About the Poor House
The Poor House was in operation from 1872 to 1974
The Poor House in Svendborg was built in 1872 under the name “Svendborg Kiøbstads Poor- and Workhouse”. It was a modern institution for its time, designed for those who were deemed ’worthy or unworthy’ paupers.
Behind the walls
Behind barbed wire and high walls, you embark on a journey through an important part of the history of Danish welfare. We open the doors to an otherwise closed world. Within the authentic setting, you will explore the stories of the many who lived or live on the dark side of society: the poor, the sick, the homeless and the orphans.
Explore where the paupers worked, ate, slept, were washed and punished. Many rooms are still as intact as when the poorhouse closed in 1974.
Practical information
What does it cost? How are the opening hours? Where can we park? Can we bring packed lunches?
NEW: “The Unworthy”
Over the 102 years that Poorhouse was in operation, thousands of people were admitted there. Why did they end up at the Poorhouse? What was everyday life like for them, and what became of them after they left?
These questions lie at the heart of the museum’s largest exhibition project to date, “The Unworthy”, which opened on 20 June 2026.
The exhibition is presented in rooms that have until now been closed to the public. The first floor is accessible by lift, but there is no lift to the second floor. Visitors who are unable to access the second floor can experience exhibition-related interpretation on the ground floor.
The exhibition is the museum’s new permanent exhibition.
How we work and why?
The mission of the Danish Welfare Museum is to preserve cultural heritage and create social history about, with, and for former placed-out or socially vulnerable citizens.
Through a museum activist approach, we connect past experiences with the present.
PLACED IN CARE
In the exhibitions the museum shares stories about children who have been placed in care. The exhibitions focuses on a time period that spans from the 19th century till today.
The exhibition is divided into two sections – one for youth/adults and one for children aged 8-12.
The exhibition is a permanent, award-winning exhibition.
