Holstebro is the main town in

Holstebro Municipality Holstebro Municipality is a municipality ( Danish, '' kommune'') in Region Midtjylland on the Jutland peninsula in west Denmark. The municipality covers an area of , and has a population of 57,411 (1 April 2014). Its mayor is H. C. Østerby, a me ...

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 ...

. The town, bisected by ''Storåen'' ("The Large Creek") and has a population of 36,489 (1 January 2022).BY3: Population 1. January by urban areas, area and population density
The Mobile Statbank from

Statistics Denmark Statistics Denmark ( da, Danmarks Statistik) is a Danish governmental organization under the Ministry of the Interior and Housing and which reports to the Minister of Economic and Internal Affairs. The organization is responsible for creating st ...

History

The town arose at a ford by the creek, and later a bridge was erected. The name probably derives from ''holdested ved broen'' (lit, "a resting place by the bridge"). Holstebro was first mentioned in a letter from Bishop Thyge of

Ribe Ribe () is a town in south-west Jutland, Denmark, with a population of 8,257 (2022). It is the seat of the Diocese of Ribe covering southwestern Jutland. Until 1 January 2007, Ribe was the seat of both a surrounding municipality and county. It ...

in 1274. A large fire in 1552 destroyed many of the town's old buildings. On 11 February 1962 parts of Holstebro were hit by a high-end F3/T7

tornado A tornado is a violently rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the Earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. It is often referred to as a twister, whirlwind or cyclone, alt ...

. This was the most devastating tornado in Denmark's history. The tornado travelled 13 km with a max width of 500 meters. Buildings and their roofs were badly damaged, some buildings nearly entirely collapsed. Well-constructed brick apartments had their roof torn off and large parts of their third storey destroyed. On 10 August 1975, Holstebro recorded a temperature of , which is the highest temperature to have ever been recorded in Denmark.

Modern Holstebro

The town is a trading, industrial and cultural center in western

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 ...

. Industries include the manufacture of processed food, iron and machinery, wood and furniture, textiles and chemicals. Holstebro has a large network of pedestrian walkways (''gågader'') in the town centre either side of the River Storå. This area has a varied shopping environment, enhanced by outdoor sculptures and picturesque buildings, including the town church and the Town Hall. The first sculpture purchased by Holstebro Municipality was

Alberto Giacometti Alberto Giacometti (, , ; 10 October 1901 – 11 January 1966) was a Swiss sculptor, painter, draftsman and printmaker. Beginning in 1922, he lived and worked mainly in Paris but regularly visited his hometown Borgonovo to see his family and ...

's sculpture "Maren on vehicle" purchased in 1966. Holstebro has a rich and varied cultural life. Between 1997 and 2009 it hosted the internationally recognized ballet company Peter Schaufuss Ballet and the town still hosts the performance art theatre

Odin Teatret Odin Teatret is an avant-garde theatre group based in Holstebro, Denmark. It was founded by Italian theatre director and investigator Eugenio Barba in 1964. Odin Teatret is a part of NTL, Nordisk Teaterlaboratorium, which also includes the Intern ...

. Several museums, including the Holstebro Art Museum with its collection of Danish and international contemporary art, and the Holstebro Museum can be found in the town. The town holds an annual culture festival, the Holstebro Festive Week, in late summer. The Holstebro Hall, rebuilt in 1966, houses a music theatre, the Holstebro Convention and Culture Center (1991) and provides space for theatre presentations, concerts, exhibitions and conventions. More than 100 cultural events occur here every year, and the hall is visited by more than 100,000 people annually. The Jutland Dragoon Regiment (''Jydske Dragonregiment''), which can trace its history back to 1679 in the times of King

Christian V Christian V (15 April 1646 25 August 1699) was king of Denmark and Norway from 1670 until his death in 1699. Well-regarded by the common people, he was the first king anointed at Frederiksborg Castle chapel as absolute monarch since the dec ...

, has made Holstebro its home since 1953. The regiment is Holstebro's largest place of work with more than 1,800 employees.

Transport

Holstebro is served by

Holstebro railway station Holstebro station ( da, Holstebro Banegård or ''Holstebro Station'') is a railway station serving the town of Holstebro in Jutland, Denmark. Holstebro station is a railway junction where the Vejle-Holstebro Line and the Esbjerg-Struer Line meet ...

. It is located on the Vejle-Holstebro and Esbjerg-Struer

railway line Rail terminology is a form of technical terminology. The difference between the American term ''railroad'' and the international term ''railway'' (used by the International Union of Railways and English-speaking countries outside the United Sta ...

s and offers direct

InterCity InterCity (commonly abbreviated ''IC'' on timetables and tickets) is the classification applied to certain long-distance passenger train services in Europe. Such trains (in contrast to regional, local, or commuter trains) generally call at m ...

services to

Copenhagen Copenhagen ( or .; da, København ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a proper population of around 815.000 in the last quarter of 2022; and some 1.370,000 in the urban area; and the wider Copenhagen metropolitan a ...

and Struer and

regional train Regional rail, also known as local trains and stopping trains, are passenger rail services that operate between towns and cities. These trains operate with more stops over shorter distances than inter-city rail, but fewer stops and faster servi ...

services to

Fredericia Fredericia () is a town located in Fredericia Municipality in the southeastern part of the Jutland peninsula in Denmark. The city is part of the Triangle Region, which includes the neighbouring cities of Kolding and Vejle. It was founded in 16 ...

and Skjern.

Sport and leisure

Team Tvis Holstebro was founded in 2000 and play

handball Handball (also known as team handball, European handball or Olympic handball) is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each (six outcourt players and a goalkeeper) pass a ball using their hands with the aim of throwing it into the ...

, representing Holstebro in the men's

Danish Handball League The Danish Men's Handball League, formerly known as Herrehåndboldligaen is the men's top Danish professional handball league. The winners of the Danish Men's Handball League are recognised as the Danish men's handball champions. The current cha ...

and the

Danish Women's Handball League The Danish Women's Handball League ( da, Damehåndboldligaen) is the top professional league for Danish women's handball clubs. It is administered by the Danish Handball Federation, and the winners are recognized as Danish champions. The league i ...

. The women's team has won the Women's European Handball Federation cup twice, in 2012–2013 and 2014–2015 and were runner's up in 2010–2011. The team's best placing in the domestic league was 2nd in 2012–13 and, as a result, they competed in the qualification rounds of the 2013–14 EHF Women's Champions League, the highest level competition in Europe. The men's handball team won the

Danish Handball Cup The Danish Men's Handball cup ( da, Landspokalturneringen i håndbold for herrer) is the nationwide cup tournament for men's handball Handball (also known as team handball, European handball or Olympic handball) is a team sport in which two ...

in 2008 and have finished third in the domestic league three times, most recently in 2008. They achieved third place in the men's 2012–13 EHF Cup. Both teams play at

Gråkjær Arena Gråkjær Arena is a sports center in Holstebro, Denmark. It has room for 3,250 spectators and is used primarily as home of the handball club Team Tvis Holstebro. History On 10 November 2009 did the former mayor Arne Lægaard, the former culture ...

, a 3,250 capacity hall which can also be used for concerts. The arena is located to the north of the town center.Guidet tour i Gråkjær Arena
Gråkjær Arena, Holstebro Kommune. Retrieved 2015-12-06.

Holstebro Idrætspark Holstebro Idrætspark is a multi-use stadium in Holstebro, Denmark. It is currently used mostly for association football matches and is the home stadium of Holstebro Boldklub Holstebro Boldklub (; also known as ''HB'') is a football club base ...

, located to the north-east of the town centre, is a multi-use sports complex. A stadium on the site is home to Holstebro BK, the town's football club who play in the 4th tier of

Danish football Association football is the most popular sport in Denmark, with 331,693 players and 1,647 clubs registered () under the Danish FA. The game was introduced into Denmark by British sailors. Kjøbenhavns Boldklub is the oldest club outside of the ...

, the

Denmark Series The Denmark Series ( da, Danmarksserien) is the fifth tier in the Danish football league system. Teams are divided into four groups of ten. The top team in each group is promoted to the Danish 3rd Division. The bottom three teams in each group are ...

. The site also features playing fields, beach volleyball courts and a sports hall. A tennis centre, including an indoor hall and seven outdoor courts, adjoins the site and is the home of Holstebro Tennis Club.Holstebro idrætspark go stadionhal
Holstebro Kommune. Retrieved 2015-12-06. Holstebro RK play

rugby union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In it ...

in the town.

Canoe A canoe is a lightweight narrow water vessel, typically pointed at both ends and open on top, propelled by one or more seated or kneeling paddlers facing the direction of travel and using a single-bladed paddle. In British English, the ter ...

ing and

kayak A kayak is a small, narrow watercraft which is typically propelled by means of a double-bladed paddle. The word kayak originates from the Greenlandic word '' qajaq'' (). The traditional kayak has a covered deck and one or more cockpits, each s ...

ing on the nearly long Storåen is popular during the summer and early autumn. It is allowed between 15 June and 31 October.Canoe
Visit Holstebro. Retrieved 2015-12-06.

Jamboree Denmark 2012

A Danish national Scouting Jamboree took place near Holstebro in July 2012. Over 37,000

Scout Scout may refer to: Youth movement *Scout (Scouting), a child, usually 10–18 years of age, participating in the worldwide Scouting movement ** Scouts (The Scout Association), section for 10-14 year olds in the United Kingdom **Scouts BSA, secti ...

s and Guides attended the event.Fakta om Spejdernes Lejr 2012
SN.dk, 2012-07-29. Retrieved 2015-12-06.

Notable people

The Arts

* Karl Jensen (1851 in Holstebro – 1933) a painter of landscapes of northern Zealand *

Knud Agger Knud Agger (26 September 1895 – 2 February 1973) was a self-taught Danish painter. After a series of paintings from everyday life, he became ever involved in painting his family, home and garden at Helsingør in the north of the island of Zeal ...

(1895 in Holstebro – 1973) a self-taught painter, visionary and strongly

existentialist Existentialism ( ) is a form of philosophical inquiry that explores the problem of human existence and centers on human thinking, feeling, and acting. Existentialist thinkers frequently explore issues related to the meaning, purpose, and value ...

* Knud Hvidberg (1927 in Holstebro – 1986) a Danish painter and sculptor *

Henning Stærk Henning Stærk (born 20 March 1949) is a Danish singer and musical-performer. Henning Stærk was born in Holstebro on 20 March 1949. He started his musical career in Holstebro but later moved to Aarhus where he became involved in the local music ...

(born 1949 in Holstebro) a Danish singer and musical-performer *

Thomas Søndergård Thomas Søndergård (born 4 October 1969 in Holstebro, Denmark) is a Danish conductor and percussionist. Biography EUYO Søndergård studied percussion at the Royal Danish Academy of Music from 1989 to 1992, where his teachers included Gert Mort ...

(born 1969 in Holstebro) a Danish conductor * Anne Fortier (born in 1971 in Holstebro) a Danish / Canadian writer, lives in Quebec *

Mikael Simpson Mikael Simpson (born 1974 in Holstebro) is a Danish songwriter, singer, film composer, musician and radio host. He began his musical career as a guitarist for the indie band Luksus, which disbanded in 2001. Since then, he has released four al ...

(born 1974 in Holstebro) a songwriter, singer and film composer * Iben Dorner (born 1978 in Holstebro) a Danish actress and voice artist * Simon Lynge (born 1980 in Holstebro) a singer-songwriter, raised in Greenland * Elias Ehlers (born 1985 in Holstebro) a Danish stand-up comedian IMDb Database
retrieved 21 May 2020

Public thinking & Public Service

* Charles Christian Lauritsen (1892 in Holstebro – 1968) an American physicist * Cathrine Fabricius Hansen (born 1942 in Holstebro) a Danish-born Norwegian Germanist * Else Marie Friis (born 1947 in Holstebro) a botanist, paleontologist and academic *

Søren Gade Søren Gade Jensen (born 27 January 1963) is a Danish politician who has been Speaker of the Folketing since November 2022, representing the Liberal party, Venstre. He was a Liberal member of the Folketing from 2001 to 2019 and again in 2022. ...

(born 1963 in Holstebro) a politician,

Minister of Defence A defence minister or minister of defence is a cabinet official position in charge of a ministry of defense, which regulates the armed forces in sovereign states. The role of a defence minister varies considerably from country to country; in som ...

2004/2010 * Charlotte Sahl-Madsen (born 1964 in Holstebro) is a Danish politician and businesswoman * Erik Poulsen (born 1967 in Holstebro) a Danish politician and MEP * Claus Bundgård Christensen (born 1968 in Holstebro) an historian and academic * Ove Christiansen (born 1969 in Holstebro) professor of chemistry at

Aarhus University Aarhus University ( da, Aarhus Universitet, abbreviated AU) is a public research university with its main campus located in Aarhus, Denmark. It is the second largest and second oldest university in Denmark. The university is part of the Coimbra Gr ...

Jens Rohde Jens Rohde (born 18 April 1970) is a Danish politician, who is a member of the Folketing for the Christian Democrats political party. He served as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) from 2014 until 2019, as a member of the Danish Social L ...

(born 1970 in Holstebro) a Danish politician and MEP * Simon Lynge (born 1980 in Holstebro) a singer-songwriter, grew up in

Qaqortoq Qaqortoq, formerly Julianehåb, is a city in the Kujalleq municipality in southern Greenland, located near Cape Thorvaldsen. With a population of 3,050 in 2020, it is the most populous town and the municipal capital in southern Greenland and the ...

, Greenland

Sport

Bo Hansen Bo Jannik Nyby Hansen (born June 16, 1972) is a Danish former football player in the striker position. He scored 52 goals in 143 games for Danish club Brøndby IF and 16 goals in 119 games for English club Bolton Wanderers. Hansen played one gam ...

(born 1972 in Holstebro) a Danish former footballer, 237 club caps * Peter Heine Nielsen (born 1973) a chess grandmaster, five-time Danish Chess Champion. *

Jesper Damgaard Jesper Damgaard (born May 6, 1975) is a Danish retired ice hockey player who last participated at the 2010 IIHF World Championship as a member of the Denmark men's national ice hockey team. He was the first and so far only Danish player to have ...

(born 1975) a retired Danish professional ice hockey player *

Carsten Svensgaard Carsten Svensgaard (born 3 January 1975 in Holstebro, Denmark) is a Danish curler, a three-time and a five-time Danish men's champion. He participated at the 2002 Winter Olympics The 2002 Winter Olympics, officially the XIX Olympic ...

(born 1975 in Holstebro) a curler, competed at the

2002 Winter Olympics The 2002 Winter Olympics, officially the XIX Olympic Winter Games and commonly known as Salt Lake 2002 ( arp, Niico'ooowu' 2002; Gosiute Shoshoni: ''Tit'-so-pi 2002''; nv, Sooléí 2002; Shoshoni: ''Soónkahni 2002''), was an internationa ...

Claus Bech Jørgensen Claus Bech Jørgensen (born 27 April 1976) is a Faroese former professional footballer who is now a youth team coach at AaB. Born in Denmark, he represented the Faroe Islands national team between 2004 and 2006. He first established himself a ...

(born 1976 in Holstebro) a Faroese former footballer, over 340 club caps *

Morten Skoubo Morten Skoubo (; born 30 June 1980) is a Danish former professional footballer who played as a forward. He made six appearances for the Denmark national team scoring once. Career FC Midtjylland Born in Holstebro, Skoubo played for a number ...

(born 1980 in Holstebro) a retired footballer, over 300 club caps *

Jeppe Huldahl Jeppe Pape Huldahl (born 7 February 1982) is a Danish professional golfer who currently plays on the Challenge Tour. Huldahl was born in Holstebro, and lives in Copenhagen. He turned professional in 2003 and finished 4th at European Tour's fina ...

(born 1982 in Holstebro) a professional golfer, plays on the European Tour * Soren "Bjergsen" Bjerg (born 1996 in Holstebro) a professional video gamer, six-time LCS champion, plays for TSM

Twin towns – sister cities

Holstebro practices twinning on the municipal level. For the twin towns, see twin towns of Holstebro Municipality.

References

{{Authority control Municipal seats of the Central Denmark Region Municipal seats of Denmark Cities and towns in the Central Denmark Region Holstebro Municipality