gasernes

Gasernes is a term used in Danish and Norwegian to refer to gasworks—the facilities that produced and stored manufactured gas for urban lighting and energy before natural gas networks became widespread. Gasworks were typically situated near city centers and linked to a network of gas mains that distributed gas to households, businesses, and street lamps. They played a central role in urban infrastructure during the 19th and early 20th centuries, when coal gas was the common energy source for illumination and heating.

Most gas produced at these installations was coal gas, created by gasifying coal in dedicated retorts or gasifiers. The produced gas was then purified to remove impurities such as sulfur compounds and tars before being routed through pipelines to consumers. A distinctive feature of many gasworks was the presence of gas holders, commonly known as gasometers, which stored gas under pressure and contributed to the characteristic city silhouette with their tall or expansive structures.

With the advent of natural gas and changes in energy networks in the mid- to late 20th century, the manufacture of town gas declined. Gasworks were gradually closed, repurposed, or dismantled, and the gas distribution system shifted to pipeline-based natural gas. Today, former gasworks sites often form part of industrial heritage landscapes, with some redeveloped into housing, offices, cultural venues, or public spaces. Gasometers remain notable remnants in some cities, preserved as monuments to industrial history.