Fejø Island

Facts

Small island packs a fruity punch

By Anne-Lotte Sjørup Mathiesen (3 stories)

Fejø covers only 16 square kilometres and has about 630 inhabitants. But this small island north of Lolland is rather special. For centuries, Fejø has been famous for its tasty fruit. This is thanks to the area's mild climate and many hours of sunshine. The sea around the island also keeps the temperature stable. Until the end of the 1800s, the residents of Fejø only grew fruit for their own use. Any surplus fruit was bought by skippers on what were called pear ships". They sold the cargo in Copenhagen. Then, in the early 1900s, fruit growers began cutting out the middle man. Fruit growing has thrived ever since and is now a brand that the islanders are proud of. "

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Danish to the core

Story written by Anne-Lotte Sjørup Mathiesen

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The story goes that Johannes Jørgensen was one of the first Fejø residents to sail off and sell his own fruit. Jørgensen was a merchant in Vesterby. In about 1930 he began renting a ship, buying fruit from his neighbours and sailing the cargo to market in Copenhagen. Copenhageners loved the juicy pears, apples and plums from the Danish south sea island. Jørgensen then bought his own ship, called Mjølner. The Fejø ships were called pear ships", probably because the island's pears were especially popular. Apples were more common and the neighbouring island of Tåsinge was famous for its apples. World War II mines blew the bottom out of the market for the pear ship owners. But the Fejø islanders resumed the tradition in 1993. Every autumn they sail a shipload of fruit to Copenhagen. "