Railways, dairies, and factories transformed the cultural landscape of Funen.

The towns and villages we know today were founded in the Iron Age when settlements were established in the plains. These sites continued as settlements in the ensuing generations. Outlying villages arose in the Viking Age and the Middle Ages. In the Middle Ages and later boroughs, manors and solitary farms arose. Farms were parcelled out into smaller units in the 19th century bringing about many more farms, and 70 smaller towns arose along railway lines and highways. Concurrent with the development and growth of business, education and culture in the 19th century, most of our modern educational and cultural institutions and types of enterprise came into being.

In the early 19th century, the construction of new buildings – farmhouses, farm buildings, etc. – was heavily based on the use of natural building materials available in the different parts of Funen. By the end of the century, the architectural landscape had changed, and new types of building material had become available.