Aarhus Old City

Den Gamle By in Aarhus is the oldest open-air museum of its kind in Denmark and presents the urban culture and history of the region. The institution was founded in 1909 to save historic buildings threatened by the city's rapid growth. The project got under way in 1914 with the reconstruction of an old merchant's house that had previously been torn down. Rebuilding historic ensembles in new locations was an unusual but effective strategy against the loss of cultural heritage at the time. Today the museum comprises three areas that flow seamlessly into one another, each representing a different era.

The original core shows life around the year 1864, with houses and craft workshops from the period between 1600 and 1900, laid out like a medieval small town. One highlight is the market square, where the Old Mint from Copenhagen was rebuilt. Another section is devoted to the early 20th century, with a car dealership and a telephone exchange, while the newest part recreates the atmosphere of the 1970s with an authentic shopping street and the apartment of a rainbow family from 2014. Visitors thus experience a city within a city that makes the changes in living conditions tangible.

The more than seventy historic buildings from all over Denmark, mainly from Aarhus and Aalborg, house numerous exhibitions. These cover topics such as antique clocks, traditional costumes, silversmithing and faience. Earlier trades such as brewing beer and distilling spirits are also demonstrated. An old print shop and a 19th-century post office round out the picture. A permanent Christmas exhibition traces the development of the holiday from the Renaissance to the interwar period. The museum also serves as a research center and was already the backdrop for a film in 1977.