Alrø
Encyclopedia
Alrø is a small Danish
island in Horsens Fjord
on the east coast of Jutland
within Odder Municipality
. With an area of 7.5 km2, as of 1 January 2010 it has a population of 160. The island is 7 km long and 4 km wide at the widest point. It can be reached by road over the dam which connects it to the mainland on the northern side of the fjord.
Alrø has been inhabited since the Stone Age
. It has a small Romanesque
church which dates from the 14th century.
's Jordbog (land register) in 1230, indicating that Alrø, like many of the Danish islands, belonged to the Crown. In the 14th century, it came under the bishopric of Aarhus
but at the time of the Reformation (1536) it returned to the Crown.
In 1661, King Frederik III
gave Alrø and nearby Endelave
to Nields Banner, his vassal for the Aarkær estate on the mainland. It changed hands several times until around 1700 when the Rosemeier family from Westphalia
gained ownership of the island through marriage. The Rosemeiers continued to live on Alrø's farms over the following centuries, some members of the family still living there today. Since the end of the 18th century, the families on Alrø became the owners of their properties. Slowly farms were built across the island, creating a strong agricultural community.
Until 1970, the island had its own school, library, shops, filling station and bus service but today, as a result of the small population, they no longer exist. There is however an Italian restaurant and a café which also deals in antiques. There are no summerhouses or tourist facilities on the island.
provides information on bird-watching and canoeing. In the summer, there is also a ferry to the island which takes passengers and cycles but not cars.
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
island in Horsens Fjord
Horsens Fjord
Horsens Fjord is a Danish fjord in the east of Jutland which stretches from the islands of Alrø and Hjarnø in the east to the town of Horsens on the mainland. It is some long. The navigational channel to Horsens has a depth of ....
on the east coast of Jutland
Jutland
Jutland , historically also called Cimbria, is the name of the peninsula that juts out in Northern Europe toward the rest of Scandinavia, forming the mainland part of Denmark. It has the North Sea to its west, Kattegat and Skagerrak to its north, the Baltic Sea to its east, and the Danish–German...
within Odder Municipality
Odder municipality
Odder municipality is a municipality in Region Midtjylland on the east coast of the Jutland peninsula in central Denmark just south of Aarhus and is a part of the greater Aarhus area. The municipality includes the islands of Alrø and Tunø, and covers an area of 225 km². It has a total population...
. With an area of 7.5 km2, as of 1 January 2010 it has a population of 160. The island is 7 km long and 4 km wide at the widest point. It can be reached by road over the dam which connects it to the mainland on the northern side of the fjord.
Alrø has been inhabited since the Stone Age
Stone Age
The Stone Age is a broad prehistoric period, lasting about 2.5 million years , during which humans and their predecessor species in the genus Homo, as well as the earlier partly contemporary genera Australopithecus and Paranthropus, widely used exclusively stone as their hard material in the...
. It has a small Romanesque
Romanesque architecture
Romanesque architecture is an architectural style of Medieval Europe characterised by semi-circular arches. There is no consensus for the beginning date of the Romanesque architecture, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the 10th century. It developed in the 12th century into the Gothic style,...
church which dates from the 14th century.
History
While there is evidence that the island has been inhabited since about 5000 BC, the first historical reference is in King ValdemarValdemar I of Denmark
Valdemar I of Denmark , also known as Valdemar the Great, was King of Denmark from 1157 until 1182.-Biography:...
's Jordbog (land register) in 1230, indicating that Alrø, like many of the Danish islands, belonged to the Crown. In the 14th century, it came under the bishopric of Aarhus
Aarhus
Aarhus or Århus is the second-largest city in Denmark. The principal port of Denmark, Aarhus is on the east side of the peninsula of Jutland in the geographical center of Denmark...
but at the time of the Reformation (1536) it returned to the Crown.
In 1661, King Frederik III
Frederick III of Denmark
Frederick III was king of Denmark and Norway from 1648 until his death. He instituted absolute monarchy in Denmark and Norway in 1660, confirmed by law in 1665 as the first in western historiography. He was born the second-eldest son of Christian IV of Denmark and Anne Catherine of Brandenburg...
gave Alrø and nearby Endelave
Endelave
Endelave is a Danish island in the Kattegat, north of Odense, off the coast of Funen, and west of Samsø. The island covers an area of and has 185 inhabitants.- See also :* Nearby islands: Hjarnø, Tunø, Samsø, Æbelø, Alrø....
to Nields Banner, his vassal for the Aarkær estate on the mainland. It changed hands several times until around 1700 when the Rosemeier family from Westphalia
Westphalia
Westphalia is a region in Germany, centred on the cities of Arnsberg, Bielefeld, Dortmund, Minden and Münster.Westphalia is roughly the region between the rivers Rhine and Weser, located north and south of the Ruhr River. No exact definition of borders can be given, because the name "Westphalia"...
gained ownership of the island through marriage. The Rosemeiers continued to live on Alrø's farms over the following centuries, some members of the family still living there today. Since the end of the 18th century, the families on Alrø became the owners of their properties. Slowly farms were built across the island, creating a strong agricultural community.
Until 1970, the island had its own school, library, shops, filling station and bus service but today, as a result of the small population, they no longer exist. There is however an Italian restaurant and a café which also deals in antiques. There are no summerhouses or tourist facilities on the island.
Tourism
Although there are no facilities for overnight accommodation on the island, the tourist office in nearby OdderOdder
Odder is a town in the Odder municipality just south of Aarhus, located in Region Midtjylland. Odder is more or less a satellite town of Aarhus today and with a population of 11,375...
provides information on bird-watching and canoeing. In the summer, there is also a ferry to the island which takes passengers and cycles but not cars.