Ebeltoft 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) in 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 east coast of 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 region lies in a geographic region known as southern Djursland
Djursland
Djursland is a Danish peninsula located on the east coast of the larger Jutland peninsula. Other minor peninsulas are also found stretching out from Djursland, such as Skødshoved and Helgenæs.Djursland is also Jyllands only round church in Thorsager....
, and more specifically Mols. The municipality covered an area of 276 km², and had a total population of 14.997 (2005). Its last mayor was Jørgen Brøgger. The main town and the site of its municipal council was the town of Ebeltoft
Ebeltoft
Ebeltoft is a town with a population of 7,559 on the central east coast of Denmark, located in Syddjurs municipality in Region Midtjylland on the Danish peninsula of Jutland....
.
Ebeltoft municipality ceased to exist as the result of Kommunalreformen ("The Municipality Reform" of 2007). It was merged with existing Midtdjurs
Midtdjurs municipality
Until January 1, 2007 Midtdjurs was a municipality in the former Aarhus County on the Jutland peninsula in central Denmark. The municipality, in the middle of a region known as Djursland, covered an area of 179 km², and had a total population of 7.763...
, Rosenholm
Rosenholm municipality
Until 1 January 2007 Rosenholm municipality was a municipality in the former Aarhus County on the east coast of the Jutland peninsula in central Denmark just north of Aarhus and is more or less a suburb today. The municipality covered an area of 141 km², and had a total population of 10.325...
, and Rønde
Rønde municipality
Until January 1, 2007 Rønde municipality was a municipality in the former Aarhus County on the east coast of the Jutland peninsula in central Denmark. The municipality covered an area of 101 km², and had a total population of 7,111 . Its last mayor was Vilfred Friborg Hansen, a member of the...
municipalities to form the new Syddjurs municipality
Syddjurs municipality
Syddjurs municipality is a municipality in Region Midtjylland in Denmark just north of Aarhus and is a part of the Aarhus area...
. This created a municipality with an area of 693 km² and a total population of 40,196 (2005). The new municipality belongs to 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...
("Mid-Jutland Region").
Facts about the former municipality
The municipality itself consisted of two smaller peninsulas that just out into the surrounding waters, one jutting out to the south, and one jutting out to the west. The southward peninsula, which contains the town of Ebeltoft, is surrounded on the east by Hjelm Deep, which separates the area from the small island of Hjelm off its eastern coast. To the west of this peninsula is Ebeltoft Cove (Ebeltoft Vig) which forms a bay between the southward peninsula and the headland formed to the south of the westward peninsula, Helge Headland (Helgenæs). To the west of Helge Headland is Århus Bay (Århus Bugt). To the northwest of the westward peninsula is Knebel Cove (Knebel Vig) and Kalø Cove (Kalø Vig).The municipality also was home to Lake Stubbe (Stubbe Sø) and several high elevations. The high hilly moraine
Moraine
A moraine is any glacially formed accumulation of unconsolidated glacial debris which can occur in currently glaciated and formerly glaciated regions, such as those areas acted upon by a past glacial maximum. This debris may have been plucked off a valley floor as a glacier advanced or it may have...
landscape is called Mols Bjerge (*Mols Hills*), and it is a protected nature park. Some of the highest elevations in the area are Agri Bavnehøj at 137 meters, Trehøje at 127 meters, and Stabelhøjene at 135 and 133 meters in height. The area has many burial mound
Tumulus
A tumulus is a mound of earth and stones raised over a grave or graves. Tumuli are also known as barrows, burial mounds, Hügelgrab or kurgans, and can be found throughout much of the world. A tumulus composed largely or entirely of stones is usually referred to as a cairn...
s, stone monuments and graves
Dolmen
A dolmen—also known as a portal tomb, portal grave, dolmain , cromlech , anta , Hünengrab/Hünenbett , Adamra , Ispun , Hunebed , dös , goindol or quoit—is a type of single-chamber megalithic tomb, usually consisting of...
, including Porskær Stenhus, Denmark's largest stone burial chamber near the town of Knebel. Porskær Stenhus is over 2,000 years old.
The municipality was created in 1970 due to a kommunalreform ("Municipality Reform") that combined the following 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: Agri, Dråby, Ebeltoft, Egens, Fuglslev, Helgenæs, Hyllested, Knebel, Rolsø, Rosmus, Tirstrup, Tved, and Vistoft parishes.
The area known as Mols
Mols is an area in the southern part of DjurslandDjursland
Djursland is a Danish peninsula located on the east coast of the larger Jutland peninsula. Other minor peninsulas are also found stretching out from Djursland, such as Skødshoved and Helgenæs.Djursland is also Jyllands only round church in Thorsager....
on Jutland's east coast with Ebeltoft as its main city. The residents of this area are known as Molboere ("Mols residents"). There have been written many fictional accounts of the stupidity of these people, referred to as Molbohistorier ("Stories of the Mols residents").
The town of Ebeltoft
EbeltoftEbeltoft
Ebeltoft is a town with a population of 7,559 on the central east coast of Denmark, located in Syddjurs municipality in Region Midtjylland on the Danish peninsula of Jutland....
was granted its municipal charter
Municipal charter
A city charter or town charter is a legal document establishing a municipality such as a city or town. The concept developed in Europe during the middle ages....
in 1301. The town is very picturesque, and has many well-preserved 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...
houses and cobbled
Cobblestone
Cobblestones are stones that were frequently used in the pavement of early streets. "Cobblestone" is derived from the very old English word "cob", which had a wide range of meanings, one of which was "rounded lump" with overtones of large size...
streets.
Among the town's highlights are the Frigate Jylland (Fregatten Jylland
Jylland (ship)
Jylland is the world's last screw-propelled steam frigate. During the Second War of Schleswig in 1864, it participated in the naval action against the Austrian-Prussian fleet in the Battle of Heligoland on 9 May 1864...
), the Ebeltoft Zoo, the Ebeltoft Museum, and the Glasmuseet Ebeltoft
Glasmuseet Ebeltoft
Located in Ebeltoft, Denmark, Glasmuseet Ebeltoft is a museum dedicated to the exhibition and collection of contemporary glass art worldwide. Its mission is to educate a broad audience in the appreciation of glass as an art form.-Establishment:...
(Ebeltoft Glass Museum).
- The FrigateFrigateA frigate is any of several types of warship, the term having been used for ships of various sizes and roles over the last few centuries.In the 17th century, the term was used for any warship built for speed and maneuverability, the description often used being "frigate-built"...
Jylland was launched in 1860, and served as both royal yachtYachtA yacht is a recreational boat or ship. The term originated from the Dutch Jacht meaning "hunt". It was originally defined as a light fast sailing vessel used by the Dutch navy to pursue pirates and other transgressors around and into the shallow waters of the Low Countries...
and battleshipBattleshipA battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of heavy caliber guns. Battleships were larger, better armed and armored than cruisers and destroyers. As the largest armed ships in a fleet, battleships were used to attain command of the sea and represented the apex of a...
before it was reduced to a barracks shipBarracksBarracks are specialised buildings for permanent military accommodation; the word may apply to separate housing blocks or to complete complexes. Their main object is to separate soldiers from the civilian population and reinforce discipline, training and esprit de corps. They were sometimes called...
in 1892. The ship has had a 10-year restoration. - The Glass Museum houses a large collection of contemporary glass from all over the world.
Other attractions
- Sletterhage Lighthouse at the southernmost point on HelgenæsHelgenæsHelgenæs is a minor peninsula stretching out from Mols, itself part of the peninsula Djursland, again part of the peninsula Jutland in Denmark.-Etymology:Helgenæs derives from Danish "hellig" + "næs" , and was in 1231 spelled "Hælghænæs"....
- Kalø castel ruins (Kalø Slotsruin)