When was the name Odense first mentioned in writing?
The earliest written mention of the town's name appears in a letter dated the 18th of March 988 from German emperor Otto III. This document granted rights to Odense and neighboring settlements.
The earliest written mention of the town's name appears in a letter dated the 18th of March 988 from German emperor Otto III. This document granted rights to Odense and neighboring settlements.
Canute IV of Denmark, generally considered the last Viking king, was murdered by unruly peasants in Odense's St Alban's Priory on the 10th of July 1086. He died because peasants were discontent with the high taxes he imposed on the town.
Hans Christian Andersen was born in Odense in 1805 at a small yellow house on the corner of Hans Jensens Stræde and Bangs Boder. The house opened as the Hans Christian Andersen Museum in 1908 and documents his life from childhood until age 14.
Odense has become an internationally recognized hub for robotics following the success of companies such as Universal Robots and Mobile Industrial Robots. The city hosts more than 300 robotics, drone, and automation companies employing nearly 20,000 people alongside major operations like Albani Brewery and GASA.
On the 28th of May 2022, Odense's new tram line entered service as a 14.5 kilometer double-track line running from Tarup to Hjallese. The line features 26 stops connecting to Syddansk Universitet and a hospital.