Bornholm
Encyclopedia
Bornholm is a Danish
island
in the Baltic Sea
located to the east of (most of) the rest of Denmark, the south of Sweden
, and the north of Poland
. The main industries on the island include fishing
, arts and crafts like glass making and pottery using locally worked clay
, and dairy farming
. Tourism
is important during the summer. The topography of the island consists of dramatic rock formations in the north(Unlike the rest of Denmark - the rest of Denmark is a very flat land, having few hills and no mountains), sloping down towards “pine and deciduous forests” (greatly damaged by storms in the 1950s) and farmland in the middle and sandy beaches in the south.
It also refers to Bornholm Regional Municipality, the municipality
which covers the entire island. Bornholm was one of the three last Danish municipalities not belonging to a county
— the others being Copenhagen
and Frederiksberg
. On 1 January 2007, the municipality lost its short-lived (2003 until 2006) county privileges and became part of Region Hovedstaden
(i.e. the Copenhagen Capital Region).
The small islands Ertholmene
are located 18 km (11.2 mi) to the northeast of Bornholm. They do not belong to either a municipality or a region but are administered by the Ministry of Defence
.
Strategically located in the Baltic Sea
, Bornholm has been a bone of contention usually ruled by Denmark, but also by Lübeck
and Sweden
. The castle ruin Hammershus
, on the northwestern tip of the island, is the largest medieval fortress in northern Europe, testament to the importance of its location.
(Bornholmian), which officially is a dialect of Danish. However, among many Bornholmians there is also a strong public sentiment towards having it officially accepted as language, backed by it recently being included among the languages of Skåneland
by UNESCO on its Red Book of Endangered Languages
. Bornholmsk retains three grammatical genders, like Icelandic
and most dialects of Norwegian
, but unlike standard Danish
. Its phonology
includes archaism
s (unstressed [a] and internal [d̥, ɡ̊], where other dialects have [ə] and [ð̞, ʊ / ɪ]) and innovations ([tɕ, dʝ] for [kʰ, ɡ̊] before and after front-tongue vowels). This renders the dialect difficult to understand for some Danish-speakers. However, Swedish-speakers often consider Bornholmian to be easier to understand than standard Danish. The intonation
resembles the Scanian dialects spoken in the nearby Scania
, the southernmost province of Sweden
.
Bornholm Regional Municipality is the local authority (Danish
, kommune) covering the entire island. It comprises the five former (1 April 1970 until 2002) municipalities on the island (Allinge-Gudhjem
, Hasle, Nexø
, Rønne
and Aakirkeby
) and the former Bornholm County
. The island had 22 municipalities until March 1970, of which 6 were market cities and 16 parish municipalities. The market city municipalities were supervised by the county and not by the interior ministry as was the case in the rest of Denmark. The seat of the municipal council is the island's main town, Rønne. The first regional mayor was Thoms Thors. The mayor as of 2010 is Winni Grosbøll, a member of the Social Democrats
(Socialdemokraterne) political party
.
Ferry
services connect Rønne to Świnoujście
(Poland
), Sassnitz
(Germany
), Køge
(near Copenhagen, Denmark
) and catamaran
to Ystad
(Sweden
). Simrishamn
(Sweden
) has a ferry connection during the summer. There are also regular catamaran
services between Nexø
and the Polish ports of Kołobrzeg, Łeba and Ustka
. There are direct train and bus connections Ystad-Copenhagen, coordinated with the catamaran. There are also air connections from the Bornholm Airport to Copenhagen and other locations.
Bornholm Regional Municipality was not merged with other municipalities on 1 January 2007 as the result of the nationwide Kommunalreformen ("The Municipal Reform" of 2007), which is quite understandable, since the island, as can be seen on maps, is quite far from the rest of Denmark
.
In Old Norse the island was known as Borgundarholm, and in ancient Danish
especially the island's name was Borghand or Borghund; these names were related to Old Norse
borg "height" and bjarg/berg "mountain, rock", as it is an island that rises high from the sea. Other names known for the island include Burgendaland (9th century), Hulmo / Holmus (Adam of Bremen
), Burgundehulm (1145), and Borghandæholm (14th century). Alfred the Great
uses the form Burgenda land. Some scholars believe that the Burgundians
are named after Bornholm; the Burgundians were a Germanic tribe which moved west when the western Roman Empire
collapsed, and occupied and named Burgundy in France
.
Bornholm formed part of the historical Lands of Denmark
when the nation united out of a series of petty chiefdoms. It was originally administratively part of the province of Scania
and was administered by the Scanian Law
after this was codified in the 13th century. Control over the island evolved into a long-raging dispute between the See of Lund and the Danish crown culminating in several battles. The first fortress on the island was Gamleborg which was replaced by Lilleborg, built by the king in 1150. In 1149, the king accepted the transfer of three of the island's four herreder to the archbishop. In 1250, the archbishop constructed his own fortress, Hammershus
. A campaign launched from it in 1259 conquered the remaining part of the island including Lilleborg. The island's status remained a matter of dispute for an additional 200 years.
Bornholm was pawned to Lübeck
for 50 years starting 1525. Its first militia, Bornholms Milits was formed in 1624.
Swedish forces conquered the island in 1645, but returned the island to Denmark in the following peace settlement. After the war in 1658, Denmark ceded the island to Sweden under the Treaty of Roskilde
along with the rest of the Scanian provinces and Trøndelag
, and it was occupied by Swedish forces.
A revolt broke out the same year, culminating in Villum Clausen's shooting of the Swedish commander Johan Printzensköld
on 8 December 1658. Following the revolt, a deputation of islanders presented the island as a gift to King Frederick III
on the condition that the island would never be ceded again. This status was confirmed in the treaty of Copenhagen in 1660.
Swedes, notably from Småland
and Skåne, immigrated to the island during the 19th century, seeking work and better conditions. Most of the migrants did not remain on the island.
Bornholm, as a part of Denmark
, was captured by Germany relatively early in the Second World War
, and served as a lookout post and listening station during the war, as it was a part of the eastern front
. The island's perfect central position in the Baltic Sea
meant that it was an important "natural fortress" between Germany
and Sweden
, effectively keeping submarines and destroyers away from Nazi-occupied waters. Several concrete coastal installations were built during the war, and several coastal batteries had tremendous range. However, none of them were ever used, and only a single test shot was fired during the occupation. These remnants of Nazi rule have since then fallen into disrepair and are mostly regarded today as historical curiosities. Many tourists visit the ruins each year, however, providing supplemental income to the tourist industry.
On 22 August 1943 a V-1 flying bomb
(numbered V83, probably launched from a Heinkel He 111
) crashed on Bornholm during a test - the warhead was a dummy made of concrete. This was photographed or sketched by the Danish Naval Officer-in-Charge on Bornholm, Lieutenant Commander Hasager Christiansen. This was the first sign British Intelligence saw of Germany's aspirations to develop flying bombs and rockets - which were to become known as V1
and V2.
Bornholm was heavily bombarded by Soviet forces
in May 1945. German garrison commander Gerhard von Kamptz
refused to surrender to Soviets, as his orders were to surrender to the Western Allies. The Germans sent several telegrams to Copenhagen
requesting that at least one British soldier should be transferred to Bornholm, so that the Germans could surrender to the western allied forces instead of the Russians. When von Kamptz failed to provide a written capitulation as demanded by the Soviet commanders, Soviet aircraft relentlessly bombed and destroyed more than 800 civilian houses in Rønne
and Nexø
and seriously damaged roughly 3,000 more during 7–8 May 1945.
During the Russian bombing of the two major cities on 7 May and again 8 May, the Danish radio was not allowed to broadcast the news because it was thought it would spoil the liberation festivities in Denmark. On 9 May Soviet troops landed on the island, and after a short fight, the German garrison (about 12,000 strong) surrendered. Soviet forces left the island on 5 April 1946. These events could be considered to be part of the origins of the Cold War
as much as being part of World War II
. More recently NATO radar
installations have been placed on the island.
After the evacuation of its forces from Bornholm, the Soviets took the position that "The stationing 'foreign troops' on Bornholm would be considered a declaration of war against the Soviet Union, and that Denmark should keep troops on it at all times to protect it from such foreign aggression". This policy remained in force also after NATO was formed, and Denmark joined it - i.e. the Soviets accepted the stationing of Danish troops, which were perforce part of NATO but were far from that alliance's most powerful element, but strongly objected to the presence of other NATO troops on the island - particularly, of US troops.
This caused diplomatic problems at least twice: once when an American helicopter
landed outside the city of Svaneke
due to engine problems in a NATO exercise over the Baltic Sea
, and once (sometime between 1999 and 2003) when the Danish government suggested shutting down Almegårdens Kaserne, the local military facility, since "the island could quickly be protected by troops from surrounding areas and has no strategic importance after the fall of the Iron Curtain
".
The island also hosts some examples of 19th and early 20th century architecture, amongst others, about 300 wooden houses in Rønne
and Nexø
, donated by Sweden
after World War II
, when the island was repairing damage caused by the war.
The island is home to 15 medieval churches, four of which are Round Churches that display unique artwork and architecture.
was born in Svaneke
in 1884.
The Danish writer and painter Gustaf Munch-Petersen
moved to Bornholm in 1935 and married Lisbeth Hjorth while living on the island.
At age 8, socialist writer Martin Andersen Nexø
moved to the island, and took his last name after the city of Nexø
on its east coast.
M.P. Möller, a pipe-organ builder and manufacturer, was born on Bornholm and lived in a town a few miles south of Allinge.
s.
Bornholm has also become an internationally recognised venue for 'match racing', a sailing sport where two identical (or one design) supplied racing yachts are raced in one on one dogfight on the water. The Danish Open event was held in Bornholm in September 2010 at the port town of Ronne on the Western coast of Bornholm. The racing yachts used for the Danish Open event are Danish designed DS37 racing yachts. These highly manoeuvrable and versatile boats are also used in the Match Cup Sweden event.
The five day Danish Open is a key event in the World Match Racing Tour
calendar which is one of only 3 events awarded 'special event' status by the International Sailing Federation
. The Tour is the world's leading professional 'match racing' series and features a 9 event calendar which crosses 3 continents during the series.
Points accrued during the Danish Open contribute directly to the World Match Racing Tour championship with the winner of the season finale at the Monsoon Cup in Malaysia claiming the ultimate match racing title ISAF World Match Racing Champion.
Match racing unlike other sailing sports is suited to locations like Bornholm due to the racing taking place in close proximity to the shore which provides spectacular heart of the action viewing for the on-shore audience.
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...
located to the east of (most of) the rest of Denmark, the south of Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, and the north of Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
. The main industries on the island include fishing
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....
, arts and crafts like glass making and pottery using locally worked clay
Clay
Clay is a general term including many combinations of one or more clay minerals with traces of metal oxides and organic matter. Geologic clay deposits are mostly composed of phyllosilicate minerals containing variable amounts of water trapped in the mineral structure.- Formation :Clay minerals...
, and dairy farming
Dairy farming
Dairy farming is a class of agricultural, or an animal husbandry, enterprise, for long-term production of milk, usually from dairy cows but also from goats and sheep, which may be either processed on-site or transported to a dairy factory for processing and eventual retail sale.Most dairy farms...
. Tourism
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
is important during the summer. The topography of the island consists of dramatic rock formations in the north(Unlike the rest of Denmark - the rest of Denmark is a very flat land, having few hills and no mountains), sloping down towards “pine and deciduous forests” (greatly damaged by storms in the 1950s) and farmland in the middle and sandy beaches in the south.
It also refers to Bornholm Regional Municipality, the municipality
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
which covers the entire island. Bornholm was one of the three last Danish municipalities not belonging to a county
Counties of Denmark
Denmark was until December 31, 2006 divided into 15 counties , and 270 municipalities . On January 1, 2007, the counties were replaced by five Regions and the number of municipalities slashed to 98....
— the others being 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...
and Frederiksberg
Frederiksberg
Frederiksberg Kommune is a municipality on the island of Zealand in Denmark. It surrounded by the city of Copenhagen. The municipality, co-extensive with its seat, covers an area of and has a total population of 98,782 making it the smallest municipality in Denmark area-wise, the fifth most...
. On 1 January 2007, the municipality lost its short-lived (2003 until 2006) county privileges and became part of Region Hovedstaden
Region Hovedstaden
The Capital Region of Denmark 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...
(i.e. the Copenhagen Capital Region).
The small islands Ertholmene
Ertholmene
Ertholmene, generally called Christiansø, is a small archipelago situated approximately 18 km northeast of Bornholm in the Baltic Sea. Its permanent population is 96 and its area is 39 hectares...
are located 18 km (11.2 mi) to the northeast of Bornholm. They do not belong to either a municipality or a region but are administered by the Ministry of Defence
Ministry of Defence (Denmark)
The Ministry of Defence of Denmark is a ministry in the Danish government. It is charged with overall planning, development, and strategic guidance of the entire area of responsibility of the Danish Defence minister, including the armed forces and the emergency management sector...
.
Strategically located 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...
, Bornholm has been a bone of contention usually ruled by Denmark, but also by Lübeck
Lübeck
The Hanseatic City of Lübeck is the second-largest city in Schleswig-Holstein, in northern Germany, and one of the major ports of Germany. It was for several centuries the "capital" of the Hanseatic League and, because of its Brick Gothic architectural heritage, is listed by UNESCO as a World...
and Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
. The castle ruin Hammershus
Hammershus
Hammershus is Northern Europe's largest medieval fortification, situated above sea level on Hammeren, the northern tip of the Danish island of Bornholm in the Baltic Sea. Erected in the 13th century, it was long believed that the castle was built as a private residence for the archbishop of Lund...
, on the northwestern tip of the island, is the largest medieval fortress in northern Europe, testament to the importance of its location.
Language
Many inhabitants speak bornholmskBornholmsk
Bornholmsk, a dialect of Danish, is spoken on the Baltic Sea island of Bornholm. It was originally part of the East Danish dialect continuum, which includes the dialects of southern Sweden, but became isolated in the Danish dialect landscape after 1658, when Sweden annexed Skåne, Halland and...
(Bornholmian), which officially is a dialect of Danish. However, among many Bornholmians there is also a strong public sentiment towards having it officially accepted as language, backed by it recently being included among the languages of Skåneland
Skåneland
Skåneland or Skånelandene are terms used in historical contexts in Scandinavia to describe the area on the southern and south-western part of the Scandinavian peninsula, which under the Treaty of Roskilde was transferred from Denmark to Sweden. It corresponds to the provinces of Blekinge,...
by UNESCO on its Red Book of Endangered Languages
Red Book of Endangered Languages
The Red Book of Endangered Languages was published by UNESCO and collected a comprehensive list of the world's languages currently facing extinction...
. Bornholmsk retains three grammatical genders, like Icelandic
Icelandic language
Icelandic is a North Germanic language, the main language of Iceland. Its closest relative is Faroese.Icelandic is an Indo-European language belonging to the North Germanic or Nordic branch of the Germanic languages. Historically, it was the westernmost of the Indo-European languages prior to the...
and most dialects of Norwegian
Norwegian language
Norwegian is a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Norway, where it is the official language. Together with Swedish and Danish, Norwegian forms a continuum of more or less mutually intelligible local and regional variants .These Scandinavian languages together with the Faroese language...
, but unlike standard Danish
Danish 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...
. Its phonology
Phonology
Phonology is, broadly speaking, the subdiscipline of linguistics concerned with the sounds of language. That is, it is the systematic use of sound to encode meaning in any spoken human language, or the field of linguistics studying this use...
includes archaism
Archaism
In language, an archaism is the use of a form of speech or writing that is no longer current. This can either be done deliberately or as part of a specific jargon or formula...
s (unstressed [a] and internal [d̥, ɡ̊], where other dialects have [ə] and [ð̞, ʊ / ɪ]) and innovations ([tɕ, dʝ] for [kʰ, ɡ̊] before and after front-tongue vowels). This renders the dialect difficult to understand for some Danish-speakers. However, Swedish-speakers often consider Bornholmian to be easier to understand than standard Danish. The intonation
Intonation (linguistics)
In linguistics, intonation is variation of pitch while speaking which is not used to distinguish words. It contrasts with tone, in which pitch variation does distinguish words. Intonation, rhythm, and stress are the three main elements of linguistic prosody...
resembles the Scanian dialects spoken in the nearby Scania
Scania
Scania is the southernmost of the 25 traditional non-administrative provinces of Sweden, constituting a peninsula on the southern tip of the Scandinavian peninsula, and some adjacent islands. The modern administrative subdivision Skåne County is almost, but not totally, congruent with the...
, the southernmost province of Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
.
Municipality
Danish 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) covering the entire island. It comprises the five former (1 April 1970 until 2002) municipalities on the island (Allinge-Gudhjem
Allinge-Gudhjem
Allinge-Gudhjem is a former municipality in Denmark, on the island of Bornholm in the Baltic Sea.The municipality covered an area of 154 km², and had a total population of 7,658....
, Hasle, Nexø
Nexø
Nexø is a town on the eastern coast of the Baltic island of Bornholm, Denmark. With a population of 3,762 , it is the second largest town, as well as the largest fishing port on the island. Fishing is the mainstay of the town economy. Nexø is also the site of a distillery and a mustard factory...
, Rønne
Rønne
Rønne is the largest town on the Danish island of Bornholm in the Baltic Sea. It has a population of 13,904 . Once a municipality in its own right, it is now the administrative centre of the Bornholm municipality....
and Aakirkeby
Aakirkeby
Aakirkeby or Åkirkeby is a town in Denmark with a population of 2,100 . It is the third largest town on the island of Bornholm in the Baltic Sea. It was the main town of the now abolished Aakirkeby Municipality....
) and the former Bornholm County
Bornholm County
Bornholms Amt is a former county on the island of Bornholm in easternmost Denmark.-Short history:The county was established in 1662, replacing the former Hammershus Len. It was the only county unchanged by the administrative reforms of 1793 and 1970 consequently occupying the same territory from...
. The island had 22 municipalities until March 1970, of which 6 were market cities and 16 parish municipalities. The market city municipalities were supervised by the county and not by the interior ministry as was the case in the rest of Denmark. The seat of the municipal council is the island's main town, Rønne. The first regional mayor was Thoms Thors. The mayor as of 2010 is Winni Grosbøll, 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...
.
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...
services connect Rønne to Świnoujście
Swinoujscie
Świnoujście is a city and seaport on the Baltic Sea and Szczecin Lagoon, located in the extreme north-west of Poland. It is situated mainly on the islands of Uznam and Wolin, but also occupies smaller islands, of which the largest is Karsibór island, once part of Usedom, now separated by a Piast...
(Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
), Sassnitz
Sassnitz
Sassnitz is a town on the Jasmund peninsula, Rügen Island, in the Federal State of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. The population as of 2007 was 10,747....
(Germany
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...
), Køge
Køge
Køge Municipality is a municipality in Region Sjælland on the east coast of the island of Zealand approx. 40 km. southwest of Copenhagen. The municipality covers an area of 255 km² , and has a total population of 56,637...
(near Copenhagen, 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...
) and catamaran
Catamaran
A catamaran is a type of multihulled boat or ship consisting of two hulls, or vakas, joined by some structure, the most basic being a frame, formed of akas...
to Ystad
Ystad
Ystad is a "locality", or town, and the seat of Ystad Municipality, Skåne County, Sweden, with 17,286 inhabitants .Settlement dates back to the 11th century and the town has become a busy ferryport, local administrative centre and tourist attraction...
(Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
). Simrishamn
Simrishamn
Simrishamn is a locality and the seat of Simrishamn Municipality, Skåne County, Sweden with 6,546 inhabitants in 2005. Simrishamn is, despite its small population, for historical reasons normally still referred to as a city....
(Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
) has a ferry connection during the summer. There are also regular catamaran
Catamaran
A catamaran is a type of multihulled boat or ship consisting of two hulls, or vakas, joined by some structure, the most basic being a frame, formed of akas...
services between Nexø
Nexø
Nexø is a town on the eastern coast of the Baltic island of Bornholm, Denmark. With a population of 3,762 , it is the second largest town, as well as the largest fishing port on the island. Fishing is the mainstay of the town economy. Nexø is also the site of a distillery and a mustard factory...
and the Polish ports of Kołobrzeg, Łeba and Ustka
Ustka
Ustka is a town in the Middle Pomerania region of northwestern Poland with 17,100 inhabitants . It is also part of Słupsk County in Pomeranian Voivodeship since 1999, and was previously in Słupsk Voivodeship .- History :...
. There are direct train and bus connections Ystad-Copenhagen, coordinated with the catamaran. There are also air connections from the Bornholm Airport to Copenhagen and other locations.
Bornholm Regional Municipality was not merged with other municipalities on 1 January 2007 as the result of the nationwide Kommunalreformen ("The Municipal Reform" of 2007), which is quite understandable, since the island, as can be seen on maps, is quite far from the rest of 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...
.
History
History of Danish
The Danish language originates from a common Germanic language. In the 8th century the language of Scandinavia, Proto-Norse, had undergone some changes and evolved into Old Norse...
especially the island's name was Borghand or Borghund; these names were related to Old Norse
Old Norse
Old Norse is a North Germanic language that was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and inhabitants of their overseas settlements during the Viking Age, until about 1300....
borg "height" and bjarg/berg "mountain, rock", as it is an island that rises high from the sea. Other names known for the island include Burgendaland (9th century), Hulmo / Holmus (Adam of Bremen
Adam of Bremen
Adam of Bremen was a German medieval chronicler. He lived and worked in the second half of the eleventh century. He is most famous for his chronicle Gesta Hammaburgensis Ecclesiae Pontificum .-Background:Little is known of his life other than hints from his own chronicles...
), Burgundehulm (1145), and Borghandæholm (14th century). Alfred the Great
Alfred the Great
Alfred the Great was King of Wessex from 871 to 899.Alfred is noted for his defence of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of southern England against the Vikings, becoming the only English monarch still to be accorded the epithet "the Great". Alfred was the first King of the West Saxons to style himself...
uses the form Burgenda land. Some scholars believe that the Burgundians
Burgundians
The Burgundians were an East Germanic tribe which may have emigrated from mainland Scandinavia to the island of Bornholm, whose old form in Old Norse still was Burgundarholmr , and from there to mainland Europe...
are named after Bornholm; the Burgundians were a Germanic tribe which moved west when the western Roman Empire
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
collapsed, and occupied and named Burgundy in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
Lands of Denmark
The three lands of Denmark historically formed the Danish kingdom from its unification and consolidation in the 9th century:*Zealand and the islands south of it, with Roskilde as a centre...
when the nation united out of a series of petty chiefdoms. It was originally administratively part of the province of Scania
Scania
Scania is the southernmost of the 25 traditional non-administrative provinces of Sweden, constituting a peninsula on the southern tip of the Scandinavian peninsula, and some adjacent islands. The modern administrative subdivision Skåne County is almost, but not totally, congruent with the...
and was administered by the Scanian Law
Scanian Law
Scanian law is the oldest Danish provincial law and one of the first Nordic provincial laws to be written down. It was used in the geographic region of Danish Skåneland, which at the time included Scania, Halland, Blekinge and the island of Bornholm. It was also used for a short period on the...
after this was codified in the 13th century. Control over the island evolved into a long-raging dispute between the See of Lund and the Danish crown culminating in several battles. The first fortress on the island was Gamleborg which was replaced by Lilleborg, built by the king in 1150. In 1149, the king accepted the transfer of three of the island's four herreder to the archbishop. In 1250, the archbishop constructed his own fortress, Hammershus
Hammershus
Hammershus is Northern Europe's largest medieval fortification, situated above sea level on Hammeren, the northern tip of the Danish island of Bornholm in the Baltic Sea. Erected in the 13th century, it was long believed that the castle was built as a private residence for the archbishop of Lund...
. A campaign launched from it in 1259 conquered the remaining part of the island including Lilleborg. The island's status remained a matter of dispute for an additional 200 years.
Bornholm was pawned to Lübeck
Lübeck
The Hanseatic City of Lübeck is the second-largest city in Schleswig-Holstein, in northern Germany, and one of the major ports of Germany. It was for several centuries the "capital" of the Hanseatic League and, because of its Brick Gothic architectural heritage, is listed by UNESCO as a World...
for 50 years starting 1525. Its first militia, Bornholms Milits was formed in 1624.
Swedish forces conquered the island in 1645, but returned the island to Denmark in the following peace settlement. After the war in 1658, Denmark ceded the island to Sweden under the Treaty of Roskilde
Treaty of Roskilde
The Treaty of Roskilde was concluded on 26 February or 8 March 1658 during the Second Northern War between Frederick III of Denmark–Norway and Charles X Gustav of Sweden in the Danish city of Roskilde...
along with the rest of the Scanian provinces and Trøndelag
Trøndelag
Trøndelag is the name of a geographical region in the central part of Norway, consisting of the two counties Nord-Trøndelag and Sør-Trøndelag. The region is, together with Møre og Romsdal, part of a larger...
, and it was occupied by Swedish forces.
A revolt broke out the same year, culminating in Villum Clausen's shooting of the Swedish commander Johan Printzensköld
Johan Printzensköld
Johan Printzensköld was a Swedish army officer. As lieutenant colonel he was the commendant of Bornholm between March and December of 1658. A revolt broke out on the island against the Swedish occupation, and Printzensköld was killed in Rønne, the capital of Bornholm, on December 8,...
on 8 December 1658. Following the revolt, a deputation of islanders presented the island as a gift to King Frederick 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...
on the condition that the island would never be ceded again. This status was confirmed in the treaty of Copenhagen in 1660.
Swedes, notably from Småland
Småland
' is a historical province in southern Sweden.Småland borders Blekinge, Scania or Skåne, Halland, Västergötland, Östergötland and the island Öland in the Baltic Sea. The name Småland literally means Small Lands. . The latinized form Smolandia has been used in other languages...
and Skåne, immigrated to the island during the 19th century, seeking work and better conditions. Most of the migrants did not remain on the island.
Bornholm, as a part of 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...
, was captured by Germany relatively early in the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, and served as a lookout post and listening station during the war, as it was a part of the eastern front
Eastern Front (World War II)
The Eastern Front of World War II was a theatre of World War II between the European Axis powers and co-belligerent Finland against the Soviet Union, Poland, and some other Allies which encompassed Northern, Southern and Eastern Europe from 22 June 1941 to 9 May 1945...
. The island's perfect central position 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...
meant that it was an important "natural fortress" between Germany
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...
and Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, effectively keeping submarines and destroyers away from Nazi-occupied waters. Several concrete coastal installations were built during the war, and several coastal batteries had tremendous range. However, none of them were ever used, and only a single test shot was fired during the occupation. These remnants of Nazi rule have since then fallen into disrepair and are mostly regarded today as historical curiosities. Many tourists visit the ruins each year, however, providing supplemental income to the tourist industry.
V-1 flying bomb
The V-1 flying bomb, also known as the Buzz Bomb or Doodlebug, was an early pulse-jet-powered predecessor of the cruise missile....
(numbered V83, probably launched from a Heinkel He 111
Heinkel He 111
The Heinkel He 111 was a German aircraft designed by Siegfried and Walter Günter in the early 1930s in violation of the Treaty of Versailles. Often described as a "Wolf in sheep's clothing", it masqueraded as a transport aircraft, but its purpose was to provide the Luftwaffe with a fast medium...
) crashed on Bornholm during a test - the warhead was a dummy made of concrete. This was photographed or sketched by the Danish Naval Officer-in-Charge on Bornholm, Lieutenant Commander Hasager Christiansen. This was the first sign British Intelligence saw of Germany's aspirations to develop flying bombs and rockets - which were to become known as V1
V-1 flying bomb
The V-1 flying bomb, also known as the Buzz Bomb or Doodlebug, was an early pulse-jet-powered predecessor of the cruise missile....
and V2.
Bornholm was heavily bombarded by Soviet forces
Soviet Army
The Soviet Army is the name given to the main part of the Armed Forces of the Soviet Union between 1946 and 1992. Previously, it had been known as the Red Army. Informally, Армия referred to all the MOD armed forces, except, in some cases, the Soviet Navy.This article covers the Soviet Ground...
in May 1945. German garrison commander Gerhard von Kamptz
Gerhard von Kamptz
Gerhard von Kamptz was a Kapitän zur See with the Kriegsmarine during World War II and recipient of the coveted Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves...
refused to surrender to Soviets, as his orders were to surrender to the Western Allies. The Germans sent several telegrams 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...
requesting that at least one British soldier should be transferred to Bornholm, so that the Germans could surrender to the western allied forces instead of the Russians. When von Kamptz failed to provide a written capitulation as demanded by the Soviet commanders, Soviet aircraft relentlessly bombed and destroyed more than 800 civilian houses in Rønne
Rønne
Rønne is the largest town on the Danish island of Bornholm in the Baltic Sea. It has a population of 13,904 . Once a municipality in its own right, it is now the administrative centre of the Bornholm municipality....
and Nexø
Nexø
Nexø is a town on the eastern coast of the Baltic island of Bornholm, Denmark. With a population of 3,762 , it is the second largest town, as well as the largest fishing port on the island. Fishing is the mainstay of the town economy. Nexø is also the site of a distillery and a mustard factory...
and seriously damaged roughly 3,000 more during 7–8 May 1945.
During the Russian bombing of the two major cities on 7 May and again 8 May, the Danish radio was not allowed to broadcast the news because it was thought it would spoil the liberation festivities in Denmark. On 9 May Soviet troops landed on the island, and after a short fight, the German garrison (about 12,000 strong) surrendered. Soviet forces left the island on 5 April 1946. These events could be considered to be part of the origins of the Cold War
Origins of the Cold War
The Origins of the Cold War are widely regarded to lie most directly in the relations between the Soviet Union and its allies the United States, Britain and France in the years 1945–1947...
as much as being part of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. More recently NATO radar
Radar
Radar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...
installations have been placed on the island.
After the evacuation of its forces from Bornholm, the Soviets took the position that "The stationing 'foreign troops' on Bornholm would be considered a declaration of war against the Soviet Union, and that Denmark should keep troops on it at all times to protect it from such foreign aggression". This policy remained in force also after NATO was formed, and Denmark joined it - i.e. the Soviets accepted the stationing of Danish troops, which were perforce part of NATO but were far from that alliance's most powerful element, but strongly objected to the presence of other NATO troops on the island - particularly, of US troops.
This caused diplomatic problems at least twice: once when an American helicopter
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
landed outside the city of Svaneke
Svaneke
Svaneke is a small town on the eastern coast of the Baltic island of Bornholm, Denmark....
due to engine problems in a NATO exercise over 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...
, and once (sometime between 1999 and 2003) when the Danish government suggested shutting down Almegårdens Kaserne, the local military facility, since "the island could quickly be protected by troops from surrounding areas and has no strategic importance after the fall of the Iron Curtain
Iron Curtain
The concept of the Iron Curtain symbolized the ideological fighting and physical boundary dividing Europe into two separate areas from the end of World War II in 1945 until the end of the Cold War in 1989...
".
Main sights
Rønne
Rønne is the largest town on the Danish island of Bornholm in the Baltic Sea. It has a population of 13,904 . Once a municipality in its own right, it is now the administrative centre of the Bornholm municipality....
and Nexø
Nexø
Nexø is a town on the eastern coast of the Baltic island of Bornholm, Denmark. With a population of 3,762 , it is the second largest town, as well as the largest fishing port on the island. Fishing is the mainstay of the town economy. Nexø is also the site of a distillery and a mustard factory...
, donated by Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, when the island was repairing damage caused by the war.
The island is home to 15 medieval churches, four of which are Round Churches that display unique artwork and architecture.
Famous people
The Danish painter Oluf HøstOluf Høst
Oluf Høst was the only member of the Bornholm school of painters who was a real Bornholmer. Although he had studied in Copenhagen, he returned to the Danish island of Bornholm in 1929 where he remained with his family until he died. Bognemark, the little farmhouse near Gudhjem was one of Høst's...
was born in Svaneke
Svaneke
Svaneke is a small town on the eastern coast of the Baltic island of Bornholm, Denmark....
in 1884.
The Danish writer and painter Gustaf Munch-Petersen
Gustaf Munch-Petersen
Gustaf Munch-Petersen was a Danish writer and painter. He wrote surreal prose-poems, considered groundbreaking in his time, which have inspired later writers....
moved to Bornholm in 1935 and married Lisbeth Hjorth while living on the island.
At age 8, socialist writer Martin Andersen Nexø
Martin Andersen Nexø
Martin Andersen Nexø was a Danish writer. He was the first significant Danish author to depict the working class in his writings, and the first great Danish socialist, later communist, writer.-Biography:...
moved to the island, and took his last name after the city of Nexø
Nexø
Nexø is a town on the eastern coast of the Baltic island of Bornholm, Denmark. With a population of 3,762 , it is the second largest town, as well as the largest fishing port on the island. Fishing is the mainstay of the town economy. Nexø is also the site of a distillery and a mustard factory...
on its east coast.
M.P. Möller, a pipe-organ builder and manufacturer, was born on Bornholm and lived in a town a few miles south of Allinge.
Electricity supply
Bornholm is connected to the Swedish electricity grid by a submarine 60 kV AC-cable, which is among the longest AC-cables in Europe. This cable is capable to deliver all power consumed on Bornholm. However, Bornholm also generates its own power by small thermal power plants and especially by wind turbineWind turbine
A wind turbine is a device that converts kinetic energy from the wind into mechanical energy. If the mechanical energy is used to produce electricity, the device may be called a wind generator or wind charger. If the mechanical energy is used to drive machinery, such as for grinding grain or...
s.
Population growth
Bron: statistikbanken.dk Statistical Yearbook 2009: Area and population. Regions and inhabited islands |
|
Sports
Bornholm's geography as an island and moderate climate makes Bornholm an ideal location for sailing and other water based sports.Bornholm has also become an internationally recognised venue for 'match racing', a sailing sport where two identical (or one design) supplied racing yachts are raced in one on one dogfight on the water. The Danish Open event was held in Bornholm in September 2010 at the port town of Ronne on the Western coast of Bornholm. The racing yachts used for the Danish Open event are Danish designed DS37 racing yachts. These highly manoeuvrable and versatile boats are also used in the Match Cup Sweden event.
The five day Danish Open is a key event in the World Match Racing Tour
World Match Racing Tour
The World Match Racing Tour is a professional sailing series, featuring 9 World Championship events across the globe, sanctioned by the International Sailing Federation with “Special Event” status...
calendar which is one of only 3 events awarded 'special event' status by the International Sailing Federation
International Sailing Federation
The International Sailing Federation is recognised by the International Olympic Committee as the world governing body for the sport of sailing....
. The Tour is the world's leading professional 'match racing' series and features a 9 event calendar which crosses 3 continents during the series.
Points accrued during the Danish Open contribute directly to the World Match Racing Tour championship with the winner of the season finale at the Monsoon Cup in Malaysia claiming the ultimate match racing title ISAF World Match Racing Champion.
Match racing unlike other sailing sports is suited to locations like Bornholm due to the racing taking place in close proximity to the shore which provides spectacular heart of the action viewing for the on-shore audience.
Religion
- FolkekirkenChurch of DenmarkThe Evangelical Lutheran Church in Denmark, Church of Denmark or Danish National Church, is the state church and largest denomination in Denmark and Greenland...
(State church) (ca 1150) - Baptist church (1843)
- MormonMormonThe term Mormon most commonly denotes an adherent, practitioner, follower, or constituent of Mormonism, which is the largest branch of the Latter Day Saint movement in restorationist Christianity...
s (1850) - Methodist church (1895)
- Jehovah's WitnessesJehovah's WitnessesJehovah's Witnesses is a millenarian restorationist Christian denomination with nontrinitarian beliefs distinct from mainstream Christianity. The religion reports worldwide membership of over 7 million adherents involved in evangelism, convention attendance of over 12 million, and annual...
(1897) - Roman Catholic ChurchRoman Catholic ChurchThe Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
(1900)
Cultural references
- The Academy Award-winning 1987 Bille AugustBille AugustBille August is a Danish Academy Award winning film and television director. His film Pelle the Conqueror from 1987 won the Palme D'or, Academy Award and Golden Globe. He is one of the very few directors to win the Palme D'or twice, winning the prestigious award again in 1991 for The Best...
film Pelle the ConquerorPelle the ConquerorPelle the Conqueror is a 1987 Danish film by Bille August that tells the story of two Swedish immigrants to Denmark, a father and son, who try to build a new life for themselves...
, an adaption of Martin Andersen NexøMartin Andersen NexøMartin Andersen Nexø was a Danish writer. He was the first significant Danish author to depict the working class in his writings, and the first great Danish socialist, later communist, writer.-Biography:...
's four volume novel by the same name, is set and was shot on the island.
- A considerable part of the Second World War spy thriller Hornet FlightHornet FlightHornet Flight is a World War II based spy thriller written by British author Ken Follett. It was published in 2002 by Macmillan in the UK and Dutton in the US.-Plot introduction:...
by Ken FollettKen FollettKen Follett is a Welsh author of thrillers and historical novels. He has sold more than 100 million copies of his works. Four of his books have reached the number 1 ranking on the New York Times best-seller list: The Key to Rebecca, Lie Down with Lions, Triple, and World Without End.-Early...
takes place on Bornholm, depicting the island under German occupation.
See also
- Bornholm diseaseBornholm diseaseBornholm disease or epidemic pleurodynia or epidemic myalgia is a disease caused by the Coxsackie B virus or other viruses.It is named after the Danish island Bornholm where early cases occurred.-Signs and symptoms:...
- Dromaeosauroides bornholmensis, the first dinosaur found in Denmark
- List of Danish islands
General
- The Island of Bornholm, a chapter in Selected Prose by Nikolai Mikhailovich Karamzin, 1969, Northwestern University Press.
- The Battle of Bornholm in The hidden folk: stories of fairies, dwarves, selkies, and other secret beings, by Lise Lunge-Larsen, 2004, Houghton Mifflin.
- The Templars' Secret Island: The Knights, the Priest, and the Treasure, 1992, by Erling Haagensen and Henry Lincoln
- Behind the Da Vinci Code, 2006 documentary by The History ChannelThe History ChannelHistory, formerly known as The History Channel, is an American-based international satellite and cable TV channel that broadcasts a variety of reality shows and documentary programs including those of fictional and non-fictional historical content, together with speculation about the future.-...
- Bornholm i krig 1940-1946 (Bornholm in War), Bornholm museum, 2001, ISBN 978-87-88179-49-1. Book of photos from World War II.
- Bent Jensen: Soviet Remote Control: the Island of Bornholm as a Relay Station in Soviet-Danish Relations, 1945-71, in Mechanisms of Power in the Soviet Union, Macmillan Press, 2000, ISBN 978-0-312-23089-0.
Further reading
Outlined scanian orthography including morphology and word index. First revision. Outlined scanian orthography including morphology and word index.External links
- Municipality's official website (Dansk+Deutsch+English)
- Turistguide Bornholm (Dansk+Deutsch+English)
- Krak searchable/printable municipality map
- Bornholm Map and Web Index
- Bornholm's Museum (Dansk+Deutsch+English+Polski)
- Municipal statistics: NetBorger Kommunefakta, delivered from KMD aka Kommunedata (Municipal Data) (Danish)
- Kings of Bornholm
- Bornholm (Polish)
- Frit Bårrijnhålm / Free Bornhom (Bornholmian+Danish+English)
- Bevar det Bornholmske sprog / save the Bornholm language (Bornholmian+Danish)