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Nexø, sometimes spelled Neksø, is a town on the east coast of the
Baltic Baltic may refer to: Peoples and languages *Baltic languages, a subfamily of Indo-European languages, including Lithuanian, Latvian and extinct Old Prussian *Balts (or Baltic peoples), ethnic groups speaking the Baltic languages and/or originatin ...
island of
Bornholm Bornholm () is a List of islands of Denmark, 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. I ...
,
Denmark Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...
. With a population of 3,657 (as of 1 January 2025), it is the second largest town, as well as the largest fishing port on the island. Fishing was previously the mainstay of the town's economy. Nexø is also the site of a distillery (Bornholmske Spiritfabrik ApS) and a mustard factory (Bornholmersennep ApS). The town is also a port of call for the passenger ferries linking Bornholm with
Kołobrzeg Kołobrzeg (; ; ) is a port and spa city in the West Pomeranian Voivodeship in north-western Poland with about 47,000 inhabitants (). Kołobrzeg is located on the Parsęta River on the south coast of the Baltic Sea (in the middle of the section ...
in
Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...
. Dueodde, the largest beach on Bornholm, is located south of Nexø, in the southeastern corner of the island.


Etymology

"Nexø" is possibly a combination of the
Old Norse Old Norse, also referred to as Old Nordic or Old Scandinavian, was a stage of development of North Germanic languages, North Germanic dialects before their final divergence into separate Nordic languages. Old Norse was spoken by inhabitants ...
elements "nøkke", meaning Nix or water spirit, and "sæ" (sea). It was first documented in 1346 as ''Nexe''."Nexø"
''Den Store Danske''. Retrieved 11 November 2012.


History

Nexø originated as a fishing village for the parish of Bodilsker with a chapel attached to St Bodil's Church. In 1346, it was granted rights as a market town, dealing in both the herring trade and in agricultural products. Over the centuries the town has suffered a number of disasters. The
Lübeck Lübeck (; or ; Latin: ), officially the Hanseatic League, Hanseatic City of Lübeck (), is a city in Northern Germany. With around 220,000 inhabitants, it is the second-largest city on the German Baltic Sea, Baltic coast and the second-larg ...
ers burned the town in 1510, in 1563 most of the inhabitants died from the plague and in 1645 it was plundered by 500 Swedish soldiers. In 1756 there was another serious fire and in 1872 a storm damaged the harbour. Around 1800, the town became Bornholm's administrative centre. In 1806, 21 ships and 47 boats were registered with Nexø as their home port. In 1879, a new harbour basin was completed and, in 1892, Denmark's first communal drydock was opened. There were a number of subsequent extensions to the harbour facilities."Nexø som helhed"
Bornholm: Atlas over byer, bygninger og miljøer. Retrieved 11 November 2012.
The 19th century also saw the development of ship building, the foundation of an iron foundry (1864) and of the Østbornholmske Dampskibsselskab (East Bornholm Steamship Company) which operated a regular service to Copenhagen from 1877. At the end of
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, on 7 and 8 May 1945, Nexø (like
Rønne Rønne () is the largest town on the Denmark, Danish island of Bornholm in the Baltic Sea. It has a population of 13,675 (1 January 2025). It was a municipality in its own right from 1970 until 2002, when Bornholm was a Bornholm County, county (D ...
) was bombed by
Soviet The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
aircraft when Gerhard von Kamptz, the commander of the
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...
forces occupying Bornholm, refused to surrender, causing total destruction of the town centre on the harbour and the main square. To ease the ensuing housing problem, the Swedish State donated 175 wooden houses to the town. The Soviets had alerted the civilian population in advance, therefore the air raid only resulted in ten fatalities. Although the rest of Denmark had been liberated on 4 May, the
Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army, often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Republic and, from 1922, the Soviet Union. The army was established in January 1918 by a decree of the Council of People ...
occupied Bornholm from 9 May 1945 to 5 April 1946, when an agreement was reached with the Danish authorities and the island finally came under Danish rule once more. Between 1900 and 1968, a railway connected Nexø with Rønne, the island's largest town. The old station building at Rønne is still preserved, whilst Nexø is now host to a railway museum. The former Nexø Municipality (1970–2002) covered an area of with a population of 8,558, but is now included in
Bornholm Municipality 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 ...
. The
Hyundai Nexo The Hyundai Nexo () is a hydrogen fuel cell powered crossover SUV that was revealed at the 2018 Consumer Electronics Show on January 8, 2018. Replacing the Hyundai Tucson FCEV, the Nexo is the flagship for Hyundai's "eco car" portfolio. The ca ...
is named after the city.


Landmarks

Nexø Church, dating back to the late Middle Ages, stands out with its half-timbered tower and copper spire. In the 18th century, it was enlarged as a result of Nexø's prosperity from exporting fish and sandstone to Copenhagen. It has recently been renovated and redecorated. Nexø Museum in the harbour area is housed in a historic sandstone building from 1796 which was the town hall until 1856 when it was replaced with a new building in Købmagergade. Around 1890, an extra storey was added. The museum opened in 1970. Exhibitions include coverage of the German occupation, the Soviet bombing and occupation after the war. There are documents and artefacts from Nexø's earlier businesses, including its sandstone quarry and the old brewery. The Bornholm Railway Museum recreates the atmosphere of an old station with exhibits from Bornholm's railways which operated from 1900 to 1968. Of particular interest is a renovated mail car. Nexø is home to Bornholm Butterfly Park where over a thousand brightly coloured butterflies fly around in a former hothouse."Bornholm Butterfly Part"
, Enjoy Bornholm. Retrieved 11 November 2012.


The town today

The town is centred on the harbour and the shopping area. Activity in the harbour area has increasingly moved away from fish processing to be replaced by new businesses, stores, and restaurants. Retail businesses in Nexø have benefitted from a growing number of tourists from the summer house developments to the south as well as from a reduction in facilities in the surrounding villages. There is a pleasant shopping area between the central square and the harbour. Nexø's services include a large school, library, an old people's home and various sports facilities."202 - Nexø"
, Bornholms Regionskommune. Retrieved 11 November 2012.


Surrounding area

To the south of Nexø there are the beach resorts of Balka, Snogebæk and Dueodde, all famous for their fine white sand. Snogebæk has an attractive little harbour area while Dueodde is home to the island's tallest lighthouse.


Twin towns

*
Kołobrzeg Kołobrzeg (; ; ) is a port and spa city in the West Pomeranian Voivodeship in north-western Poland with about 47,000 inhabitants (). Kołobrzeg is located on the Parsęta River on the south coast of the Baltic Sea (in the middle of the section ...
,
Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...
*
Darłowo Darłowo (; ; ) is a seaside town on the Slovincian Coast of north-western Poland, south of the Baltic Sea, with 13,324 inhabitants as of December 2021. Administratively, it is located in Sławno County in West Pomeranian Voivodeship. The earlie ...
,
Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...


Gallery

File:Bornholm - Nexø Kirke.jpg, Nexø Church File:Nexo Gamle Rogeri - 2018.jpg, The old smokehouse File:Bornholm - Nexø Museum2.jpg, Nexø Museum File:Aasen, Nexø - gadeparti5.jpg, Street scene File:Nexø, Købmagergade 33, Amtsgården, 2019-07-27, yj.jpg, Nexø, Købmagergade, Amtsgården File:Bakkemøllen i Nexø.jpg, Bakkemøllen File:Bornholm - Nexø Havn.jpg, Harbour File:Dueodde-beach.jpg, Dueodde beach


References


External links


Official Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nexo Cities and towns in the Capital Region of Denmark Former municipalities of Denmark Port cities and towns of the Baltic Sea Bornholm