Slusen (literally "The Sluice") is a lock in the South Harbour of

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 ...

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 ...

. It regulates water levels and inhibits unfavourable currents in the Copenhagen Harbour, occupying both sides of the narrow strait between

Zealand Zealand ( da, Sjælland ) at 7,031 km2 is the largest and most populous island in Denmark proper (thus excluding Greenland and Disko Island, which are larger in size). Zealand had a population of 2,319,705 on 1 January 2020. It is the 1 ...

and

Amager Amager ( or, especially among older speakers, ) in the Øresund is Denmark's most densely populated island, with more than 212,000 inhabitants (January 2021) a small appendage to Zealand. The protected natural area of ''Naturpark Amager'' (includi ...

. It lends its name to the adjacent

Sluseholmen Sluseholmen (literally "The Sluice Isle") is an artificial peninsula in the South Harbour of Copenhagen, Denmark. It takes its name from Slusen, a lock immediately to the south, regulating water levels in the harbor. Previously the site of heavy ...

neighbourhood.

History

The Slusen lock system was established between 1901 and 1903 as a consequence of the comprehensive changes which had taken part in Copenhagen Harbour over the past decades. Large-scale expansions of the harbor had dug away enormous amounts of material which had in turn been used for reclamations elsewhere. Especially the ones in the southern part of the harbor,

Islands Brygge Islands Brygge (English: Iceland's Quay) is a harbourfront area in central Copenhagen, Denmark, located on the north-western coast of Amager. The neighbourhood is noted for its waterfront park Havneparken, which is one of the most popular areas ...

and the areas now known as Sluseholmen and

Teglholmen Teglholmen (English: The Tiles Islet) is a peninsula in the South Harbour of Copenhagen, Denmark, located between Sluseholmen and Enghave Brygge. The former dockland area used to house heavy industry. While some industry activities remain in the ...

on the Zealand side, had led to strong currents of up to 6

knot A knot is an intentional complication in cordage which may be practical or decorative, or both. Practical knots are classified by function, including hitches, bends, loop knots, and splices: a ''hitch'' fastens a rope to another object; a ' ...

s. Due to the relatively weak engines of ships at that time, it made navigation difficult. The lock was used by fishing vessels,

dredger Dredging is the excavation of material from a water environment. Possible reasons for dredging include improving existing water features; reshaping land and water features to alter drainage, navigability, and commercial use; constructing da ...

s and smaller freight ships right up until the 1970s. The Sjællandsbroen bridge was built to the south of the lock in 1969. It was designed by Niels Rohwder. It originally opened to passing vessels. It is now permanently closed and with a clearance of just three metres, only smaller boats can now enter and exit Copenhagen Harbour from the

The site

The lock consists of an embankment in granite with associated system. It extended for almost two km from

Frederiksholm Naval Station Holmen ( da, Flådestation Holmen) is one of several naval stations of the Royal Danish Navy, supplementing the two Danish naval bases in Frederikshavn and Korsør. Founded in the late 17th century, it is also a visitor attract ...

(now Kongens Enghave) to

. A house of the lock keeper and another building for the engine which powered the machinery was built on a small artificial island which was established halfway along the embankment. The buildings were designed by

Vilhelm Dahlerup Jens Vilhelm Dahlerup (4 August 1836 – 24 January 1907) was a Danish architect who specialized in the Historicist style. One of the most productive and noted Danish architects of the 19th century, he is behind many of the most known buildings ...

who served as architect for Port of Copenhagen. On the south side of the embankment, a small harbor was established where ships could berth while they awaiting passage. Over the years the shallow waters along entire eastern section of the embankment have been filled, meaning that the island with the buildings now appears as an integrated part of Amager.

Today

The lock closed in 1995 but reopened after a renovation in 2004.

Houseboat colony

The Slusehavnen harbor at Sjællandsbroen is now home to a sizeable houseboat colony, "Husbådskolonien København". The association was founded in 1987 as "Kajforeningen Kalvebod Brygge" ("Quay Association Kalvebod Brygge") since most of the boats at that time was berthed in Tømmergraven at

Kalvebod Brygge Kalvebod Brygge (literally "Kalvebod Quay") is a waterfront area in the Vesterbro district of Copenhagen, Denmark. The name also refers to a section of the Ring 2 ring road which follows the waterfront from Langebro in the north to the H. C. Ørst ...

. They had to move when the shopping mall Fisketorvet was built and the Havneholmen development was planned.

References

External links

Copenhagen House Boat Colony
(in Danish)
Images
{{coord, 55.6427, 12.5524, type:landmark_region:DK, display=title Buildings and structures in Copenhagen 1903 establishments in Denmark Port of Copenhagen