Central Railway Junktion
The advances in agriculture combined with an increasing export market, especially to England, resulted in the government recognising that Struer was an important base for the export of farming produce. A harbour was to be built and traffic links improved. The first two projects involved building a dam at the narrows (Kilen) to facilitate the transport of steers from Thy and the construction of a harbour. Both of these were completed in 1856, after which the town developed rapidly. The harbour was extended several times, including construction of a fishing harbour. A railway connection from Skive was opened in 1865 that linked with the railways in eastern Jutland. This was followed by construction of rail links with Holstebro (and further to Skjern and Esbjerg), Herning (and further to Vejle) and north to Thisted. Struer became an important junction and the base for the administration of the central and western Jutland rail network. In connection with the railway to Thisted a harbour for steam ferries was built at Oddesund. In the course of little more than 50 years Struer developed from a stony beach with a couple of farms and 14 houses to a thriving town with three brick works, a large harbour and several rail connections with responsibility for the railway network of the entire region.
Industri and Design, Limfjord Painters and Kayaks
Growth of the town continued and by about 1970 it was a thriving centre for trade and industry with 11.000 inhabitants. The largest companies were a cooperative slaughterhouse for pigs and the electronics concern Bang & Olufsen (B & O) that is internationally recognised for innovative design and good quality. Struer Museum is housed in H. P. Rygaards farm from 1845. The author J. Buchholtz used to live here. In addition to a local history collection the museum also has many paintings by the “Limfjord Artists”, as well as a new underground extension that displays products from B & O. There is also a small exhibition of the “Struer kayak” that was unique in the field of international elite kayak competition from 1948 until 1996 when a team from DDR used fibreglass kayaks. The Struer kayaks were actually a spin-off from B & O since two kayak-interested furniture designers developed the moulded veneer technique that was used for the stylish cabinets for their production of radios and televisions.
Geological Aspects
Geologically Struer is located in the flanks of a tunnel valley. Its cultural historical development is related to dynamic events along the west coast. The breaching of the isthmus at Agger in1825 had two major benefits. Transport of steers from Thy could no longer take place along the isthmus and had to follow the route via Oddesund and Struer, and direct access to the North Sea meant a much shorter route for ship traffic and trade. It was possible for three brick works to develop here, as well as one at Breinholt just to the north, because of the presence of extensive deposits of Late Elsterian melt water clay close to sea level.