Kongeå
Encyclopedia
The river Kongeå defines the border between North and South Jutland in Jutland
in Denmark
.
In 1864-1920 it was (except for near the North Sea
) the border between Denmark and Germany
.
In the Middle Ages it was called Skodborg Å after the royal castle Skodborghus that was at a crossing south of Vejen
.
There was for centuries a customs border near the Kongeå, that separated the Kingdom of Denmark
from the duchy
of Schleswig
.
The Kongeå rises southeast of Vejen
and Vamdrup
and after about 50 km flows into the North Sea
north of Ribe
.
The Kongeå is mentioned (as "Skotborg river") in the Heimskringla
in a description of when King Magnus I of Norway
and Denmark defeated at Hlyrskog Heath in 1043 a big invasion of Slavs from what is now Mecklenburg
and around, who had invaded south Denmark in retaliation for a Viking attack on Jomsborg
, which at the time was a Slav kingdom's main town on Wolin
island.
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...
in 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...
.
In 1864-1920 it was (except for near the North Sea
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
) the border between Denmark and 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...
.
In the Middle Ages it was called Skodborg Å after the royal castle Skodborghus that was at a crossing south of Vejen
Vejen
Vejen Municipality is a municipality in Region of Southern Denmark on the Jutland peninsula in south Denmark. The municipality covers an area of 817 km², and has a total population of 42,447...
.
There was for centuries a customs border near the Kongeå, that separated the Kingdom 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...
from the 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...
of Schleswig
Schleswig
Schleswig or South Jutland is a region covering the area about 60 km north and 70 km south of the border between Germany and Denmark; the territory has been divided between the two countries since 1920, with Northern Schleswig in Denmark and Southern Schleswig in Germany...
.
The Kongeå rises southeast of Vejen
Vejen
Vejen Municipality is a municipality in Region of Southern Denmark on the Jutland peninsula in south Denmark. The municipality covers an area of 817 km², and has a total population of 42,447...
and Vamdrup
Vamdrup
Vamdrup is a town in the Region of Southern Denmark, near Kolding in Denmark with a population of 5,075 .-History:Three oak coffins were uncovered from graves in the Bronze Age mound Guldhøj in Holt near Vamdrup in 1891, and are now on display at the National Museum .After the Second War of...
and after about 50 km flows into the North Sea
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
north of Ribe
Ribe
Ribe , the oldest extant Danish town, is in southwest Jutland and has a population of 8,192 . Until 1 January 2007, it was the seat of both the surrounding municipality, and county...
.
The Kongeå is mentioned (as "Skotborg river") in the Heimskringla
Heimskringla
Heimskringla is the best known of the Old Norse kings' sagas. It was written in Old Norse in Iceland by the poet and historian Snorri Sturluson ca. 1230...
in a description of when King Magnus I of Norway
Magnus I of Norway
Magnus I , known as the Good or the Noble, was the King of Norway from 1035 to 1047 and the King of Denmark from 1042 to 1047. He was an illegitimate son of king Olaf II of Norway, but fled with his mother in 1028 when his father was dethroned. In 1035 he returned to Norway and was crowned king at...
and Denmark defeated at Hlyrskog Heath in 1043 a big invasion of Slavs from what is now Mecklenburg
Mecklenburg
Mecklenburg is a historical region in northern Germany comprising the western and larger part of the federal-state Mecklenburg-Vorpommern...
and around, who had invaded south Denmark in retaliation for a Viking attack on Jomsborg
Jomsborg
Jomsborg was a semi-legendary Viking stronghold at the southern coast of the Baltic Sea , that existed between the 960s and 1043. Its inhabitants are known as Jomsvikings. Jomsborg's exact location has not yet been established, though it is maintained that Jomsborg was somewhere on the islands of...
, which at the time was a Slav kingdom's main town on Wolin
Wolin
Wolin is the name both of an island in the Baltic Sea, just off the Polish coast, and a town on that island. It is separated from the island of Usedom by the Świna river, and from mainland Pomerania by the Dziwna river...
island.