The smiths in Lem

Facts

Denmark's largest little industrial town

By Kathrine G. Bjerregaard, Cand.mag i historie og filosofi / Master of Arts, History and Philosophy (33 stories)

In 1898, 22-year-old Hans Sørensen Hansen became a master smith in Lem Stationsby between Skjern and Ringkøbing. Hans Søren Hansen – or Smith Hansen" – was an inventor and gifted master. His smithy was a hothouse for plenty of skilled apprentices. Many of Smith Hansen's apprentices later set up their own businesses. Smith Hansen started a trend in West Jutland – that can be traced right up to the present day. More than 100 years after Smith Hansen started, Lem has 15 metal businesses – including Vestas, the windmill giant. In terms of town population, Lem is "Denmark's largest industrial town". "

Public place

Selected entry

West Jutland's cowboy

Story written by Kathrine G. Bjerregaard

Time / Periode 1898

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The cornerstones of the Vestas business were laid in Lem. The town is Denmark's largest industrial town in relation to its population. Its many iron and metal industries have earned Lem the nickname Smithytown. Christian Ølgaard (1909-1991) was one of Lem's many smiths. Ølgaard shot to fame in a national TV programme that aired in 1987. Together with his brother Aage and Vestas' founder, Peter Hansen, Christian Ølgaard drew a vivid picture of the smiths in Lem. His unconventional approach captured the nation's imagination. Singer Tonny Åbo was just one of those who found Ølgaard interesting. Tonny Åbo has sung a lot of hits that have soared into the Danish charts. After the TV show, Åbo wrote a song immortalising Christian Ølgaard entitled Westcoast Cowboy". "