'Aarhus, Denmark' |
| City seen from the South Harbor | |
Location in Denmark | |
Population
(2006-01-03)
- City
- Metro area
- Density (city/met) |
296,368 Århus municipality: 468 km²
Metropolitan area 804,878. 5,956 km² eastern part of region midtjylland 1 January 2007 Århus is also a part of the East jutland metropolitan area with 1,045,422 inhabitants, 7,761 km² |
| Time zone | Central European: UTC+1 |
Latitude
Longitude | 56°09' N
10°13' E |
'Aarhus' (: ) also commonly known by its contemporary
Danish spelling 'Århus', is the second largest city and the principal
port of
Denmark, situated on the peninsula of
Jutland. Aarhus is the seat of the council of
Aarhus municipality and claims the unofficial title "Capital of Jutland".
[Bridgwater, W. & Beatrice Aldrich. (1966) ''The Columbia-Viking Desk Encyclopedia''. Columbia University. p. 11.]
Demographics
Aarhus city holds almost 300,000 citizens
[1], but within a 30-minute drive, there are around 800,000 inhabitants, making it the second most-populated area in Denmark, after the
Copenhagen area. The built-up area around Aarhus is more or less from
Skanderborg in the south to
Studstrup in the north — about 40 km (25 miles) from north to south.
Aarhus is also a part of the East jutland metropolitan area with 1,045,422 inhabitants, 7,761 km² but this is still a fledgling metropolitan area. However, the cities in the area have begun meetings with the government in order to decide the future of the region and how it can grow to rival the Copenhagen area. (Citation needed)
65,000 of the population is under the age of 18. Aarhus has been growing steadily at about 1% per year since 1950, when the city had about 177,000 inhabitants. The
University of Aarhus hopes to get 20,000 more students in the next six years, so the city will need to build many more residences for the new students; already the city council has decided to make many more large suburbs for some 100,000 new citizens before 2030.
Aerial view of Aarhus from the north.
Since the city is home to a range of education centres, the population of Aarhus is both younger and better-educated than the national average.
Nearly 12% of the population are immigrants, which is high for Denmark, but modest when compared to some other European cities. The largest immigrant groups in 2005 were Lebanese (4,368), Turks (3,936), Somalis (3,113), Iraqis (2,728), and Iranians (2,188). These groups live mainly in the western parts of Aarhus, where the
Gellerup area is famous for its high concentration of immigrants (88%, 2006). The vast majority of the immigrants in Gellerup are
Arabs,
Turks and
Somali.
Other large groups include Vietnamese (2 373), Poles (1 368), Germans (1 490), Afghans (1 134), Norweigens (1 111), Britons (745) etc.
Geography & Infrastructure
The city lies roughly in the geographical centre of Denmark in the peninsula of
Jutland. Forests reach from the south into the city to within just a kilometre (.6 mi) of the city centre because the city has grown around the forest, and even some forest areas are completely surrounded by the city, such as Risskov. The city is built mostly around the harbour, which is predominantly industrial, although a large recreational marina is situated south of it as an extension.
While some of the highest points of
Denmark are close to the city, the general landscape is typically hilly interspersed with forests and meadows; the city itself is very hilly in the north of the center. The coastline consists mostly of sandy beaches, but stony areas are not uncommon. The immediate coastal regions are not heavily populated due to a national policy of keeping residences inland rather than crowding the coast.
The city lies at the junction of
railway lines from all parts of the country. To the southwest (about 21 km, 13 miles, by rail) lies a picturesque region that contains the
Gudenå. Several larger lakes extend West from the
Skanderborg railway junction and rise to heights exceeding 152 metres (499 ft) in the
Himmelbjerget. The railway traverses this pleasant district of moorland and woodland to
Silkeborg.
Aarhus Airport, a local airport of Aarhus, is located 40 km (25 mi) north-east of Aarhus, in
Tirstrup. There have been plans for constructing a new, bigger airport for a long time, but so far, the plans haven't been realized.
There have been plans of a new bridge between Aarhus and
Kalundborg, for better infrastructure between
Jutland and
Zealand, and specifically Aarhus and
Copenhagen. The government and the Minister of Transportation of Denmark has temporarily denied this request, and called it 'unrealistic', all though of his own current efforts for a 70-billion kroner bridge between
Zealand and
Germany, which has been criticized for its lack for necessity and economical implications.
A survey by
Aarhus Stifttidende suggested that as little as 8% of the people of Denmark would ever use the bridge to
Germany, and that as much as 25% of the population would use the bridge between Aarhus and
Zealand every month. The future of the bridge is being discussed by a cooperation between the municipality of Aarhus, nearby municipalities, and financial corporations in the private sector that are interested in funding the project for profiting off the bridge in years to come. In Danish, the potential bridge is referred to as "Kattegat-broen", or the Kattegat-bridge, because it would be build across the
Kattegat sea.
History
The bishopric of Aarhus dates back to at least 951, and archaeological findings date back some 1300 years to
Viking times. The city itself is presumably older than 770 AD, making Aarhus the oldest big city in Scandinavia. The favorable central position of the city within Denmark afforded it trade from
Germany, the
Baltic countries, the greater peninsula of
Jutland and the communities on the many smaller islands in its vicinity, which meant that trade always had a great significance to the town - a significance which is still true today.
The city did not outgrow
Randers until the late 1800s and
Aalborg remained the largest city on the peninsula until the 1920s. The relatively fast, albeit late, growth of the city can be ascribed to the general tendencies of moving from rural to urban areas during the
industrial revolution. Industrialisation meant that proximity to trade routes became more important giving the harbour city some advantages over other nearby cities as new industries came into existence.
Name
During the
Middle Ages the city was called ''Arus'', and in Icelandic chronicles, it was known as ''Áróss''. It is a compound of the two words ''ār'', genitive of ''ā'' ("river", Modern Danish ''å'') and ''ōss'' ("mouth", obsolete in Modern Danish; in Modern Icelandic this word is still used for "river delta"). The city is located on the mouth of the small river, Århus Å (Å being the Danish word for a small stream or creek).
Through regular sound development, Medieval Danish ''Arus'' became ''Aars'' or ''Oes'', a form which persisted in the dialects of the surrounding parishes until the 20th century. In 1406 ''Aarhus'' became prevalent in the written sources, and gradually became the norm in the 17th century. ''Aarhus'' is probably a remodelling after the numerous Low German place names in ''-husen'', possibly as a result of the influence of German merchants.
The city is mentioned the first time by
Adam of Bremen who mentions that "Reginbrand, bishop of the church of Aarhus (Harusa)" participates in a church meeting in the city of
Ingelham in
Germany.
[2]
Viking era
The oldest
archaeological findings in Aarhus are glass pearls which date to the end of the 7th century. Half buried
Long houses, used both as homes and workshops for the Vikings have also been found.
[3] In the houses and the adjoining archaeological layers, combs, jewelry and basic multi-purpose tools have been found that indicate the settlement is from approximately year 900. Digs in the spring of 2005 revealed a so-called city-ditch from the year 850 which might have marked the trade centre upon which the city is built.
The finding of six
rune stones in and around Aarhus indicates the city had some significance around year 1000 as only wealthy nobles traditionally used them.
[4]
17th-18th centuries
The city seal from 1421 and 1608.
During the wars of the 17th century, it is probable that the city suffered in a significant way. Fortifications still exist south of the city as a reminder of the
German imperial campaigns between 1627 and 1629. In 1644,
Sweden taxed the city harshly and between 1657 and 1659, it was occupied by Swedish troops on several occasions.
In spite of these and other misfortunes, such as plague and city-wide fires, Aarhus was still quite a significant city in
Denmark due to its favourable geographical position which was of significant importance for trading. Trade came mainly from the inland of
Jutland but also from
Norway,
Lübeck,
Amsterdam,
England,
France and
Spain. In the middle of the 18th century the trade fleet consisted of approximately 100 ships.
19th century
In the 19th century, the city gained more independence from the dominance of
Copenhagen and
Hamburg. While it had been the third largest city in Jutland during the early 19th century, its population surpassed
Randers in 1840 and in 1850,
Ålborg, thus becoming the largest city in Jutland and the second largest in Denmark.
The city's material prosperity continued to increase as the harbour expanded and the railway network grew. Culturally, it marketed itself as the "Capital of Jutland" and expanded many of its cultural institutions like the national library, universities, the
Aarhus Theater and hospitals.
Main sights
The future tallest building of Denmark in Aarhus
★
Århus Domkirke, the tallest and longest cathedral in Denmark
★
Church of Our Lady, a largechurch
★
Århus City Hall (City Hall of Århus)
★
Aarhus Universitet (University of Århus)
★
Statsbiblioteket (State library)
★
Den Gamle By, an open air museum
★
Det Jyske Musikkonservatorium (The
Jut music conservatory)
★
Botanisk Have (Botanical garden)
★
Tivoli Friheden, amusement park
★
ARoS Aarhus Kunstmuseum, the main Århus arts museum
★
Aarhus Kunstbygning, arts museum''
★
Marselisborg Palace, the royal castle of Århus
★
Aarhus Theatre, the official theater of the city
★
Musikhuset, music and theater scene
★
Dyrehaven, an open air park with deers and wild boar enclosures
★
Telecommunication Tower Aarhus, a 325 meter tall concrete tower with guyed mast on its top
★
Skejby Sygehus, the second largest hospital in Denmark
★
Atletion, a combinated sport venue
★
Kvindemuseet i Danmark. Women's Museum in Denmark
★
Light House (in construction). Expected to be completed in 2010, it will be Denmark's tallest building.
★
Den Permanente a popular closed beach area, also providing views of
Helgenæs and
Samsø across
Århus Bay.
Culture
Aarhus is a centre for education on the peninsula of
Jutland drawing students from a large area, especially from the western and southern parts of the peninsula. The relatively large influx of young people and students creates a natural base for cultural activities and there are many cafes - around 500 in the city - as well as discoteques, cinemas, museums, amusement parks and various other venues of entertainment. Each year the town hosts several festivals and concerts including
Aarhus International Jazz Festival and
Aarhus Festuge the biggest festival in Scandinavia. The
Vestereng park facility is also a site for large popular music concerts.
One major tourist attraction in Aarhus is
The Old Town (
Danish: ''Den Gamle By''), which is not actually an old part of the city itself, but a collection of historic Danish buildings gathered from all around the country. The old town was recently ranked one of the 3 best tourist attractions in
Denmark in the same category as
Tivoli and
Legoland. The city also hosts the
Tivoli Friheden amusement park as well as the
Deer Park situated in the large nearby public forest.
Architecturally impressive sights include the 13th century
cathedral in the centre of the city;
Århus Domkirke is the tallest cathedral in Denmark, as well as the second tallest in
Northern Europe, being only 45 cm (18 in) shorter than its counterpart in
Trondheim. The
Aarhus City Hall is a uniquely designed building drawn by renowned architect
Arne Jacobsen, located in the city centre. The city hall is included in the national educational canon for culture as an example of important architectural work.
There are many museums scattered around the city with
ARoS being the newest and largest featuring daily exhibits of contemporary art. Other museums include
Aarhus Kunstbygning also featuring mostly contemporary art,
Frihedsmuseet focusing on the occupation and resistance movement during
World War II and
Kvindemuseet mainly showcasing feminist history and culture.
Outdoor Museum The Old Town of Aarhus.
Being a comparably large Danish city, Aarhus has received a fair share of immigrants from various other cultures and is as such also home to one of the few
ghettos in Denmark,
Gellerup. The international cultures present in the community are an obvious and visible part of the city's daily life and contribute to many cultural flavours uncommon for the North, such as the
Arabic themed
Bazar West, a market with shopkeepers predominantly of foreign descent.
The city has an active and visible gay and lesbian community which the city officially attempts to promote and nurture.
[5] The
Aarhus Festuge festival usually includes several exhibits, concerts or events specifically designed for these communities. There are several clubs, discos and cafes aimed at gays and lesbians: Danish D-lite (sports), Diskotek Blender (disco) or Gaia Vandreklub (hiking club) are a few examples
It is common for tourist brochures and local politicians to refer to the town with the tongue-in-cheek slogan "The worlds smallest big city" reflecting the fact that the city has everything a city needs while unquestionably not a metropolis. Another popular, and perhaps better known phrase to describe the city, is "City of Smiles" - a slogan first coined by the city council in the 1930s as an advertising slogan, and which subsequently is used widely in popular culture today.
Sports
In the southern-Aarhus Marselisborg Park, the sports center named
Atletion is located comprises
athletics, the
football NRGi Park and the indoor sports NRGi Arena. Several sport clubs have their home ground in Atletion, including
Aarhus Gymnastik Forening, the first division football team, and Aarhus GF handball team, the 1960 European Cup runner-up. Although
basketball is a minor sport in Denmark, Aarhus is considered the main Danish hub of the sport , with the local team
Bakken Bears being the most successful team in Denmark for the past decade.
Aarhus (and especially Atletion) has served or will serve as the host of many sport events in recent years including:
★
2002 European Women's Handball Championship
★ 2005 European
Table Tennis Championships
★ Denmark Open in
badminton
★
UCI Women's
Road Cycling World Cup
★ 2006 World
Orienteering Championships
★
2006 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships
★ GF World Cup; the world's largest handball tournament for women
★
DanceSport IDSF World Standard 2006
Education
University of Aarhus.
The town is home to the
University of Aarhus,
Aarhus School of Business,
Aarhus Technical College,
The Danish School of Journalism and the
University College of Aarhus and several other high-end education centres. It is possible to receive higher education in many areas, from
engineering and
dentistry to
language and
theology.
The Danish School of Journalism is considered one of the most prestigious journalism schools in Europe. The educational institutions are key elements of the social life of the city and play a large role in many cultural events throughout the year.
The
University of Aarhus is divided into five faculties:
Humanities,
Health Sciences,
Social Sciences,
Theology, and
Science. There are at any given time approximately 40,000 students in the city and 30,000 students at the university with approximately 5,000 new students per year.
[6]
Politics
The city council consists of 31 members elected for 4-year terms. Anybody eligible to vote and residing in
Aarhus municipality can run for a seat on the city council. After elections have determined the members of the city council, the council elects a mayor, 2 deputy mayors and 5 councilmen.
[7] The current
Mayor of Aarhus is
Nicolai Wammen of the
Social Democrats elected by the city council after the 2005 municipal elections.
The city is divided into 6 minor administrative bodies which together constitute the
magistrate led by the mayor and the 5 elected councilmen as political and administrative directors. The 6 magistrate departments of the city are the “Mayor’s Magistrate”, “Social and Employment Magistrate”, “Technology and Environment Magistrate”, “Health and Social Magistrate”, “Culture and Service Magistrate” and “Children and Youth Magistrate” and handle all the day-to-day operations of the city.
Aarhus is the seat of
Aarhus Municipality. Until the 2007 Danish Municipal Reform, which replaced the Danish counties with five regions, it was also the seat of
Aarhus County, which has now been disbanded in favor of the new
Region Midtjylland, its seat located in
Viborg.
Suburbs
Beder ·
Brabrand ·
Egå ·
Frederiksbjerg ·
Gellerup ·
Harlev ·
Hasle ·
Hasselager ·
Holme ·
Hjortshøj ·
Højbjerg ·
Kolt ·
Lisbjerg ·
Lystrup ·
Malling ·
Mårslet ·
Risskov ·
Rosenhøj ·
Sabro ·
Slet ·
Skejby ·
Skæring ·
Skåde ·
Stavtrup ·
Solbjerg ·
Skødstrup ·
Studstrup ·
Tilst ·
Tranbjerg ·
Trige ·
Vejlby ·
Viby J ·
Åby and
Åbyhøj.
Industry and business
The harbour is one of the largest industrial harbours in
Northern Europe and the largest in Denmark . The facilities are very modern and handle app. 12.000.000 tons of cargo(2006) and are therefore among the 100 biggest containerports in the world.
[8] Much agricultural produce is exported, while
coal and
iron are among the chief imports. The harbour itself is maintained by
Århus Stevedore Kompagni A/S originally based in Aarhus but currently operating several harbours around the world.
The region is a major producer of
agricultural products with many large farms in the outlying districts. Cattle, pork and grain are the main products with a sizable related refinement industry present. Computer and technology heavy industries are mainly focused in the urban areas with an abundance of small and medium sized IT and service companies dotting the city centre.
The
Ceres Brewery, part of
Royal Unibrew, is based in Aarhus and was originally founded here as well.
Famous people
★
Ole Rømer
★
Jens Christian Skou
★
Bjarne Stroustrup
★
Ole Worm
★
Lene Hau
★
Flemming Povlsen
★
Marc Rieper
★
Camilla Martin
★
Kaare Norge
★
Tina Dico
★
Stig Tøfting
★
Hatesphere
See metropolitan areas of Denmark
★
Metropolitan areas of Denmark
References
1. Aarhus Kommunes Statistiske Årbog, 2005
2. ''Gesta Hammaburgensis ecclesiae'' 2.4.
3. Hans Skov, "Aros 700-1000", in: ''Vikingernes Aros'' Århus 2005, 15-39.
4. Gundhild Øeby Nissen, "Runesten", in: ''Vikingernes Aros'' Århus 2005, 46-51.
5. Homo i Århus at ''Aarhus.dk''
6. BESTAND AF STUDERENDE, OKTOBER 2005, Aarhus Universitet, November 21 2005
7. Byråd, Aarhus Municipality, July 15 2003
8. XII.Godsomsætning, Århus Havn, 2000
External links
Official websites
★
''Aarhus.dk'', official city web portal
★
Visit Aarhus, official tourism site of Aarhus
★
Aarhus City Info
★
Virtual Aarhus
★
The Municipality of Aarhus
Educational institutions
★
University of Aarhus
★
Aarhus School of Business
★
University College of Aarhus (''technical college'')
★
(''Peter Sabroe Seminariet, National Institute for Social Educators'')
★
Royal Academy of Music, Aarhus
★
Danish School of Journalism
★
Aarhus school of Architecture
Culture
★
Ny Helse & Motion - Fitnesscenter (''Ny Helse & Motion - Fitnesscenter'')
★
Aarhus Teater (''Aarhus Theater'')
★
Århus Kommunes Biblioteker (''Aarhus Public Libraries'')
★
Kulturcenter HUSET (''Cultural Centre'')
★
ARoS Aarhus Kunstmuseum (''museum of arts'')
★
Den Gamle By (''The Old Town'')
★
Moesgård Museum (''archaeological and ethnographic museum'')
★
Musikhuset Aarhus (''concert hall'')
★
(''Aarhus Festival of Contemporary Art 2004: Minority Report'')
★
AGF (''AGF Aarhus Football club'')
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