Cul­tural Museum

The museum is placed in a historical setting in Vejle’s old spinning mill, which has a unique authentic atmosphere. The museum is composed of several exhibitions, each describing different sections of Vejle’s history.

Bog body and metal detectors

Meet one of the world’s best-preserved bog bodies in the exhibition Mosens Kraft. She lay in the cold embrace of Haraldskær Bog for more than 2000 years before two turf cutters stumbled upon her in 1835. She was believed to be a Norwegian Viking queen, but she was in fact a sacrificed woman from the Iron Age. However, some still call her Queen Gunhild.

Go into the bog and visit the Haraldskær woman in her resting place. Experience the power of the bog, get the story of the many nameless bog bodies and why they ended up in the bogs. Watch films about the Haraldskær woman, scientific studies and archaeologists’ discussions.

But how was life in Vejle and the surrounding area during the Iron Age when the woman lived? The exhibition Tings Tale contains hundreds of objects that describe the first centuries AC.

Choose which finds you want to examine and get close to the archaeological objects found near Vejle, for example a large sacrificial find from Vingsted Lake. Also, take a closer look at the archaeologists’ methods and try to dig out finds in the eight-metres-long excavation box.

Spinning machines and disco dancing

In the late 1800s, Vejle began to wake up. The town had been in stagnation since the Middle Ages, mainly caused by several military occupations and city fires through the 17th and 18th centuries. However, west of Vejle, the iron and textile industries, which used hydropower for industrial production had existed for some time.

With the steam engine, this industry moved to Vejle, and in 1892 the businessman Marius Windfeld-Hansen also brought the cotton industry to the town. The cotton industry helped shape Vejle and make the town a Danish counterpart to the English city of Manchester.

As in the rest of the country, the workers in Vejle fought for better working and wage conditions, and the big breakthrough came in 1919, when the working day was shortened from 12 to eight hours. Now it was no longer just the factory bosses who had spare time, but also the industrial workers.

This led to a massive development of the entertainment industry in Vejle, and ordinary workers now had time to take the steamboat to the various establishments, which were beautifully located along Vejle Fjord. There were also new entertainment establishments within the town, and especially the dance venue, Røde Mølle, was known throughout the area, as the place you went if you wanted to dance.

Visit the two exhibitions Danmarks Manchester and Blot til Lyst and experience the cotton industry and the tales of the bosses who headed the cotton mills and staff. Listen to stories about the heat and the noise and experience the atmosphere in the factory when the machines were switched on, as well as the story of workrelated illnesses, low wages and lifelong friendships.

Try the interactive dance floor and learn how industrialisation not only brought tough working conditions, but also the beginning of the leisure community that we have today. Also explore the entertainment tables, which serve a large portion of Vejle’s leisure and amusements in the 20th century.

Especially for children

The indoor backyard at the Cultural Museum invites children to play. Here you can jump, climb and play with everything. Scramble in the scaffolding, control the crane, and use the cotton scales. Listen to children talk about life back then, about making chewing gum and about the boy who fell into the harbour.

In the 1900s, people had to work hard to make money. Older children helped in the workshops and households and practiced adulthood. They did not have many toys, so they had to be creative and make up their own games or make their own toys.

In the museum’s eight-metre-long excavation area, children, and anyone else with a treasure hunter in their blood, can grab a metal detector and a shovel and look for pot sherds and metal objects.

The entire family can challenge each other on the interactive dance floor and try to make their feet master the Charleston, Jive or Disco.

Special exhibitions and events

Each year, the Cultural Museum Spinderihallerne opens a new exciting special exhibition. The exhibitions portray Vejle’s history and guide you through the town’s most important and significant stories and unfold different perspectives and periods in the town’s history.

Each month the museum organises lectures, guided tours and many other events – for children and adults alike.

Please note that special exhibitions and events below is in danish.