Østerlars is a village in the northeast of the

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 ...

island of Bornholm, south 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 ...

and northwest of

Østermarie Østermarie is a village on the Danish island of Bornholm, west of Svaneke. Founded ca. 1880, its old church ('' Østermarie Church''), now a ruin, dates back to the 12th century.

. It is best known for its

round church A round church is a church construction with a completely circular plan. There are many Nordic round churches in Sweden and Denmark (notably the island of Bornholm); round churches were popular in Scandinavia in the 11th and early 12th centurie ...

, the largest on the island. 1. January 2023 it had a population of 294.

Etymology

The village takes its name from

Østerlars Church Østerlars Church (''Østerlars kirke'') is a historic building located just north of the village of Østerlars, south of Gudhjem on the island of Bornholm, Denmark. It is the largest and, possibly, the oldest of the island's four round churche ...

which is dedicated to St Laurentius (St Lawrence). The Danish equivalent, Lars, was also the church's original name but around 1600 the prefix "øster" (eastern) was added to avoid confusion with nearby

Nylars Nylars is a village in the southwest of the Danish island of Bornholm, 8 km east of Rønne and 8 km west of Aakirkeby. In January 2023 it had a population of 207. It is best known for Nylars Church, the island's second largest round c ...

.Østerlars kirke. From NaturBornholm
. Retrieved 4 November 2012. Earlier names for the village were Østerlarsker (meaning Østerlars church) and Nybro (new bridge) as a result of the bridge over the stream known as Præstebækken which runs through the village.

History

In the area of the farm buildings next to Østerlars Church, there are traces of buildings from the early

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 ...

Rune stone 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 d ...

s and gravestones from the Middle Ages have also been found nearby. To the east of the village, Bækkegård and Rytterbakken have provided evidence of communities living during the

Iron Age The Iron Age is the final epoch of the three-age division of the prehistory and protohistory of humanity. It was preceded by the Stone Age ( Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic) and the Bronze Age ( Chalcolithic). The concept has been mostl ...

and the Viking period. At the top of the hill near Bækkegård, Bornholm's largest burial site has been found with over 220 graves from 525–850. Østerlars Church, built around 1160, is one of Denmark's oldest Romanesque churches. Today's village grew up around the railway station on the Aakirkeby–

line which operated from 1916 to 1952. For a period, it had numerous facilities including a hotel, a bank, a post office, two butchers, a baker, a library and various agricultural interests but today there is only one food store."310 - Østerlars"
''Bornholms Regionskommune''. Retrieved 4 November 2012."Nybro - Østerlarsker - Østerlars"
''På 357 ture i Bornholms natur''. Retrieved 4 November 2012. The old station building designed by

Kay Fisker Kay Otto Fisker, Hon. FAIA (14 February 1893 – 21 June 1965) was a Danish architect, designer and educator. He is mostly known for his many housing projects, mainly in the Copenhagen area, and is considered a leading exponent of Danish Functi ...

and

Aage Rafn Aage Rafn (21 April 1890 - 7 May 1953) was a Danish architect and designer. He headed Kunsthåndværkerskolen in Copenhagen from 1924. Early life and education Rafn was born on 21 April 1890 in Copenhagen, the son off Carl Hjalmar Rafn (1848-19 ...

at No. 42 Nybrovej is now used as a school.Ann Vibeke Knudsen: ''DBJ – Historien om Jernbanerne på Bornholm''. Bornholms Museum, 2007.

The village today

Stretching some on either side of the main road, the village is principally a residential area with two schools. It is one of the island's few villages where the population is expected to increase in the coming years. The church and Bornholm's Medieval Centre (''Middelaldercenter''), just north of the village, attract large numbers of tourists each year, especially in the summer months.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Osterlars Bornholm Cities and towns in the Capital Region of Denmark

Etymology

History

The village today

See also

References