Zealand
District: Vestsjællands amt
Slagelse, an important trading center in the Middle Ages because of its situation, lies on the E20 in the southwest of Zealand. Roads lead from here to Kalundborg in the north, Næstved in the south and Copenhagen. The engineering and furniture-making industries play an important role in
the economy.
History
As early as the 11th century Slagelse had a mint, and the first privileges of the town date from 1288. The inhabitants were engaged in agriculture and trade or worked as craftsmen. For several years Hans Christian Andersen attended the local Grammar School which had been founded after the Reformation, but which was closed in 1852. For centuries the town suffered from serious fires and the effects of war, but by the 19th C. the economy had recovered and canning factories and engineering works were established here.