Hasle is a town and a former

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...

on the west coast of the

Baltic Baltic may refer to: Peoples and languages * Baltic languages, a subfamily of Indo-European languages, including Lithuanian, Latvian and extinct Old Prussian *Balts (or Baltic peoples), ethnic groups speaking the Baltic languages and/or originati ...

island of

Bornholm Bornholm () is a Danish island in the Baltic Sea, to the east of the rest of Denmark, south of Sweden, northeast of Germany and north of Poland. Strategically located, Bornholm has been fought over for centuries. It has usually been ruled by ...

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 ...

. Its population is 1,634 () The former municipality covered an area of , and had a total population of 6,382. It is now included in the municipality of

. With its pleasant setting,

smokehouse A smokehouse (North American) or smokery (British) is a building where meat or fish is cured with smoke Smoke is a suspension of airborne particulates and gases emitted when a material undergoes combustion or pyrolysis, together with t ...

s, galleries and harbour, the town attracts many tourists.

History

The name "Hasle" appears to have originated from Old Danish "''hasli''", meaning "hazel", and was used in 1335 as the name of the northernmost of Bornholm's four counties (''herreder'') before being applied to the town in 1546. In the middle of the 16th century, Hasle was granted rights as a market town (which it maintains today as Bornholm's second smallest market town) authorizing it to have a local administration headed by a mayor and to practice manufacturing and trading. The town's location on fertile land next to the sea provided fine opportunities for cultivating vegetables (carrots) and fishing (herring, cod and salmon).Ebbe Gert Rasmussen, "Byens historie"
Hasle. Retrieved 13 November 2012. By 1658, when the population reached 300, Hasle began to be noticed. The town is remembered for the role it played in the 17th century when under the leadership of Jens Pedersen Kofoed, a merchant, and Povl Hansen Ancher, the local priest, its citizens helped to free Bornholm from Swedish rule. During the 17th and 18th centuries various attempts were made to exploit the natural resources in the area, especially coal from around

Sorthat Sorthat-Muleby is a village in the southwest of the Danish island of Bornholm, north of Rønne and south of Hasle. Muleby to the north and Sorthat to the south now form a single urban area. As of 2022, it has a population of 508.

and Muleby. There was, however, little market for coal on Bornholm except during emergencies such as the English Wars (1807–1814). From the end of the 19th century, coal quarrying therefore gave way to tile production from the local clay, resulting in a market for Hasle tiles in Denmark and beyond. The industrial area south of the town testifies to its coal, glass and tile factories, all of which have now closed, while tiles abound in Hasle itself, even gracing its pavements. The town's more recent prosperity is the result of the harbour, built in the late 19th century. As there was no natural harbour like those along Bornholm's north coast, the harbour had to be built from scratch. But it was above all the harbour which drove the local economy, as can be seen from the town's many smokehouses. Hasle also became a port of call on the steamship route to Copenhagen operated by the Østbornholmske Dampskipsselskab.

Hasle today

The town has maintained its character with its half-timbered houses and its more recent

funkis In architecture, functionalism is the principle that buildings should be designed based solely on their purpose and function. This principle is a matter of confusion and controversy within the profession, particularly in regard to modern archite ...

additions. Its nine old farmhouses enhance the local heritage. Tourists are attracted by the whitewashed

s, one of which is now a museum, and by the arts and crafts galleries. Part of the harbour is still used by fishing boats while a large area accommodates pleasure craft. There are hotels, restaurants,

summer house A summer house or summerhouse has traditionally referred to a building or shelter used for relaxation in warm weather. This would often take the form of a small, roofed building on the grounds of a larger one, but could also be built in a garden ...

s and camping facilities in the area.

Churches

Ruth's Church Ruth's Church ( da, Ruts Kirke) is a parish church located in the village of Rutsker near Hasle on the Danish island of Bornholm. The church was built in the early 13th century in the Romanesque style. Situated on a hilltop 130 m above sea lev ...

to the east of Hasle stands on a hilltop 130 m above sea level. The belltower is said to be the oldest on the island."Ruts kirke"
''Nordens kirker''. Retrieved 28 June 2012. Hasle Church itself, built in the 15th century in a Late Gothic style, has a carved, early 16th century

triptych A triptych ( ; from the Greek language, Greek adjective ''τρίπτυχον'' "''triptukhon''" ("three-fold"), from ''tri'', i.e., "three" and ''ptysso'', i.e., "to fold" or ''ptyx'', i.e., "fold") is a work of art (usually a panel painting) t ...

.Otto Norn, C. G. Schultz, Erik Skov, "Hasle Kirke"
Bornholms Nørre Herred, Danmarks Kirker, Bornholm, Nationalmuseet, Gad, 1954, pp. 112–130.

Gallery

File:Bornholm - Hasle - Rådhusgade med Hasle Kirke bagved.jpg, Street to the church File:20090817 Hasle 03.JPG, Harbour File:Bornholm-hasle-beach.jpg, Hasle beach File:Bornholm-smokehouse in Hasle.jpg, Smokehouse

References

External links

Official Website
{{Coord, 55, 11, 00, N, 14, 42, 15, E, display=title Former municipalities of Denmark Cities and towns in the Capital Region of Denmark Bornholm