Orehoved is a small harbour town in the north of the

Danish Danish may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the country of Denmark People * A national or citizen of Denmark, also called a "Dane," see Demographics of Denmark * Culture of Denmark * Danish people or Danes, people with a Danish a ...

island of

Falster Falster () is an island in south-eastern Denmark with an area of and 43,398 inhabitants as of 1 January 2010.

. It grew up mainly as a result of the railway and ferry services in the late 19th century. As of 2022, it has a population of 417.

Etymology

The element "''ore''" stems from Old Danish "''wara''", meaning an untended field or a point. The first documented reference to the place is ''Orehoffuit'' in 1509."Orehoved"
, Falsters Historie. Retrieved 18 November 2012.

History

Orehoved was probably established around the 14th century at a clearing in the forest. There is nothing left of the old village which in 1509 consisted of just four

copyhold Copyhold was a form of customary land ownership common from the Late Middle Ages into modern times in England. The name for this type of land tenure is derived from the act of giving a copy of the relevant title deed that is recorded in the man ...

s. There was little success with farming, prompting a comment in the accounts of 1662 stating that there were only two fields with very poor soil. In 1766, the village became the property of Hvededal Farm but returned to the State in 1793. The farmers became independent landowners in the 1850s but the State kept the forests which were sold to Johannes Wilhjelm in 1869. Wilhjelm built a new manor called Orenæsgård in 1869 but it was torn down in 1982. The Orehoeved–Nykøbing railway opened in 1872, with a ferry connection to

Masnedø Masnedø () is a Danish island between Zealand and Falster. The island covers an area of 1.68 km2 and has 156 inhabitants. Transportation Masnedø can be reached by the Masnedsund Bridge from Zealand or the Storstrøm Bridge from Falster. The ...

in 1884. It later became a train ferry bringing prosperity to Orehoved including a new harbour and a railway station. Further station facilities came in 1937 with the completion of the

Storstrøm Bridge The Storstrøm Bridge ( da, Storstrømsbroen, ) is a road and railway arch bridge that crosses Storstrømmen between the islands of Falster and Masnedø in Denmark. Together with Masnedsund Bridge it connects Falster and Zealand (''Sjælland''). ...

. The red brick station building has now been partly converted into residential accommodation.

Orehoved Lighthouse Orehoved Lighthouse is a lighthouse in Orehoved on the north coast of Falster, Denmark. It was built in 1895 on the northwest corner of the quay, replacing an earlier light which had simply been placed on a mast at the end of the railway pier. A ...

was built in 1895 on the northwest corner of the quay, replacing an earlier light which had simply been placed on a mast at the end of the railway pier. A blue gas burner was installed in 1912. In 1933, a third storey was added to the tower, bringing it up to a height of . In 1904,

Rasmus Sigvardt Rasmus Sigvardt (born 26 February 1886) was a mechanic from Orehoved on the Danish island of Falster. In 1904, he opened a cycle repair shop which later developed into an engine factory, specializing in boat motors and mechanized fruit-tree sprayer ...

opened a bicycle repair shop in Orehoved, soon extending it to handle motorcycles. In 1909, he opened new premises with facilities for repairing cars, motocycles and motorboat engines. Over the years, the business developed into a factory first for manufacturing engines for boats and the extending into motors and engines for other applications, especially spraying equipment. In 1970, the factory was purchased by Hardi International and has now been moved to

Nørre Alslev Nørre Alslev () is a town with a population of 2,379 (1 January 2022) ...

. In 1945, Orehoved Træ- og Finerindustri, a wood and veneer factory, opened in the harbour area, soon gaining an international reputation. Since the factory's closure in 1984, other businesses have taken over the premises. Major extensions to the harbour were made in 1960 with later additions towards the west.

The town today

Orehoved Harbour, since 1998 administered by Nykøbing Falster Harbour, has facilities for commercial shipping and for pleasure craft. While Orehoved has a food store, other facilities (school, day nursery, sports hall) are available in nearby Nørre Vedby. only to the south."Projekter"
Nørre Vedby Forum. Retrieved 18 November 2012.

References

{{Falster Denmark Falster Cities and towns in Region Zealand Guldborgsund Municipality Ports and harbours of Denmark