Odense Steel Shipyard
Punch clock from Odense Steel Shipyard, 1950's. When workplaces became large a need arose to keep tabs on the workforce. Now everyone punched in and out each day. The punch clock is now at Møntergården in Odense. Photo: Jens Gregers Aagaard.
Riveting hammer, driven by compressed air, Odense Steel Shipyard, 1950's. The great steel-ships of the past were riveted together. The rivets were heated and then hammered flat. The hammer is now at Møntergården in Odense. Photo: Jens Gregers Aagaard.
Intro
In 1918 the shipowner, Arnold Peter Møller (1876-1965), founded Odense Steel Shipyard north of Odense. He financed this from his own capital, and from the outset he established a large residential area in the Skibshus district, close to the shipyard.
When industry came to Funen
People on Funen were really on their toes when industrialisation took off in the course of the 19th century. Prior to this, every product was a piece of craftsmanship, often produced for a familiar customer. With the advent of mass production, however, uniform articles were produced for a much wider market.
Odense Steel Shipyard
After the modest beginning, Odense Steel Shipyard counted 1,000 employees in the middle of the 1930s and continued to grow steadily. In order to meet the market’s demands for larger ships, the Lindø Shipyard was established at Munkebo in 1959. By the 1970s, the number of employees had risen to 6,000, veritably making the village of Munkebo a town populated by Lindø workers. One of the yard’s vessels was the world’s largest container ship, Emma Mærsk, built in 2006. In January 2012, the last ship left the Lindø Shipyard, which was the last major shipyard in Denmark.
This location is part of the exhibition 'Funen – at the centre of the universe', at Møntergården in Odense. Read more about the exhibition on our website.