Fredericia

Jutland

District: Vejle amt

Population: 47,000

Situation

The town of Fredericia lies on the east coast of Jutland, on the Little Belt, north of the place where a road bridge (E20) leads east from Jutland to the island of Funen. The bay is a nature reserve.

History

In the mid-17th C. Frederik III (1648-70) had a fortress built here to protect northern Jutland against enemy attacks and to enable the crossing from Jutland to the island to be made in safety. Within a semi-circular rampart across the island the fortress-builder Gottfried Hoffmann laid out streets in a rectangular pattern. The name "Fredericia" dates from 1664. Fredericia was one of the few towns in Denmark where people could live who were not adherents of the Evangelical-Lutheran faith. Therefore Jews could be found here from 1679 and, since the 18th C., members of the Reformed Church, many of whom were engaged in growing tobacco.

In 1864, during the Second German-Danish War, Fredericia was besieged and after severe bombardment the inhabitants fled to Funen. Not until 1909, when the fortifications were demolished, did Fredericia expand.