Editing Svendborg (section)

==History==
[[File:Anne Hvides Gaard Svendborg.jpg|left |thumb|[[Anne Hvides Gaard]] ({{circa}} 1560) is Svendborg's oldest residential building, now Svendborg Museum]]

===Early history===
In the light of archaeological discoveries, Svendborg appears to have been established in the first half of the 12th century or even earlier.<ref name=natmus/> Located at the head of a bay, the natural harbour encouraged seafaring and trade.<ref name=dcfb>{{cite web|url=http://dendigitalebyport.byhistorie.dk/koebstaeder/by.aspx?koebstadID=61|title=Svendborg|publisher=Dansk Center for Byhistorie|access-date=13 July 2014 |language=da}}</ref>

The first recorded mention of Svendborg occurred in 1229 in a deed of gift by [[Valdemar II of Denmark|Valdemar the Victorious]], where he refers to the fortification as Swinæburgh.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://fynhistorie.dis-danmark.dk/node/143|title=Om Svendborg|publisher=fynhistorie.dk|access-date=13 July 2014 |language=da}}</ref> The name is thought to consist of the elements "svin" meaning "pig" and "borg" meaning "fortification".<ref name=natmus>{{cite web|url=http://danmarkskirker.natmus.dk/fileadmin/site_upload/danmarks_kirker/DIGITALISERING_-_Svendborg/Svendborg_0065-0074.pdf|title=Kirkerne i Svendborg|publisher=Danske Kirker: Nationalmuseet|access-date=13 July 2014 |language=da}}</ref> In 1236, the [[Svendborg Friary|Greyfriars monastery]] in Svendborg was established. The [[Franciscan|Greyfriars]] would be part of the city for the next 300 years, until the [[Reformation in Denmark|Protestant reformation]] in 1536.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://fynhistorie.dis-danmark.dk/node/10053|title=Klosterkirken i Svendborg|publisher=fynhistorie.dk|access-date=13 July 2014|language=da}}</ref> The ruins of the monastery were partly excavated beside the railway in 2007.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://timetravel.mementoweb.org/memento/2017/http://www.bane.dk/visNyhed.asp?artikelID=6010|title=Klosterruin i Svendborg skal kunne bevares|publisher=Banedanmark|access-date=13 July 2014|language=da|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714140927/http://www.bane.dk/visNyhed.asp?artikelID=6010|archive-date=14 July 2014}}</ref>

===Middle Ages===
[[File:Svendborg Teater.jpg|thumb|right|Svendborg Theatre]]
[[File:Svendborgsund Bridge-view towards Taasinge island.jpg|thumb|right|Svendborgsund Bridge]]

In 1253, the city was granted [[market town]] privileges by [[Christopher I of Denmark|King Christopher I]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.svendborghistorie.dk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=164:svendborgs-forste-tid&catid=15:begivenheder&Itemid=14|title=Svendborgs første tid |publisher=Svendborg Historie|access-date=13 July 2014 |language=da}}</ref> In the [[Middle Ages]], the city was fortified with walls and moats. The defense system also included a few of forts. Most historical facts about the medieval defense system, including the locations of fortifications, are disputed, as little archaeological evidence has been generated. In spite of this, it is a popular theory that the three towers in the coat of arms are the three fortifications ("Skattertårnet", "Kyseborg" and a third one unnamed).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://fynhistorie.dis-danmark.dk/node/27923|title=Skattertårnet|publisher=fynhistorie.dk|access-date=13 July 2014 |language=da}}</ref> Thanks to its seafarers, in the late Middle Ages Svendborg became one of the most important trading centres in Scandinavia.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.visitsvendborg.dk/fyn/historie/svendborg-hovedstaden-i-det-sydfynske-oehav|title=Allerede i 1200-tallet var Svendborg et betydeligt bysamfund, vokset op i ly af den beskyttede naturhavn, en lille bugt, der på det smalleste sted i Svendborgsund skærer sig ind i Fyn|publisher=Visit Svendborg|access-date=13 July 2014 }}</ref>

===16th and 17th centuries===

During the time of the [[Protestant Reformation|Protestant reformation]] and the [[Count's Feud]] in the 1530s, the citizens of Svendborg joined forces with the [[Christian II of Denmark|King]]. Ørkild Castle, located just east of Svendborg, was property of the bishop of [[Odense]], who was less than popular among the citizens of the city. The tension resulted in the castle being seized and burned down by an angry mob in collaboration with the King's forces. The King's forces would later, after ending their north-going campaign on Funen, return to pillage and plunder Svendborg.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://svendborgo.dk/lokalhistorie/index.html|title=Krig og fred: Svendborg lokalhistorie|publisher=Svendborgo.dk|access-date=13 July 2014 |language=da}}</ref>

After 1536, Svendborg went through a brief period of progress becoming the islands main port. But it would not last for long. In the following 250 years, the city faced various setbacks in its development, such as [[Bubonic plague|plague]], a major fire, and the effects of the [[Dano-Swedish War (1658–60)|Swedish wars]] when Svendborg's ships were destroyed.<ref name=dcfb/>

===Industrial development===
It was not until the end of the [[Gunboat War|war with the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland]] and the [[Industrial Revolution]] in the early 19th century that the city returned to a period of increasing prosperity. The population grew from a mere 1,942 people in 1801 to more than 11,500 in 1901. This development was followed by improvement of the infrastructure, such as rail links with [[Odense]], [[Faaborg]] and [[Nyborg]], improvement of the local roads and the establishment of a real harbour suited for extensive trading, since goods could now easily be transported there. In the middle of the 19th century an explosion of industrialization happened, and all kinds of factories, from engineering to breweries were established together with modern gas and water systems.<ref name=dcfb/>

In the late 19th century, with industry well established, it was necessary to accommodate the growing population. This led to numerous new schools being founded. Furthermore, a hospital was established in 1871 and expanded in 1891.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://fynhistorie.dis-danmark.dk/node/390|title=Svendborgs historie|publisher=fynhistorie.dk|access-date=13 July 2014 |language=da}}</ref>

===20th century to present===
[[File:Svendborg dk hafen.JPG|thumb|left|Svendborg Harbour]]
The rapid increase in population continued at the beginning of the 20th century as Svendborg developed into an even more important industrial and educational centre. The food and metallurgy sectors became well established. The port prospered with new facilities, including shipyards such as Svendborg Skibsværft which was established in 1907 on an artificial island. On the educational front, a number of maritime and navigational schools were established. The shipyard, which had employed up to 800 in the 1980s finally closed in 2001, some of the facilities being taken over by [[Vestas]]. In recent years, there has been a marked transition from industry into the service sector, the hospital now being one of the principal employers. Tourism has also prospered, especially for those arriving in pleasure boats.<ref name=dcfb/>

The German writer [[Bertolt Brecht]] spent the first years of his exile from Nazi Germany in Svendborg. The town provided the title of a collection of Brecht's poems "[[Svendborger Gedichte]]" (Svendborg Poems).{{Citation needed|date=July 2014}}