Randers
Encyclopedia
Randers (ˈʁɑnɐs) is a city in Randers municipality
(Aarhus County
, Region Midtjylland
) on the Jutland
peninsula in central Denmark
. It is Denmark's sixth-largest city, with a population of 60,656 (1 January 2011). Randers city is the main town of the municipality and the site of its municipal council.
has 94,750 inhabitants (2010). The municipality is also a part of the East Jutland metropolitan area
, which has 1.2 million inhabitants..
Randers, Denmark's only natural river harbour, is on the banks of the River Guden (Gudenå
), about 6 miles (10 km) above its mouth in Randers Fjord, and 111 miles (179 km) west-northwest of Copenhagen
. This location has had great significance for trade by sea. Barges on the Guden River and the Northern River (Nørreå) transported goods into Randers from Silkeborg
and Viborg
for export. In return, items were imported.
A vast agricultural area, and good transportation by land and by water, helped make Randers a dynamic center for trade and commerce. Known for the many access roads leading into the city, it has engendered the popular saying, "Where the waterway meets the 13 highways" ("Hvor søvejen møder de 13 landeveje").
Randers is referred to as Crown Jutland (Kronjylland) and the people as Crown Jutlanders (Kronjyde), probably due to the big Crown estates owned by the King. The term Kronjyde was first used by Danish poets around 1750. Nicolai Frederik Severin Grundtvig (1783–1872) and Hans Christian Andersen
(1805–1875), and especially Nobel Prize laureate Henrik Pontoppidan
(1857–1943), used the term.
times.
Canute IV of Denmark
(ca. 1043–1086), also known as Canute the Saint and Canute the Holy, and as patron saint
of Denmark, minted coins in the town. The peasants of Randers who rose up against him and his plans to attack England
and its ruler, William the Conqueror, assembled in this town. Their uprising led to the death of Canute.
The town was fortified through much of the Middle Ages
. Today, however, the only sign of defensive wall
s is their existence in street names. These streets follow a circular path, presumably following the location of the historic walls. Street names include Østervold ("Eastern Defense Wall"), Nørreport ("Northern Gate"), Vestervold ("Western Defense Wall"), and Lille Voldgade ("Little Defense Wall Street").
A chronicle
written at Essenbæk Cloister tells of a fire that ravaged the city. The city was destroyed and rebuilt three times in the 13th century. In 1246, it was burned down by Abel of Denmark
's troops during the civil uprising against Eric IV of Denmark
.
On a street in the town center is the house where, according to legend, Danish nobleman and national hero Niels Ebbesen killed Count Richard (Gerhard) III of Holstein on 1 April 1340, during the Kingless Times, when the entire country was pledged to German counts. This action led to further insurrection against the Germans. Ebbesen died in a large battle at Skanderborg Castle (Skanderborg Slot) in December 1340. A statue to Ebbesen stands in front of Randers' Town Hall today.
When King Valdemar IV of Denmark (Valdemar Atterdag)
tried to assemble a government in 1350 after the mortgaging to the Holsteiners, the town was further reinforced with protection, and was often named as Randershus ("Randers Fortress"). This fortification was captured by dissatisfied nobility in 1357. In 1359 Valdemar attacked the captured city with the strength all of his forces.
In 1534 a farmers' uprising tried to storm the town unsuccessfully. Massive moats were set up around the town under the rule of King Christian III
(1536–1559).
During its peak there were almost 170 merchants' estates in the area, and a sizeable navy that sailed around the world. Some of these old half-timbered
estates
and manor homes
can still be seen in the town.
According to "The Popular Encyclopedia; or, Conversations Lexicon", Blackie & Son c 1890, it contained at that time an arsenal
, a classical school with six professors, and had several industrial establishments, including manufacturers of gloves, for which it had long been famous. The town was also known for salmon, rope, and pretty women.
The harbour near the town had only 7+1/2 ft of water, but there was a good shipyard
; and at some distance below, at the mouth of the fjord, there was another harbour with 9 to 10 feet (3 m) water, and roads with good anchorage in 4 to 5 fathom (7.3 to 9.1 ). Randers was important militarily, and could encamp from 10,000 to 15,000 men in the town and its neighbourhood, in a position which could not easily be over-run. The population in 1880: 13,457.
) Michael Aastrup Jensen took over political leadership in 2002. Jensen, who was 25 years old at the time, distinguished himself as Denmark's youngest mayor ever. Since 2007, the city has again been ruled by Social Democrats.
The town has had its share of problems in recent years before the political power switch, including problems with motorcycle gangs and municipal administration scandals.
is Northern Europe's largest artificial rainforest
, featuring about 350 different kinds of plants and more than 175 species of animals, many of which roam free under its three geodesic dome
s: the South America Dome, the Africa Dome, and the Asia Dome. Additionally there are areas called "The Snake Garden" and the Aquarium. The organisation has been involved in the restoration of local wetland
s in Vorup Meadow (Vorup Enge), a large nearby area on the southwestern side of the Guden River.
team, Randers FC
("Randers Football Club"), plays in Denmark's second league, the Danish 1st Division
. Its home ground is the AutoC Park Randers.
Randers municipality
Randers Municipality is a municipality in Region Midtjylland on the Jutland peninsula in central Denmark. The municipality covers an area of 793 km², and has a total population of 94,750 . Its mayor is Henning Jensen Nyhuus, a member of the Social Democrats...
(Aarhus County
Aarhus County
Aarhus County or Århus County is a former county in central Denmark on the Jutland peninsula. The county was abolished effective January 1, 2007, when almost all of it merged into Region Midtjylland . A very small portion was merged into Region Nordjylland...
, Region Midtjylland
Region Midtjylland
Central Denmark Region or Central Jutland Region 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...
) on 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 in central 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...
. It is Denmark's sixth-largest city, with a population of 60,656 (1 January 2011). Randers city is the main town of the municipality and the site of its municipal council.
Overview
Randers municipalityRanders municipality
Randers Municipality is a municipality in Region Midtjylland on the Jutland peninsula in central Denmark. The municipality covers an area of 793 km², and has a total population of 94,750 . Its mayor is Henning Jensen Nyhuus, a member of the Social Democrats...
has 94,750 inhabitants (2010). The municipality is also a part of the East Jutland metropolitan area
East Jutland metropolitan area
East Jutland metropolitan area is a geographic term for an area in Jutland, Denmark.The term denotes a functional coherent urban area linked by both infrastructure and labour across municipal boundaries...
, which has 1.2 million inhabitants..
Randers, Denmark's only natural river harbour, is on the banks of the River Guden (Gudenå
Gudenå
The River Guden , on the Jutland peninsula, is Denmark's longest river. It flows 176 kilometres from Tinnet Krat in Vejle County, between Nørre Snede and Tørring-Uldum, to Randers Fjord in Randers, on a course which takes it through central Jutland...
), about 6 miles (10 km) above its mouth in Randers Fjord, and 111 miles (179 km) west-northwest of 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...
. This location has had great significance for trade by sea. Barges on the Guden River and the Northern River (Nørreå) transported goods into Randers from Silkeborg
Silkeborg
Silkeborg is a city in central Denmark. Located in Silkeborg municipality in Jutland, the city has a population of 42,724 . The development of Silkeborg as a modern city may be traced to the foundation of the paper mill by Michael Drewsen on the Gudenaa in 1844...
and Viborg
Viborg, Denmark
Viborg , a town in central Jutland, Denmark, is the seat of both Viborg municipality and Region Midtjylland. Viborg is also the seat of the Western High Court, the High Court for the Jutland peninsula...
for export. In return, items were imported.
A vast agricultural area, and good transportation by land and by water, helped make Randers a dynamic center for trade and commerce. Known for the many access roads leading into the city, it has engendered the popular saying, "Where the waterway meets the 13 highways" ("Hvor søvejen møder de 13 landeveje").
Randers is referred to as Crown Jutland (Kronjylland) and the people as Crown Jutlanders (Kronjyde), probably due to the big Crown estates owned by the King. The term Kronjyde was first used by Danish poets around 1750. Nicolai Frederik Severin Grundtvig (1783–1872) and Hans Christian Andersen
Hans Christian Andersen
Hans Christian Andersen was a Danish author, fairy tale writer, and poet noted for his children's stories. These include "The Steadfast Tin Soldier," "The Snow Queen," "The Little Mermaid," "Thumbelina," "The Little Match Girl," and "The Ugly Duckling."...
(1805–1875), and especially Nobel Prize laureate Henrik Pontoppidan
Henrik Pontoppidan
Henrik Pontoppidan was a realist writer who shared with Karl Gjellerup the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1917 for "his authentic descriptions of present-day life in Denmark." Pontoppidan's novels and short stories — informed with a desire for social progress but despairing, later in his...
(1857–1943), used the term.
Early history
Randers was formally established around the 12th century, but traces of activity date back to VikingViking
The term Viking is customarily used to refer to the Norse explorers, warriors, merchants, and pirates who raided, traded, explored and settled in wide areas of Europe, Asia and the North Atlantic islands from the late 8th to the mid-11th century.These Norsemen used their famed longships to...
times.
Canute IV of Denmark
Canute IV of Denmark
Canute IV, later known as Canute the Holy or Canute the Saint , was King of Denmark from 1080 until 1086. Canute was an ambitious king who sought to strengthen the Danish monarchy, devotedly supported the Roman Catholic Church, and had designs on the English throne. Slain by rebels in 1086, he was...
(ca. 1043–1086), also known as Canute the Saint and Canute the Holy, and as patron saint
Patron saint
A patron saint is a saint who is regarded as the intercessor and advocate in heaven of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, family, or person...
of Denmark, minted coins in the town. The peasants of Randers who rose up against him and his plans to attack England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and its ruler, William the Conqueror, assembled in this town. Their uprising led to the death of Canute.
The town was fortified through much of 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...
. Today, however, the only sign of defensive wall
Defensive wall
A defensive wall is a fortification used to protect a city or settlement from potential aggressors. In ancient to modern times, they were used to enclose settlements...
s is their existence in street names. These streets follow a circular path, presumably following the location of the historic walls. Street names include Østervold ("Eastern Defense Wall"), Nørreport ("Northern Gate"), Vestervold ("Western Defense Wall"), and Lille Voldgade ("Little Defense Wall Street").
A chronicle
Chronicle
Generally a chronicle is a historical account of facts and events ranged in chronological order, as in a time line. Typically, equal weight is given for historically important events and local events, the purpose being the recording of events that occurred, seen from the perspective of the...
written at Essenbæk Cloister tells of a fire that ravaged the city. The city was destroyed and rebuilt three times in the 13th century. In 1246, it was burned down by Abel of Denmark
Abel of Denmark
Abel of Denmark was Duke of Schleswig from 1232 to 1252 and King of Denmark from 1250 until his death in 1252. He was the son of Valdemar II by his second wife, Infanta Berengária of Portugal, and brother to Eric IV and Christopher I....
's troops during the civil uprising against Eric IV of Denmark
Eric IV of Denmark
Eric IV, also known as Eric Ploughpenny , was king of Denmark from 1241 until his death in 1250. He was the son of King Valdemar II of Denmark by his wife, Infanta Berengária of Portugal, and brother to King Abel and King Christopher I.-Early life:...
.
On a street in the town center is the house where, according to legend, Danish nobleman and national hero Niels Ebbesen killed Count Richard (Gerhard) III of Holstein on 1 April 1340, during the Kingless Times, when the entire country was pledged to German counts. This action led to further insurrection against the Germans. Ebbesen died in a large battle at Skanderborg Castle (Skanderborg Slot) in December 1340. A statue to Ebbesen stands in front of Randers' Town Hall today.
When King Valdemar IV of Denmark (Valdemar Atterdag)
Valdemar IV of Denmark
Valdemar IV of Denmark or Waldemar ; , was King of Denmark from 1340 to 1375.-Ascension to the throne:...
tried to assemble a government in 1350 after the mortgaging to the Holsteiners, the town was further reinforced with protection, and was often named as Randershus ("Randers Fortress"). This fortification was captured by dissatisfied nobility in 1357. In 1359 Valdemar attacked the captured city with the strength all of his forces.
In 1534 a farmers' uprising tried to storm the town unsuccessfully. Massive moats were set up around the town under the rule 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:...
(1536–1559).
During its peak there were almost 170 merchants' estates in the area, and a sizeable navy that sailed around the world. Some of these old half-timbered
Timber framing
Timber framing , or half-timbering, also called in North America "post-and-beam" construction, is the method of creating structures using heavy squared off and carefully fitted and joined timbers with joints secured by large wooden pegs . It is commonplace in large barns...
estates
Estate (house)
An estate comprises the houses and outbuildings and supporting farmland and woods that surround the gardens and grounds of a very large property, such as a country house or mansion. It is the modern term for a manor, but lacks the latter's now abolished jurisdictional authority...
and manor homes
Manorialism
Manorialism, an essential element of feudal society, was the organizing principle of rural economy that originated in the villa system of the Late Roman Empire, was widely practiced in medieval western and parts of central Europe, and was slowly replaced by the advent of a money-based market...
can still be seen in the town.
According to "The Popular Encyclopedia; or, Conversations Lexicon", Blackie & Son c 1890, it contained at that time an arsenal
Arsenal
An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, issued to authorized users, or any combination of those...
, a classical school with six professors, and had several industrial establishments, including manufacturers of gloves, for which it had long been famous. The town was also known for salmon, rope, and pretty women.
The harbour near the town had only 7+1/2 ft of water, but there was a good shipyard
Shipyard
Shipyards and dockyards are places which repair and build ships. These can be yachts, military vessels, cruise liners or other cargo or passenger ships. Dockyards are sometimes more associated with maintenance and basing activities than shipyards, which are sometimes associated more with initial...
; and at some distance below, at the mouth of the fjord, there was another harbour with 9 to 10 feet (3 m) water, and roads with good anchorage in 4 to 5 fathom (7.3 to 9.1 ). Randers was important militarily, and could encamp from 10,000 to 15,000 men in the town and its neighbourhood, in a position which could not easily be over-run. The population in 1880: 13,457.
Today
The municipality was managed for almost 100 years by Social Democrats, until the Liberal Party's (VenstreVenstre (Denmark)
VenstreThe party name is officially not translated into any other language, but is in English often referred to as the Liberal Party. Similar rules apply for the name of the party's youth wing Venstres Ungdom. , full name Venstre, Danmarks Liberale Parti , is the largest political party in Denmark...
) Michael Aastrup Jensen took over political leadership in 2002. Jensen, who was 25 years old at the time, distinguished himself as Denmark's youngest mayor ever. Since 2007, the city has again been ruled by Social Democrats.
The town has had its share of problems in recent years before the political power switch, including problems with motorcycle gangs and municipal administration scandals.
Attractions
Randers Tropical ZooRanders Tropical Zoo
Randers Tropical Zoo is a Danish indoor zoo in Randers, located in three big domes, with the biomes of Africa, Asia and South America. The domes contain animals from the biomes, and most of the animal live free in the domes...
is Northern Europe's largest artificial rainforest
Rainforest
Rainforests are forests characterized by high rainfall, with definitions based on a minimum normal annual rainfall of 1750-2000 mm...
, featuring about 350 different kinds of plants and more than 175 species of animals, many of which roam free under its three geodesic dome
Geodesic dome
A geodesic dome is a spherical or partial-spherical shell structure or lattice shell based on a network of great circles on the surface of a sphere. The geodesics intersect to form triangular elements that have local triangular rigidity and also distribute the stress across the structure. When...
s: the South America Dome, the Africa Dome, and the Asia Dome. Additionally there are areas called "The Snake Garden" and the Aquarium. The organisation has been involved in the restoration of local wetland
Wetland
A wetland is an area of land whose soil is saturated with water either permanently or seasonally. Wetlands are categorised by their characteristic vegetation, which is adapted to these unique soil conditions....
s in Vorup Meadow (Vorup Enge), a large nearby area on the southwestern side of the Guden River.
Other attractions
- Randers Art Museum
- Museum of Cultural History
- Kejsergården
- Clausholm Castle
- Underværket, an innovative multi-ethnic business and cultural center
- Saint Mortens Church – 15th Century building
- Graceland Randers
Sport
The city's footballFootball (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
team, Randers FC
Randers FC
Randers FC is a Danish professional football team based in Randers, which plays in the top-flight Danish Superliga championship. Founded as a merger on January 1, 2003, the club builds upon the license of Randers Freja, a former three-time Danish Cup winning team...
("Randers Football Club"), plays in Denmark's second league, the Danish 1st Division
Danish 1st Division
The 1st Division has been the name of the second highest football league in Denmark since 1991. From 1945 to 1991 the 1st Division was the name of the highest level of football in Denmark...
. Its home ground is the AutoC Park Randers.
See also
- Chronicle of the Expulsion of the Grayfriars#Chapter 8 Concerning the Friary at Randers