Klemensker is a village in the north-western part of the Danish 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 ...

. With a population of 633 (1 January 2022), it is located on a crossroads 13 km north-east of

Rønne Rønne ( sv, Rönne) is the largest town on the Danish island of Bornholm in the Baltic Sea. It has a population of 13,807 (1 January 2022). It was a municipality in its own right from 1970 until 2002, when Bornholm was a county (Danish: ''Bornh ...

, 7 km east of the coastal town Hasle and 12 km south of

Allinge Allinge-Sandvig is a small town on the northern coast of the Baltic Sea, Baltic island of Bornholm, Denmark. Its population is 1,459 (1 January 2022). It was part of the former municipality Allinge-Gudhjem. Sandvig is the northernmost part of the ...

. It is known for its cheese production. Beginning at the village inn,

Klemens Kro Klemens is a masculine given name derived from Clemens. It may refer to the following people: * Klemens of Brzeźnica (died 1241), Polish nobleman, Voivode of Opole and Castellan of Kraków * Klemens Janicki (1516–1543), Polish poet * Klemens vo ...

, the road (Danish ''vej'') Simblegårdsvej begins with an extremely steep drop and later a long climb up the Klemensker Bakke (''Klemensker Hill''). The farm (Danish ''gård''/google:''gaard'') Simblegård is to the north.

History

The origins of Klemensker possibly date back to around 3800 BC with evidence of a community in today's Smedegade. A number of

runestone A runestone is typically a raised stone with a runic inscription, but the term can also be applied to inscriptions on boulders and on bedrock. The tradition began in the 4th century and lasted into the 12th century, but most of the runestones da ...

s have been found in the village while some of the roads are documented in records from the 14th century. The village inn is referred to in documents from 1548 but the first signs of homes around the church are from 1898. The first school opened in 1906. Only one of several dairies remains today while the old railway closed in 1953.

Church and name

Like a number of Bornholm's localities, the name Klemensker is derived from its church, Sankt Clemens Kirke, the suffix -ker denoting church in the local dialect. There is documentary evidence of a St. Clement's Church from as early as 1335 when it is referred to in Latin as ''beati Clementis parrochia'' but the present church, constructed on the hilltop site of a former building, was completed in 1882, standing 114 meters above sea level. The interior renovation from 1960 includes work by

Paul Høm Paul Briegel Høm (2 May 1905, Ballerup – 25 September 1994, Gudhjem) was a Danish artist who is remembered for his religious paintings and brightly coloured stained glass windows which decorate a number of Danish churches. Biography Høm studi ...

from

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 ...

World cheese award

Bornholms Andelsmejeri, the island's only dairy, produces a variety of milk products and cheeses including its

Danish Blue cheese Danablu, often marketed under the trademark Danish Blue Cheese within North America, is a strong, blue-veined cheese. This semi-soft creamery cheese is typically drum- or block-shaped and has a yellowish, slightly moist, edible rind. Made from f ...

which in 1980 and 1998 won the World Cheese Champion award in Wisconsin. Each year the international division, St. Clemens Food Products, exports some 4,500 tons of cheese to destinations around the globe.

Former railway

Klemensker Station used to serve the Allinge Railway which connected Rønne to Allinge and Sandvig near

Hammershus Hammershus is a medieval era fortification at Hammeren on the northern tip of the Danish island of Bornholm. The fortress was partially demolished around 1750 and is now a ruin. It was partially restored around 1900. History Hammershus was Scan ...

from 1913 to 1953.Ann Vibeke Knudsen, ''DBJ - Historien om Jernbanerne på Bornholm'', Bornholms Museum 2007.

Gallery

File:Bornholm - Klemensker - Klemens Kro.jpg, Village inn, Klemens Kro File:Bornholm - Klemensker - Sankt Clemens Kirke1.jpg, St Clemens Church File:Bornholm - Klemensker - Sankt Clemens Kirke - runesten.jpg, Runestone at the church File:Bornholm - Klemensker - vue.jpg, View of Klemensker

References

{{Bornholm Denmark Bornholm Cities and towns in the Capital Region of Denmark Danish cheeses