Høsterkøb

History

The village was probably founded some time during the transition between the Viking Age and the Middle Ages (900–1100). It is first recorded in a letter from 1186 where Pope Urban III thinks Bishop Absalon for giving it to Roskilde bishopric. It is also mentioned in the Roskilde Bishopric Census Book (Roskildebispens jordebog) from 1370. The area was administrated from Hjortholm Castle at Furesøen in Frederiksdal After the Reformation, when the Crown confiscated all land owned by the Church, Høsterkøb came under the Hørsholm Estate. This lasted until the 1760s when queen Sophie Magdalene introduced the first Danish agricultural reforms. Strategically located near the king's road to Hørsholm (Hørsholm Kongevej), the village had its own inn from at least the 17th century. The villagers were generally better off than those in other nearby villages. The area was known for its production of fruit, mostly cherries, and vegetables that was sold on the market in Copenhagen. Over a period of several hundred years, the area was used for harvesting peat. An outbreak of plaque in 1711 killed a hundred residents, half of Høsterkøb's population. Its proximity to Copenhagen made Høsterkøb a popular country retreat in the 20th century.