørn Utzon Jørn Oberg Utzon, , Hon. FAIA (; 9 April 191829 November 2008) was a Danish architect. He was most notable for designing the Sydney Opera House in Australia, completed in 1973. When it was declared a World Heritage Site on 28 June 2007, Utzon ...

lived in Helsingør in his youth because his father was an engineer at Helsingør Værft. Utzon designed The

Kingo Houses Kingo Houses is a housing development designed by architect Jørn Utzon in Helsingør, Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption ...

(1956–60) and The Hammershøj Care Centre (1962) in the city. The project was completed by Birger Schmidt (1966) after Utzon moved to Sydney to work on the

Sydney Opera House The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre in Sydney. Located on the foreshore of Sydney Harbour, it is widely regarded as one of the world's most famous and distinctive buildings and a masterpiece of 20th-century architec ...

Notable people

Public Service & public thinking

Christiern Pedersen Christiern Pedersen (c. 1480 – 16 January 1554) was a Danish canon, humanist scholar, writer, printer and publisher. Education Christiern Pedersen was born in Helsingør, Denmark. He was schooled in Roskilde and studied from 1496 at the Unive ...

(c.1480–1554) canon, humanist scholar, writer and publisher *

Johannes Isacius Pontanus Johan Isaaksz PontanusIn Latin Johannes Isacius Pontanus, in Danish Johan Isaksen (21 January 1571–7 October 1639) was a Dutch historiographer. Pontanus was the son of Margaretha van Delen and Isaac Pietersz, the Dutch consul to Denmark stat ...

(1571–1639) Dutch

historiographer Historiography is the study of the methods of historians in developing history as an academic discipline, and by extension is any body of historical work on a particular subject. The historiography of a specific topic covers how historians hav ...

. *

Niels Claussøn Senning Niels Claussøn Senning (c. 1580 – 1617) was a Danish/Norwegian Lutheran Bishop. Senning was born in Helsingør, Denmark. He studied at the University of Copenhagen, traveled as an eighteen year old abroad and received an enrollment at the Un ...

(c.1580–1617) Danish/Norwegian clergyman,

Bishop of Oslo Oslo bishopric is the Church of Norway's bishopric for the municipalities of Oslo, Asker and Bærum. It is one of Norway's five traditional bishoprics and was founded around the year 1070. History Oslo was established as a diocese in 1068. It w ...

Hans Ulrik Gyldenløve Hans Ulrik Gyldenløve (10 March 1615 – 31 January 1645) was the illegitimate son of King Christian IV of Denmark and his mistress, Karen Andersdatter. He was also a Danish-Norwegian Navy officer and ''lensmann'' bailiff. Childhood Hans Ulr ...

(1615–1645) illegit. son of King

Christian IV of Denmark Christian IV (12 April 1577 – 28 February 1648) was King of Denmark and Norway and Duke of Holstein and Schleswig from 1588 until his death in 1648. His reign of 59 years, 330 days is the longest of Danish monarchs and Scandinavian monar ...

and Navy officer *

Jørgen Iversen Dyppel Jørgen Iversen Dyppel (February 25, 1638 – 1683), also called George Iversen or Ifversen, or sometimes Doppel in Knox, was the first governor of the renewed establishment of St. Thomas in the Danish West Indies, from 1672 to 1680. His rule wa ...

(1638–1683), first governor of the

Danish West Indies The Danish West Indies ( da, Dansk Vestindien) or Danish Antilles or Danish Virgin Islands were a Danish colonization of the Americas, Danish colony in the Caribbean, consisting of the islands of Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, Saint Thomas ...

1672/1680. *

Christian de Meza Christian Julius de Meza (14 January 1792 – 16 September 1865) was the commander of the Danish Army during the 1864 Second Schleswig War. De Meza was responsible for the withdrawal of the Danish army from the Danevirke, an event which shocked th ...

(1792–1865) commanded the

Danish Army The Royal Danish Army ( da, Hæren, fo, Herurin, kl, Sakkutuut) is the land-based branch of the Danish Defence, together with the Danish Home Guard. For the last decade, the Royal Danish Army has undergone a massive transformation of structur ...

in the

Second Schleswig War The Second Schleswig War ( da, Krigen i 1864; german: Deutsch-Dänischer Krieg) also sometimes known as the Dano-Prussian War or Prusso-Danish War was the second military conflict over the Schleswig-Holstein Question of the nineteenth century. T ...

* Robert Cleaver Chapman (1803–1902), pastor, teacher and evangelist, the ''apostle of Love'' * Olivia Nielsen (1852–1910), a Danish trade unionist and politician *

Hans Wright Hans Wright (29 December 1854 – 3 December 1925) was a Denmark, Danish architect. He served as city architect in Copenhagen from 1904 to 1925. Early life and education Wright was born in Helsingør, the son of ship-owner and major Albert Wrigh ...

(1854-1925) city architect in Copenhagen from 1904 to 1925 * William Thalbitzer (1873–1958) a philologist and professor of

Eskimo Eskimo () is an exonym used to refer to two closely related Indigenous peoples: the Inuit (including the Alaska Native Iñupiat, the Greenlandic Inuit, and the Canadian Inuit) and the Yupik peoples, Yupik (or Siberian Yupik, Yuit) of eastern Si ...

studies * Morten Løkkegaard (born 1964) Danish politician and MEP.

The Arts

Pieter Isaacsz Pieter Isaacsz (ca 1569, Helsingør – 14 September 1625), was a Danish court and portrait painter from Dutch origin who worked in a mannerist style on historical, biblical and mythological subjects. He was also a tapestry designer and art- ...

(1569–1625), a Danish-born

Dutch Golden Age The Dutch Golden Age ( nl, Gouden Eeuw ) was a period in the history of the Netherlands, roughly spanning the era from 1588 (the birth of the Dutch Republic) to 1672 (the Rampjaar, "Disaster Year"), in which Dutch trade, science, and Dutch art, ...

painter. *

Bernhard Keil Bernhard Keil or Keyl (1624 – 3 February 1687) was a Danish Baroque painter who became a pupil of Rembrandt. Biography Keil was born in Helsingør. According to the RKD he was a pupil of the Danish painter Morten Steenwinkel, who became a ...

(1624–1687) Danish Baroque painter, became a pupil of

Rembrandt Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (, ; 15 July 1606 – 4 October 1669), usually simply known as Rembrandt, was a Dutch Golden Age painter, printmaker and draughtsman. An innovative and prolific master in three media, he is generally consid ...

. * Johan Frederik Møller (1797–1871) Danish painter and photographer. *

Anton Melbye Daniel Herman Anton Melbye (13 February 1818, Copenhagen – 10 January 1875, Paris) was a Danish painter and photographer who specialized in maritime scenes. He was the brother of painters Vilhelm and Fritz Melbye. Biography His father was a ...

(1818–1875), Vilhelm Melbye (1824–1882) &

Fritz Melbye Fritz Sigfred Georg Melbye (24 August 1826 – 14 December 1869) was a Danish marine painter, the brother of Anton Melbye and Vilhelm Melbye who were also marine painters. He traveled widely, painting seascapes, coastal and harbour scenes as wel ...

(1826–1869), brothers and Danish

marine art Marine art or maritime art is a form of figurative art (that is, painting, drawing, printmaking and sculpture) that portrays or draws its main Sea in culture, inspiration from the sea. Maritime painting is a genre that depicts ships and the sea� ...

ists *

August Schiøtt Heinrich August Georg Schiøtt (17 December 1823 – 25 June 1895) was a Danish portrait painter. Biography August Schiøtt was born in Helsingør, Denmark. He was the son of Heinrich Erpecum Schiøtt and Anna Sophie Marie Fleron. His father w ...

(1823–1895) Danish portrait painter. *

Peter Elfelt Peter Elfelt (1 January 1866 – 18 February 1931) was a Danish photographer and film director known as the first movie pioneer in Denmark when he began making documentary films in 1897. Biography Peter Elfelt was born Peter Lars Petersen in ...

(1866–1931) photographer and cinema pioneer, made early Danish films *

Harald Moltke Harald Viggo Moltke (14 December 1871 – 24 June 1960) was a Danish painter, author and explorer. Among his activities Moltke, participated as draftsman in four Arctic expeditions. Early life and education Harald Moltke was born in Helsingø ...

(1871–1960) a painter, author and explorer on four Arctic expeditions *

Alfred Lind Søren Estrup Alfred Lind (27 March 1879 – 29 April 1959) was a Danish cinematographer, screenwriter, and film director of the silent era. Lind was a prominent director in early Scandinavian cinema, and also worked in the German film industry. ...

(1879–1959) cinematographer, screenwriter and silent era film director *

Valdemar Andersen Valdemar Andersen (1889–1956) was a Danish screenwriter and film director. He worked as script manager for Nordisk Film.Drum & Drum p.63 Selected filmography * ''De besejrede Pebersvende'' (1914) * ''En slem Dreng ''En slem Dreng'' is a ...

(1889–1956) screenwriter and film director for

Nordisk Film Nordisk Film A/S (lit. "Nordic Film") is a Danish entertainment company established in 1906 in Copenhagen by filmmaker Ole Olsen. It is the fourth-oldest film studio in the world behind the Gaumont Film Company, Pathé, and Titanus ...

Ove Verner Hansen Ove Verner Hansen (20 July 1932 – 20 February 2016) was a Danish opera singer and actor. He played the character, "Bøffen" (or "Biffen" in Norwegian, literally meaning "the steak" in both languages) in 16 of the ''Olsen-banden''-movies (11 d ...

(1932–2016) Danish opera singer and actor *

Erik Wedersøe Erik Wedersøe (18 July 1938 – 27 September 2011) was a Danish actor, director and author. Among his most famous roles are the psychiatrist "Pigernes Ole" in Lars von Trier's Riget II and Ulf Thomsen in the Emmy awarded (2002) Danish televisio ...

(1938–2011) a Danish actor, director and author *

Birte Tove Birte Tove ( née Birte Tove Sørensen; 1945–2016), was a Danish actress and nude model. She is best known for her work in the 1970s Bedside-films (), an erotic film series produced by A/S Palladium. Her films were popular internationally, and ...

(1945-2016) a Danish actress *

Morten Rudå Morten Rudå (born 1 June 1960, in Helsingør, Denmark) is a Norwegian actor. Rudå, who was one of those who started the drag show group Great Garlic Girls in 1981, has acted in theatre in both Norway and the US, as well as in Norwegian films ...

(born 1960) a Norwegian actor * Fredrik Lundin (born 1963) jazz saxophonist and bandleader, brought up in Helsingør *

Martin Glyn Murray Martin Glyn Murray (born 1 February 1966 in Helsingør, Denmark) is a Danish-born British actor who has played Mark Thompson in '' Families'' and he has also been in ''The Bill'', '' Sharpe'', ''Aristocrats'', ''Enigma'', ''Enemy at the Gates'', ...

(born 1966) a Danish-born British actor *

Jan Grarup Jan, JaN or JAN may refer to: Acronyms * Jackson, Mississippi (Amtrak station), US, Amtrak station code JAN * Jackson-Evers International Airport, Mississippi, US, IATA code * Jabhat al-Nusra (JaN), a Syrian militant group * Japanese Article Numb ...

(born 1968 in Kvistgaard) a photojournalist, does war and conflict photography *

Helle Fagralid Helle Fagralid (born 11 May 1976) is a Danish actress who has appeared in number of feature films and television series. Career Fagralid played Iben in the TV-series '' Nikolaj og Julie'' (2002–2003), Freja, the goddess of love, in the TV-s ...

(born 1976) Danish actress of Faroese descent *

Vicki Berlin Vicki Berlin Tarp (born Vicki Jensen on 16 November 1977 in Helsingør) is a Danish actress, best known for her roles in ''w:da:Anja og Viktor – i medgang og modgang, Anja og Viktor – i medgang og modgang'' (2008) and ''Triangle of Sadness' ...

(born 1977) a Danish actress IMDb Database
retrieved 30 June 2020 *

Susanne Grinder Susanne Grinder (born November 1981) is a Danish ballet dancer. She joined the Royal Danish Ballet in 1998, becoming a principal dancer in 2012. Early life Born in Helsingør in 1981, her father is a bank manager, her mother a graduate in Danish ...

(born 1981) principal dancer with the

Royal Danish Ballet The Royal Danish Ballet is an internationally renowned classical ballet company, based at the Royal Danish Theatre in Kongens Nytorv, Copenhagen, Denmark. It is one of the oldest ballet companies in the world and originates from 1748, when the Ro ...

Science & business

* Sophia Brahe (1559–1643) a Danish noble woman and horticulturalist with knowledge of astronomy, chemistry, and medicine; lived in Helsingør from 1616 * Stephen Hansen (1701–1770) industrialist, businessman and

General War Commissioner General War Commissioner (from German ''Generalkriegskommissarius'') was a military office in various German states as well as in Denmark-Norway. It was the military officer in charge of national conscription, collection of war contributions, equi ...

Jean Abraham Grill Jean Abraham Grill (21July 173612March 1792), sometimes called Johan Abraham Grill, was a Swedish merchant, supercargo, director of the Swedish East India Company (SOIC) and ironmaster at Grill (family)#Godegård, Godegård with several factories ...

(1736–1792), merchant, director of the

Swedish East India Company The Swedish East India Company ( sv, Svenska Ostindiska Companiet or ''SOIC'') was founded in Gothenburg, Sweden, in 1731 for the purpose of conducting trade with China and the Far East. The venture was inspired by the success of the Dutch East ...

. * Hans Christian Amberg (1749–1815) a Danish lexicographer * Hartvig Marcus Frisch (1754–1816) director of the

Royal Greenland Trading Department The Royal Greenland Trading Department ( da, Den Kongelige Grønlandske Handel, KGH) was a Danish state enterprise charged with administering the realm's settlements and trade in Greenland. The company managed the government of Greenland from 177 ...

* Sir Edward Knox (1819–1901) Danish-born Australian politician, sugar refiner and banker. *

Ludvig Lorenz Ludvig Valentin Lorenz (; 18 January 1829 – 9 June 1891) was a Danish physicist and mathematician. He developed mathematical formulae to describe phenomena such as the relation between the refraction of light and the density of a pure transpar ...

(1829–1891), physicist and mathematician, named the

Lorenz gauge condition In electromagnetism, the Lorenz gauge condition or Lorenz gauge, for Ludvig Lorenz, is a partial gauge fixing of the electromagnetic vector potential by requiring \partial_\mu A^\mu = 0. The name is frequently confused with Hendrik Lorentz, who ...

Jens Levin Tvede Jens Levin Tvede (7 April 1830 - 11 March 1891) was a Danish distiller, industrialist and politician. He was the brother of Hans Jørgen Tvede and the father of Charles Tvede. Early life and education Tvede was born on 7 April 1830 in Copenhag ...

(1830-1891) a Danish distiller, industrialist and politician; member of Helsingør City Council from 1857 and of the

Landstinget Landstinget was the upper house of the Rigsdag (the parliament of Denmark), from 1849 until 1953, when the bicameral system was abolished in favour of unicameralism. Landstinget had powers equal to the Folketing, which made the two houses of parl ...

* Gordon Norrie (1855–1941) Danish surgeon and ophthalmologist, named

Norrie disease Norrie disease is a rare disease and genetic disorder that primarily affects the eyes and almost always leads to blindness. It is caused by mutations in the ''Norrin cystine knot growth factor (NDP)'' gene, which is located on the X chromosome. In ...

Wilhelm Johannsen Wilhelm Johannsen (3 February 1857 – 11 November 1927) was a Danish pharmacist, botanist, plant physiologist, and geneticist. He is best known for coining the terms gene, phenotype and genotype, and for his 1903 "pure line" experiments in g ...

(1857–1927) Danish botanist, plant physiologist and geneticist * Simon Spies (1921–1984) Danish

tycoon A business magnate, also known as a tycoon, is a person who has achieved immense wealth through the ownership of multiple lines of enterprise. The term characteristically refers to a powerful entrepreneur or investor who controls, through perso ...

. * Steen Rasmussen (born 1955), a physicist, works on

artificial life Artificial life (often abbreviated ALife or A-Life) is a field of study wherein researchers examine systems related to natural life, its processes, and its evolution, through the use of simulations with computer models, robotics, and biochemistry ...

and

complex systems A complex system is a system composed of many components which may interact with each other. Examples of complex systems are Earth's global climate, organisms, the human brain, infrastructure such as power grid, transportation or communication s ...

Mette Blomsterberg Mette Jæger Blomsterberg (born 20 July 1970) is a Danish pastry chef, restaurateur and cookbook writer. She has been a judge in the television programme ''Den store bagedyst'', the Danish equivalent of The Great British Bake Off. Biography Born ...

(born 1970) Danish pastry chef, restaurateur and cookbook writer

Sport

* Fairfax Fenwick (1852–1920) a New Zealand cricketer * Edgar Aabye (1865–1941) a Danish athlete and journalist, team gold medallist in the tug of war at the

1900 Summer Olympics The 1900 Summer Olympics (french: Jeux olympiques d'été de 1900, link=no), today officially known as the Games of the II Olympiad () and also known as Paris 1900, were an international multi-sport event that took place in Paris, France, from 1 ...

* August Sørensen (1896–1979) track and field athlete, competed in the

1920 Summer Olympics The 1920 Summer Olympics (french: Jeux olympiques d'été de 1920; nl, Olympische Zomerspelen van 1920; german: Olympische Sommerspiele 1920), officially known as the Games of the VII Olympiad (french: Jeux de la VIIe olympiade; nl, Spelen van ...

Willy Hansen Willy Falck Hansen (4 April 1906 – 18 March 1978) was a Danish track cyclist who won a silver medal at the 1924 Summer Olympics with Edmund Hansen and gold and bronze medals at the 1928 Summer Olympics. References External linksVilly ...

(1906–1978) a Danish track cyclist, silver medallist at the

1924 Summer Olympics The 1924 Summer Olympics (french: Jeux olympiques d'été de 1924), officially the Games of the VIII Olympiad (french: Jeux de la VIIIe olympiade) and also known as Paris 1924, were an international multi-sport event held in Paris, France. The op ...

and gold and bronze medallist at the

1928 Summer Olympics The 1928 Summer Olympics ( nl, Olympische Zomerspelen 1928), officially known as the Games of the IX Olympiad ( nl, Spelen van de IXe Olympiade) and commonly known as Amsterdam 1928, was an international multi-sport event that was celebrated from ...

Jørn Steffensen Jørn Steffensen (born 20 September 1944) is a Danish modern pentathlete. He competed at the 1968, 1972 and 1976 Summer Olympics Events January * January 3 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters ...

(born 1944) a modern pentathlete, competed at the 1968,

1972 Within the context of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) it was the longest year ever, as two leap seconds were added during this 366-day year, an event which has not since been repeated. (If its start and end are defined using Solar time, me ...

and

1976 Summer Olympics Events January * January 3 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force. * January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea. * January 11 – The 1976 Phi ...

* Mads Vibe-Hastrup (born 1978) Danish professional golfer *

Tobias Mikkelsen Tobias Pilegaard Mikkelsen (; born 18 September 1986) is a Danish former professional footballer who played as a winger, he last played for Helsingborgs IF in the Allsvenskan. He has eight senior caps for Denmark, as well as a total of 11 youth ...

(born 1986) a footballer with over 250 club caps and 8 for

Mikkel Hansen Mikkel Hansen (born 22 October 1987) is a Danish handball player for Aalborg Håndbold and the Danish national team. Hansen is regarded as one of the greatest players in handball history, and has been named the IHF World Player of the Year for a ...

(born 1987),

handball Handball (also known as team handball, European handball or Olympic handball) is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each (six outcourt players and a goalkeeper) pass a ball using their hands with the aim of throwing it into the g ...

player who won the

IHF World Player of the Year The IHF World Player of the Year is a handball award given annually to the player who is considered to have performed the best in the previous season, both at club and international competitions. It is awarded based on votes from experts, media a ...

2011, 2015, 2018

Districts

Centrum * North: Grønnehave (Green Gardens), Højstrup and Marienlyst, Hellebæk, Højstrup, Ålsgårde and Hornbæk * West: Sundparken,

Grøningen Grøningen is a lake in the municipality of Snåsa in Trøndelag county, Norway. The lake lies in the southeastern part of the municipality, just outside Blåfjella–Skjækerfjella National Park, about north of the lake Holderen. See also ...

, Nøjsomheden and Vapnagård Gurre, Tikøb * South: Skotterup and

Snekkersten Snekkersten is a former fishing village and current neighbourhood in the southern part of Helsingør, Denmark. Snekkersten station is an interchange between the Coast Line between Copenhagen (to Copenhagen) and the Lille Nord railway to Hillerød ...

and Espergærde

Twin towns – sister cities

Helsingør practices twinning on the municipal level. For the twin towns, see twin towns of Helsingør Municipality.

In fiction and popular culture

's play ''

'' (whence the English spelling "Elsinore" derives) takes place mostly at

in Helsingør. * In the 1983 comedy ''

Strange Brew ''Strange Brew'' (also known as ''The Adventures of Bob & Doug McKenzie: Strange Brew'') is a 1983 Canadian comedy film starring the popular '' SCTV'' characters Bob and Doug McKenzie, portrayed by Dave Thomas and Rick Moranis, who also served ...

'', which is loosely based on ''Hamlet'', the protagonists are given jobs at Elsinore Brewery. * In

Patrick O'Brian Patrick O'Brian, CBE (12 December 1914 – 2 January 2000), born Richard Patrick Russ, was an English novelist and translator, best known for his Aubrey–Maturin series of sea novels set in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars, and cent ...

's Aubrey–Maturin series, Helsingør fires mortar shells at the heroes in book seven, The Surgeon's Mate, as they sail past on their way to a rendezvous in the Baltic. *In the second chapter of

Philip Roth Philip Milton Roth (March 19, 1933 – May 22, 2018) was an American novelist and short story writer. Roth's fiction—often set in his birthplace of Newark, New Jersey—is known for its intensely autobiographical character, for philosophicall ...

's novel ''

Our Gang ''Our Gang'' (also known as ''The Little Rascals'' or ''Hal Roach's Rascals'') is an American series of comedy short films chronicling a group of poor neighborhood children and their adventures. Created by film producer Hal Roach, also the ...

'' (1971), Trick E. Dixon in a fictive speech tries to claim Helsingør as US-territory and tries to convince the audience to occupy the area * In

Bret Easton Ellis Bret Easton Ellis (born March 7, 1964) is an American author, screenwriter, short-story writer, and director. Ellis was first regarded as one of the so-called literary Brat Pack and is a self-proclaimed satirist whose trademark technique, as a w ...

's novel '' Lunar Park'', the street on which the character Bret Easton Ellis lives, with his own haunting father-son issues, is called Helsingør Lane. * Several stories written by the Danish author Karen Blixen (or Isak Dinesen) take place in Helsingør, including "The Supper at Elsinore" in her first published volume of stories, ''Seven Gothic Tales''. * A well-known poem by the Portuguese

surrealist poet Surrealism is a cultural movement that developed in Europe in the aftermath of World War I in which artists depicted unnerving, illogical scenes and developed techniques to allow the unconscious mind to express itself. Its aim was, according to l ...

Mário Cesariny Mario is the Italian, French, Croatian, Spanish, Portuguese, Bulgarian, Greek, and English form of the Latin Roman name Marius. In Croatia, the name Mario was among the most common masculine given names in the decades between 1970 and 1999, and ...

is named "You are welcome to Helsingør". * Children's author

Richard Scarry Richard McClure Scarry (June 5, 1919 – April 30, 1994) was an American children's author and illustrator who published over 300 books with total sales of over 100 million worldwide. He is best known for his ''Best Ever'' book series that take ...

depicted Helsingør as "A Castle in Denmark" in the book ''Busy, Busy World''. * Indie-rock band

The Essex Green The Essex Green is an American indie rock band from Brooklyn that has released four albums to date. The band is primarily composed of songwriters Jeff Baron, Sasha Bell and Chris Ziter, and specializes in a classic sound inspired by 1960s–1970s ...

recorded a song titled "Elsinore" for their 2006 album ''

Cannibal Sea ''Cannibal Sea'' is the third album by indie rock band The Essex Green. It was released in March 2006 by Merge Records. Background Essex Green formed in 1997 in New York City. A part of The Elephant Six Collective, they released an EP and their ...

''. * In

David Brin Glen David Brin (born October 6, 1950) is an American scientist and author of science fiction. He has won the Hugo,The Postman ''The Postman'' is a post-apocalyptic dystopia science fiction novel by David Brin. It is about a man wandering the desolate Oregon countryside who finds a United States Postal Service uniform, which he puts on and then claims he is a mail carri ...

'', the first chapter features an apparition that appears to protagonist Gordon Krantz. It is described as an "Elsinorian figure" and greets Gordon with "Alas, poor Gordon!", both allusions to ''Hamlet''. * Surrealist artist

René Magritte René François Ghislain Magritte (; 21 November 1898 – 15 August 1967) was a Belgian surrealist artist known for his depictions of familiar objects in unfamiliar, unexpected contexts, which often provoked questions about the nature and bounda ...

has a painting named after the city, depicting a castle, which might be modelled on Elsinore Castle. * The detective show ''The Sommerdahl Murders'' is set in Helsingør

References

External links

Helsingør Tourist Bureau website

Port of Helsingør

Helsingør municipality's official website

Helsingør Leksikon: Local history wiki
{{DEFAULTSORT:Helsingor Municipal seats in the Capital Region of Denmark Cities and towns in the Capital Region of Denmark Port cities and towns in Denmark Port cities and towns of the Øresund Denmark–Sweden border crossings Helsingør Municipality