Talk: Spritten then and now

This year, we mark the 95th anniversary of the opening of Spritten — one of Aalborg’s most iconic industrial sites. In collaboration with Aalborg Historical Museum, we invite you to the talk Spritten: then and now. Historian Inger Bladt will speak about the former distillery, while Director Signe Cecilie Jochumsen will present the future plans for Kunsthal Spritten, set to open in the factory’s former boiler hall. 

We begin by revisiting a time when… 

… spirits were an everyday commodity, much like potatoes and rye bread. Many men consumed up to half a litre of schnapps a day. In the early 19th century, Aalborg was home to more than 100 distilleries. By the end of the century, only one remained: De Danske Spritfabrikker — commonly known as Spritten. 

Historian Inger Bladt will explore how Aalborg came to be known as the home of schnapps, the construction of the factory buildings in Vestbyen in 1931 designed in the Functionalist style by architect Alf Cock-Clausen and, not least, the everyday working lives of the many employees. 

Today, Spritten is Denmark’s largest protected industrial heritage site and is recognised as one of the country’s 25 most significant industrial monuments. 

What is happening at Spritten today? 

After a short break, we turn our attention to the future. Kunsthal Spritten’s co-director Signe Cecilie Jochumsen will continue the story through a visual presentation, covering the history of the art centre, the current status of the construction project, and the plans for the city’s new art institution. 

Kunsthal Spritten is scheduled to open in 2027 in the former boiler halls, in the area that once housed the factory’s power station. The art center will, among other things, form the setting for the monumental artwork Cloud City by the Argentine artist Tomás Saraceno. 

The construction of Cloud City will begin in late summer this year. Rising to a height of approximately 30 metres, the artwork will become a defining feature of Kunsthal Spritten and a central element of the future visitor experience. 

Cloud City consists of a steel structure with modules of glass, mesh, and coloured aluminium. It is physically integrated with the historic boiler hall and has been created specifically for Kunsthal Spritten. The sculpture will function as a spatial total installation that visitors can inhabit and explore. 

During the break, coffee and cake will be served. Visitors will also have the opportunity to view the exhibition: People and Factories, at Aalborg Historical Museum, which explores the many factories of Aalborg in the 19th and 20th centuries, including Spritten.