Mapping Denmark’s irreplaceable cultural environments

Architects and historians have been travelling round Denmark looking for “irreplaceable cultural environments”, which covers everything from town centres to factories, empty warehouses and parks

A group of architects and historians from the Aarhus School of Architecture have been travelling round Denmark since autumn 2015 to evaluate and map irreplaceable cultural environments.

In terms of the study, ‘cultural environment’ is taken to mean a geographically-defined area, which reflects important characteristics in societal development.

That means that we’re not only talking about single buildings or elements such as mills, barrows or manor houses, but whole areas such as villages, factories or fishing hamlets, where there is a historical connection between the building and the location.

READ ALSO: Nørrebro urban park wins Aga Khan Award for Architecture

It is vital that this narrative is visible today and is a part of the identity of the municipality and creates awareness of our common historical heritage.

Bornholm has most so far
Of all the 22 municipalities visited by the group, Bornholm was the place which had the greatest number of unique environments. Among the places listed were the Swedish houses, a collection of around 300 Swedish wooden houses given to the island by Sweden after it was bombed in 1945.

Project leader, Simon Ostenfeld, told DR Nyheder that “we evaluate the potential and value of an area and first and foremost, this is designed as a tool to enable the municipality to include cultural environments in their strategic planning.”

Good for marketing as well as planning
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Bornholmers were very pleased with the new report. Chairman of the municipality’s technical and environmental committee, Carsten Scheibye, hopes that it can be used to help market the island to tourists. But, he says, “most importantly of all, we hope that through this project we can obtain input on what we need to preserve and protect – and how we should develop Bornholm in general.”

The group has evaluated 900 cultural environments in Denmark to date and 21 of them have been given the status of “irreplaceable cultural environments”. More may well follow.

You can check on the map (here in Danish) whether your municipality contains cultural pearl.




  • The Capital Region economy grows: now is 43% of the country

    The Capital Region economy grows: now is 43% of the country

    While other regions are struggling, Hovedstaden is growing, and the Copenhagen metropolitan area is growing even more. On the employment front, around 11,000 jobs were created in Copenhagen, while Aalborg only saw an increase of 3,600.

  • DTU named best technical university in the EU

    DTU named best technical university in the EU

    The Technical University of Denmark, located half an hour from Copenhagen, has topped a new ranking of over 200 technical universities in the EU, where it stands out particularly for its excellence in research, innovation and internationalism.

  • Christmas in Denmark starts this week: a short guide

    Christmas in Denmark starts this week: a short guide

    Starting November 5, Christmas markets, ice skating, and other events will kick off the Christmas season. In Copenhagen, the big news this year is the return of ice skating at Kongens Nytorv, reopening after 16 years.

  • Are you ready to join Denmark’s new national baseball team?

    Are you ready to join Denmark’s new national baseball team?

    Baseball isn’t the first sport that comes to mind when you think of Denmark, but a dedicated group of players and volunteers is changing that. Under the leadership of Jay Cannon, a former professional baseball player from the United States, the Danish national baseball team has recently taken home the Nordic Cup, marking a turning point in the development of the sport in this country. 

  • Danes can live with Trump – but we root for Kamala

    Danes can live with Trump – but we root for Kamala

    You won’t find many Danes who hope Donald Trump wins the presidential election on Tuesday. After all, last time he wanted to buy Greenland from us. But the US is probably Denmark’s best friend in the world, even if the admiration is declining

  • These are expressions Danes resent

    These are expressions Danes resent

    You want to do well at work but find it difficult to understand the terms. Danes often say something that doesn’t quite express what they mean. Here are expressions you need to be aware of – not to use!


  • DTU named best technical university in the EU

    DTU named best technical university in the EU

    The Technical University of Denmark, located half an hour from Copenhagen, has topped a new ranking of over 200 technical universities in the EU, where it stands out particularly for its excellence in research, innovation and internationalism.

  • Come and join us at Citizens Days!

    Come and join us at Citizens Days!

    On Friday 27 and Saturday 28 of September, The Copenhagen Post will be at International Citizen Days in Øksnehallen on Vesterbro, Copenhagen. Admission is free and thousands of internationals are expected to attend

  • Diversifying the Nordics: How a Nigerian economist became a beacon for inclusivity in Scandinavia

    Diversifying the Nordics: How a Nigerian economist became a beacon for inclusivity in Scandinavia

    Chisom Udeze, the founder of Diversify – a global organization that works at the intersection of inclusion, democracy, freedom, climate sustainability, justice, and belonging – shares how struggling to find a community in Norway motivated her to build a Nordic-wide professional network. We also hear from Dr. Poornima Luthra, Associate Professor at CBS, about how to address bias in the workplace.