Als
Encyclopedia
Als is a Danish
island
in the Baltic Sea
. It lies east of the Jutland
peninsula of Denmark at the town of Sønderborg
, and north of the German
coast at Schleswig
. Covering an area of 321 km² (124 sq. miles), the island has a total population of 51,322 as of 1 January 2010. It encompasses the Sønderborg Municipality as per January 1, 2007.
To the north and east of the island are the waters of the Little Belt
, to the south is Flensborg Fjord
, and to the west is Als Fjord and Als Strait (Alssund).
The town of Sønderborg
is the capital, and resides on both the island and the mainland, being split in half by the waters of Als Strait (Alssund), part of Als Fjord, the strait
that separates the island from Jutland, the Danish mainland. It has a good harbour, considerable trade, and the two halves of the city are connected over the fjord by two bridges: the 682 metre long Als Strait Bridge (Alssundbro), built in 1978 to 1981, carries automobile traffic; and the 331 metre long King Christian X
's Bridge (Kong Christian Xs Bro), built in 1925 to 1930, carries both automobile and railroad traffic.
Ferry
service connects the island from the town of Hardeshøj to Ballebro on the Jutland mainland, and from the town of Fynshav to Søby on the island of Ærø
and to Bøjden on the island of Funen
.
Als is a fertile island with a thriving pig
breeding industry. The island was formerly known for its fruit
orchard
s, some of which are still in operation.
The west coast of the island has many bays and coves: Stegsvig, Sandvig, Ketting Nor, Lille Hav, Augstenborg Fjord, Kær Vig, Hørup Hav, and Dyvig. On the east coast along the Little Belt lies the 7 km² Northern Forest (Nørreskov), and Lake Nordborg (Nordborg Sø).
Nordborg municipality is the home to a number of larger businesses including Danfoss
, Denmark's largest industrial company, Sauer-Danfoss and Linak
, one of Denmark's fastest growing companies.
. From the Bronze Age
comes the Hjortspring Boat (Hjortspringbåden).
During the Middle Ages
the island come under the influence of a number of noblemen, each of which ruled over their portion of the island, and its citizens. King Christian III
's son, Duke John, came in possession of the island as a Duchy
, and he bought the other noblemen out. The island was again divided into several smaller Duchies later on, but this venture failed eventually.
The town of Augustenborg grew up around Augustenborg Palace which was established in the years after 1651 by Ernst Günther, a member of the ducal House of Schleswig-Holstein
(its branch of Sønderborg), great-grandson of King Christian III
, and a cadet of the royal house of Denmark. The palace, and the town consequently, received the name in honor of Ernest's wife Auguste
, who was also from a branch of the Dukes of Schleswig-Holstein
.
The palace became the chief seat of their line which used the name Augustenborg as its branch name. Later a Danish king made the head of that line specifically Duke of Augustenborg
. They grew in relative prominence in late 18th century, and the Duke of Augustenborg became the dominating person on the island.
The Duchy was overtaken by the Danish Crown after the last Duke of Augustenborg to live at the palace, Christian August II, had sided with the Schleswig-Holstein pro-German nationalistic movement against Denmark. He left on March 18, 1848.
That same year during the First War of Schleswig
(1848-1851), the Danes directed their main attack against Fieldmarshal Friedrich Graf von Wrangel
's Austro
-Prussian
army from the lighthouse on the peninsula of Kegnæs at the southwest end of Als.
For events in 1864, see Battle of Als
.
In 1870 Als
was fortified by Prussia.
Under the two wars over which nation would rule the island, and the following period under Prussian and German rule, the island's population was largely Danish. In 1920 Als returned to Danish rule following a referendum.
After 1920 Als has been marked by growing industry, especially after 1945 when Danfoss
grew into an international corporation.
The Augustenburg line died out in the 20th century.
is home to Sønderborg Castle
(Sønderborg Slot) and Sandbjerg Estate (Sandbjerg Gods). Sønderborg castle is located in the centre of the town, and houses a museum focusing on the history and culture of the area. The museum is open year round. Sandbjerg Estate, which had belonged for many years to the Dukes of Sønderborg, and then to the Reventlow family, was donated to Aarhus University
in 1954.
The island's Augustenborg Palace has been converted into a hospital. There is an exhibit about the castle, the town and its ducal history in the building's entryway. The castle church is open to the public in the summertime, and tours are given.
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
Island
An island or isle is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, cays or keys. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot , or holm...
in the 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...
. It lies east of the 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...
peninsula of Denmark at the town of Sønderborg
Sønderborg
Sønderborg Municipality , is a municipality in Region of Southern Denmark partially on the Jutland peninsula and partially on the island of Als in south Denmark, at the border with Germany. The municipality covers an area of , and has a total population of 76,236...
, and north of the German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
coast at 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...
. Covering an area of 321 km² (124 sq. miles), the island has a total population of 51,322 as of 1 January 2010. It encompasses the Sønderborg Municipality as per January 1, 2007.
To the north and east of the island are the waters of the Little Belt
Little Belt
The Little Belt is a strait between the Danish island of Funen and the Jutland Peninsula.The belt is about 50 km long and 800m to 28 km wide, the maximum depth is approximately 75 m, and contains numerous small Danish islands....
, to the south is Flensborg Fjord
Flensburg Fjord
Flensburg Fjord , occasionally known as Flensburg Firth, is a 50 km long inlet of the Baltic Sea. The fjord or firth forms part of the border between Germany to the south and Denmark to the north....
, and to the west is Als Fjord and Als Strait (Alssund).
The town of Sønderborg
Sønderborg
Sønderborg Municipality , is a municipality in Region of Southern Denmark partially on the Jutland peninsula and partially on the island of Als in south Denmark, at the border with Germany. The municipality covers an area of , and has a total population of 76,236...
is the capital, and resides on both the island and the mainland, being split in half by the waters of Als Strait (Alssund), part of Als Fjord, the strait
Strait
A strait or straits is a narrow, typically navigable channel of water that connects two larger, navigable bodies of water. It most commonly refers to a channel of water that lies between two land masses, but it may also refer to a navigable channel through a body of water that is otherwise not...
that separates the island from Jutland, the Danish mainland. It has a good harbour, considerable trade, and the two halves of the city are connected over the fjord by two bridges: the 682 metre long Als Strait Bridge (Alssundbro), built in 1978 to 1981, carries automobile traffic; and the 331 metre long King Christian X
Christian X of Denmark
Christian X was King of Denmark from 1912 to 1947 and the only King of Iceland between 1918 and 1944....
's Bridge (Kong Christian Xs Bro), built in 1925 to 1930, carries both automobile and railroad traffic.
Ferry
Ferry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
service connects the island from the town of Hardeshøj to Ballebro on the Jutland mainland, and from the town of Fynshav to Søby on the island of Ærø
Ærø
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...
and to Bøjden on the island of Funen
Funen
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...
.
Als is a fertile island with a thriving pig
Pig
A pig is any of the animals in the genus Sus, within the Suidae family of even-toed ungulates. Pigs include the domestic pig, its ancestor the wild boar, and several other wild relatives...
breeding industry. The island was formerly known for its fruit
Fruit
In broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,...
orchard
Orchard
An orchard is an intentional planting of trees or shrubs that is maintained for food production. Orchards comprise fruit or nut-producing trees which are grown for commercial production. Orchards are also sometimes a feature of large gardens, where they serve an aesthetic as well as a productive...
s, some of which are still in operation.
The west coast of the island has many bays and coves: Stegsvig, Sandvig, Ketting Nor, Lille Hav, Augstenborg Fjord, Kær Vig, Hørup Hav, and Dyvig. On the east coast along the Little Belt lies the 7 km² Northern Forest (Nørreskov), and Lake Nordborg (Nordborg Sø).
Nordborg municipality is the home to a number of larger businesses including Danfoss
Danfoss
The Danfoss Group is a global producer of components and solutions for refrigeration & air conditioning, heating & water, and motion controls. Danfoss has net sales of €2,600 million and employs approximately 22,000 people worldwide with headquarters in Nordborg, Denmark.Danfoss was founded in...
, Denmark's largest industrial company, Sauer-Danfoss and Linak
Linak
LINAK is a global producer of electric linear actuators. The actuator systems can be used in many different applications, such as hospital beds and office desks.The LINAK Headquarters is situated in Guderup in Denmark....
, one of Denmark's fastest growing companies.
History
There are many archeological finds that show the island has been inhabited from the late Stone AgeStone 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...
. From the Bronze Age
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
comes the Hjortspring Boat (Hjortspringbåden).
During the Middle Ages
Middle 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...
the island come under the influence of a number of noblemen, each of which ruled over their portion of the island, and its citizens. King Christian III
Christian III of Denmark
Christian III reigned as king of Denmark and Norway. He was the eldest son of King Frederick I and Anna of Brandenburg.-Childhood:...
's son, Duke John, came in possession of the island as a Duchy
Duchy
A duchy is a territory, fief, or domain ruled by a duke or duchess.Some duchies were sovereign in areas that would become unified realms only during the Modern era . In contrast, others were subordinate districts of those kingdoms that unified either partially or completely during the Medieval era...
, and he bought the other noblemen out. The island was again divided into several smaller Duchies later on, but this venture failed eventually.
Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg
The House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg , known as the House of Glücksburg for short, is a German ducal house, junior branches of which include the royal houses of Denmark and Norway, the deposed royal house of Greece, and the heir to the thrones of the Commonwealth realms The House...
(its branch of Sønderborg), great-grandson of King Christian III
Christian III of Denmark
Christian III reigned as king of Denmark and Norway. He was the eldest son of King Frederick I and Anna of Brandenburg.-Childhood:...
, and a cadet of the royal house of Denmark. The palace, and the town consequently, received the name in honor of Ernest's wife Auguste
Auguste of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg
Princess Auguste of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg was a Danish-German princess of the senior Glücksburg line of the Duke of Schleswig-Holstein. She was the first Duchess of Augustenborg by marriage...
, who was also from a branch of the Dukes of Schleswig-Holstein
Schleswig-Holstein
Schleswig-Holstein is the northernmost of the sixteen states of Germany, comprising most of the historical duchy of Holstein and the southern part of the former Duchy of Schleswig...
.
The palace became the chief seat of their line which used the name Augustenborg as its branch name. Later a Danish king made the head of that line specifically Duke of Augustenborg
Duke of Augustenborg
The House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg was a branch of the dukes of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg of the House of Oldenburg. The line descended from Alexander, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg...
. They grew in relative prominence in late 18th century, and the Duke of Augustenborg became the dominating person on the island.
The Duchy was overtaken by the Danish Crown after the last Duke of Augustenborg to live at the palace, Christian August II, had sided with the Schleswig-Holstein pro-German nationalistic movement against Denmark. He left on March 18, 1848.
That same year during the First War of Schleswig
First War of Schleswig
The First Schleswig War or Three Years' War was the first round of military conflict in southern Denmark and northern Germany rooted in the Schleswig-Holstein Question, contesting the issue of who should control the Duchies of Schleswig and Holstein. The war, which lasted from 1848–1851,...
(1848-1851), the Danes directed their main attack against Fieldmarshal Friedrich Graf von Wrangel
Friedrich Graf von Wrangel
Friedrich Heinrich Ernst Graf von Wrangel was a Generalfeldmarschall of the Prussian Army. He was nicknamed Papa Wrangel....
's Austro
Austrian Empire
The Austrian Empire was a modern era successor empire, which was centered on what is today's Austria and which officially lasted from 1804 to 1867. It was followed by the Empire of Austria-Hungary, whose proclamation was a diplomatic move that elevated Hungary's status within the Austrian Empire...
-Prussian
Kingdom of Prussia
The Kingdom of Prussia was a German kingdom from 1701 to 1918. Until the defeat of Germany in World War I, it comprised almost two-thirds of the area of the German Empire...
army from the lighthouse on the peninsula of Kegnæs at the southwest end of Als.
For events in 1864, see Battle of Als
Battle of Als
The Battle of Als was fought on 29 June 1864 during the Second Schleswig War between Denmark and Prussia. It was the last major engagement of the war, as the Prussians under General Herwarth von Bittenfeld secured Als after a night attack masterminded by the Chief of Staff Leonhard Graf von...
.
In 1870 Als
Als
Als is a Danish island in the Baltic Sea. It lies east of the Jutland peninsula of Denmark at the town of Sønderborg, and north of the German coast at Schleswig. Covering an area of 321 km² , the island has a total population of 51,322 as of 1 January 2010...
was fortified by Prussia.
Under the two wars over which nation would rule the island, and the following period under Prussian and German rule, the island's population was largely Danish. In 1920 Als returned to Danish rule following a referendum.
After 1920 Als has been marked by growing industry, especially after 1945 when Danfoss
Danfoss
The Danfoss Group is a global producer of components and solutions for refrigeration & air conditioning, heating & water, and motion controls. Danfoss has net sales of €2,600 million and employs approximately 22,000 people worldwide with headquarters in Nordborg, Denmark.Danfoss was founded in...
grew into an international corporation.
The Augustenburg line died out in the 20th century.
Attractions
The town of SønderborgSønderborg
Sønderborg Municipality , is a municipality in Region of Southern Denmark partially on the Jutland peninsula and partially on the island of Als in south Denmark, at the border with Germany. The municipality covers an area of , and has a total population of 76,236...
is home to Sønderborg Castle
Sønderborg Castle
Sønderborg Castle is located in the town of Sønderborg, Denmark on the island of Als in South Jutland. It houses a museum focusing on the history and culture of the area. The castle is located in the middle of the town, in a park setting overlooking Als Fjord...
(Sønderborg Slot) and Sandbjerg Estate (Sandbjerg Gods). Sønderborg castle is located in the centre of the town, and houses a museum focusing on the history and culture of the area. The museum is open year round. Sandbjerg Estate, which had belonged for many years to the Dukes of Sønderborg, and then to the Reventlow family, was donated to Aarhus University
University of Aarhus
Aarhus University , located in the city of Aarhus, Denmark, is Denmark's second oldest and second largest university...
in 1954.
The island's Augustenborg Palace has been converted into a hospital. There is an exhibit about the castle, the town and its ducal history in the building's entryway. The castle church is open to the public in the summertime, and tours are given.