Thisted is a market town and port town by the Limfjord with 13,536 inhabitants (2020), located in Thy. The city is the center of Thisted Municipality, which is part of the North Jutland Region. Thisted is located roughly in the middle of the municipality and has an approx. five km long coastline along the fjord. Limfjordsbyen is the political, economic and cultural center of the municipality, and Thisted is the largest city in Northwest Jutland. The city's hospital, Thy-Mors Hospital, is one of the main hospitals in the region. The hospital has a newly built emergency room that serves the entire Northwest Jutland area.
The prefix is the god name Tyr, (cf. Tuesday). The suffix is the word place, and the name therefore means "The place devoted to Tyr".
The Middle Ages
The first named great man is Tord
Amdisøn, whose name is found on a rune stone from the 12th century,
today walled in at the foot of the church tower. Traces of an early
medieval town and trading post, from the 13th century, have been
found under the current Storetorv and Storegade.
The name
probably first appears in a letter of 1367 as Thystadth, and the
town is called in 1374 village ("villa"); it is referred to together
with Hovsør in Østerild Parish as a charging station (shipping
point) for the surrounding area. This, together with the fact that
there has been a chapel and a bishop's farm by the town,
Thistedgaard or Thisted Bispegaard, where the bishops of Børglum
sometimes stayed, is evidence that the town has already in the
Middle Ages been more than an ordinary village. Its market town
privileges, which it must first have received from one of the last
Børglumbisper (which also its seal seems to indicate), were
confirmed by Frederik I "for Bishop Ugly Krumpens Skyld" on August
10, 1524, giving its citizens the same rights as the citizens of
Viborg. The confirmation was repeated as early as 1528, almost with
regard to Hovsør, which was Thisted's rival long after this had
become a market town, and even for a very short time it became. As
early as 1524, Thisted had the mayor and council. The rivalry
between Thisted and Hovsør resulted in citizens from Thisted during
the Count's Feud, when Skipper Clement had sent a man, Oluf Dus, to
Thy to raise the locals to revolt, attacked Jep Friis' farm
"Lyngholm" and burned the farm of. Jep Friis was one of Hovsør's
benefactors.
The town grew, and the present Gothic church
"Vor Frue" replaced the smaller Romanesque church around 1490. The
church had a Latin school attached.
The Renaissance
The
township rights were confirmed in 1545, 1560, 1598 and 1648.
In 1552 a serious conflict had arisen with the Crown, as the king
had learned that many in the town, since he had given it township
freedoms, had arbitrarily sold their farms to knights, priests and
others, thereby violating the Crown's and the town's right, why it
was instructed by the mayor and council to ban such trade and to get
those who had sold their property to redeem it again, or else they
should have the properties broken. That Hovsør still disturbed the
town can be seen from a royal letter of 15 July 1572, whereby, after
the citizens' complaint, the peasants in the area were forbidden to
conduct sailing and merchandising with land purchases against the
town's privileges. However, the town did not become a significant
town at that time, for which the sailing on the Limfjord was too
difficult. Also large Fires such as 1608 and 1620 and a significant
flood in February 1622 hampered its emergence. In 1627, when the
imperial commissioners came to town, it had 1,276 inhabitants (as
well as 183 horses, 318 cattle, 349 sheep, and 319 pigs). The 17th
century Wars haunted it like so many of Jutland's cities, especially
the Swedes should have housed hard in Thisted in 1644 and 1658.
Under the dictatorship
In 1672 the town had 1,000
inhabitants. In 1681, Aalborg complained that the citizens of
Thisted were interfering in its trade, and by decree of 28 January
1682, Thisted's authority was restricted to a town bailiff, and it
was forbidden to engage in foreign trade. In 1769 the town had only
815 inhabitants.
Several of the city's women were subjected
to witch trials in the years 1696-98, among these women was the
noblewoman Ane Søe. The priest Ole Bjørn was in charge of the
accusations. They were later rejected by a royal commission and the
women acquitted. Ole Bjørn was deported for his part in the cases.
The early industrialization
It was not until the middle of
the 19th century, when it had gained a Port, that the city began to
rise. The construction of the railway contributed to further
progress, and more favorable conditions at Thyborøn would benefit it
even more.
Thisted had around 1900 annually 8 markets: 1 in
feb. and 1 in March with horses, 1 in April and 1 in May with
cattle, 1 in June with horses and wool, 1 in September with horses,
cattle and sheep, 1 in September with cattle, sheep and horses and 1
in October with cattle , sheep and wool. Market day was every
Wednesday and Saturday.
Of factories and industrial plants,
the town had around the middle of the 19th century: 1 book printing
plant, several lime distilleries, 1 iron foundry, 1 tobacco factory,
2 beer breweries and 1 distillery. Of factories and industries, the
town had in 1871: 1 book printing, several lime distilleries, 1
shipbuilding, 1 iron foundry, 3 breweries, 1 distillery. Of
factories and industrial plants, the town had around the turn of the
century: the machine factory and iron foundry "Thy", 3 shipyards, 1
scratch wool factory, 2 wool spinning mills, several steam dyes, 1
steam mill, 1 tobacco factory, 2 lime distilleries, several
breweries, 1 brewery, 1 brewery, pig slaughterhouse, 2 book printing
houses, etc.
In Thisted, 2 newspapers were published: "Thisted Amts Avis" and
"Thisted Amtstidende".
Thisted's population was increasing in
the late 1800s and early 1900s: 2,342 in 1850, 2,763 in 1855, 3,126
in 1860, 3,552 in 1870, 4,184 in 1880, 5,421 in 1890, 6,072 in 1901,
6,520 in 1906 and 6,804 in 1911.
By industry, the population
was divided in 1890 into the following groups, comprising both
breadwinners and dependents: 583 lived by intangible activities, 238
by agriculture, 59 by horticulture, 99 by fishing, 144 by shipping,
2,071 by industry, 1,146 by trade, 705 by various day care
activities, 241 of their funds, 132 enjoyed alms, and 3 were
imprisoned. According to a 1906 census, the population was 6,520, of
which 493 subsisted on intangible activities, 276 on agriculture,
forestry and dairy farming, 190 on fishing, 3,191 on crafts and
industry, 1,274 on trade and more, 486 on transport, 245 were
retired, 296 lived by public support and 69 by other or unspecified
business. In addition to industry, trade and shipping were quite
important and would probably be even more so if it succeeded in
making the Thyborøn Canal accessible to larger ships. The city had
previously conducted a considerable trade abroad, especially England
and Norway, but it was now declining sharply. After the fishing
report of 1897-98, the fishing in Thisted and the parish, which had
25 boats, brought in about DKK 26,000; eel, flounder, herring and
cod were fished in particular.
The city center is characterized by winding streets that in several
places contain squares and squares with many different buildings that
represent architecture from several centuries. Most famous is the Gothic
church from approx. 1490, several town houses from the 17th-18th
centuries, the Old Town Hall from 1853, designed by architect Michael
Gottlieb Bindesbøll. The customs house and the railway station were
built in 1884.
The city's former administration building at
Nytorv was built in 1917. The museum is from 1924, and the main library
on Tingstrupvej is a characteristic funkist building from 1938,
architect Jens Foged. The current Town Hall is from 1974. On the
outskirts of the city is the high school from 1975, architects Friis &
Molkte and Thy Uddannelsescenter 2004, architects Richter & Kjaer. There
is also a lot of modern construction in the city centre, including a
large centre, the I.P.Jacobsen Centre, with shops and modern apartments.
The center is named after the writer J.P. Jacobsen. Several styles
complement and counteract each other and can be seen concentrated around
the large, beautiful square in the middle of the city, Store Torv, where
there is a tourist office and art exhibitions in the Old Town Hall,
Thisted Museum as well as modern shops and cafes.
The cooperative
movement and Denmark's first utility association
The Danish
co-operative movement began with Thisted Arbejderforening, and Denmark's
first trade association was established in 1866 by Provost Hans Chr.
Sonne.
Thisted is located on three ridges or city mounds, divided by two
streams down towards the Limfjorden. From the southwest, the first ridge
rises with Simons bakke, with the districts of Silstrup, Dragsbæk and
Tilsted. These districts are bounded from the center of the small
Tilsted Å, "Dragsbækken". On the other side of the river, the dominant
district, the central ridge itself, rises like an elongated ridge from
Torp and Tingstrup in Vestbyen down towards the city center by the
Limfjorden, and it carries the city center and the entire old market
town down towards the harbour. A little east of the city center runs the
Skinnerup Å, before the northeastern and third district rises with the
districts of Østerbakken, Lerpytter, Fårtoft and Rolighed, colloquially
known as Østbyen.
West of the city, along the sea, is Thy
National Park, an area consisting of dunes and other coastal flora and
fauna. The national park lies along the North Sea and contains harsh,
magnificent and varied nature.
The port
The harbor in the middle of the city has several
functions, partly as a traffic harbor for coasters and general ship
traffic, partly as a recreational harbor with a marina, cafes and
restaurants as well as service functions. The fjord, the harbor and the
beaches near the town provide space for activities such as sailing,
swimming, surfing and rowing in a boat or kayak, as well as diving in
Thisted Bredning. The harbor area has recently been renovated and has a
view over Thisted Bredning to the pier cliffs, including Hanklit, on
Mors. A cable park has been created at Synopalhavnen in Østbyen, this
spot offers opportunities for water skiing, funboarding, etc. and is
called "Cold Hawaii Inland".
The railway
Thisted is the
terminus of the Thybanen and was the terminus of the Thisted-Fjerritslev
Railway from 1904-69.
Roads
The main roads A11 (Aalborg-The
German border) and A26 (Aarhus-Hanstholm) lead to the city along the
large ring road.
Higher education is offered by University College Nordjylland
nursing school
Teacher seminar
Other education and training
The
town has six schools: four elementary schools, two of which have
superstructures, and two independent schools.
There are several
youth, vocational and higher education institutions in the city: EUC
Nordvest, Thisted Gymnasium, Sosu School and Thy Education Center with
several programs at academy, bachelor's and master's level. A few
thousand students study at this campus on the northern edge of the city.
A new dormitory became part of the education campus in 2015. Thy-Mors HF
& VUC is located on Munkevej.
Thisted Gymnasium has inaugurated
the Teutoner Hall in September. 2012 with space for the high school's
700 students and staff as well as for cultural events, performances and
concerts. The high school has a large collection of modern art.
Thisted has a cluster of industries within food production: Tican
Slagteriet, Dragsbæk Maltfabrik, Dragsbæk Magarinefabrik, Thisted
Bryghus and Premier Ice.
A number of companies in and around the
city arose around the industrialization of agriculture in the mid-1900s.
This applies to Sjørring Maskinfabrik, CSK Stålindustri (has acquired
the former Thy Stålbyg) and Cimbria Unigrain. These factories all have
their roots in agricultural production in Thy, and they all started as
local entrepreneurs and are today companies of international importance.
The Tican slaughterhouse, the municipality's largest private
company, is known for its air-dried ham. Thisted Bryghus is known for
quality beer and special products such as lager beer and organic beer.
The town has a few modern hotels; Hotel Limfjorden with 60 rooms and
Hotel Thisted with 25 rooms.
Thisted has a treatment center on the harbour, Dokken, which brings together half a dozen general medical practices and has specialist doctors and other health functions. Dokken is the workplace for almost 50 people within the healthcare sector. A model that is sought to be copied elsewhere in the country.
The city has a Music Theater with theater performances, rhythmic and
classical concerts, including the annual Thy Chamber Music
Festival/Masterclass. Thisted Music Theater has approx. 100 cultural
events per year. There are up to 450 seats.
Thy theater is a
professional regional theatre. It is based in the theater house on
Frederikstorv and is behind approximately 150 performances a year, some
as touring companies around the municipality.
Spillestedet Thy is
a professionally managed regional rhythmic venue based in Plantagehuset.
The venue is formed by a group of musical associations within rhythmic
music.
Plantagehuset is the town's and municipality's cultural
center for folk culture with many events every week. Plantagehuset has a
lively youth environment around URT (Youth Council in Thy) and the Alive
Festival, which is held every year in August. Plantagehuset is the
rhythmic venue in Thy with rehearsal rooms and several associations that
organize jazz, rock and folk concerts in the house with Danish and
global musicians. Thy Music Collective is an association of bands from
Thy who live outside Thy, but with roots in the region.
Every
summer there is Thy Rock, a two-day festival in June, with approx.
10,000 guests both days. It is Thy's biggest public cultural event with
mainly Danish pop rock bands.
Thisted Church's boys' and men's
choir is famous for its very high quality. The choir has been on tour in
the USA and Australia. The choir has contributed to Thisted being a
powerhouse in Denmark for singing and choral music. Thisted church's
carillon consists of 24 bells, cast at the Pierre Paccard bell foundry
in France, and was inaugurated on 22 December 2012.
The art
association Det ny Kastet stands for changing exhibitions of modern art.
The exhibitions take place at Det gl. Town Hall on Store Torv.
Thisted Museum is the main department of Museum Thy, which also includes
a number of museums in the area. Thisted Museum has cultural history
exhibitions as well as exhibitions about J.P. Jacobsen and Christen Kold
and changing exhibitions.
Thisted Music School and Thisted
Library are active cultural mediators, both with branches in Hanstholm
and Hurup. The music school is building a new school next to the library
in Thisted. Both institutions are part of KulturRummet, a project for a
total of approx. 50 million DKK, which in collaboration with
Plantagehuset, URT, Christiansgave and Thisted municipality's cultural
department will create an even bigger cultural center in Thisted.
The cinema in Thisted is called Kino 1-2-3 and shows films all year
round, more than 3000 performances, with an audience of over 60,000
people.
The town has a division team in football, as well as a league team
for women, Thisted FC, a handball league team Mors-Thy Handball, and
there are also elite clubs in swimming, cycling, fencing and
powerlifting. Thy Cup in handball gathers almost 2000 players between
Christmas and New Year every year. Northwest Jutland golf club, with one
of the country's very best courses, is located in Nystrup plantation,
approx. 12 km. from Thisted. The large surf spots called "Cold Hawaii"
are located around Klitmøller approx. 14 km. northwest of the city.
Klitmøller is a fairly exclusive tourist, bathing and surfing town,
which is known in large parts of Europe. Every year, major surf events,
such as the world cup, are held on the coast.
The cycling club
Thy Cykle Ring has raised several World Tour riders.
The noblewoman Ane Søe lived in the town and on manors around
Thisted. The author and scientist J.P. Jacobsen, who wrote Fru Marie
Grubbe and Niels Lyhne as well as translated Darwin, was born and died
in Thisted, the pedagogue Christen Kold and the geographer Malthe Conrad
Bruun were from Thisted, the women's advocate Kirsten Marie Lomborg
"Skov-Kirsten" lived in the town. Bertel Budtz Mûller, author and
left-wing politician, was born in the city. Jacob Paludan's novels Birds
around the lighthouse and Jørgen Stein are based on Hanstholm and
Thisted. One of the country's most widely read authors, Bent Haller,
lived in the city for many years.
Chess grandmaster Bent Larsen
came from Thisted, and national football team player Jesper Grønkjær is
from Thisted. Other well-known personalities from the city are the
journalist Mette Starch, the journalist Reimer Bo Christensen, the pop
duo Junior Senior and the band Artificial Brothers (winner of DR's P4
"Rocktoget"). The DJ Kato and the musician Søren Dahl, who has for
several years produced the radio program Café Hack on Danmarks Radio's
P4, are from Thisted.
The mayor until the municipal elections in
2017 was Lene Kjeldgaard (first V, then K) with Ib Poulsen (DF) as
deputy mayor. The outcome of the election meant that Ulla Vestergaard
took over the post of mayor.
Thisted constituency has two members
of parliament: Simon Kollerup (S) and Torsten Schack (V).
Other
things
A painted wooden cross and a large mosaic relief stand at the
barracks of the Emergency Management Agency. These are memorials erected
by flights from Lithuania in 1947. The camp is also known as
Dragsbæklejren.