Assens () is a town with a population of 6,050 (1 January 2022)BY3: Population 1. January by rural and 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 ...

on the west coast of the island of

Funen Funen ( da, Fyn, ), with an area of , is the third-largest island of Denmark, after Zealand and Vendsyssel-Thy. It is the 165th-largest island in the world. It is located in the central part of the country and has a population of 469,947 as of ...

on the eastern side of the

Little Belt The Little Belt (, ) is a strait between the island of Funen and the Jutland Peninsula in Denmark. It is one of the three Danish Straits that drain and connect the Baltic Sea to the Kattegat strait, which drains west to the North Sea and Atlant ...

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 = Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark ...

. By road, Assens is located southwest of

Odense Odense ( , , ) is the third largest city in Denmark (behind Copenhagen and Aarhus) and the largest city on the island of Funen. As of 1 January 2022, the city proper had a population of 180,863 while Odense Municipality had a population of 20 ...

, northwest of

Faaborg Faaborg or Fåborg () is an old port town located on Faaborg Fjord in Faaborg-Midtfyn municipality on the island of Funen in Denmark. By road, Faaborg is located southwest of Odense, west-northwest of Svendborg, and roughly southeast of Midde ...

, and southeast of

Middelfart Middelfart is a town in central Denmark, with a population of 16,277 . The town is the municipal seat of Middelfart Municipality on the island of Funen ( da, Fyn). Etymology The name Middelfart, first recorded as "Mæthælfar" in Valdemar's Cen ...

. Assens is the municipal seat of Assens Municipality in

Region of Southern Denmark The Region of Southern Denmark ( da, Region Syddanmark, ; german: Region Süddänemark, ; frr, Regiuun Syddanmark) is an administrative Regions of Denmark, region of Denmark established on Monday 1 January 2007 as part of the 2007 Danish Munici ...

. It was the birthplace of sculptor Jens Adolf Jerichau who married the well-known portraitist

Elisabeth Jerichau-Baumann Anna Maria Elisabeth Lisinska Jerichau-Baumann (21 November 1819 – 11 July 1881) was a Polish-Danish painter. She was married to the sculptor Jens Adolf Jerichau. Early life and career Elisabeth Jerichau-Baumann was born in Żoliborz (Fr ...

; both artists' works are exhibited at the local art museum, Vestfyns Kunstmuseum.

Etymology

In the

Danish Census Book The Danish Census Book or the Danish book of land taxation ( la, Liber Census Daniæ), ( da, Kong Valdemars Jordebog) dates from the 13th century and consists of a number of separate manuscripts. The original manuscripts are now housed in the Da ...

from the 13th century, Assens is listed with the name ''Asnæs'', which means a

promontory A promontory is a raised mass of land that projects into a lowland or a body of water (in which case it is a peninsula). Most promontories either are formed from a hard ridge of rock that has resisted the erosive forces that have removed the so ...

overgrown with

ash trees ''Fraxinus'' (), commonly called ash, is a genus of flowering plants in the olive and lilac family, Oleaceae. It contains 45–65 species of usually medium to large trees, mostly deciduous, though a number of subtropical species are e ...

History

Assens is located on the site of an old ferry landing linking Funen and the south of

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 ...

. A bay provided a natural harbour while the Little Belt encouraged trade and transport. It probably became a

market town A market town is a settlement most common in Europe that obtained by custom or royal charter, in the Middle Ages, a market right, which allowed it to host a regular market; this distinguished it from a village or city. In Britain, small rural ...

in the 13th century. The ferry, which probably originated in the

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 a ...

, became particularly significant in the 16th century with sizeable cattle exports. The town was hard hit by the Swedish Wars in the 17th century, causing a reduction in trade. It nevertheless continued to be the main ferry link between Jutland and Funen. Prosperity returned at the end of the 18th century, increasing in the 19th century after a new harbour was completed in 1822. However the railway to

in 1865 provided considerable competition but the town suffered above all from the discontinuation of the ferry service after

Southern Jutland Southern Jutland ( da, Sønderjylland; German: Südjütland) is the name for the region south of the Kongeå in Jutland, Denmark and north of the Eider (river) in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. The region north of the Kongeå is called da, Nørr ...

was lost to the Germans in 1864. At the end of the 19th century, there were few industries in Assens, the main source of income still being trade and crafts. In 1884, however, the railway to

Tommerup Tommerup is a town in central Denmark with a population of 1,545 (1 January 2022),Odense Odense ( , , ) is the third largest city in Denmark (behind Copenhagen and Aarhus) and the largest city on the island of Funen. As of 1 January 2022, the city proper had a population of 180,863 while Odense Municipality had a population of 20 ...

and in 1885, the harbour was extended with a new dock. A sugar factory was established, providing over 300 jobs by the end of the century. There was also a marked increase in population. With reunification after the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, the ferry to Southern Jutland was reopened and ran until 1972. The sugar factory remained the main source of employment but a number of smaller metal foundries and food companies were established. Like most of Funen's other towns, Assens remained in the shadow of Odense, recording only modest growth. Its population grew only slightly, from around 4,600 in 1901 to 5,800 in 2004.

Economy

Today the town still has a small shipyard, a few metallurgical and chemical factories and the Vestfyen brewery. The sugar factory was closed in 2006. In 2007, the public sector benefited from Assens position as the seat of the new Assens Municipality. Companies headquartered in Assens Municipality include the

Carl Hansen & Søn Carl Hansen & Søn is a family-owned Danish furniture company based on the island of Funen. Carl Hansen & Søn is the company behind many classical furniture designs by leading figures of the Danish modern movement but the company is also collabor ...

furniture manufacturer in Aarup.

Landmarks

Assens Church (''Vor Frue Kirke'') is the second largest church building on the island of Funen. Built in the 15th century on the site of a former Romanesque church, the red-brick building was comprehensively restored in the 19th century. It bears the influence of north German

Gothic architecture Gothic architecture (or pointed architecture) is an architectural style that was prevalent in Europe from the late 12th to the 16th century, during the High and Late Middle Ages, surviving into the 17th and 18th centuries in some areas. It e ...

. The tower with its octagonal base and spire is in height. The

altarpiece An altarpiece is an artwork such as a painting, sculpture or relief representing a religious subject made for placing at the back of or behind the altar of a Christian church. Though most commonly used for a single work of art such as a painting o ...

and

pulpit A pulpit is a raised stand for preachers in a Christian church. The origin of the word is the Latin ''pulpitum'' (platform or staging). The traditional pulpit is raised well above the surrounding floor for audibility and visibility, access ...

are from the 17th century. Willemoesgården, one of the oldest houses in the town, was the birthplace of

Peter Willemoes Peter Willemoes (11 May 1783 – 22 March 1808) was a Danish naval officer. He fell in the Battle of Zealand Point. He is commemorated by a statue on the harbourfront in his native town of Assens. Early life and education Willemoes was born ...

(1783–1808) who became a celebrity after heroic action in the Battle of Copenhagen. The building is now a museum with exhibits on the history of the town and its seafaring heritage. Assens Marina with 600 berths including a quay for visitors is located next to the local camping facility and sports centre with shops and a restaurant. It is open from May until the end of August.

Notable people

* Peder Lauridsen Kylling (c. 1640 in Assens – 1696) a Danish botanist *

Christian Thomsen Carl Christian Thomsen Carl, Christian Thomasen Carl, Christian Thomæsen Carl, Christian Thomesen Carl, Christen Thomasen Carl or Christen Thomesen Carl, in German tradition Carlson or Karlson, rarely Carlsen (born 1676 in Assens, Funen - died 29 Marc ...

(1676 in Assens - 1713) a Danish naval officer * Hans Næss (1723 in Næs – 1795) a Danish neoclassical architect of manor houses *

Steen Andersen Bille The name of Steen Andersen Bille is closely associated with one extended family of Danish naval officers over several generations. In a direct line from one Vice-Commandant of the City of Copenhagen in the later 17th century, a long list of disting ...

(1751 in Assens – 1833) a Danish naval officer, became an Admiral *

(1783 in Assens – 1808) a Danish naval officer, said to be of indominitable good cheer, courage and good looks * Hans Brøchner Bruun (1793-1863) merchant and politician, chaired Town Council 1839/1857 *

Carl Christian Rafn Carl Christian Rafn (January 16, 1795 – October 20, 1864) was a Danish historian, translator and antiquarian. His scholarship to a large extent focused on translation of Old Norse literature and related Northern European ancient history. He wa ...

(1795 in Brahesborg, near Assens – 1864) an historian, translator and antiquarian *

Benny Cederfeld de Simonsen Benny Sophie Caroline Andrea Cederfeld de Simonsen née Treschow (1865–1952) was a Danish peace activist. She is remembered as an effective member of ''Danske Kvinders Fredskæde'', the Danish branch of the Women's International League for Peace ...

(1865 in Brahesborg, near Assens – 1952) a Danish peace activist. *

John Eriksen John Hartmann Eriksen (20 November 1957 – 12 February 2002) was a Danish footballer who played as a striker. He scored 319 league goals over the course of 15 seasons. He played in four countries, namely his native Denmark, the Netherlands, F ...

(1957 in Assens – 2002) a Danish footballer, 479 caps and 17 caps for

The Arts

Jes Bundsen Jes Bundsen (16 September 1766 – 22 September 1829) was a Danish architectural and landscape painter and etcher. Life Bundsen was born in Assens in 1766. He attended the Academy of Copenhagen in 1786, and then studied in Dresden, after whic ...

(1766 in Assens – 1829) a Danish landscape painter and etcher *

Dankvart Dreyer Dankvart Dreyer (13 June 1816 – 4 November 1852) was a Danish landscape painter of the Copenhagen School of painters who was educated under the guidance of Christoffer Wilhelm Eckersberg. Around 1840, he was part of the emerging National Romanti ...

(1816 in Assens – 1852) a landscape painter of the Copenhagen School * Jens Adolf Jerichau (1816 in Assens – 1883) a sculptor, moved away from

Neoclassicism Neoclassicism (also spelled Neo-classicism) was a Western cultural movement in the decorative and visual arts, literature, theatre, music, and architecture that drew inspiration from the art and culture of classical antiquity. Neoclassicism was ...

* Thorvald Niss (1842 in Assens – 1905) a landscape painter, joined the

Skagen Painters The Skagen Painters ( da, Skagensmalerne) were a group of Scandinavian artists who gathered in the village of Skagen, the northernmost part of Denmark, from the late 1870s until the turn of the century. Skagen was a summer destination whose scen ...

Kirsten Passer Kirsten Passer (13 March 1930 – 22 March 2012) was a Danish film actress. She appeared in 29 films between 1955 and 1976. She was born in Nårup, Denmark. She is the sister of Danish actor Dirch Passer. Filmography * '' Brand-Børge ryk ...

(1930 in Nårup – 2012) a Danish film actress IMDb Database
retrieved 09 May 2020 * Peter Brandes (born 1944 in Assens) a painter, sculptor, ceramic artist and photographer * Anne Øland (1949 in Assens – 2015) a Danish concert pianist and educator

References

External links

Assens municipal & CitySatellite map from Google Maps
{{Authority control Assens Municipality Municipal seats of the Region of Southern Denmark Municipal seats of Denmark Cities and towns in the Region of Southern Denmark Populated places in Funen