 In 1801, the population was still only 663 but this figure doubled in the 19th century as the new harbour (1816) provided enhanced opportunities for shipbuilding.It was in the 18th and 19th centuries that trade and shipbuilding expanded in Svaneke, resulting in the construction of the fine merchants' houses which still line the harbour.Unlike many of the other towns on Bornholm, Svaneke escaped modernization following the opening of the island's railways at the beginning of the 20th century.