Svogerslev is a small satellite town located four kilometres west of
Roskilde
Roskilde ( , ) is a city west of Copenhagen on the Danish island of Zealand. With a population of 53,354 (), the city is a business and educational centre for the region and the 10th largest city in Denmark. It is governed by the administrative ...
, Denmark. The original village features a
village pond, a
Romanesque church, one of the smallest in Denmark, and a number of old farm buildings. The historic centre is surrounded by large developments of
single family detached homes. As of 1 January 2025, it had a population of 4,273.
History
The name Svogerslev is mentioned in 1257 as ''Suauerslef'', derived from the old male name Swawar and the suffix -lev. Svogerslev Inn opened some time during the 17th century. In 1727, it became a royal privileged
coaching inn
The coaching inn (also coaching house or staging inn) was a vital part of Europe's inland transport infrastructure until the development of the railway, providing a resting point ( layover) for people and horses. The inn served the needs of t ...
. The mail coach paused there to change horses on its way from Roskilde to
Hornsherred
Hornsherred () is a peninsula between Roskilde Fjord and Isefjord on the island of Zealand in eastern Denmark.
It falls within the expanded Frederikssund municipality and includes Jægerspris and Skibby and before 1 January 2007 a part of Bra ...
. The inn was owned by the counts of
Ledreborg
Ledreborg is a palatial mansion near Lejre, to the southwest of Roskilde on the Danish island of Zealand. Today's Baroque architecture, Baroque building was completed in 1746 by Minister of State Johan Ludvig Holstein-Ledreborg, Johan Ludvig Hol ...
. Count Holsteinborg closed the inn in 1808.
On October 31st, 1914, a massive fire started in Toftegården. It quickly spread throughout the city and burned nine houses to the ground. Due to soldiers being stationed near the city, they came to help put out the fires. A local blacksmith's shop caught fire multiple times, but each time it was saved.
In the 1970s, Svogerslev was expanded with large areas of
single family detached homes.
Today
Svogerslev Church dates from the 12th century. The Romanesque nave was expanded with chancel, tower and porch in the
Gothic style in about 1450. The church is one of the smallest in Denmark, seating just 60 people.
Svogerslev Inn occupies a set of thatched buildings dating to the late 1600s. It reopened in the 1950s but closed again in July 2020.
The town also has a school with approximately 530 students.
The town has a Netto supermarket, a petrol station and a small shopping centre with a Meny, a bakery, a bar and a hairdresser. A small industrial area is located in the southeastern outskirts.
[
]
Surroundings
Svogerslev Lake (Lynghøjsøerne) is located to the southwest of the village. There are also several other smaller lakes in the area.
Notable people
* Martin Ågerup (born 1966), economist and president of CEPOS, lives in Svogerslev
References
External links
Svogerslev Inn
History
Development plan
for Svogerslev
{{Roskilde
Cities and towns in Roskilde Municipality