Sixty years after its creation, the collective housing for Danes returning home is a resounding success. The homes are more popular than ever, and the life expectancy of the residents is high.
“The Fredensborg houses are our guarantee of a meaningful retirement,” says Knud Ove Pedersen, a resident of the Fredensborg houses, in an interview with Jyllands-Posten sixty years after the Fredensborg houses were completed in 1964.
Fredensborghusene was designed by world-renowned architect Jørgen Utzon with Danes Worldwide as the developer, and the residents of the 77 connected houses can now celebrate their 60th anniversary on 9 April 2024.
To this day, the idea of creating a home and a community for Danish expats who move back to Denmark to enjoy their senior years in the best possible way lives on. The Fredensborg Houses are so popular that the waiting list for the community has only grown since its inception. The residents thrive so well here that the average life expectancy is currently 82 years.
According to the residents themselves, the secret to success is that there is room to be yourself, to eat together and to enjoy social traditions. With the collective thinking behind the houses, Jørn Utzon was ahead of his time. The inspiration was drawn from private “social clubs” abroad, where people meet and eat together while cultivating a sense of community with like-minded people. This creates a mutually supportive community.
Read a portrait of the Fredensborghusene: “Den globale landsby i Fredensborg” (in Danish)