Nysted
Encyclopedia
Guldborgsund municipality
Guldborgsund is a municipality in Region Sjælland in Denmark, spanning the Guldborgsund strait. It covers an area of 907 km² and a total population of 63,496 . Its administrative seat is in the town of Nykøbing Falster...
in Region Sjælland
Region Sjælland
Region Zealand is an administrative region of Denmark established on January 1, 2007 as part of the 2007 Danish Municipal Reform, which replaced the traditional counties with five larger regions. At the same time, smaller municipalities were merged into larger units, cutting the number of...
on the southeastern coast of the island of Lolland
Lolland
Lolland is the fourth largest island of Denmark, with an area of 1,243 square kilometers . Located in the Baltic sea, it is part of Region Sjælland...
in south Denmark
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...
.
The town of Nysted
The town of Nysted is located on the southern coast of Lolland, and has a population of 1,355 (1 January 2011).History
The town and harbour originated during the Middle AgesMiddle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
near Aalholm Castle and a Franciscan
Franciscan
Most Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....
cloister
Cloister
A cloister is a rectangular open space surrounded by covered walks or open galleries, with open arcades on the inner side, running along the walls of buildings and forming a quadrangle or garth...
. The town was a natural crossroads for commerce and traffic on account of its having the only natural harbour on the south coast of Lolland.
During this time Lolland, and especially its southern coast, was vulnerable to attack by Wends
Wends
Wends is a historic name for West Slavs living near Germanic settlement areas. It does not refer to a homogeneous people, but to various peoples, tribes or groups depending on where and when it is used...
, its neighbors on the opposite side of the Baltic Sea. Proximity to the castle was a great advantage to the people who lived there, but protection also meant that they belonged to the castle. In 1409 they were liberated when Eric of Pomerania
Eric of Pomerania
Eric of Pomerania KG was King Eric III of Norway Norwegian Eirik, King Eric VII of Denmark , and as Eric King of Sweden...
gave Nysted merchant town status. This was re-established by King Christian II
Christian II of Denmark
Christian II was King of Denmark, Norway and Sweden , during the Kalmar Union.-Background:...
in 1513.
Like other merchant towns the citizens of Nysted joined in on Christian II's side in the Count's Feud
Count's Feud
The Count's Feud , also called the Count's War, was a civil war that raged in Denmark in 1534–36 and brought about the Reformation in Denmark...
, which resulted in the capture of Aalholm Castle in 1534 when Jørgen von der Wisch was absent. The castle then was overtaken by Count Christoffer, who held it for two years.
The town's coastal advantage as a natural harbour disappeared with the advent of the railroad.
Attractions
The massive Aalholm Castle (Aalholm Slot ), built ca. 1200, dominates the view from the harbour at Nysted. For over 1,000 years this stronghold has tried to protected the town's citizens. It is one of the oldest, preserved Middle Ages fortresses in Denmark.The castle has been enlarged several times, most recently in 1889. The castle was sold to the Raben-Levetzau family in 1725, who owned the property until 1995 when it was sold privately. It is owned today by Stig Husted Andersen. There is no entrance to the castle itself, but access is available to the park and forest via a path from the town or the nearby Automobile Museum (Automobilmuseet).
Nysted municipality
Until January 1, 2007 Nysted was also a municipality (DanishDanish language
Danish is a North Germanic language spoken by around six million people, principally in the country of Denmark. It is also spoken by 50,000 Germans of Danish ethnicity in the northern parts of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, where it holds the status of minority language...
, kommune
Municipalities of Denmark
This is a list of Municipalities of Denmark.-Region Hovedstaden:* Albertslund Municipality* Allerød Municipality* Ballerup Municipality* Bornholm Regional Municipality* Brøndby Municipality* Copenhagen Municipality* Dragør Municipality* Egedal Municipality...
) in the former Storstrøm County
Storstrøm County
Storstrøms Amt is a former county on the islands of Zealand , Møn, Falster, Lolland and some minor islands in southeast Denmark. The county was formed on 1 April 1970, comprising the former counties of Maribo and Præstø. The county was abolished effective January 1, 2007, when it merged into...
. The municipality covered an area of 142 km², and had a total population of 5,417 (2005). Its last mayor was Lennart Andersen, a member of the Social Democrats
Social Democrats (Denmark)
The Social Democrats , is a Danish political party committed to the political ideology of social democracy. It is the major coalition partner in Denmark's government since the 2011 parliamentary election, and party leader Helle Thorning-Schmidt is the current Prime Minister of Denmark...
(Socialdemokraterne) political party
Politics of Denmark
The Politics of Denmark takes place in a framework of a parliamentary, representative democratic, constitutional monarchy, in which the Prime Minister is the head of government, and of a multi-party system...
. Nysted municipality ceased to exist as the result of Kommunalreformen ("The Municipality Reform" of 2007). It was merged with Nykøbing Falster
Nykøbing Falster
Nykøbing Falster is a southern Danish city, seat of the Guldborgsund kommune. It belongs to Region Sjælland. The city lies on Falster, connected by the 295-meter-long Frederick IX Bridge over the Guldborgsund waterway to the island of Lolland. The town has a population of 16,464...
, Nørre Alslev
Nørre Alslev
Nørre Alslev is a town with a population of 2,407 on the northern end of the island of Falster in south Denmark. It belongs to Guldborgsund municipality in Region Sjælland....
, Sakskøbing
Sakskøbing
thumb|The water tower in SakskøbingSakskøbing is a town with a population of 4,701 and a former municipality in Guldborgsund municipality in Region Sjælland on the northeast coast of the island of Lolland in south Denmark...
, Stubbekøbing
Stubbekøbing
Stubbekøbing is a town with a population of 2,298 in Guldborgsund municipality in Region Sjælland on the northeastern coast of the island of Falster in south Denmark...
, and Sydfalster
Sydfalster
Until January 1, 2007 Sydfalster was a municipality in the former Storstrøm County on the southern end of the island of Falster in south Denmark.-Overview:...
municipalities to form the new Guldborgsund municipality
Guldborgsund municipality
Guldborgsund is a municipality in Region Sjælland in Denmark, spanning the Guldborgsund strait. It covers an area of 907 km² and a total population of 63,496 . Its administrative seat is in the town of Nykøbing Falster...
. This created a municipality with an area of 907 km² and a total population of 63,533 (2005).