Vejle Avis

Vejle () is a city 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 60,231 () making it the ninth largest city in Denmark. Vejle Municipality has a population of 119,007 () making it the fifth largest municipality in Denmark. The city is part of the Triangle Region, which includes the neighbouring cities of Kolding and Fredericia and it is located 110 kilometres (68 miles) north of Germany.

Vejle is most known for its forested hills, fjord, harbour, shopping, pedestrian mall, and windmill.

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.

Geography

Downtown Vejle was built on an island of glacial till in Vejle River remaining from a hill formed during the last ice age.

In a country where the highest natural elevation is only about 170 m (558 ft) above sea level, Vejle is known for the forested hills that rise to the north and south of the town and fjord.

The valleys of the two rivers that converge at Vejle are both unique in Denmark: Vejle River Valley (''Vejle Ådal'') is the longest tunnel valley in Denmark, and the Grejs Valley (''Grejsdalen'') is the largest ravine in Denmark.

Both empty into Vejle Fjord, which connects Vejle by water through the Little Belt strait to the Baltic Sea, and through the Kattegat and Skagerrak straits to the Atlantic Ocean.

Neighbourhoods

Many of Vejle's neighbourhoods began as separate towns or villages that merged with the city as it grew. Søndermarken, Nørremarken, and Grejsdalen, however, were all founded as extensions of the city onto the surrounding hillsides.

Vejle's neighbourhoods include:
*Vejle centre
*Bredballe - east of downtown and north of Vejle Fjord; considered an affluent neighbourhood
*Grejsdalen - northernmost part of the city, located in the long, narrow valley of the same name
*Hover - west of Grejsdalen, closer to the centre
*Lille Grundet - north of downtown in the northwest corner of Nørremarken, relatively new
*Store Grundet - established in 2000, north of Lille Grundet
*Mølholm - southeast of the centre
*Nørremarken - northeast of the centre, including the North Woods (''Nørreskoven'') and Vejle Stadium
*Petersminde - on top of Uhrhøj, west of Grejsdalen
*Vestbyen (West Town) - western Vejle, including Skibet and Trædballe, and the scenic overlook of Himmelpind
*Vinding - southeast, next to Mølholm
*Søndermarken - to the southwest, located on land belonging to the former Petersholm manor

Economy

Vejle is the cultural and economic centre of Vejle Municipality and, as part of the unofficial Triangle Area (''Trekantområde''), is rich in industry, business, and the service sector. Historically speaking, industry has been very important for the city's development, while today more weight is placed on business and service, as well as high-tech firms.

Industry

During the Industrial Revolution, Vejle was known as the "Manchester of Denmark" due to its extensive textile mills. The local rivers provided water power to mills, including the extensive facilities of De Danske Bomuldsspinderier (The Danish Cotton Mills). In the first half of the 20th century, Vejle was something of a behemoth within the Danish textile industry, with some 25% of the city's workers employed in the industry.
Despite the decline in the industry in Denmark, the last cotton mill in Vejle remained open until 1993. Today, many of the old mill buildings are used for art studios, office space, and, more recently, apartments.

Later on, newer industries took root in Vejle. The city is home to one of the largest chewing gum factories in the world, producing Stimorol brand chewing gum.

The Tulip slaughterhouses were also an important employer in the city. Today, Tulip has closed its factory at the harbour, but still maintains production in northern Vejle.

Today, Vejle's economy is shifting out of the industrial sector and into the high-tech sector, with a number of software companies operating out of the city.

Shopping

Vejle is known regionally as a vibrant shopping town with a wide and varied offering of both chain and specialty shops, primarily located along the city's central pedestrian mall. Recently, in an effort to maintain its position as a premiere shopping destination, the town has invested in several public works projects to improve the city's appearance, including lengthening the pedestrian mall, developing new public art and architecture, and uncovering and beautifying Grejs River, which until recently ran in a culvert underneath downtown.

In addition to the shopping experiences in the city, Vejle also has its own shopping centre, Bryggen, located in the center of the city. The shopping centre contains 38 stores and two restaurants and lies within the pedestrian mall.

Street food concepts can also be experience at the Paladspassagen Social Dining at the former Mary's Shoppingcenter.

Politics

Ever since Social Democrat Christian Jacobsen became Vejle's first elected mayor in 1919, the town has been a stronghold for the Social Democrats and trade unions. The longest serving Social Democratic mayor was Willy Sørensen, a union leader who joined the city council in 1937 and held the mayor's post for 31 years, from 1946 until his death in 1978.

In 1993, the Social Democratic dynasty was broken, when a candidate from a coalition of opposition parties, Flemming Christiansen, became mayor. In 2009, the Social Democrats were out of power again when Liberal candidate Arne Sigtenbjerggaard won the elections.

Several natives of Vejle have also made a career in national politics, including former Prime Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen (Liberal), the former Minister of the Treasury Troels Lund Poulsen (Liberal), former Minister of Health Torben Lund (Social Democrat), and former Minister of Transportation Flemming Hansen ( Conservative).

Infrastructure

Historically speaking, Vejle's development has been guided by the city's central location in the country and its location on Vejle Fjord. Vejle's pedestrian mall today runs along the same course as some of the earliest paths through town – glass panels set into Torvegade allow pedestrians to see the historical market road a few meters under the current street surface.

Highway E45 passes close to downtown Vejle on the Vejle Fjord Bridge. Vejle is also located on Primary Route 28, and the Mid-Jutland Highway (''Midjyske Motorvej'', Primary Route 18) from Herning

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