Odder Municipality is a municipality (
Danish
Danish may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to the country of Denmark
People
* A national or citizen of Denmark, also called a "Dane," see Demographics of Denmark
* Culture of Denmark
* Danish people or Danes, people with a Danish a ...
: ''
kommune'') in the
Central Denmark Region
The Central Denmark Region ( da, Region Midtjylland), or more directly translated as the Central Jutland Region and sometimes simply Mid Jutland, is an administrative region of Denmark established on 1 January 2007 as part of the 2007 Danish mu ...
on the east coast of the
Jutland
Jutland ( da, Jylland ; german: Jütland ; ang, Ēota land ), known anciently as the Cimbric or Cimbrian Peninsula ( la, Cimbricus Chersonesus; da, den Kimbriske Halvø, links=no or ; german: Kimbrische Halbinsel, links=no), is a peninsula of ...
peninsula in Central
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 = Kingdom of Denmark
, establish ...
south of
Aarhus. It is a part of the greater Aarhus area. The municipality covers an area of 225.04 km², including the islands of
Alrø
Alrø is a small Danish island in Horsens Fjord on the east coast of Jutland within Odder Municipality.The island is 7.52 km long with a coastline of 14 km, and stretches a little over 5 km wide from east to west. With a population ...
and
Tunø
Tunø is a Danish island in the Kattegat, approximately 4 km west of the neighbouring island of Samsø. The island covers an area of , has a circumference of and has total of 66 inhabitants as of November 2022. It comes under the administrat ...
. It borders
Aarhus Municipality
Aarhus Municipality ( da, Aarhus Kommune), known as Ã…rhus Municipality ( da, Ã…rhus Kommune) until 2011, is a municipality in Central Denmark Region, on the east coast of the Jutland peninsula in central Denmark.
The municipality covers an area ...
to the north,
Skanderborg Municipality
Skanderborg Municipality is a municipality ( Danish, '' kommune'')
in Region Midtjylland on the Jutland peninsula in central Denmark, just southwest of Aarhus. It has an area of 429.17 km², and has a population of 61,974 (1 January 2019).
...
to the north-west and
Horsens Municipality
Horsens municipality is a municipality ( Danish, '' kommune'') in Region Midtjylland on the east coast of the Jutland peninsula in central Denmark. The municipality includes the island of Endelave, and covers an area of 524.21 km2. It has ...
to the west. It also connects to
Hedensted Municipality across Horsens Fjord to the south, and connects to
Samsø Municipality
Samsø Municipality is a municipality (Danish: '' kommune'') in Region of Central Denmark. Samsø municipality covers an area of 115 km2 in the Kattegat sea, between the Danish mainland of Jutland and Zealand and comprises the island of Sams ...
through a ferry route.
Odder Municipality was not merged with any adjacent municipality under the
municipal reform of 2007.
The municipality includes the inhabited islands of Alrø and Tunø, as well as the uninhabited islands of Pollerne, Søby Rev and Hov Røn.
History
Odder is first mentioned in 1363. In the middle ages, Odder was not a municipality but instead a
Hundred
100 or one hundred (Roman numeral: C) is the natural number following 99 and preceding 101.
In medieval contexts, it may be described as the short hundred or five score in order to differentiate the English and Germanic use of "hundred" to des ...
called
Hads Hundred. Denmark has historically been divided into
syssels in the middle ages, and Hads Hundred was part of
Løversyssel. After the
Reformation
The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and in ...
Hads Hundred was placed under the Aarhusgaard
Fief
A fief (; la, feudum) was a central element in medieval contracts based on feudal law. It consisted of a form of property holding or other rights granted by an overlord to a vassal, who held it in fealty or "in fee" in return for a form ...
. It became a fief of its own in 1548, with the fief's capital set at the Åkær Manor. Hads Hundred was part of Skanderborg Fief from 1597-1650, after which it turned into Åkær County in 1660. That county was dissolved after a year, and Hads Hundred was put under
Skanderborg County
Skanderborg is a town in Skanderborg municipality, Denmark. It is situated on the north and north eastern brinks of #The lake, Skanderborg Lake and there are several smaller ponds and bodies of water within the city itself, like Lillesø, Sortesà ...
. It came under
Aarhus County
Aarhus County or Ã…rhus County ( da, Ã…rhus Amt) is a former county of Denmark ( Danish: ''amt'') on the Jutland peninsula. It was created in 1970 by a merger of three counties: Ã…rhus, Randers and Skanderborg. The county was abolished effectiv ...
in 1799.
The two parish municipalities of Torrild and Odder were merged in 1965. In the
1970 Danish Municipal Reform
The 1970 Danish Municipal Reform was an extensive administrative reform in Denmark which on 1 April 1970 reduced the number of Danish municipalities from 1,098 to 277 and the number of counties from 25 to 14. The reform also abolished the last le ...
, the following parish municipalities were merged to form the current Odder Municipality: Alrø, Gosmer-Halling, Gylling, Hundslund, Saksild-Nølev, Odder, Randlev-Bjerager, Torrild, Ørting-Falling and Tunø. The 2007 municipal reform did not change anything for Odder Municipality.
Historical divisions
The table below shows the historical municipal subdivisions of Odder Municipality.
Towns
Below are all settlements in the municipality with populations of at least 200 people (populations as of 2020).
Odder
Odder is located centrally in the northern part of the municipality. It borders the forests of ''Dyrehave'', ''Vejlskov'' and ''Præstelund'' to the south, and the forests of ''Bøgebjerg'' and ''Balle Skov'' to the north-west. It is surrounded by fields in all other directions.
Odder is the administrative center of the municipality, and the location of the municipality's town hall. The eastern edge of the town is bordered by the botanical garden and zoo known as ''The Ecological Garden'' (Danish: ''Den Økologiske Have''). South of that are a series of schools and the Grundtvigianism church Odder Grundtvigske Valgmenighedskirke. Further west, but still south of Odder River (Danish: ''Odder Å'') is Odder Station and Odder Church. The culture center Pakhuset is located near the train station. The road ''Rosengade'' is a pedestrian street with many shops, restaurants and facilities. Odder Rådhus is located north of the street. Odder Museum is located further west, bordering Odder River. North of the river, and along the western part of the town are residential areas. The northern parts of the town include a sizable industrial quarter.
Near the center of the town is a sports facility called Spektrum Odder. It includes three sports halls, swimming pools, football stadiums and a café.
Hou
Hou (also spelled Hov) is located 10 km south-east of Odder. It borders
Kattegat
The Kattegat (; sv, Kattegatt ) is a sea area bounded by the Jutlandic peninsula in the west, the Danish Straits islands of Denmark and the Baltic Sea to the south and the provinces of Bohuslän, Västergötland, Halland and Skåne in Sweden ...
to the south and east, and the narrow strait of Hov Løb between the town and the island of Hov Røn. The forest of ''Halling Skov'' borders Hou to the south-west. Hou is other than that surrounded by fields.
In Hou is a marina and harbour, with daily ferry departures to Samsø and Tunø. The marina is a popular tourist destination.
Saksild
The coastal town of Saksild is located 6 km east of Odder and borders the Kattegat. Saksild is best known for its popular beach. Saksild Beach (Danish: Saksild Strand) stretches for 8 km south to the ferry town of Hou and can be as wide as 30 meters. The beach has garnered popularity due to its white sand, grassy banks and shallow clear water.
Villages
There are two settlements on the island of
Tunø
Tunø is a Danish island in the Kattegat, approximately 4 km west of the neighbouring island of Samsø. The island covers an area of , has a circumference of and has total of 66 inhabitants as of November 2022. It comes under the administrat ...
: the main village of Tunø By and the smaller settlement of Løkkegårde. Tunø is a popular tourist destination.
There are three settlements on
Alrø
Alrø is a small Danish island in Horsens Fjord on the east coast of Jutland within Odder Municipality.The island is 7.52 km long with a coastline of 14 km, and stretches a little over 5 km wide from east to west. With a population ...
: Alrø By, Sønderby and Løkken. A dam from 1929 connects Alrø to the mainland. Alrø Church is located in Alrø By.
Rude Strand is located north of Hou and east of Odder. The Rude Strand Tumulus (Danish: ''Rude Strand Langhøj'') is located here.
Norsminde Fjord, north-west of Odder, cuts the village of Norsminde in two, with the northern part of the village located in
Aarhus Municipality
Aarhus Municipality ( da, Aarhus Kommune), known as Ã…rhus Municipality ( da, Ã…rhus Kommune) until 2011, is a municipality in Central Denmark Region, on the east coast of the Jutland peninsula in central Denmark.
The municipality covers an area ...
and the southern part in Odder Municipality. The northern part is called Norsminde, while the southern part is called Kysing Næs or Norsminde Strand. The ruins of Kysing Church is located in Kysing Næs.
In addition to these villages, there are a number of smaller settlements in the municipality. These are all the settlements with populations of less than 200 people:
Nature
Odder Municipality is home to many forests, and its coastal location on Kattegat make it home to a long coastline with many breeding sites for birds.
A hilly area west of Hou has been protected since 1959. Another 368 acres south of Odder has been protected since 1979.
Near the center of the town of Odder is a protected nature area known as Stampmølledalen, home to a forest and the brook Stampmøllebækken. It has been protected since 2000, to ensure free access to nature for the citizens of Odder, as well as to preserve the area home to the
common kingfisher
The common kingfisher (''Alcedo atthis''), also known as the Eurasian kingfisher and river kingfisher, is a small kingfisher with seven subspecies recognized within its wide distribution across Eurasia and North Africa. It is resident in much of ...
, a rare species in Denmark. The
white-throated dipper
The white-throated dipper (''Cinclus cinclus''), also known as the European dipper or just dipper, is an aquatic passerine bird found in Europe, Middle East, Central Asia and the Indian Subcontinent. The species is divided into several subspec ...
can also be found in Stampmølledalen during the winter.
18 acres of coast on the peninsula of Gyllingnæs has been protected since 1985. The area is known as Horskær and is home to many birds, including several of the birds of prey found in Denmark, such as
common kestrel
The common kestrel (''Falco tinnunculus'') is a bird of prey species belonging to the kestrel group of the falcon family Falconidae. It is also known as the European kestrel, Eurasian kestrel, or Old World kestrel. In the United Kingdom, where n ...
,
common buzzard and
western marsh harrier
The western marsh harrier (''Circus aeruginosus'') is a large harrier, a bird of prey from temperate and subtropical western Eurasia and adjacent Africa. It is also known as the Eurasian marsh harrier. Formerly, a number of relatives were includ ...
.
The northern coast along Horsens Fjord, by Vorsø and Alrø, has been protected in five stages. In Odder Municipality, the protected area include Uldrup Bakker, Sondrup Plantage, Åkær Å, Hestehave, Bavnhøj, Skablund Skov and the surrounding areas. The total protected area, across both Odder and Horsens Municipality span 2,100 acres.
Søby Rev are a series of small islands and islet located in Kattegat south of Hou. They span 7,5 acres. The vegetation consist mainly of grass and
leymus arenarius
''Leymus arenarius'' is a psammophilic (sand-loving) species of grass in the family Poaceae, native to the coasts of Atlantic and Northern Europe. ''Leymus arenarius'' is commonly known as sand ryegrass, sea lyme grass, or simply lyme grass. .
There are a series of smaller islands and islets in the municipality. A number of small uninhabited islands and islets, known as Pollerne, are located east of Alrø.
Norsminde Fjord
Norsminde Fjord borders the municipality to the north-east, and 50 acres in Odder Municipality has been protected since 1970. The fjord is an important area for birds, and has a varied surrounding nature that includes hills and
beach meadow
Beach Meadows are coastal meadows influenced by the presence of the nearby sea.
Under this definition, the salinity of the air and wind is always high and the meadows are often flooded during and after stormy weather. These conditions implies t ...
s. The fjord itself span 187 acres. The fjord is home to a large amount of birds, though is not used for breeding by any birds. It is rich in food, so it is a popular foraging spot for
coot
Coots are medium-sized water birds that are members of the rail family, Rallidae. They constitute the genus ''Fulica'', the name being the Latin term for "coot". Coots have predominantly black plumage, and—unlike many rails—they are usually ...
,
wigeon
The wigeons or widgeons are a group of birds, dabbling ducks currently classified in the genus ''Mareca'' along with two other species. There are three extant species of wigeon, in addition to one recently extinct species.
Biology
There are ...
, mallard,
tufted duck
The tufted duck or tufted pochard (''Aythya fuligula'') is a small diving duck with a population of close to one million birds, found in northern Eurasia. The scientific name is derived from Ancient Greek '' aithuia'', an unidentified seabird ment ...
,
teal
alt=American teal duck (male), Green-winged teal (male)
Teal is a greenish-blue colour. Its name comes from that of a bird — the Eurasian teal (''Anas crecca'') — which presents a similarly coloured stripe on its head. The word is oft ...
,
mute swan,
lapwing
Lapwings (subfamily Vanellinae) are any of various ground-nesting birds (family Charadriidae) akin to plovers and dotterels. They range from in length, and are noted for their slow, irregular wingbeats in flight and a shrill, wailing cry. A gro ...
,
golden plover
'' Pluvialis '' is a genus of plovers, a group of wading birds comprising four species that breed in the temperate or Arctic Northern Hemisphere.
In breeding plumage, they all have largely black underparts, and golden or silvery upperparts. The ...
,
dunlin
The dunlin (''Calidris alpina'') is a small wader, formerly sometimes separated with the other "stints" in the genus ''Erolia''. The English name is a dialect form of "dunling", first recorded in 1531–1532. It derives from ''dun'', "dull brown ...
and oystercatcher. The
white-tailed eagle
The white-tailed eagle (''Haliaeetus albicilla'') is a very large species of sea eagle widely distributed across temperate Eurasia. Like all eagles, it is a member of the family Accipitridae (or accipitrids) which includes other diurnal raptors ...
, and a series of other birds of prey, can be found in the area. The western marsh harrier is one of the few birds that breed in the fjord. In total, more than 200 species of birds has been registered seen in the fjord.
The dykes along the fjord are mainly covered in
crataegus. The vegetation in the fjord itself is dominated by
ulva lactuca
''Ulva lactuca'', also known by the common name sea lettuce, is an edible green alga in the family Ulvaceae. It is the type species of the genus '' Ulva''. A synonym is ''U. fenestrata'', referring to its "windowed" or "holed" appearance.
Des ...
, which can at times block out the sun for other plants in the water. The ulva lactuca is very resistant, and is a sign of pollution from the surrounding agriculture.
Hou Røn
Hou Røn is an island of 2 acres located 2 km south-east of Hou. The island first appeared in the 1930s, and has at times been entirely flooded or split into several islands. It grew together to form the current island over time, and is today covered in vegetation. The island is a breeding spot for many birds, including
common eider
The common eider (pronounced ) (''Somateria mollissima''), also called St. Cuthbert's duck or Cuddy's duck, is a large ( in body length) sea-duck that is distributed over the northern coasts of Europe, North America and eastern Siberia. It breed ...
,
mallard,
oystercatcher
The oystercatchers are a group of waders forming the family Haematopodidae, which has a single genus, ''Haematopus''. They are found on coasts worldwide apart from the polar regions and some tropical regions of Africa and South East Asia. The ...
,
great black-backed gull
The great black-backed gull (''Larus marinus'') is the largest member of the gull family. Described by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology as "the king of the Atlantic waterfront", it is a very aggressive hunter, pirate, and scavenger. It breeds on t ...
,
European herring gull
The European herring gull (''Larus argentatus'') is a large gull, up to long. One of the best-known of all gulls along the shores of Western Europe, it was once abundant. It breeds across Northern Europe, Western Europe, Central Europe, Eastern ...
and
red-breasted merganser
The red-breasted merganser (''Mergus serrator'') is a diving duck, one of the sawbills. The genus name is a Latin word used by Pliny and other Roman authors to refer to an unspecified waterbird, and ''serrator'' is a sawyer from Latin ''serra' ...
. At one point rats had invaded the island, but they were removed from the island again by a local hunter. Hunting on the island is forbidden while birds are breeding.
Alrø
Alrø is a flat island, with the highest point of the island being only 14 meters above sea level. With many parts of the island lying below sea level, the island can at times be split into two. The island span 8 km², and most of the land is used for agriculture. This also means that there is barely any forests, though
roe deer
The roe deer (''Capreolus capreolus''), also known as the roe, western roe deer, or European roe, is a species of deer. The male of the species is sometimes referred to as a roebuck. The roe is a small deer, reddish and grey-brown, and well-adapt ...
and several other mammals still live on the island. The
European hare
The European hare (''Lepus europaeus''), also known as the brown hare, is a species of hare native to Europe and parts of Asia. It is among the largest hare species and is adapted to temperate, open country. Hares are herbivorous and feed mainly ...
thrive on the island's fields. The
raccoon dog
The common raccoon dog (''Nyctereutes procyonoides''), also called the Chinese or Asian raccoon dog, is a small, heavy-set, fox-like canid native to East Asia. Named for its raccoon-like face markings, it is most closely related to foxes. Common ...
is also found on the island. The
greylag goose
The greylag goose or graylag goose (''Anser anser'') is a species of large goose in the waterfowl family Anatidae and the type species of the genus ''Anser''. It has mottled and barred grey and white plumage and an orange beak and pink legs. A ...
and white-tailed eagle breed on the island, and
great cormorant
The great cormorant (''Phalacrocorax carbo''), known as the black shag in New Zealand and formerly also known as the great black cormorant across the Northern Hemisphere, the black cormorant in Australia, and the large cormorant in India, is a w ...
is also commonly seen.
Tunø
Nearly the entire island of Tunø has been protected since 1965. The protected area amounts to 3.5 km² or 348 acres in total, and only excludes Tunø By and a small part of the harbour. The island is hilly, with forests, bogs and stony beaches. A valley splits the island in two, and it has historically been two separate islands. The valley is today covered in forests.
There aren't many birds on the island, though with the notable exception of the
black guillemot. The island is home to one of Denmark's largest populations of black guillemot, a rare bird in Denmark. The other birds on the island are
eurasian woodcock
The Eurasian woodcock (''Scolopax rusticola'') is a medium-small wading bird found in temperate and subarctic Eurasia. It has cryptic camouflage to suit its woodland habitat, with reddish-brown upperparts and buff-coloured underparts. Its eyes ...
, western marsh harrier,
common pheasant,
grey partridge
The grey partridge (''Perdix perdix''), also known as the gray-legged partridge, English partridge, Hungarian partridge, or hun, is a gamebird in the pheasant family Phasianidae of the order Galliformes, gallinaceous birds. The scientific name ...
and
common gull
The common gull or sea mew (''Larus canus'') is a medium-sized gull that breeds in the Palearctic, northern Europe. The closely related short-billed gull is sometimes included in this species, which may be known collectively as "mew gull". Man ...
. The
European green toad
The European green toad (''Bufotes viridis'') is a species of toad found in steppes, mountainous areas, semi-deserts, urban areas and other habitats in mainland Europe, ranging from far eastern France and Denmark to the Balkans and Western Russi ...
can be found on the island, and the nearby island of Samsø is the northernmost habitat for the frog in Europe. The mammals on the island are few, with only roe deer, European hare,
European hedgehog
The European hedgehog (''Erinaceus europaeus''), also known as the West European hedgehog or common hedgehog, is a hedgehog species native to Europe from Iberia and Italy northwards into Scandinavia and westwards into the British Isles.Harris, S ...
,
harbor seal
The harbor (or harbour) seal (''Phoca vitulina''), also known as the common seal, is a true seal found along temperate and Arctic marine coastlines of the Northern Hemisphere. The most widely distributed species of pinniped (walruses, eared se ...
, mice and rats. The
harbour porpoise
The harbour porpoise (''Phocoena phocoena'') is one of eight extant species of porpoise. It is one of the smallest species of cetacean. As its name implies, it stays close to coastal areas or river estuaries, and as such, is the most familiar ...
can be seen off the island's coast. The
common blue butterfly is found on Tunø, though is rare in the rest of Denmark.
The
Tunø Knob Offshore Wind Farm
Tunø Knob Offshore Wind Farm is an offshore wind farm in the Bay of Aarhus, Denmark. It is located on the sandbar Tunø Knob, west of the Tunø island.
The wind farm was commissioned in 1995 with 10 turbines, each a 500 kW Vestas V39.Spl ...
is located off the coast of Tunø.
Politics
The municipality is part of
Business Region Aarhus
East Jutland metropolitan area ( da, Byregion Østjylland) is a potential metropolitan area in Jutland and Funen, Denmark.
Aarhus is the most populated city in the region.
The National Planning Report of 2006, published by the Danish Enviro ...
and of the
East Jutland metropolitan area
East Jutland metropolitan area ( da, Byregion Østjylland) is a potential metropolitan area in Jutland and Funen, Denmark.
Aarhus is the most populated city in the region.
The National Planning Report of 2006, published by the Danish Environme ...
, which had a total population of 1.378 million in 2016. Odder municipality was not merged with other municipalities as part of the extensive
Municipal Reform of 2007. The mayor has since 2014 been Uffe Jensen of
Venstre.
On the table below is an overview of all elections held in Denmark since the 2007 Municipal Reform. The percentages in the table are the local results from Odder Municipality. The party with the most votes received is shaded in their respective color. In all but one election the largest party has been either the Social Democrats or Venstre, with the two parties being approximately the same size in most elections. The one exception was in the 2014 European Parliament election where the largest party in the municipality became the Danish People's Party. This was the case in most of the country, and the first time in Denmark's history that the party had been the largest party in a nationwide election.
Municipal council
Odder's municipal council consists of 19 members, elected every four years.
Below are the municipal council elected since the municipality's creation in 1970.
Mayors
Since the 1970 municipal reform, the mayors of Odder Municipality have been:
Economy
The largest industries in Odder Municipality are healthcare, education, retail, construction and food services.
Companies with their headquarter in Odder Municipality include a
stroller factory called Oddervognen. The company has existed since 1925, and is the only stroller factory remaining in Denmark. ProTruck is a company that sell forklifts and similar specialized vehicles, and is also located in Odder.
Demographics
There are 22,844 people living in Odder Municipality (2020). 49.27% are men and 50.73% are women.
Below is the age distribution of the municipality.
Education
There are 7
ground schools, 4
efterskoler and 3 independent schools in the municipality. There are also 3 gymnasiums, 4
folk high school
Folk high schools (also ''Adult Education Center'', Danish: ''Folkehøjskole;'' Dutch: ''Volkshogeschool;'' Finnish: ''kansanopisto'' and ''työväenopisto'' or ''kansalaisopisto;'' German: ''Volkshochschule'' and (a few) ''Heimvolkshochschule;' ...
s and 1 youth school in the municipality. One of the ground schools, Vestskolen, is split into two department: Skovbakken and Vestermarken.
There are 2 libraries in the municipality: one in Odder and one on Tunø.
Transport
The
Odder Line is a former railroad, today a
light rail, connecting
Aarhus and Odder. It originally also connected Odder and Hou, but that stretch was shut down in 1977. The rail was renovated and turned into a light rail in 2008.
There are three ferry routes from Odder Municipality. ''Cykelfærgen'' connects Alrø and the town of
Snaptun in Hedensted Municipality. ''Samsøfærgen'' connects Hou and the town of Sælvig on
Samsø
Samsø (Anglicized: "Samso" or "Samsoe") is a Danish island in the Kattegat off the Jutland Peninsula. Samsø is located in Samsø municipality. The community has 3,724 inhabitants (2017) (January 2010:4,010) called ''Samsings'' and is 114&n ...
. ''Tunøfærgen'' connects Hou and Tunø.
Sights
The sights of the municipality are mostly found in the town of Odder, though with churches found in many smaller towns and villages across the municipality.
*The Ecological Garden (Danish: ''Den Økologiske Have'') is a
botanical garden
A botanical garden or botanic gardenThe terms ''botanic'' and ''botanical'' and ''garden'' or ''gardens'' are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word ''botanic'' is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens, an ...
,
vineyard
A vineyard (; also ) is a plantation of grape-bearing vines, grown mainly for winemaking, but also raisins, table grapes and non-alcoholic grape juice. The science, practice and study of vineyard production is known as viticulture. Vineya ...
, forest and zoo located in Odder. It was established in 1991. The animals in the garden include various types of livestock, shetland ponies,
budgerigar
The budgerigar ( ; ''Melopsittacus undulatus''), also known as the common parakeet or shell parakeet, is a small, long-tailed, seed-eating parrot usually nicknamed the budgie ( ), or in American English, the parakeet. Budgies are the only spe ...
s and
cockatiel
The cockatiel (; ''Nymphicus hollandicus''), also known as weiro (also spelt weero), or quarrion, is a medium-sized parrot that is a member of its own branch of the cockatoo family endemic to Australia. They are prized as household pets and com ...
s. The garden has a herbal garden with various medicational herbs.
*Odder Town Hall (Danish: ''Odder RÃ¥dhus'') is the town hall for the municipality. It is located in Odder and was built in 1972. It was expanded in 1980.
*Odder Museum is located centrally in Odder, next to Odder Water- and Steam Mill (Danish: ''Odder Vand- og Dampmølle''), which is part of the museum. The museum has 400 m² of exhibitions, mainly focussed on local history. The mill is from 1883 and stands as it did when production stopped in 1955.
*Bjørnkær's Ruins (Danish: ''Bjørnkærs Ruiner'') are the ruins of a castle and fortification from the middle ages, located 2 km west of Hou. The castle was built in the 1200s, and ruined sometime in the 1300s. It was rebuilt and remained in use until the late 1400s. The ruins are locally known as ''Marks Stig's Castle'' (Danish: ''Marsk Stigs Borg''), though there is no evidence that
Marsk Stig lived there.
*Rude Strand Tumulus (Danish: ''Rude Strand Langhøj'') is a
tumulus
A tumulus (plural tumuli) is a mound of earth and stones raised over a grave or graves. Tumuli are also known as barrows, burial mounds or ''kurgans'', and may be found throughout much of the world. A cairn, which is a mound of stones bu ...
located near Rude Strand. It originates from around 3500 BC and stone coffins remain inside the tumulus.
*Kysing Church is the ruin of a church located in Kysing Næs, the southern part of Norsminde. The church was built in the 1200s, but was abandoned in the 1700s and began to disintegrate. The cemetery was used until the 1850s. A bust of
Frederick VII was placed on the ruins in 1875 and the ruins were turned into a monument, dedicated to the
Second Schleswig War
The Second Schleswig War ( da, Krigen i 1864; german: Deutsch-Dänischer Krieg) also sometimes known as the Dano-Prussian War or Prusso-Danish War was the second military conflict over the Schleswig-Holstein Question of the nineteenth century. ...
. The ruins were protected in 1981.
Castles and manors
*Dybvad is a manor located south-east of Ørting. It is known to have existed from the 1500s. It belonged to the Aakær Manor until 1536, where it was taken over by the crown along with Aakær. Dybvad has been a part of Aakær for most of its history, with short breaks. It split up from Aakær in 1914. The manor own 514 acres.
*Gersdorffslund is a manor located west of Hou. The manor was established in 1674 from the farms of Porsborg and Højby, both known to have existed from the Middle Ages. Both farms were a part of Aakær Manor until 1660 where the crown gave Aakær and its territory to
Joachim Gersdorff
Joachim Gersdorff (12 November 1611 - 19 April 1661) was a Denmark, Danish politician, from 1650 to 1660 Danish Steward of the Realm, Steward of the Danish Realm. It was Gersdorff who negotiated the Treaty of Roskilde on Denmark's part during the ...
, as a replacement for his lost territory in
Scania
Scania, also known by its native name of Skåne (, ), is the southernmost of the historical provinces (''landskap'') of Sweden. Located in the south tip of the geographical region of Götaland, the province is roughly conterminous with Skåne ...
after the
Dano-Swedish War
Dano-Swedish War may refer to one of multiple wars which took place between the Kingdom of Sweden and the Kingdom of Denmark (from 1450 in personal union with the Kingdom of Norway) up to 1814:
List of wars Legendary wars between Denmark a ...
. When Gersdorff died shortly after, in 1661, his manors were inherited by his heirs. Porsborg and Højby were inherited by Margrethe Gersdorff, his daughter, who married Gregorius Rathlou. Margrethe Gersdorff and Gregorius Rathlou established the new manor of Gersdorffslund from their territory in 1674.
*Gyllingnæs is a manor located south of Gylling, on a peninsula between Kattegat and Horsens Fjord. The area was covered in oak trees until 1797, where a number of farmers bought and cultivated the land. In 1801 the area of Gyllingnæs was owned by the Aakær Manor, but was sold to John Smith from England. John Smith, who lived in
Altona, began construction of a house, which was finished in 1803. When he bought the nearby church in 1810, the house officially became a manor. The manor acquired more land through the years. A new main building was constructed in 1865, and in 1933 the former main building was destroyed in a fire. The manor is today owned by owner of Bestseller
Troels Holch Povlsen
Troels Holch Povlsen (born 9 September 1949) is a Danish businessman, founder of the fashion chain Bestseller (company), Bestseller.
Early life
Troels Holch Povlsen was born on 9 September 1949 in Risskov, Aarhus. His father was a regional head ...
. The manor own 646 acres, with mostly forests and agricultural land.
*Rathlousdal is a manor located outside of Odder, to the south-west. It was originally a farm called Loverstrup, but was established as a manor in 1570.
*Rodsteenseje is a manor located outside of Odder, to the south-east. It was formerly named Hovedstrup, but renamed to Rodsteenseje in 1681. The manor originates from around year 1300. IT was in 2012 bought by the owner of Aakær.
*Aakær (also spelled Åkjær) is a manor located between the villages of Hundslund and Ørting, south of Odder. The manor is known to have existed from at least 1350, and was sold to the
bishop of Aarhus
The former Diocese of Aarhus ( da, Aarhus Stift) was a Roman Catholic diocese in Denmark, founded in the 10th century and dissolved during the Protestant Reformation. The diocese included the counties of Aarhus and Randers, the islands of Sams ...
, Bo Mogensen, in 1398. It became the main farmhouse in Hads Hundred for the bishops, and they began expanding the manor. In 1536, after the
Reformation
The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and in ...
, the territory of the bishops was taken by the crown, including Aakær. Aakær became the seat of a newly established fief in 1548, with the fief named after the manor. The crown continued expanding Aakær and in 1660 nearly all manor houses in Hads Hundred belonged to Aakær. After the Dano-Swedish War ended in 1660, Denmark was forced to hand over several manors in Scania to Sweden. Among those were manors owned by Joachim Gersdorff, who as replacement was given manors by the crown, including Aakær. Gersdorff died shortly after, in 1661, and his son Frederik Gersdorff took over Aakær. He wasn't interested in the manor though, and sold it to his brother-in-law Jørgen Bielke in 1674. The manor changed hands many times and lost territory over the years. In 1803 it was bought by Henrik Reventlow, who began buying back the lost territory. The manor owns 1,240 acres.
Churches
See
List of churches in Odder Municipality
Events
Hou Harbour Festival (Danish: ''Hou Havnefestival'') takes place in Hou every year in the second weekend of July. The festival take place around Hou Harbour, and includes food, live music, sport and entertainment. The sport events include swimming contests in the harbour.
Sondrup Market is a yearly flea market. It takes place the first saturday in July in Hundslund. In addition to the flea market, Sondrup Market also has live music and entertainment. The organization responsible for the market also arranges other smaller markets in Hundslund across the year.
Until 2020 a yearly music festival took place on Tunø. It had been held yearly since 1987, but was ended by the festival's board in 2020.
Sport
The
Odder Idræts- og Gymnastikforening (Odder IGF) football club is set in Odder. The club is housed in a stadium called Spektrum Park, located in Odder. Apart from football, Spektrum Park and Odder IGF also provides access and facilities for other sports such as
badminton
Badminton is a racquet sport played using racquets to hit a shuttlecock across a net. Although it may be played with larger teams, the most common forms of the game are "singles" (with one player per side) and "doubles" (with two players p ...
,
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...
,
handball,
table tennis
Table tennis, also known as ping-pong and whiff-whaff, is a sport in which two or four players hit a lightweight ball, also known as the ping-pong ball, back and forth across a table using small solid rackets. It takes place on a hard table div ...
,
tennis
Tennis is a racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent ( singles) or between two teams of two players each ( doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket that is strung with cord to strike a hollow rubber ball ...
and
skateboarding.
Also located in Spektrum Park are swimming facilities, with the swimming pool hosting occasional events as well as providing facilities for the municipality's schools and kindergartens.
Parishes
There are 14
parishes in Odder Municipality. Shown in the table below are the populations of each parish, as well as the percentage of that population that are members of 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, ...
. All numbers are from 1 January 2020.
Symbols
The coat of arms of Odder Municipality is a slightly modified version of the town of Odder's coat of arms. It features a golden oak twig with two leaves and an acorn on red background. Two white wavy lines cross the coat of arms and come together at the top. The white lines represent the rivers surrounding Odder. The coat of arms was adopted in 2009.
Notable residents
Public thought and politics
*
Gustav Adolph Hagemann
Gustav Adolph Hagemann (16 May 1842 – 26 April 1916) was a Danish engineer and businessman. He was chief technical officer of the Danish Sugar Factories from 1872 to 1897 and then served as chairman of the board until 1916. He owned several su ...
(1842 on Rodsteenseje — 1916), engineer
*
Karen Jeppe
Karen Jeppe (1 July 1876 – 7 July 1935) was a Danish missionary and social worker, known for her work
with Ottoman Armenian refugees and survivors of the Armenian genocide, mainly widows and orphans, from 1903 until
her death in Syria in 1935. ...
(1876 in Gylling — 1935), social worker known for her work with Ottoman Armenian refugees and survivors of the Armenian Genocide
*
Knud Enggaard
Knud Enggaard (born 4 June 1929 in Odder) is a Danish politician representing the centre-right Venstre party. He served as a Member of Parliament from 1984 to 1998, and held numerous cabinet positions in the Danish government. He served as Ministe ...
(born 1929 in Odder), politician
*
Elvin J. Hansen (born 1950 in Torrild), politician and former mayor of the municipality
*
Kirsten Brosbøl
Kirsten Brosbøl (born 14 December 1977 in Odder) is a Danish politician. She represented the Social Democrats in the Folketing from 2005 to 2019, and served as Minister for the Environment from 2014 to 2015.
Political career
From 2001 to 20 ...
(born 1977 in Odder), politician
*
Mette Dencker (born 1978 in Odder), politician and
MF
Art
*
Rasmus Andersen (1861 in Ørting — 1930), sculptor
*
Ejler Bille
Ejler Bille (6 March 1910 – 1 May 2004) was a Danish artist.
Biography
Ejler Bille was born in Odder, Denmark. He was the son of Torben Holger Bille and Anna Kirstine Lysabild Jensen. Bille graduated from Birkerød State School in 1930, and then ...
(1910 in Odder — 2004), artist
*
Jane Muus (1919 in Odder — 2007), painter
*
Jens Jørn Spottag
Jens Jørn Spottag (born 13 December 1957) is a Danish actor. He appeared in more than seventy films since 1987.
Selected filmography
References
External links
*
1957 births
Living people
Danish male film actors
{{Denmark-a ...
(born 1957 in Odder), actor
*
Morten Nørgaard (born 1990 in Odder), singer
Sport
*
Hans Christian Nielsen (1928 in Odder — 1990), football player
*
Niels Fredborg
Niels Christian Fredborg (born 28 October 1946) is a retired Danish track cyclist. He competed at the 1964, 1968, 1972 and 1976 Summer Olympics in the sprint and 1 km time trial events, winning a silver, a gold and a bronze medal in the time t ...
(born 1946 in Odder), cyclist
*
Mogens Jeppesen
Mogens Jeppesen (born July 10, 1953) is a former Danish handball player who competed in the 1980 Summer Olympics and in the 1984 Summer Olympics.
He was born in Gylling, Odder
Odder is a town in Jutland, Denmark. The town is the seat of Odder ...
(born 1953 in Gylling), handball player
*
Henrik Mortensen (born 1968 in Odder), football player
*
Jakob Fenger-Larsen (born 1971 in Odder), football player
*
Torben Grimmel
Torben Grimmel (born 23 November 1975 in Odder) is a Danish sport shooter who competed in the 1996 Summer Olympics, the 2000 Summer Olympics
The 2000 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXVII Olympiad and also known as Sydney ...
(born 1975 in Odder), sport shooter
*
Pernille Harder (born 1977 in Odder), badminton player
*
Juliane Rasmussen
Juliane Elander Rasmussen (born 17 February 1979, in Odder) is a Danish rower. She weighs 61 kilograms, and is therefore in the lightweight class. She lives in Copenhagen.
2008 Summer Olympics
In the first race at the lightweight double scul ...
(born 1979 in Odder), rower
*
Louise Pedersen (born 1979 in Odder), handball player
*
Steffen Ernemann (born 1982 in Odder), football player
*
Thomas Mogensen
Thomas Mogensen (born 30 January 1983) is a Danish team handball player. He currently plays for SønderjyskE Håndbold. He was Danish champion and selected as the best player in Denmark in 2007.
Club play
Mogensen played for the Danish club GOG ...
(born 1983 in Odder), handball player
*
Thomas Kvist
Thomas Vedel Kvist (born 18 August 1987) is a Danish former road bicycle racer, who competed as a professional between 2009 and 2011.
He signed as a professional on 1 August 2008 after an amateur career that included winning a stage and the fina ...
(born 1987 in Odder), cyclist
*
Anders Skaarup Rasmussen
Anders Skaarup Rasmussen (born 15 February 1989) is a Danish badminton player. He joined the Denmark winning team at the 2016 Thomas Cup in Kunshan, China, where he and his teammates beating Indonesia 3–2 in the final. Rasmussen won the men's ...
(born 1989 in Odder), badminton player
*
Steffen Jensen (born 1989 in Odder), rower
*
Morten Ring Christensen (born 1990 in Odder), athlete
*
Mathias Bay-Smidt
Mathias Bay-Smidt (born 19 March 1996) is a Danish badminton player. In 2014, he won his first senior international title at the Finnish International tournament in the men's doubles event partnered with Frederik Søgaard. In 2016, he won the Cz ...
(born 1996 in Odder), badminton player
References
External links
Official municipality website
{{Authority control
Municipalities of the Central Denmark Region
Municipalities of Denmark
Populated places established in 1970