Høng is a station town in Northwest Zealand with 4,269
inhabitants (2020), located 13 km north of Slagelse and 26 km south
of Kalundborg. The city belongs to Kalundborg Municipality and is
located in Region Zealand.
Høng belongs to Finderup Parish.
Finderup Church is located in the village of Finderup southeast of
Høng, 1 km from the city limits.
Høng is a station town in Northwest Zealand, Denmark, located in
Kalundborg Municipality within Region Zealand. Situated at coordinates
55°30′16″N 11°17′31″E, it lies approximately 13 km north of Slagelse and
26 km south of Kalundborg. As of January 1, 2025, Høng has a population
of 4,304 residents (2,100 males and 2,204 females) across an urban area
of 3 km², with a density of about 1,400 per km². It is the
second-largest town in its municipality and belongs to Finderup Parish.
Early History and Origins
The origins of Høng trace back to
around 500 AD, during a period when settlements with the suffix "-inge"
emerged in Denmark, indicating communities of inhabitants. The name
"Høng" combines Old Danish elements: "-ho" meaning "high" and "-inge"
meaning "the home of the inhabitants," translating to "the high place."
This likely refers to the town's slightly elevated position in the
landscape. While the exact date of the first human settlement is
unknown, the area was sparsely populated and agrarian-focused by the
medieval period.
By the 19th century, Høng was a modest village. In
1872, it was described as including the Thing site (assembly place) for
Løve Hundred, the farm Odinsgaard (residence of the local sheriff), an
agricultural college inaugurated on November 5, 1866, a school, an inn,
and a dye mill. The 19th-century survey maps spelled it "Hønge," with a
smaller southeastern settlement called "Lille Hønge" (Little Høng),
which later became the site of the agricultural school and remains a
district name today.
19th and Early 20th Century Development
The late 19th century marked Høng's growth as a regional center. In
1898, the town was noted for its school, folk high school (originally
founded in 1864 in nearby Sæby and relocated to Høng in 1866), orphanage
(established 1891), courthouse and prison for Løve Hundred (built 1838,
with capacity for eight prisoners), inn, mill, cooperative dairy
("Kildebrønd," slightly outside town), and various businesses. The
Hundred sheriff resided at Odinsgaard.
Railway infrastructure was
pivotal. Høng Station opened in 1898 on the Slagelse-Værslev line, and
in 1901, the Høng-Tølløse line was added, making Høng a railway
junction. This connectivity spurred economic and educational expansion,
positioning Høng as an ideal site for schools due to its accessibility
in three directions.
Education flourished: Høng Private School was
founded in 1898 (now with about 220 students across 10 grades at
Hovedgaden 47). Høng Agricultural School started in 1903 by Rasmus
Jensen, a former folk high school teacher. Høng Realschule began in 1904
at the folk high school, adding a student course in 1913 as a boarding
school.
In 1920, Copenhagen dairy expert Rasmus Hansen purchased a
small dairy in Høng, experimenting with mold cultures to produce
camembert cheese. This led to the Høng Camembert Factory, which expanded
by acquiring other dairies and adding blue cheese and brie. A packaging
factory in Slagelse produced wooden boxes for the cheeses.
Mid-20th Century Boom and Changes
The mid-20th century saw continued
growth in education and industry. In 1925, the folk high school was
taken over by cooperative farmers' associations and converted into a
smallholder school; it added a continuation school in 1954 and became
exclusively one by 1963 (now Høng Continuation School at Tranevej 15).
The cheese factory achieved royal court supplier status in 1960. In
1968–1972, new premises were built for the gymnasium (formerly
realschule), which added an HF course in 1969 and became a three-year
gymnasium in 1981. Now Høng Gymnasium and HF at Hovedgaden 2, it remains
a boarding school with about 230 students, including 70 boarders.
Railway changes included the end of passenger service between Høng and
Værslev in 1971, with the track integrated into the Tølløse line for a
continuous Tølløse-Høng-Slagelse route. Freight to Gørlev ceased in
1994, after which Vestsjællands Veterantog (a heritage railway with 50
members) began operations from a depot in Høng.
In 1970, the cheese
company was acquired by Mejeriselskabet Danmark, merging into Arla Foods
in 2000. Production left Høng, but the "Høng" brand exports five cheese
variants to over 60 countries.
Modern History and Developments
Høng Agricultural School merged with others in 2001 and 2005, becoming
Zealand Agricultural School in 2007 under Roskilde Technical School,
with programs at Finderupvej 8.
In 1988, Høng Gymnasium's
Continuation School was established, leading to two such schools
temporarily. On January 1, 2007, it separated from the gymnasium. Høng
Municipality (area 145 km², population 8,411 in 2005) merged with others
to form Kalundborg Municipality (area 598 km², population 48,697 in
2005) under the Kommunalreformen.
The continuation school moved in
2008 to near Fuglebjerg, renaming to Hindholm Continuation School, which
bankrupted in 2012 due to low enrollment.
Høng Vocational School at
Kulbyvej 9 offers programs for youth aged 15–22, including Specially
Arranged Youth Education (STU) in agriculture and equestrian fields.
Today, Høng remains an educational and transport hub, with the railway
providing services to Tølløse and Slagelse. Notable resident Peter
Madsen (born 1971), a Danish engineer and convicted murderer known for
rockets and submarines, grew up here.
The name "Høng" is composed of 2 syllables: -ho, which
means "high", and -inge, which means "home of the inhabitants".
"Høng" thus means "the high place". It is not known when the first
humans settled in the area, but around the year 500 AD. cities with
the suffix "-inge" were founded.
In 1872 the town was
described as follows: "Høng, in which Thingsted for Løve Herred, and
Gaarden Odinsgaard, where Herredsfogden lives, also Landbohøiskole
(inaugurated 5th November 1866), Skole, Kro and Veirmølle (in Byen
also a Pogeskole)". The measuring table magazine from the 19th
century uses the spelling Hønge, and the small building to the
southeast, where the agricultural school was later built, is called
Lille Hønge. Lille Høng still exists as the name of that district.
The railway
In 1898, the town was described as follows: "Høng
with School, Folkehøjskole (founded 1864 in Sæby, moved 1866 to
Høng), Orphanage (founded 1891), Courthouse and Detention Center for
Løve Herred (founded 1838; Place for 8 Detainees) , Kro, Mølle,
Andelsmejeri ("Kildebrønd", a little outside the town) and many
businesses; it will be a hub for the Slagelse-Værslev line and the
Ruds-Vedby line, whose one end point it is; Herredsfogden lives on
Odinsgaard ".
Høng Station was built on the Slagelse-Værslev
line, which was inaugurated in 1898. Høng became a railway hub in
1901, when the Høng-Tølløse line was opened. Passenger traffic was
stopped between Høng and Værslev in 1971, but between Høng and
Slagelse the track was taken over by the Høng-Tølløse line, so that
a continuous line Tølløse-Høng-Slagelse (Tølløsebanen) was created.
Between Høng and Gørlev, freight traffic continued until 1994.
Vestsjællands Veterantog, which has approx. 50 members and depot in
Høng, now runs on this stretch.
Høng Camembertfabrik
Høng
has first and foremost become known at home and abroad for the Høng
cheeses, which were produced at Høng Camembertfabrik for many years.
The Copenhagen dairyman and cheese wholesaler Rasmus Hansen bought a
small dairy in Høng in 1920 and experimented with a mold culture for
camembert. The company gradually acquired dairies in i.a. Holeby,
Glumsø, Skovvang near Ringsted, Borup and Nørre Vium near Videbæk.
The range was expanded with blue cheese and brie, and a packaging
factory in Slagelse produced the characteristic chip boxes for
camembert.
In 1960, Høng A / S became a royal court supplier.
In 1970, the company was bought by Mejeriselskabet Danmark, which in
2000 was part of Arla Foods. Production no longer takes place in
Høng, but "Høng" is one of the world's largest blue cheese brands.
The 5 varieties of Høng cheeses are exported to over 60 countries.
Høng Folkehøjskole was built in 1866 after living
in a rented living room in Sæby 5 km north of Høng for the first two
years. In 1925, the folk high school was taken over by De
Samvirkende Sjællandske Husmandsforeninger, which transformed it
into a homestead school. Due to declining student numbers, it was
supplemented with a continuation school in 1954, and from 1963 there
was only continuation school. Høng Continuation School is still
located at Tranevej 15 and has its morning meetings in the folk high
school's old lecture hall.
When Høng got a railway in three
directions around 1900 and thus became a good place to place
schools, the folk high school took the initiative for a number of
other educational institutions, which still make Høng an important
school town.
Høng Private School was established in 1898. It
is still located on Hovedgaden 47 and has approx. 220 students,
divided into 10 grade levels.
Høng Realskole was started at
the folk high school in 1904 and in 1913 supplemented with a student
course, which from the beginning was a boarding school. In 1920, the
student course got its own premises on Hovedgaden 2 in the former
Høng Afholdshotel, whose theater hall still functions as a meeting
room. The current classrooms were built in 1968-72. In 1969, the HF
course was established, and in 1981, the 2-year student course
became a 3-year high school. Høng Gymnasium and HF is still a
boarding school with approx. 230 students, of which almost 70 live
in the boarding department.
In 1988, Høng Gymnasium's
Continuation School was established, so that the city had two
continuation schools for a number of years. But on 1 January 2007,
the upper secondary school and the after-school center were
separated, and on 1 August 2008, the after-school center moved to
the former Hindholm Seminarium at Fuglebjerg and changed its name to
Hindholm Continuation School. It went bankrupt in 2012 due to too
few students.
Høng Agricultural School was started in 1903 by
Rasmus Jensen, who had been a teacher at the folk high school. It
merged with Sydsjællands Landbrugsskole in 2001 and with Lyngby
Landbrugsskole in 2005. The merged schools were named
Landbrugsskolen Sjælland and from 2007 belonged to Roskilde
Technical School. The agricultural educations were gathered at the
department in Høng, Finderupvej 8.
Høng Business School at
Kulbyvej 9 is a residential institution with a social pedagogical
offer for late developed young people aged 15-22 years. The school
can also offer a 3-year Specially Organized Youth Education (STU),
i.a. an Agricultural STU in collaboration with the agricultural
school and a local equestrian center.