Stege, Denmark
Encyclopedia
Stege is the largest town on the island of Møn
in south-eastern Denmark
. As of 2011, its population is 3,823. Stege is now part of Vordingborg Municipality and belongs to Region Zealand. Once a prosperous herring fishing port, tourism is now important to the local economy.
The town received status as a merchant town in 1268 under Eric V of Denmark but there were already fortifications protecting the fishing community early in the 12th century. As the town grew, a fortress was constructed on the coast just south of the mouth of the inlet, in the 13th century. Construction costs for the town's fortress were paid for by money from the fishing of herring
, the town's most important source of capital.
Around 1430, a defensive wall was constructed enclosing the landward side of the town which was otherwise bounded by the sea to the north, and the lake to the south. The wall was built on top of a rampart, with a moat so that the town was entirely surrounded by water. Three gate towers were constructed, one on each of the major roads passing through the wall. Only the Mill Gate (Mølleporten) now survives. It was converted into a prison when the remainder of the wall was demolished around 1685. What remains is one of the best preserved fortresses in the Nordic countries.
Although most of the town burnt down in 1457 and the plague struck in 1484, the prosperity which remained as a result of the herring trade soon led to its reestablishment.
The powerful Hansa
state Lübeck
attacked Stege in 1510 and 1522, but the town defended itself both times. In 1534, during the Count's Feud
(Grevens fejde), the town could not fend off the enemy, and the fortress was destroyed. Herring fishing was also in decline, and as a result of the multiple disasters the population fell drastically. Around 1800, merchant shipping blossomed in Stege, with the deepening of the harbour, and the building of warehouses nearby. Fine merchant estates of the time can still be seen in the area.
In 1883, a large sugar factory opened on the southern side of the harbour. It remained in operation until 1989.
The annual "Stege Festival" takes place every Tuesday in July, and the first Tuesday in August.
There are regular bus services to Vordingborg
, Bogø
, Nykøbing Falster
and to various destinations on Møn.
The population has not varied much in recent years, remaining around 3,800 since the 1960s.
Since the sugar factory closed in 1989, the economy now relies mainly on the service sector.
Buildings of interest in Stege include:
Møn
-Location:Møn is located just off the south-eastern tip of Zealand from which it is separated by the waters of the Hølen strait between Kalvehave and the island of Nyord, at the northern end of Møn. Further south is Stege Bugt...
in south-eastern 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...
. As of 2011, its population is 3,823. Stege is now part of Vordingborg Municipality and belongs to Region Zealand. Once a prosperous herring fishing port, tourism is now important to the local economy.
Location
Stege is near the centre of the island at the mouth of Stege Nor, a lake which connects directly to the sea at the town. The mouth of the lake is now spanned by a bridge.Etymology
Stege originated as a small fishing village called Dybsbroen, on the coast just north of the eastern end of the bridge, along the street now known as Dybsbrostræde. The current name may derive from Stickae or Stike, which were wooden poles rammed into the sea inlet as a further defence against raiders.History
Herring
Herring is an oily fish of the genus Clupea, found in the shallow, temperate waters of the North Pacific and the North Atlantic oceans, including the Baltic Sea. Three species of Clupea are recognized. The main taxa, the Atlantic herring and the Pacific herring may each be divided into subspecies...
, the town's most important source of capital.
Around 1430, a defensive wall was constructed enclosing the landward side of the town which was otherwise bounded by the sea to the north, and the lake to the south. The wall was built on top of a rampart, with a moat so that the town was entirely surrounded by water. Three gate towers were constructed, one on each of the major roads passing through the wall. Only the Mill Gate (Mølleporten) now survives. It was converted into a prison when the remainder of the wall was demolished around 1685. What remains is one of the best preserved fortresses in the Nordic countries.
Although most of the town burnt down in 1457 and the plague struck in 1484, the prosperity which remained as a result of the herring trade soon led to its reestablishment.
The powerful Hansa
Hanseatic League
The Hanseatic League was an economic alliance of trading cities and their merchant guilds that dominated trade along the coast of Northern Europe...
state 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...
attacked Stege in 1510 and 1522, but the town defended itself both times. In 1534, during 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), the town could not fend off the enemy, and the fortress was destroyed. Herring fishing was also in decline, and as a result of the multiple disasters the population fell drastically. Around 1800, merchant shipping blossomed in Stege, with the deepening of the harbour, and the building of warehouses nearby. Fine merchant estates of the time can still be seen in the area.
In 1883, a large sugar factory opened on the southern side of the harbour. It remained in operation until 1989.
Stege today
The town today has a great deal of charm - with its half-timbered houses, its narrow streets and its many restaurants and cafes.The annual "Stege Festival" takes place every Tuesday in July, and the first Tuesday in August.
There are regular bus services to Vordingborg
Vordingborg
Vordingborg is a municipality in Region Sjælland on the southeast coast of the island of Zealand in south Denmark. The municipality includes the island of Masnedø, and covers an area of 621 km². It has a total population of 46,600...
, Bogø
Bogø
Bogø is a Danish island in the Baltic Sea, just west of Møn. The population is 1,135 with 873 living in the largest town, Bogø By. The island is approximately 7 km long by 3 km wide at the largest points, with a total area of 13 km²...
, Nykøbing Falster
Nykøbing Falster
Nykøbing Falster is a southern Danish city, seat of the Guldborgsund kommune. It belongs to Region Sjælland. The city lies on Falster, connected by the 295-meter-long Frederick IX Bridge over the Guldborgsund waterway to the island of Lolland. The town has a population of 16,464...
and to various destinations on Møn.
The population has not varied much in recent years, remaining around 3,800 since the 1960s.
Since the sugar factory closed in 1989, the economy now relies mainly on the service sector.
Buildings of interest in Stege include:
- Stege Church built in the Romanesque styleRomanesque architectureRomanesque architecture is an architectural style of Medieval Europe characterised by semi-circular arches. There is no consensus for the beginning date of the Romanesque architecture, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the 10th century. It developed in the 12th century into the Gothic style,...
in the early 13th century; - Empiregården, a former mechant's residence constructed in 1813 which, since 1958, has housed Møn's Museum;
- Kammerrådgården (ca 1770), a merchant's residence by the town square;
- The pharmacy (Apoteket), a neoclassical buildingNeoclassical architectureNeoclassical architecture was an architectural style produced by the neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century, manifested both in its details as a reaction against the Rococo style of naturalistic ornament, and in its architectural formulas as an outgrowth of some classicizing...
from around 1744, which remained in use until early 2011; - The former town hall (1854) on the town square, designed by Michael Gottlieb BindesbøllMichael Gottlieb BindesbøllMichael Gottlieb Birckner Bindesbøll was a Danish architect active during the Danish Golden Age in the first half of the 19th century. Most known for his design of Thorvaldsens Museum in Copenhagen, he was a key figure in the stylistic shift in Danish architecture from late classicism to Historicism...
in the Renaissance styleRenaissance architectureRenaissance architecture is the architecture of the period between the early 15th and early 17th centuries in different regions of Europe, demonstrating a conscious revival and development of certain elements of ancient Greek and Roman thought and material culture. Stylistically, Renaissance...
. - Rødkilde HøjskoleRødkilde HøjskoleRødkilde Højskole is a folk high school just south of Stege on the Danish island of Møn. Founded in 1866, it is one of the older folk high schools in Denmark...
, a folk high school just south of Stege completed by Ludvig FengerLudvig FengerLudvig Peter Fenger was a Danish architect. He was a proponent of the Historicist style and from 1886 to 1904 he was City Architect in Copenhagen....
in 1866.