Sprogø (Danish pronunciation:[ˈspʁɔwˌøˀ]) is a smallDanishisland, located in theGreat Belt, thestrait that separates the main islands ofFunen andZealand. It is about halfway across the strait, 6.7 kilometres (4.2 miles) from the Zealand shore and 8 kilometres (5 miles) from the Funen shore.
Althoughsprog is modernDanish forlanguage, the island's name was recorded originally during the 12th century asSproøe meaningscout's island, from the old Danish verbspro (to scout).[1]
Today, the island is crossed by part of theGreat Belt Fixed Link, a series of roads, bridges, and tunnels; it is connected to Funen by a road and rail bridge, and to Zealand by both a roadsuspension bridge and twin railtunnels. During the construction, the island was reconfigured drastically, withland reclamation increasing its area from 38 to 154hectares (94 to 381acres).
There are remains of buildings on the original part of Sprogø from the beginning of the 12th century, a fortress built by order ofKing Valdemar the Great. During construction work, extensivearchaeological investigations were undertaken, and among other findings it was revealed that the first inhabitants arrived more than 8,000 years ago.
The island does not have any permanent population today, but is used bySund og Bælt, the company that owns and operates the bridges nearby. It is also anature reserve, and tours of the island are organised.
Sprogø was a station for thesemaphore line across the Belt,Storebæltstelegrafen, betweenNyborg andKorsør, in operation between 1801 and 1865. Between 1923 and 1961[2] the island was used for containment of women deemed pathologically promiscuous, the main concern being unwanted pregnancies. At the time the practice was considered humane, given that they had been confined previously. The legacy of confinements on Sprogø inspired the fictional plot of the 2018 Danish movie thrillerJournal 64.[3]
The lighthouse, which can be seen in the picture, was built by the mail service during 1868, replacing an older structure from 1809. It was built on the foundations of the 12th-century fortress.
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