Hjørring is the largest town in Vendsyssel with 25,780
inhabitants (2020), located in Sankt Catharinæ and Sankt Olai Sogne.
It is a market town and capital of Hjørring Municipality and is
located in the North Jutland Region.
Hjørring is centrally
located in a sparsely populated area and serves as a catchment area
for large parts of especially the western and central Vendsyssel. It
was originally cut through by a small stream called "Strømmen" which
gave name to Strømgade. Hjørring is special as a market town, as it
does not have a port like many other larger cities.
In the
center of the city is Springvandspladsen, where Østergade,
Strømgade, Søndergade and Jernbanegade meet. Strømgade is a
pedestrian street that connects Springvandspladsen with Sct. Olai
Plads. Østergade was turned into a pedestrian street in 2008, and
here you will find i.a. the city's shopping center "Metropol".
Jernbanegade leading to the railway station is Hjørring's
walk-in-town street, where several restaurants are located together.
Hjørring is located approx. 50 km north of Aalborg, approx. 30
km west of Frederikshavn, 13 km southeast of Hirtshals, about 20 km
northeast of Løkken, about 60 km southwest of Skagen. From the city
center there are roads to the other major cities: Aalborgvej,
Frederikshavnsvej, Hirtshalsvej, Løkkensvej and Sæbyvej.
There are 467 kilometers (via the Great Belt Bridge) to Copenhagen.
Hamburg is 500 kilometers away. To Gothenburg there are (via.
Frederikshavn-Gothenburg ferry) 120 kilometers and to Oslo there are
290 kilometers (via. Hirtshals-Oslo ferry).
By plane
The nearest airport is Aalborg Airport.
By rail
there is a train station in Hjørring.
By car
Hjørring is
reached by highway from Aalborg.
Hjørring is first mentioned on a bracteate from the middle of the 12th century (Heringa), then in King Valdemar's Jordebog (13th century) in the form Jhoringy (error for Hj-) and in the Old Norse Knýtlingesaga around 1260 in the form (í) Jorungi. The origin of the name must be described as uncertain, but one suggestion is that it consists of two parts: Hjórr (which means a sword) and of a typical ending for old Danish cities (-ing).
The isolated hill island, on which the central parts of Hjørring are
now located, has been inhabited since the Iron Age. There have been good
springs so that water was always available. It has become a central
location because two streams exit here. As a result, it has been
possible to walk to Hjørring dry-shoeed from several places. The
Hjørring area has therefore become a natural meeting place for the
area's population.
Antiquities: A total of approx. 100 protected,
including
Five mounds located opposite Hjørring Gymnasium, five
burial mounds, the last of which was demolished in 1937; in this
connection, 3 now protected Bronze Age graves were uncovered.
In the
new cemetery, there are 8 of the typical for North Jutland, and
especially for Vendsyssel, stoned Iron Age graves, which have yielded
good finds, especially of ceramics, from the older and younger Roman
Iron Age.
Looped ancient memories: A total of approx. 450
well-known, including
24 mounds, of which 6 in a group on the
Bjergene and 5 at Aldershøj, the others more scattered. From the
northernmost of the Klokhøjene at Aldershøj comes a rich burial find
from the Iron Age with a bronze bowl, clay vessel and 3 gold finger
rings, 2 silver rings, etc.
An Iron Age settlement has been found
east of the town. At Hjørring, 3 gold bracts have been found. The finds
are on display at the Vendsyssel Historical Museum.
When an actual urban society arose cannot be precisely determined.
The town is undoubtedly Vendsyssel's oldest market town and, despite its
small size, has had a certain importance throughout the Middle Ages.
Around 1147-1150, coins were minted in the city. A found bracteate bears
the circumscription Heringa, which is the Latin term for Hjørring.
Throughout the Middle Ages, the old business was held here, and the town
also became a meeting place for the clergy. There is also much evidence
that the bishop of Vendsyssel had a home in the town at least in the
12th century. The former farm Bistrupgård was formerly called
Biskopstorp and was the residence of the bishops of the Vendelboe or
Aalborg Diocese when they lived in Hjørring.
Already in the early
Middle Ages, the town had as many as 3 churches: Sankt Hans, Sankt Olai
and Sankt Annæ Kapel. At Sankt Olai Church was Sankt Olai kilde or Cross
source. In addition, at the time to the southwest of the city, there was
a Saint Knud's Holy Cross chapel adjacent to a long-visited holy spring.
Today there is a facility called St. Knud's Source. At the end of the
15th century, a Sankt Annæ chapel was also founded in connection with
St. Catharinæ church, to which a hospital was probably attached. The
town's most distinguished citizens gathered together with out-of-town
magnates in a St. Knud's Guild with its own guild house, and the rather
numerous clergy met in a special guild that also had its own house.
The oldest known letter of privilege was issued by King Erik 4.
Plovpenning on 31 March 1243 and granted the city the same rights as
Viborg. It appears from a letter from 24 April 1408 that a certain
Wichmand Andersen, townsman, deeded a farm in the town to Queen
Margrete. On 28 February 1459, Christian I took the city under his
protection. The privileges were confirmed by new letters of 19 April
1484, 30 October 1505, 23 September 1514. Through the letter of 1505,
one gets an impression of the extent of the town: the medieval town
community was still located around the three churches on top of the hill
island. The Sysselting and assemblies of the area's clergy have
sometimes called many people to the town and thus given revenue to the
town's traders and craftsmen.
The 16th century is a period of decline. The Sysselting's work ends
sometime in the 1520s, and with the Reformation, the rich monasteries in
Børglum (see Børglum monastery) and Vrejlev (see Vrejlev monastery)
disappear, which undoubtedly had business relations with the city. The
Clementsfejden was also expensive for Hjørring, as the citizens had to
pay heavy ransoms and reparations. Around 1570, a violent fire probably
ravaged the town. A comparison of the tax returns from the towns in
Vendsyssel shows that both Skagen and Sæby have been richer and larger
than Hjørring in this period. 1548-53 Hjørring was the new episcopal
seat, and a house for the bishop was built on the grounds of the old
priest's guild. A Latin school was established according to royal letter
of 24 May 1549 at the instigation of Bishop Oluf Chrysostomus; it had
its premises in a stone house that was in the east wall around Sankt
Kathrine Kirkegaard. The city's privileges were confirmed during the
tribute ceremonies in Viborg on 16 June 1584, and on 1 August 1590 the
king made it strict that if a citizen wanted to sell his property in the
city, it should first be offered to another citizen and not to someone
from outside the city. On the same occasion, the citizens were also
given the right to shop in Aalborg city and its surroundings, and
permission was given to hold market day every Thursday.
In 1602
the plague raged, and in 1627-29 the imperial troops were quartered in
the town (rhythm master Schirstedt's company). In 1644, the town was
occupied by Swedish troops, and after the war, Danish soldiers were
accommodated. In 1647, a violent fire broke out again, which destroyed
17 farms, and in 1657-58 the town was once again occupied by enemy
troops, who starved the population through discharges and accommodation.
The authority calculated the city's expenses in connection with the Karl
Gustaf wars at approx. 11,000 Riksdaler.
The town had its
privileges confirmed in 1604, 1648, and in 1651 the so-called
Alhedemarked, which had hitherto been held 2 miles from the town, was
transferred to Hjørring. However, conditions in the city were so poor
that the old magistrate was abolished and all administrative power was
placed in the hands of the city clerk.
Even in this period, the city's merchants managed to maintain a
certain turnover, and even if you did not have direct access to the sea,
it was no further than that the city's merchants could benefit from the
trade of gunpowder.
In 1672 the town had 782 inhabitants, but it
went back even more in the 18th century, and in 1769 it had 596
inhabitants, and the Danish Atlas calls it "a small town and a small
country".
The introduction of the consumption tax in 1672 meant a
serious blow to the town's trade; the surrounding farmers no longer went
to Hjørring to sell their goods, but preferred to trade directly with
the foreign merchants who arrived at the settlements on the west coast
(Lønstrup, Løkken, Blokhus, etc.). Several traders moved from the town
during this period, and in 1715 there were only 76 families left, of
which 3 peddlers, 14 craftsmen, 3 beer tappers, 26 breeders, 8 civil
servants and 22 without a profession. On 22 July 1693 and again in 1702,
fires reduced almost the entire town to ashes. After the fire disaster
in 1702, only 14 houses and 3 barns remained from the time before 1693.
As a result of the fires, the state had forgiven tax arrears, and
they even granted tax exemption for a number of years, but it was not
until well into the 18th century that the city began to regain its
footing. For the city's business community, agriculture became more and
more important. The city has had a considerable amount of land since
ancient times, and rising land prices in the last half of the 18th
century brought prosperity. In 1739, the small Latin school was closed
down.
In 1702 Horns and Vennebjerg manor councils were moved to
Hjørring, and in 1778 the town became the seat of a district surgeon,
just as in 1794 a pharmacy was added. Of greater importance, however,
was the fact that Hjørring, as a result of a royal resolution of 4
September 1793, became the county seat (see Hjørring County), and that a
county hall was opened on 1 January 1801. This meant that people from
the catchment area frequently got errands in the city, and this
increased turnover. A few more fire disasters hit the city towards the
end of the 18th century, but the consequences were far less than before.
The war of 1807-1814 put an end to the coastal trade with Norway,
and several years passed before it could be resumed. This gave the town
a new chance, as the surrounding farmers now took a renewed interest in
selling their products in Hjørring. When coastal trade was resumed,
enterprising citizens, i.a. consul Christian H. Nielsen, own warehouses
on the coastal sites. The flourishing of agriculture after the crisis in
the 1820s was of great importance to the city, and in this period a
certain industry began to characterize the city. There was a large rope
factory, dyeworks, a couple of iron foundries and from 1842 a printing
house, from which Hjørring Amtstidende was published from 1843. The
progress resulted in an increased population; in 1801 the town had 744
inhabitants, in 1850 there were 1914. An important prerequisite for this
development was also the expansion of the road network which improved
contact with the catchment area. In 1844-46, the chaussée was built to
Løkken, the city's old shipping port. 1845-1849 the chaussée was built
to Aalborg and Frederikshavn. In the same years, the postal service
improved, and in 1857 the telegraph was opened. In 1844, a savings bank
was founded to support business, and in 1855 the Discount Bank began its
operations. In 1872 the Latin school reopened.
In line with
economic development, the city expanded its area. First, the area was
built on to the east along the current Strømgade and Østergade, then to
all sides. In 1819, another fire disaster occurred which destroyed the
buildings along Østergade's southern side. In 1843, Christian VIII
donated the plantation laid out in 1821 to the city; this was named
Christiansgave. The loss in connection with the relocation of Horn's
herredsting to Frederikshavn in 1815 was offset by the addition of
Børglum's herredsting in 1825.
Economic growth really picked up around 1850, and by 1900 the
population had more than quadrupled. The street network was expanded,
and on 15 August 1871 the railway between Aalborg and Frederikshavn was
opened, after which exports passed through this city. New iron foundries
and machine factories were established in addition to spinning mills and
cloth factories. In 1883, the brewery Vendia began (taken over by Ceres
in 1964, closed down in 1989), in 1884 the Kyppers hotel was founded
(the name changed in 1947 to Hotel Phønix), in 1890 a tobacco factory
was opened, and in 1891 the cooperative pig slaughterhouse was
established (closed 2005). The town got an electricity plant in 1896.
Around the year 1900, Hjørring had 7 markets each year: 1 in January
with horses, 2 in March with horses and cattle, 1 in May and 1 in June
with horses, and 1 in September and 1 in October with cattle and sheep.
There was market day every Saturday, in November and December also every
Wednesday; also every other Saturday in March, April, May and June and
every Saturday from October to Christmas with live animals. Every Monday
there was a market in the yard of the assembly building with live
cattle.
In 1872, the town had factories and industrial plants: 4
iron foundries, 3 steam distilleries, 1 beer brewery, 1 steam mill and a
steam bakery connected to it, 1 printing house, 1 tobacco factory. Of
the factories and industrial plants around the turn of the century, the
town had: 3 steam distilleries and yeast factories (respectively 22, 16
and 9 workers), 1 steam weaving mill (80 workers), 2 spinning mills and
cloth factories with dyehouses (respectively 28 and 22 workers), 2 pig
slaughterhouses (respectively 34 and 30 workers; in one, "Hjørring Amts
Andelsslagteri", 50,000 pigs are slaughtered annually), 2 iron foundries
and machine factories (80 and 30 workers respectively), a Bavarian beer
brewery (28 workers, annual production about 10,000 barrels of Bavarian
and white beer), 3 steam bakeries, 1 stock dairy, 1 tobacco factory, 2
machine carpentry shops, 1 sawmill, 3 mineral water factories, 1 sugar
factory, 3 cement foundries, 3 printing houses, and more.
Two
newspapers were published in Hjørring: Vendsyssel Tidende and Hjørring
Amtstidende.
Hjørring's population was increasing in the late
1800s and early 1900s: 1,914 in 1850, 2,190 in 1855, 2,807 in 1860,
3,250 in 1870, 4,308 in 1880, 6,055 in 1890, 7,901 in 1901, 8.7 94 in
1906 and 9,473 in 1911.
According to means of livelihood, the
population in 1890 was divided into the following groups, including both
breadwinners and dependents: 619 lived from non-material activities, 333
from agriculture, 81 from horticulture, 2 from fishing, 2,381 from
industry, 1,238 from trade, 950 from various day laborers, 255 from
their means , 185 enjoyed alms, and 11 were in prison. According to a
census in 1906, the population was 8,794, of which 476 supported
themselves by non-material activities, 757 by agriculture, forestry and
dairying, 3 by fishing, 4,634 by crafts and industry, 1,739 by trade and
more, 362 by transport, 409 were salespeople, 255 lived on public
support and 159 on other or unspecified business. Trade, crafts and
farming were the city's main means of livelihood. With its large
catchment area, it had a fairly significant trade. The import took place
for the most part via Frederikshavn.
The sheriff's residence
Amtmandstoften, built 1910 (architect Hack
Kampmann). In 1951, a bull well (made by Jan Buhl), donated by the
Sparekassen for Hjørring City and Surroundings, was erected in front of
the sheriff's residence.
Bistrup
The now defunct farm Bistrup
(1466 Bestrvp) must have been located on the current Østergade. In the
Middle Ages it belonged to the Børglumbispen and was still outside the
actual city area in the 19th century; possibly it has a connection with
an old royal farm which was handed over to the bishopric. 1510 referred
to as Bistrup bishopric. At the Reformation, Bistrup came under the
crown, but has probably been rather dilapidated; in any case, it was not
used as a bishop's residence when the bishop of Vendelbo diocese, Oluf
Chrysostomus, who was born in Hjørring, took up residence in the town.
Bortmage shift 1573 as a fief to Otte Eriksen Banner to Asdal and
Bangsbo (died 1585). In 1642 it belonged to Jochum Beck of Gladsax in
Skåne (died 1682) and came from him under Odden, under which it belonged
around 1800.
Saint Catharinæ Church
Hjørring's largest church is the cruciform
church Sankt Catharinæ church (dedicated to Sankt Catharina of
Alexandria) near the town's old square. It consists of a late Romanesque
brick core, but is dominated by later alterations and additions. These
are:
Late Gothic chancel in the east
sacristy in the north
chapel in the south
tower in the west
three-nave north wing (now
main nave) from 1924-26 with porch at the northernmost east side.
Only a few remains of the original Romanesque brick building have
been preserved, but a small piece of a profiled plinth with the lower
part of a pilaster shows that it belonged to the Wendsysel brick group,
and a few curved squares may indicate that it had an apse.
In
late Gothic times, probably the first half of the 15th century, the
original choir part was replaced by a three-sided finished choir with a
"broken" gable, but the choir arch seems to have been preserved until
approx. 1650. A sacristy was built on the north side of the choir, and
the whole church was given a cross vault. Shortly after the middle of
the 15th century, a chapel with an 8-part vault, Sankt Annæ chapel, was
built on the south side of the nave. a now-disappeared tombstone was
founded by the priest Peder Pedersen, who died in 1489.
Saint
Olai Church
Sankt Olai Church is Hjørring's oldest church and
dedicated to Saint Olav. According to Resen's Atlas, it must have been
built by Olav's half-brother Harald, while another tradition, reproduced
by magister Albert Thura, says that it was built in 1038 by Magnus
Olavsøn. In the Middle Ages, the church had considerable land holdings,
which suggests that it was the town's main church and may have taken
over the role of a pagan place of worship.
The church consists of
a Romanesque granite block building with a porch and chancel arch in
monks' stone from the Gothic period. Under the church, traces of one or
two wooden churches have been found. In 1936, a probably Romanesque
tombstone shaped like a hollow-edged grave tree was found in the
cemetery; it is now in the Vendsyssel Historical Museum.
Saint
Hans Church
The church consists of a late Romanesque choir and nave
as well as a newer porch. It is the largest and best-preserved within
the Wendsysel group of late Romanesque brick churches. The chancel is
for the most part built of granite blocks and probably originally had an
apse; it is probably quite a bit older than the spacious nave, which is
built almost exclusively in red monk's stone with many decorative
elements in the form of the usual moldings and round-arch friezes of the
Wendsysel brick group, which are carried out here with great regularity.
On the wall of the nave in 1875, a beautiful High Gothic fresco
(circa 1350) was revealed, which depicts Saint Christopher carrying the
baby Jesus. Other frescoes from the same period were whitewashed again.
Bistrup Church
Bistrup Church is the newest church in Hjørring.
Queen Margrethe II took the first sod for the church in August 1976. The
Lindevej church was already standing on the site, which was an old
rambling wooden church. Bistrup Church was designed by architect Holger
Jensen, and was inaugurated on Palm Sunday. March 19, 1978.
The
Bistrup church does not look like a traditional church. The cross sits
at the top of the church tower, which signals that here is a church for
the people, and not a random cultural center.
Lundergård is the name of a medieval manor which has since given its
name to Lundergårdskolen in the western part of Hjørring.
Provstegården
The Provstegården in Vestergade, built in 1773-74, is a
beautiful example of 19th-century half-timbered farms. The long long one
is in a cane structure of smooth half-timbered timber with twigs and
decoratively carved street door. Provstegården was renovated in 1917 and
was taken over by the Vendsyssel Historical Museum in 1943.
Hjørring is an old county town, therefore there are many educational
opportunities and a large hospital. In addition, Hjørring also has one
of the world's biggest football tournaments, the Dana Cup. Hjørring is
also the hometown of the Hjørring revue. The city also has a large
military repair workshop, HMAK, which is located in the southern part of
the city.
Hjørring is also home to Vendsyssel's largest
24-hour Falck station. The station operates i.a. also the Falck station
in Hirtshals. Both stations have a fire brigade and ambulance service.
Station Hjørring operates i.a. also; ambulance transport for private
customers and Region North Jutland's patients, animal rescue, car
assistance and crane, patient transport in recumbent ambulance,
ambulance, service office for private subscribers, Falckklubben and
central workshop for the island's vehicle fleet. Station Hjørring
employs approx. 50 men. Hjørring's mayor Arne Boelt is an ambulance
attendant at the station, but is on leave due to his political career.
Hjørring has a rich and flourishing cultural life. In the town is the
Vendsyssel Art Museum housed in a disused clothing factory, the
Vendsyssel Historical Museum, the Vendsyssel Theater and Vendelbohus.
Hjørring also has its own cinema called MovieHouse Hjørring.
Nature areas and parks
Bagterp plantation
Christiansgave, city
park that got its name after Christian 8. in 1843 donated the area to
the city's inhabitants after visiting the city.
Hjørring Bjerge,
nature area with the Bellevue observation tower.
Svanelunden, one of
Hjørring's largest parks, founded in 1878
St. Knud's Source
Museums
Vendsyssel Historical Museum, Museumsgade 3. The museum
contains collections from Vendsyssel's archaeological past up to recent
times.
Vendsyssel Art Museum, P. Nørkjærs Plads 15. The museum
contains collections of e.g. Poul Anker Bech and changing exhibitions.
Football clubs
Vendsyssel FF
Hjørring IF
Fortuna Hjørring
AIK FREM Hjørring
Bagterp IF
LIUF
Skibsby-Højene IF
In
the catchment area
Skallerup Klit Holiday Center