The history of Spodsbjerg
narrated by John Fisker
![Stationen 1960 800X532](/media/22104/stationen-1960-800x532_500x332.jpg)
The station where Johannes Fisker had his work for many years. Foto: Erik V. Pedersen
Though his name suggests so in Dannish, Johannes Fisker is not a fisherman. He is a policeman who arrived in Spodsbjerg as a recent graduate of Copenhagen police academy in the autumn of 1945. He travelled via train and ferry on a journey that lasted from seven in the morning to ten at night during a strong easterly storm.
He didn´t know much about Langeland, but he was a quick learner and later became very interested in the island´s local history.
At that time there was a police office in Spodsbjerg´s train station. Back then there were railway tracks on Langeland.
Langeland´s railway track was opened in 1912, says Johannes Fisker, and naturally this was a big boon for Spodsbjerg and Southern Langeland. It was a big step forward in terms of both passenger and goods transportation.
Bathing train Rudkøbing
In the summer a train brought beachgoers from Rudkøbing to Spodsbjerg every day. Often there were seven or eight carriages filled with beach-bound passengers; on arrival, the carriages were disconnected and used as a changing rooms. At the end of the day everyone was brought back to Rudkøbing.
The track reached its 50th anniversary, but was closed down in October 1962, when Langeland Bridge was opened.
Want you to know more about Langeland railroad history, visit: http://evp.dk/index.php?page=langelandsbanen in Danish.
In Spodsbjerg there was an open bridge to the ferry berth until 1937, and a fishing harbour was built in the same year. However it was almost destroyed by an easterly storm before it was completed. The same storm also destroyed several fishing boats. At that time there were around 25 fishing boats in Spodsbjerg.
During the war years there was no ferry connection to Lolland due to the danger of mines and the lack of coal. The ferry only started sailing again after the mines had been removed in 1946. In the mid-50s there was a strong north-easterly storm and a lot of flooding. Coast protection had been erected the previous year, but the water simply flowed over the dyke and all the way from the ferry building to the coast enclosure. West of the highway the water flooded the houses and the whole marshland behind them. Other storms followed: in the 60s a storm destroyed the whole eastern pier in the fishing harbour.
There was also ice in the winter, and in the two worst winters in 1941 and 42, the Langeland Belt froze and transport to Lolland had to take place across the ice.
But transportation improved in later years, and after the new ferry berth was built in 1960, the transport connections became very secure. In 1981, another new ferry berth was built, and a new direct road to Langeland Bridge meant that traffic multiplied. At one point there were four ferries with up to 72 departures a day.
Spodsbjerg underwent its own developments. Street lighting was introduced in 1960, but the inhabitants of the town had to pay for it themselves. Back then each fluorescent tube cost 350 Kroner, and at that price the town could not afford to light the streetlamps. But they looked good in daylight.
Some years later the town even got municipal water, which the inhabitants also had to pay for themselves. Until then everyone had had their own well.
When Johannes Fisker came to Spodsbjerg there were two grocers, two butchers and two bakers. Today there is a supermarket where you can get almost anything you need.
And in 1994 the marina was built, which has been very important to the area, especially for anglers.
One can´t claim that Spodsbjerg has experienced great progress, says Johannes Fisker. ´For more than 60 years all the inhabitants were active fishermen, assistants or labourers. Today there are only four or five fishermen left. And elderly or non-active residents live in 50 of the town´s houses. Other houses have been sold as summerhouses. In the same period 15-20 new houses have been built in Spodsbjerg, so it hasn´t exactly been a rapid development.
Spodsbjerg færgebro
Song made on the occasion of opening the harbor 1940:
![Sang Lavet I Anledning Af Havneindvielsen 1940 727X1024 727X1024 727X1024](/media/1141/sang-lavet-i-anledning-af-havneindvielsen-1940-727x1024-727x1024-727x1024_500x704.jpg)
Historic Images from bygone days:![Spodsbjerg Anno 1912 816X560 816X560 816X560](/media/1143/spodsbjerg-anno-1912-816x560-816x560-816x560_500x343.jpg)
Spodsbjerg anno 1912
![Spodsbjerg Fiskerbro Ca 1930 1024X707 1024X707 1024X707](/media/1144/spodsbjerg-fiskerbro-ca-1930-1024x707-1024x707-1024x707_500x345.jpg)
Spodsbjerg fishing bridge about 1930
![Spodsbjerg Havn 1940 1024X305 1024X305 1024X305](/media/1146/spodsbjerg-havn-1940-1024x305-1024x305-1024x305_500x149.jpg)
Spodsbjerg harbor 1940
![Havneindvielse 15 November 1940 544X384 544X384 544X384](/media/1130/havneindvielse-15-november-1940-544x384-544x384-544x384_500x353.jpg)
Harbor opening 15. november 1940 ![Ru 517 Med Poul Boelle Ved Roret Spraenger Snoren 1940 528X400 528X400 528X400](/media/1140/ru-517-med-poul-boelle-ved-roret-spraenger-snoren-1940-528x400-528x400-528x400_500x379.jpg)
RU 517 with Poul Bølle at the helm bursts the ribbon at the harbor opening in 1940
![Fiskeriforeningens Faneindvielse 1948 001 1024X789 1024X789 1024X789](/media/1114/fiskeriforeningens-faneindvielse-1948-001-1024x789-1024x789-1024x789_500x385.jpg)
Fishing Association flag inauguration 1948
![Fiskerihavnen 1948 576X400 576X400 576X400](/media/1115/fiskerihavnen-1948-576x400-576x400-576x400_497x345.jpg)
The fishing harbor 1948 ![Fiskerihavnen 1948 Ii Baggrunden Ses Mjoelner 574X394 574X394 574X394](/media/1116/fiskerihavnen-1948-ii-baggrunden-ses-mjoelner-574x394-574x394-574x394_500x343.jpg)
The fishing harbor 1948 in the background you see Mjølner
![Spodsbjerg Set Fra Havnen 1948 576X400 576X400 576X400](/media/1148/spodsbjerg-set-fra-havnen-1948-576x400-576x400-576x400_497x345.jpg)
Spodsbierg seen from the harbor in 1948
![Postkort Ca 1950 912X656 912X656 912X656](/media/1139/postkort-ca-1950-912x656-912x656-912x656_500x360.jpg)
Postcards about 1950
![Sp 544X368 544X368 544X368](/media/1142/sp-544x368-544x368-544x368_500x338.jpg)
Spodsbierg fishermen greet the new owner of beer depot. Unknown year![Vinterstorm Marts 1969 005 896X896 896X896 896X896 896X896](/media/1156/vinterstorm-marts-1969-005-896x896-896x896-896x896-896x896_500x500.jpg)
Winter storm in March 1969 ![Vinterstorm Marts 1969 007 960X624 960X624 960X624](/media/1111/vinterstorm-marts-1969-007-960x624-960x624-960x624_500x325.jpg)
Winter storm in March 1969
![Fiskerihavnen Ca 1965 I Baggrunden Ses Ms Lolland 896X656 896X656 896X656](/media/1117/fiskerihavnen-ca-1965-i-baggrunden-ses-ms-lolland-896x656-896x656-896x656_499x365.jpg)
The fishing harbor about 1965 in the background you see M / S Lolland
![Fiskerflaaden Fra Bagenkop I Spodsbjerg Havn Pga Is Hjemme 800X544 800X544 800X544](/media/1113/fiskerflaaden-fra-bagenkop-i-spodsbjerg-havn-pga-is-hjemme-800x544-800x544-800x544_500x340.jpg)
The fishing fleet from Bagenkop to Spodsbjerg harbor. Frozen out in Bagenkop
![Spodsbjerg Fiskerihavn 768X528 768X528 768X528](/media/1145/spodsbjerg-fiskerihavn-768x528-768x528-768x528_500x344.jpg)
Spodsbjerg Fishing Harbour, Unknown year
![Spodsbjerg Havn Ca 1970 896X640 896X640 896X640](/media/1147/spodsbjerg-havn-ca-1970-896x640-896x640-896x640_497x355.jpg)
Spodsbjerg harbor about. 1970
![Havnefest 1977 672X528 672X528 672X528](/media/1119/havnefest-1977-672x528-672x528-672x528_500x393.jpg)
Havnefest 1977
![Havnefest 1977 001 672X528 672X528 672X528](/media/1120/havnefest-1977-001-672x528-672x528-672x528_500x393.jpg)
Havnefest 1977
![Havnefest 1977 002 672X528 672X528 672X528](/media/1121/havnefest-1977-002-672x528-672x528-672x528_500x393.jpg)
Havnefest 1977
![Havnefest 1977 003 672X544 672X544 672X544](/media/1122/havnefest-1977-003-672x544-672x544-672x544_500x405.jpg)
Havnefest 1977
![Nytaarsstorm 1978 688X528 688X528 688X528](/media/1134/nytaarsstorm-1978-688x528-688x528-688x528_500x384.jpg)
New Year's storm in 1978
![Nytaarsstorm 1978 003 672X528 672X528 672X528](/media/1136/nytaarsstorm-1978-003-672x528-672x528-672x528_500x393.jpg)
New Year's storm in 1978
![Nytaarsstorm 1978 004 688X528 688X528 688X528](/media/1137/nytaarsstorm-1978-004-688x528-688x528-688x528_500x384.jpg)
New Year's storm in 1978
![Nytaarsstorm 1978 005 688X528 688X528 688X528](/media/1138/nytaarsstorm-1978-005-688x528-688x528-688x528_500x384.jpg)
New Year's storm in 1978
![Nytaarsstorm 1978 002 672X528 672X528 672X528](/media/1135/nytaarsstorm-1978-002-672x528-672x528-672x528_500x393.jpg)
Winter Scene in January 1979![Havnefest 1979 688X528 688X528 688X528](/media/1123/havnefest-1979-688x528-688x528-688x528_500x384.jpg)
Havnefest 1979
![Havnefest 1979 001 672X528 672X528 672X528](/media/1124/havnefest-1979-001-672x528-672x528-672x528_500x393.jpg)
Havnefest 1979
![Havnefest 1979 002 688X544 688X544 688X544](/media/1125/havnefest-1979-002-688x544-688x544-688x544_500x395.jpg)
Havnefest 1979
![Fyldt Fiskerihavn Juli 1979 1008X688 1008X688 1008X688](/media/1118/fyldt-fiskerihavn-juli-1979-1008x688-1008x688-1008x688_498x340.jpg)
The harbor is filled to the brim 1979
![Havnefest 1980 688X544 688X544 688X544](/media/1126/havnefest-1980-688x544-688x544-688x544_500x395.jpg)
Havnefest 1980
![Havnefest 1982 688X528 688X528 688X528](/media/1127/havnefest-1982-688x528-688x528-688x528_500x384.jpg)
Havnefest 1982
![Havnefest 1982 001 688X528 688X528 688X528](/media/1128/havnefest-1982-001-688x528-688x528-688x528_500x384.jpg)
Havnefest 1982
![1983 843X608 843X608 843X608](/media/1112/1983-843x608-843x608-843x608_499x360.jpg)
Spodsbjerg fishing harbor 1983
![Januar 1988 002 1024X693 1024X693 1024X693](/media/1133/januar-1988-002-1024x693-1024x693-1024x693_499x338.jpg)
Angling cutter "Karen M" in January 1988
![Januar 1988 001 1024X659 1024X659 1024X659](/media/1132/januar-1988-001-1024x659-1024x659-1024x659_497x320.jpg)
January 1988
![Indvielsen 1994 896X608](/media/1062/indvielsen-1994-896x608_500x339.jpg)
From the marina opening june 1994