The Local History of Gudhjem
Welcome to the digital local history archive for Gudhjem and Melsted in the “old days”.
The Gudhjem local history archive is housed at the museum in the old railway station building. The archive is an important part of Gudhjem By- og Museumsforening. Here, documents, photographs and objects that can tell the story of the past of the fishing villages are registered and preserved.
The archive group works together with the exhibition group on special exhibitions with local historical content.
The archive contains a very large number of photographs, which the archive group is digitising to make them easily accessible. The photo archive is divided into categories that make searching easy. The archive also contains written accounts, documents and fascinating audio recordings featuring “old Gudhjem residents”.
During the winter, the archive group invites people to meetings and lectures at the museum.
There are no regular opening hours for the archive, but if you would like to visit, an appointment can be arranged with the archive group.
Finn Mogensen, tel. +45 6168 2882 or email: arkiv@gudhjemmuseum.dk
Digital Photo Archive
The archive contains thousands of photographs documenting the history of Gudhjem and the surrounding area. Here you will find images showing everyday life with the town’s many traditional occupations and historical events. Dramatic events such as the storm surge of 1904 are also documented.
The archive is divided into 12 different categories that you can search.
The History of the Railway and Gudhjem Station
A Historical Look at the Harbours of Gudhjem and Melsted
Today, the harbours are natural meeting places, particularly for recreational activities. Along the waterfront in Gudhjem there are cafés, shops and galleries. Many Bornholmers enjoy the first ice cream of the year at Gudhjem Harbour, and for many visitors to the island it is also a firm tradition to visit Gudhjem and have an ice cream.
The kayakers are based at Norresan, where it is also possible to swim from a staircase leading down into the water outside the harbour itself. In spring, you can see the yellow oriental takkeklap growing wild and abundantly here.
In Melsted, there is a lovely sandy beach next to the harbour, which is also a base for recreational fishermen and kayakers.
Looking back in time, the harbours served very different purposes as fishing and transport harbours. Both Gudhjem and Melsted were originally fishing villages, but the construction of the fortress on Christiansø made Gudhjem a port of shipment as early as the 18th century. Several harbour expansions took place during the 19th and 20th centuries to meet the needs created by increased fishing and the emergence of modern tourism.
The dramatic events and extensive damage caused by the storm surges of 1872, 1904 and 1913 have also left their mark on Gudhjem Harbour.