Odense

Odense

Understand Hans Christian Andersen house Odense is roughly in the centre of Funen, which lies between the larger Zealand island and the Jutland peninsula. The first recorded reference to the city dates back to 988 AD in a letter from the German Kaiser Otto III. Some recent archaeological findings have indicated that a settlement has in fact been around since the Viking period. At that time, however, Odense was just the small centre of the Odin cult. In 1100, the first monastery, Saint Knud's was established by English Benedictine monks. Until the middle of the 17th century, Odense enjoyed the position as a main trading-centre for the people from the surrounding areas. Local produce & livestock were exported from the city. However, a war with Sweden in the 1600s weakened the city's economy. This economic downturn continued until 1803 when a canal linking Odense with the Kattegat was opened. This swiftly changed Odense into a port city and over the next 100 years Odense quickly developed into the modern industrial city which it is today.…

Source: Wikivoyage · CC BY-SA 4.0.