From the North Sea to the Arctic

Valdemar II

Banned
... But I had heard about the Danish Heath Society and admired their tenacious transformation of rough heathland to farmland between 1866 and the 1950s. It's hard to reconcile modern Jylland with the wastelands of the past. It also surely argues for Odense as the most suitable location for Denmark's modern capital if Jylland is an island.

INo as Arctic Warrior says a city on the southen strait make the most sense in early modern context, northern Kattegat will have stronger winds than the southen strait so the main trading route will lie to the south, which will make any city laying there being the most developed one by 1600. Copenhagen are unlikely to be as developed as in OTL, we will likely see a greater development of the Alt. Helsingør and Malmö instead. Odense like Roskilde and Lejre only make sense as royal residence in a early medieval context, Schleswig/Hedeby suffer somewhat from the same. This is because when ships trade shift from the cogs with it oars to only sail, cities with easier access to the sea are going to grow faster (which was why Flensburg outgrew Schleswig). The primary reason Copenhagen became capital in OTL was because it was both biggest town and laying on a important trade route.

Haithabu (Hedeby) would remain an important coastal town of Jylland or Angeln, rather than declining, assuming that the channel - the Jylland Baelt - is south of the Eider. The second city of Denmark? But vulnerable (as in OTL) to German and Viking attacks.

The new capital and biggest town will likely lie in the area, on the east side of the Jutland island or on the East Holstein island, but close to the south easten corner. According to the map the new sound/strait lie around 30-50 kilometer south of Hedeby, so I think Hedeby/Schleswig will go end up the sameway as in OTL. Of course the new capital will likely only really develop in the late medieval periode, when the Viking Age has ended.
 
Last edited:
Is Denmark suitable for Land reclamation like the Netherlands?

If so, the Limfjord, which is at most 24mts dept could be gained as farming land.
Or unite Zealand with the two islands south of it.
 
Is Denmark suitable for Land reclamation like the Netherlands?

If so, the Limfjord, which is at most 24mts dept could be gained as farming land.
Or unite Zealand with the two islands south of it.

It could be done and actually rather large areas have been claimed from the sea during the ages - mostly the last century or so.
The soil quality is really good so that major reclamations haven't been the issue. ;)
 

Valdemar II

Banned
Arctic Warrior are completely right large areas have been reclaimed, mostly in Lammefjorden and on Lolland and Falster (the two island south of Zealand). The areas reclaimed are mostly used for potato farming which it's perfect for, it lousy for most other uses.

Ironic the Vadden Sea which would be perfect for large scale reclaiming has mostly been left in peace. Thios are a result of the low population in the area and the loss of much of it to Prussia, which had little interest in more areas to grow potatoes. If Denmark had kept Tönder/Tønder Kreis/Amt after the loss to Prussia, there would have been a good chance that it would have been reclaimed, at least from Föhr to Fanø.
 
Slugfest?

Skate over it and concentrate on the more interesting points - better still, do a bulleted synopsis as I did with British Tierra del Fuego and concentrate on the better periods. I'm sure you have it in you...

<Benevolent grandfather watches grandson trying to sort out the worst train-smash in the history of Thomas the Tank Engine...>
 
Top