Ærø
Encyclopedia
Ærø is one of the Danish
Baltic Sea
islands, and part of Region of Southern Denmark. The western portion of the island was the municipality of Ærøskøbing
; the eastern portion of the island was the municipality of Marstal
. On January 1, 2006, they merged to form the Ærø municipality
.
with its 2,340 inhabitants. Ærøskøbing has 978 and Søby 598. 14 villages and a number of farms are also to be found on the island.
Ærø is a popular destination for hiking
and cycling
, and provides beaches that also attract anglers
and art
ists.
The town of Ærøskøbing
represents the historic center of the island, with narrow lanes and picturesque houses from the 18th century. Marstal
is the island's main port and economic center.
At the highest elevation of the island near Olde, there is the "peace bench" made by the sculptor
Erik Brandt
. It is intended to invite people to take a look around the island and the sea, pondering over world peace.
Located in the South-of-Funen Archipelago, Ærø is favoured by particularly fine weather. The number of sunshine hours on Ærø is higher than the average for the rest of Denmark, and the year-round temperature is also a few degrees higher than the national average.
Archaeological excavations provide evidence of settlements going back to before 8000 BC. There are some burial mounds on the island, as well as an old Ting
place. Relics of antiquity are found all over the island. Burial mounds, passage graves, and dolmens bear witness of human activity through more than 10,000 years.
As for its more recent history, the period of the duchies is of special interest. During this period — from the 14th century to the year 1864 — Ærø was united and separated, alternately, into a number of enclaves. Ærø was outside the tariff wall of the Kingdom, leading to flourishing smuggling which was a way of living for many of Ærø's inhabitants.
In 1629, the main town of Ærøskøbing burnt down in a great fire. There was no other disaster of comparable scale. In 1750 the island, previously split into exclaves of numerous duchies, was united as single administrative district.
Until 1864, Ærø was part of the Danish Duchy of Schleswig — the area of Schleswig
/South Jutland is now divided between Denmark (Northern Schleswig) and Germany (Southern Schleswig). King Christian IV
's cousin, also named Christian, was the Duke of Ærø from 1622 to 1633, and lived with his concubine Cathrine Griebels at Gråsten Manor House.
When the Duke died, a banner was found at Gråsten composed of nine pieces of cloth and in three colours — body colour, sea green, and golden yellow. This banner has provided the inspiration for the flag of Ærø which is seen today all over the island. When Duke Christian died, Ærø was distributed among four of his brothers, and this offers one explanation of why two towns developed in the island, Ærøskøbing
and later on Marstal
, and why each came to be in their own "country".
Gråsten Manor House was abolished in 1766 and the buildings were demolished. The name of Gråsten is still alive today in the farmhouse that stands almost on the same spot as the ducal manor. Gråsten of today offers bed and breakfast accommodation.
In 1750, Ærø was united, and has not since been separated. This is marked by the memorial stone at Olde Mølle (English = Ancient mill). At the union, the old Code of Jutland from 1241 was applied and even today some of those rules are still valid. In recent history, the fight for survival as an outlying area is the most important element. The solidarity between the inhabitants of Ærø was clearly shown in the year 2000, as a movement among the inhabitants saved Marstal Maritime School from closing down. More than 2,000 inhabitants travelled to Copenhagen
to protest against this, and the politicians were convinced. The Maritime School survived.
Ærø has the world's largest solar power
plants, with an area of 18,365 m2. It provides a third of Marstal's power consumption.
Ærø is endeavouring to become self-sufficient in energy, and in 2002 a figure of 40% self-sufficiency in renewable energy was reached. The initiatives have attracted high international recognition and Ærø is considered to be one of the world's leaders in the field.
Ærø's three district heating
systems of solar collectors have won international acclaim. With the recent expansion, the system in Marstal is now the world's largest solar collector system for heating.
In 2002, three modern wind turbines were erected. The wing tip of these turbines is 100 m (328.1 ft) above the ground and between them the mills cover 50% of the island's electricity consumption.
and Langeland
. Ærø also lies within a popular sailboat area, the South Funen Archipelago
. A small airport with grassed runways is located near Marstal.
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...
Baltic Sea
Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is a brackish mediterranean sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and...
islands, and part of Region of Southern Denmark. The western portion of the island was the municipality of Ærøskøbing
Ærøskøbing municipality
Ærøskøbing Municipality is a former municipality in Funen County on the island of Ærø in southern Denmark. Since January 1, 2006, it has been a part of Ærø Municipality The municipality covered an area of 74 km², and had a total population of 3,731...
; the eastern portion of the island was the municipality of Marstal
Marstal municipality
Marstal municipality, is a former municipality in Funen County on the island of Ærø in southern Denmark. Since January 1, 2006, it has been part of Ærø municipality. Its territory included the islands of Birkholm and Halmø, and covered an area of 17 km². In 2005, it had a total population of...
. On January 1, 2006, they merged to form the Ærø municipality
Ærø municipality
Ærø Municipality is a municipality occupying the island of Ærø in southern Denmark. The municipality belongs to Region of Southern Denmark....
.
- Population: 6,669
- Area: 88 km2 (island); 91 km2 (municipality)
- Length of coast line: 167 km (103.8 mi)
Geography
Ærø's length is about 30 km, its width up to 8 km. The landscape is dominated by hills, there are three small towns. The largest town is MarstalMarstal
Marstal is a town in southern Denmark, located in Ærø municipality on the island of Ærø. Marstal has a population of 2,347 and is the largest town on Ærø. It was in the abolished Marstal Municipality.Marstal has a long maritime history...
with its 2,340 inhabitants. Ærøskøbing has 978 and Søby 598. 14 villages and a number of farms are also to be found on the island.
Ærø is a popular destination for hiking
Hiking
Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...
and cycling
Cycling
Cycling, also called bicycling or biking, is the use of bicycles for transport, recreation, or for sport. Persons engaged in cycling are cyclists or bicyclists...
, and provides beaches that also attract anglers
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
and art
Art
Art is the product or process of deliberately arranging items in a way that influences and affects one or more of the senses, emotions, and intellect....
ists.
The town of Ærøskøbing
Ærøskøbing
Ærøskøbing is a town in central Denmark, located in Ærø Municipality on the island of Ærø. The suffix -købing means a trade town in the languages that derive from Old Norse....
represents the historic center of the island, with narrow lanes and picturesque houses from the 18th century. Marstal
Marstal
Marstal is a town in southern Denmark, located in Ærø municipality on the island of Ærø. Marstal has a population of 2,347 and is the largest town on Ærø. It was in the abolished Marstal Municipality.Marstal has a long maritime history...
is the island's main port and economic center.
At the highest elevation of the island near Olde, there is the "peace bench" made by the sculptor
Sculpture
Sculpture is three-dimensional artwork created by shaping or combining hard materials—typically stone such as marble—or metal, glass, or wood. Softer materials can also be used, such as clay, textiles, plastics, polymers and softer metals...
Erik Brandt
Erik Brandt
Erik Rud Brandt is a Danish fashion designer, by many considered the founder of Scandinavian fashion. In 1966 he married Margit Brandt and founded his own design company in Copenhagen with branches in Scandinavia, Switzerland, Canada, USA, Japan and Australia...
. It is intended to invite people to take a look around the island and the sea, pondering over world peace.
Located in the South-of-Funen Archipelago, Ærø is favoured by particularly fine weather. The number of sunshine hours on Ærø is higher than the average for the rest of Denmark, and the year-round temperature is also a few degrees higher than the national average.
History
Thing (assembly)
A thing was the governing assembly in Germanic and introduced into some Celtic societies, made up of the free people of the community and presided by lawspeakers, meeting in a place called a thingstead...
place. Relics of antiquity are found all over the island. Burial mounds, passage graves, and dolmens bear witness of human activity through more than 10,000 years.
As for its more recent history, the period of the duchies is of special interest. During this period — from the 14th century to the year 1864 — Ærø was united and separated, alternately, into a number of enclaves. Ærø was outside the tariff wall of the Kingdom, leading to flourishing smuggling which was a way of living for many of Ærø's inhabitants.
In 1629, the main town of Ærøskøbing burnt down in a great fire. There was no other disaster of comparable scale. In 1750 the island, previously split into exclaves of numerous duchies, was united as single administrative district.
Until 1864, Ærø was part of the Danish Duchy of Schleswig — the area of Schleswig
Schleswig
Schleswig or South Jutland is a region covering the area about 60 km north and 70 km south of the border between Germany and Denmark; the territory has been divided between the two countries since 1920, with Northern Schleswig in Denmark and Southern Schleswig in Germany...
/South Jutland is now divided between Denmark (Northern Schleswig) and Germany (Southern Schleswig). King Christian IV
Christian IV of Denmark
Christian IV was the king of Denmark-Norway from 1588 until his death. With a reign of more than 59 years, he is the longest-reigning monarch of Denmark, and he is frequently remembered as one of the most popular, ambitious and proactive Danish kings, having initiated many reforms and projects...
's cousin, also named Christian, was the Duke of Ærø from 1622 to 1633, and lived with his concubine Cathrine Griebels at Gråsten Manor House.
When the Duke died, a banner was found at Gråsten composed of nine pieces of cloth and in three colours — body colour, sea green, and golden yellow. This banner has provided the inspiration for the flag of Ærø which is seen today all over the island. When Duke Christian died, Ærø was distributed among four of his brothers, and this offers one explanation of why two towns developed in the island, Ærøskøbing
Ærøskøbing
Ærøskøbing is a town in central Denmark, located in Ærø Municipality on the island of Ærø. The suffix -købing means a trade town in the languages that derive from Old Norse....
and later on Marstal
Marstal
Marstal is a town in southern Denmark, located in Ærø municipality on the island of Ærø. Marstal has a population of 2,347 and is the largest town on Ærø. It was in the abolished Marstal Municipality.Marstal has a long maritime history...
, and why each came to be in their own "country".
Gråsten Manor House was abolished in 1766 and the buildings were demolished. The name of Gråsten is still alive today in the farmhouse that stands almost on the same spot as the ducal manor. Gråsten of today offers bed and breakfast accommodation.
In 1750, Ærø was united, and has not since been separated. This is marked by the memorial stone at Olde Mølle (English = Ancient mill). At the union, the old Code of Jutland from 1241 was applied and even today some of those rules are still valid. In recent history, the fight for survival as an outlying area is the most important element. The solidarity between the inhabitants of Ærø was clearly shown in the year 2000, as a movement among the inhabitants saved Marstal Maritime School from closing down. More than 2,000 inhabitants travelled to Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
to protest against this, and the politicians were convinced. The Maritime School survived.
Technology
Solar power
Solar energy, radiant light and heat from the sun, has been harnessed by humans since ancient times using a range of ever-evolving technologies. Solar radiation, along with secondary solar-powered resources such as wind and wave power, hydroelectricity and biomass, account for most of the available...
plants, with an area of 18,365 m2. It provides a third of Marstal's power consumption.
Ærø is endeavouring to become self-sufficient in energy, and in 2002 a figure of 40% self-sufficiency in renewable energy was reached. The initiatives have attracted high international recognition and Ærø is considered to be one of the world's leaders in the field.
Ærø's three district heating
District heating
District heating is a system for distributing heat generated in a centralized location for residential and commercial heating requirements such as space heating and water heating...
systems of solar collectors have won international acclaim. With the recent expansion, the system in Marstal is now the world's largest solar collector system for heating.
In 2002, three modern wind turbines were erected. The wing tip of these turbines is 100 m (328.1 ft) above the ground and between them the mills cover 50% of the island's electricity consumption.
Transport
Ærø is the only island among the larger Danish Baltic Sea islands that is not connected with a bridge, and road traffic is generally low. There are car ferry lines to Als, FunenFunen
Funen , with a size of 2,984 km² , is the third-largest island of Denmark following Zealand and Vendsyssel-Thy, and the 163rd largest island of the world. Funen is located in the central part of the country and has a population of 454,358 inhabitants . The main city is Odense, connected to the...
and Langeland
Langeland
Langeland is a Danish island located between the Great Belt and Bay of Kiel. The island measures 285 km² and, as of 1 January 2010, has a population of 13,277. The island produces grain and is known as a recreational area. A bridge connects it to Tåsinge via Siø - a small island with a...
. Ærø also lies within a popular sailboat area, the South Funen Archipelago
South Funen Archipelago
The South Funen Archipelago is the popular name for the part of the Baltic Sea south of the ports of Faaborg and Svendborg on the Danish island of Funen. The depth of the sea is typically between 20 and 30 meters. The archipelago includes some 55 low-lying Danish islands, including Ærø, Tåsinge,...
. A small airport with grassed runways is located near Marstal.
Notable residents
- Claus Lauritz ClausenClaus Lauritz ClausenClaus Lauritz Clausen was an American pioneer Lutheran minister, church leader, military chaplain and politician.-Biography:...
(1820–1892), born in Ærø, Lutheran clergyman, organizer of United Norwegian Lutheran Church of AmericaUnited Norwegian Lutheran Church of AmericaThe United Norwegian Lutheran Church of America was the result of the union formed in 1890 between the Norwegian Augustana Synod , the Conference of the Norwegian-Danish Evangelical Lutheran Church of America , and the Anti-Missourian Brotherhood .In 1897, a group of churches left the UNLC and...
and missionary to America - Carsten JensenCarsten JensenCarsten Jensen is a Danish author and political columnist. He was born on 24 July 1952 in Marstal. He first earned recognition as a literary critic for the Copenhagen daily, Politiken. His novels, including I Have Seen the World Begin , deal with knowledge of the world...
, born in Marstal, Danish author and political columnist
Cultural references
- In his novel We, The DrownedWe, The DrownedWe, the Drowned is a 2006 novel by Danish writer Carsten Jensen. It was first published in English on April 1, 2010, by Harvill Secker in the United Kingdom; it was first published in the United States on February 9, 2011, by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt....
MarstalMarstalMarstal is a town in southern Denmark, located in Ærø municipality on the island of Ærø. Marstal has a population of 2,347 and is the largest town on Ærø. It was in the abolished Marstal Municipality.Marstal has a long maritime history...
native Carsten JensenCarsten JensenCarsten Jensen is a Danish author and political columnist. He was born on 24 July 1952 in Marstal. He first earned recognition as a literary critic for the Copenhagen daily, Politiken. His novels, including I Have Seen the World Begin , deal with knowledge of the world...
describes the maritime history of the town where the men were expected to go to sea and the women to be left behind, an epic tale spanning four generations, nearly one hundred years, and two world wars.