![Ertholmene](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/48/Ertholmene.jpg)
Ertholmene (formerly spelled ''Ærtholmene)'' is a small archipelago in
Denmark
)
, song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast")
, song_type = National and royal anthem
, image_map = EU-Denmark.svg
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark
...
. The largest island is Christiansø, and its name
often refers to the entire archipelago.
Ertholmene is situated northeast of
Gudhjem
Gudhjem is a small town and fishing port on the northern coast of the Baltic island of Bornholm, Denmark. Its population is 736 (1 January 2022).
Gudhjem is a popular venue for tourists who are attracted by its steep, picturesque streets, views ...
,
Bornholm, and contains Denmark's
easternmost point.
Two of its islands, Christiansø and Frederiksø, are inhabited,
and their combined permanent population () is 89. The archipelago has a total area of 39
hectares
The hectare (; SI symbol: ha) is a non-SI metric unit of area equal to a square with 100-metre sides (1 hm2), or 10,000 m2, and is primarily used in the measurement of land. There are 100 hectares in one square kilometre. An acre is a ...
. Its name is derived from the Danish for "pea islands".
Together with Bornholm it is part of Landsdel Bornholm. Ertholmene makes up the Parish of Christiansø in the
Church of Denmark
The Evangelical-Lutheran Church in Denmark or National Church, sometimes called the Church of Denmark ( da, Folkekirken, literally: "The People's Church" or unofficially da, Den danske folkekirke, literally: "The Danish People's Church"; kl, ...
and is served by
Christiansø Church. On 1 January 2017 out of 78 inhabitants in total there were 69 members of the Church of Denmark (88.46% of the population). Ertholmene has never been part of a municipality, county, or region. The islands are administered by the
Ministry of Defence.
Islands
Ertholmene consists of three main islands, Christiansø, Frederiksø and Græsholm, plus a number of rocks and
skerries.
* Christiansø, named after
King Christian V, has an area of ; it is the largest island in the archipelago. It is home to
Christiansø Church and
Christiansø Lighthouse. The highest point of Ertholmene is Møllebakken on Christiansø, above sea level.
* Frederiksø, named after
King Frederick IV, has an area of . It is the only other inhabited island besides Christiansø. It is located just west of Christiansø, and connected to it via a
swing bridge
A swing bridge (or swing span bridge) is a movable bridge that has as its primary structural support a vertical locating pin and support ring, usually at or near to its center of gravity, about which the swing span (turning span) can then pi ...
for pedestrians. The sound between Christiansø and Frederiksø is a well-sheltered natural harbour. Frederiksø is home to Christiansø Museum, which is situated inside Lille Tårn ("Little Tower").
* Græsholm has an area of . It is uninhabited and serves as a bird reserve.
* Østerskær is a skerry located east of Christiansø. It is the easternmost point of Denmark, at 15° 11' 55" E longitude.
* Tat is a skerry located northwest of Christiansø and Frederiksø. It is long and wide, and surrounded by a number of smaller skerries. It contains a lighthouse, and serves as a bird reserve.
History
Fishermen from Bornholm have used Ertholmene for temporary shelter since the
Middle Ages
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...
. The first permanent settlement was the result of the Danish-Swedish conflicts in the late 17th century. As Denmark needed a naval base in the central Baltic Sea, a
fort
A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...
was built on Christiansø and Frederiksø in 1684 which served as an outpost for the
Danish Navy
The Royal Danish Navy ( da, Søværnet) is the sea-based branch of the Danish Defence force. The RDN is mainly responsible for maritime defence and maintaining the sovereignty of Danish territorial waters (incl. Faroe Islands and Greenland). Oth ...
until 1855.
Christiansø Church originally served the garrison.
[Otto Norn, C. G. Schultz, Erik Skov, "Christiansø Kirke"]
Bornholms Nørre Herred, Danmarks Kirker, Bornholm, Nationalmuseet, Gad, 1954, pp. 576–583. Retrieved 2 October 2012 The population peaked at the census in 1810 which showed 829 inhabitants. They were soldiers and were there because of the
Gunboat War
The Gunboat War (, ; 1807–1814) was a naval conflict between Denmark–Norway and the British during the Napoleonic Wars. The war's name is derived from the Danish tactic of employing small gunboats against the materially superior Royal Na ...
.
Many of the historical buildings now serve as living quarters for the local population, and some are rented, year after year, to regular summer residents. The islands' external appearance has changed very little in over 300 years. Girdled by thick granite walls with old cannons pointed seaward, Christiansø is a picturesque tourist spot seemingly frozen in time. A former part of the fort, ''Store Tårn'' has housed the
Christiansø Lighthouse for the past 200 years, and a small round tower on Frederiksø, ''Lille Tårn,'' serves as a museum.
Notable people
*
Ernst Wilhelm Stibolt
Ernst Wilhelm Stibolt (born 14 February 1741 29 February 1796) was a Danish naval officer and ship builder, who served in the French navy for four years.Topsøe-Jensen Vol 2 pp 554 – 557 and became a member of the Royal Danish Academy of Scienc ...
(born 1741 in Christiansø – 1796) a Danish naval officer and ship builder; his father, (naval) Commander Caspar Henrik
Stibolt, was Commandant of Christiansø for many years.
Administrative status
![ChristiansøHavn](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/33/Christians%C3%B8Havn.JPG)
The islands form an
unincorporated area
An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...
that does not belong to either a municipality or a region. Instead they are state property governed by an administrator, appointed by the
Danish Ministry of Defence, with the responsibility being the tasks normally performed by municipalities and other public sector civil services. The major sources of income are
fishery and
tourism
Tourism is travel for pleasure or business; also the theory and practice of touring (disambiguation), touring, the business of attracting, accommodating, and entertaining tourists, and the business of operating tour (disambiguation), tours. Th ...
. There are 80,000 tourists per year, mostly day visitors arriving via Bornholm. Ertholmene is also a popular destination for
yachts
A yacht is a sailing or power vessel used for pleasure, cruising, or racing. There is no standard definition, though the term generally applies to vessels with a cabin intended for overnight use. To be termed a , as opposed to a , such a pleasu ...
.
Taxation
The islanders, who do not pay municipal taxes of any kind and were never part of a municipality, were exempt from the central government "Health Contribution" tax (''Sundhedsbidrag'') which stood at 8% when it was introduced on 1 January 2007 with
''Kommunalreformen'' ("The Municipal Reform" of 2007), because it was thought that the relatively isolated islets would otherwise be abandoned. This tax replaced the
county
A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesChambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...
tax, which the islanders were also exempt from paying, not being part of a county. From 1 January 2019 this tax has been abolished, while income taxes in the lowest bracket have been raised simultaneously instead with this tax being phased out. From 2012, the tax was lowered by one percentage point per year.
Bornholm.nu » Christiansø » Bornholm kan få Christiansø
/ref>
Gallery
File:Bornholm municipality Christiansø sogn.svg, Ertholmene is in the upper right corner, northeast of Bornholm.
Image:Karte_Christiansø.jpg, Buildings and water on Christiansø and Frederiksø
File:Ertholmene 1756.JPG, Ertholmene, 1756
Image:Bornholms-Amt.png, Bornholm and Christiansø hundreds and 5 municipalities (1970-2002) in green color and 21 municipalities until 31 March 1970
Notes
External links
*
{{Use dmy dates, date=March 2017
Forts in Denmark
Danish islands in the Baltic
Islands of Denmark
Archipelagoes of the Baltic Sea
Ramsar sites in Denmark
Car-free zones in Europe
Bornholm