Ry municipality
Encyclopedia
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
Municipalities of Denmark
This is a list of Municipalities of Denmark.-Region Hovedstaden:* Albertslund Municipality* Allerød Municipality* Ballerup Municipality* Bornholm Regional Municipality* Brøndby Municipality* Copenhagen Municipality* Dragør Municipality* Egedal Municipality...
) in the former 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...
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...
. The municipality covered an area of 152,44 km², and had a total population of 11.244 (2005). Its last mayor was Jonna Grønver, a member of the Venstre
Venstre (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...
(Liberal Party) 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...
. The main town and the site of its municipal council was the town of Ry
Ry, Denmark
Ry is a town with a population of 5,553 in central Denmark, located in Skanderborg municipality in Jutland. The town sprouted up around a railway station near the older town of Rye which is now much smaller than Ry.-Geography:...
.
The municipality was created in 1970 as the result of a kommunalreform ("Municipality Reform") that merged a number of existing parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
es:
- Alling Parish
- Dover Parish
- Gammel Rye Parish
- Låsby Parish
- RyParish
- Tulstrup Parish
Ry municipality ceased to exist as the result of Kommunalreformen ("The Municipality Reform" of 2007). It was merged with Galten
Galten municipality
Until January 1, 2007, Galten municipality was a municipality in Aarhus County in the eastern part of the Jutland peninsula in central Denmark. The municipality covered an area of 72,73 km², and had a total population of 11.086 . Its last mayor was Jens Grønlund, a member of the Venstre ...
, Hørning
Hørning municipality
Until January 1, 2007 Hørning municipality was a municipality in Aarhus County on the Jutland peninsula in central Denmark. The municipality covered an area of 67.71 km², and had a total population of 8,688 . Its last mayor was Søren Erik Pedersen, a member of the Venstre political party...
, and Skanderborg
Skanderborg municipality
Skanderborg Municipality is a municipality in Region Midtjylland on the Jutland peninsula in central Denmark, just southwest of Aarhus and is a part of the Aarhus area...
municipalities to form the new Skanderborg municipality. This created a municipality with an area of 416 km² and a total population of 49,469 (2005).
The towns of the former municipality
Ry, also known as Ry Station, is located between the lakes of Gudensø, Juulsø and Knudsø along the Guden River (GudenåGudenå
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...
). It is a relatively new town that developed around the railroad
Rail transport
Rail transport is a means of conveyance of passengers and goods by way of wheeled vehicles running on rail tracks. In contrast to road transport, where vehicles merely run on a prepared surface, rail vehicles are also directionally guided by the tracks they run on...
tracks. The original town in the area is now known as Old Rye (Gammel Rye).
Old Rye is located 3 km west of Rye. 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...
it was one of the most important towns in the area. It had the royal status and privileges of being a merchant town, and is thus named in 1536. Starting in the 15th century until 1687, Old Rye was an area Court of Justice
Court
A court is a form of tribunal, often a governmental institution, with the authority to adjudicate legal disputes between parties and carry out the administration of justice in civil, criminal, and administrative matters in accordance with the rule of law...
.
The town had a major impact on Danish history
History of Denmark
The history of Denmark dates back about 12,000 years, to the end of the last ice age, with the earliest evidence of human inhabitation. The Danes were first documented in written sources around 500 AD, including in the writings of Jordanes and Procopius. With the Christianization of the Danes c...
in 1534, when 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:...
was chosen there
Election of Christian III
The election of Christian III as king of Denmark and Norway on 4 July 1534 was a landmark event for all of Denmark and Norway. It took place in the church in the town of Rye, eastern Jutland, where the Jutlandic nobility elected Prince Christian, son of King Frederick I and Duke of Slesvig and...
. Denmark was attacked 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...
when Frederik I
Frederick I of Denmark
Frederick I of Denmark and Norway was the King of Denmark and Norway. The name is also spelled Friedrich in German, Frederik in Danish, and Fredrik in Swedish and Norwegian...
died in 1533. This led to the three-year civil war fought between 1534-1536 called The Count's Feud
Count's Feud
The Count's Feud , also called the Count's War, was a civil war that raged in Denmark in 1534–36 and brought about the Reformation in Denmark...
(Grevens fejde), which ushered in the Danish Reformation
Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...
.
The town's location at the crossroads for traffic between East Jutland and West Jutland, along with the royal glass production facility in nearby Glarbo until ca. 1600, have helped secure the town's position in the years after the Reformation. There is mention in 1553 of a royal coach maker in the area, and there used to be a royal hunting lodge in the area, but it was torn down in 1617. The town has suffered fire several times, f. ex. 1613, 1618 and 1660.
St. Søren's Church in Old Rye is at the site of a holy spring
Spring (hydrosphere)
A spring—also known as a rising or resurgence—is a component of the hydrosphere. Specifically, it is any natural situation where water flows to the surface of the earth from underground...
, and has had the reputation for bringing about miracle
Miracle
A miracle often denotes an event attributed to divine intervention. Alternatively, it may be an event attributed to a miracle worker, saint, or religious leader. A miracle is sometimes thought of as a perceptible interruption of the laws of nature. Others suggest that a god may work with the laws...
s. In the Middle Ages many pilgrimages were made here. It is here that King Christian III was chosen in 1534. From 1579 a market was held on the site on the saint's day
Calendar of saints
The calendar of saints is a traditional Christian method of organizing a liturgical year by associating each day with one or more saints and referring to the feast day of said saint...
. According to legend, St. Søren was a local farmer who became a bishop in Cologne
Cologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
.
In the 19th century Old Rye became a center for the production of wooden shoes, and today there is a Wooden Shoe Museum located at the site of a historic windmill (1872) in the town.
With the establishment of the railroad
Rail transport
Rail transport is a means of conveyance of passengers and goods by way of wheeled vehicles running on rail tracks. In contrast to road transport, where vehicles merely run on a prepared surface, rail vehicles are also directionally guided by the tracks they run on...
from Skanderborg
Skanderborg
Skanderborg, with a population of 18,253 , is a town in Denmark just southwest of Aarhus. It is more or less a suburb today, located in Skanderborg municipality, Jutland.Skanderborg municipality has a population of 57,303 ....
to 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...
in 1871, the area's growth, however, became centered on the station town Ry.
Låsby can trace its origin to Viking
Viking
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.
Other attractions
HimmelbjergetHimmelbjerget
Himmelbjerget is a hill located in Skanderborg Municipality, Denmark. With a height of 147 meters it is one of the highest points of elevation, and commonly celebrated as the highest point, in Denmark, which it was believed to be until 1847...
(affectionately translated as "Heaven Mountain"), located in the former municipality, is one of the highest points of elevation in Denmark at 147 meters. The high hill is a popular destination for its beautiful nature and magnificent views. One can sail to Himmelbjerget from Ry, or from Silkeborg on the historic steamship
Steamboat
A steamboat or steamship, sometimes called a steamer, is a ship in which the primary method of propulsion is steam power, typically driving propellers or paddlewheels...
Hjejlen ("The Golden Plover").
On top of the hill is a 25 meter tall tower that was erected to honor King Frederik VII
Frederick VII of Denmark
Frederick VII was a King of Denmark. He reigned from 1848 until his death. He was the last Danish monarch of the older Royal branch of the House of Oldenburg and also the last king of Denmark to rule as an absolute monarch...
and his role in giving the Danish people a constitution
Constitution
A constitution is a set of fundamental principles or established precedents according to which a state or other organization is governed. These rules together make up, i.e. constitute, what the entity is...
in 1849. Close to the top are more monuments, most honoring individuals, but also one to commemorate women's right to vote in 1915.
The Hotel Himmelbjerget, formerly Hotel Julsø, is the highest located hotel in Denmark, and displays historic memorabilia from the area. It used to house a museum dedicated to Jodle Birge
Jodle Birge
Birge Lønquist Hansen better known as Jodle Birge was a Danish composer and singer. His most famous tracks were "Rigtige Venner" and "Tre hvide duer" . Jodle Birge sold over two million cd's...
, Danish country-western entertainer.
To the east of Old Rye is a ca. 23 hectares conservation area of heather
Calluna
Calluna vulgaris is the sole species in the genus Calluna in the family Ericaceae. It is a low-growing perennial shrub growing to tall, or rarely to and taller, and is found widely in Europe and Asia Minor on acidic soils in open sunny situations and in moderate shade...
-covered hills and oak scrub. There is also Gallows Hill, the site of beheadings during the times when Court was held in Ry.
Nearby Mossø is Denmark's second largest lake.