Rudkøbing is a town in
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 ...
, on the western coast of the island of
Langeland
Langeland (, ) is a Danish island located between the Great Belt and Bay of Kiel. The island measures 285 km2 (c. 110 square miles) and, as of 1 January 2018, has a population of 12,446. . It is the seat of
Langeland Municipality, in the
Southern Denmark Region. The town is located southeast of
Svendborg
Svendborg () is a town on the island of Funen in south-central Denmark, and the seat of Svendborg Municipality. With a population of 27,616 (1 January 2025), Svendborg is Funen's second largest city.[Siø
Siø is a small Denmark, Danish island in the South Funen Archipelago between Tåsinge and Langeland. It is part of Langeland Municipality. With an area of 1.3 km2, as of 1 January 2014 it has a population of 16. Since 1681, a system of dykes ...]
through the
Siøsund Bridge.
History
The first mention of Rudkøbing was in 1287, when it was given
market town privileges by Duke
Valdemar IV of Schleswig, who held the title of ''rigsforstander'' (
da) under King
Eric VI Menved. The original
Rudkøbing Church was most likely built in the late 12th century or early 13th century. During the
Count's Feud
The Count's Feud (), sometimes referred to as the Count's War, was a Danish war of succession occurring from 1534 to 1536, which gave rise to the Reformation in Denmark. In the broader international context, it was a part of the European wars of ...
(1534–1536) and again during the
Dano-Swedish War (1658–1660)
The Dano-Swedish War of 1658–1660 was a war between Denmark–Norway and Sweden, with the former backed by the Dutch Republic and Poland. It is known in Denmark as the Second Karl Gustav War (), in Norway as Bjelkes Feud () in Sweden as Karl G ...
, Rudkøbing was under siege by Swedish troops. Both times, the town's
fortification
A fortification (also called a fort, fortress, fastness, or stronghold) is a military construction designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Lati ...
s prevented Rudkøbing from immediately falling, but the town eventually had to give in to the Swedes. The town was hit by the
Black Plague
The Black Death was a bubonic plague pandemic that occurred in Europe from 1346 to 1353. It was one of the list of epidemics, most fatal pandemics in human history; as many as people perished, perhaps 50% of Europe's 14th century population. ...
during the 16th and 17th centuries, and experienced fires in 1590 and 1610.
The
Ørsted family, which most notably includes the brothers
Hans Christian and
Anders Sandøe Ørsted
Anders Sandøe Ørsted (21 December 1778 – 1 May 1860) was a Danish lawyer, politician and jurist. He served as the Prime Minister of Denmark in 1853–1854.
Biography
He studied philosophy and law at the University of Copenhagen and was ...
, has its origins in Rudkøbing. Their father was a
pharmacist
A pharmacist, also known as a chemist in English in the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth English, is a healthcare professional who is knowledgeable about preparation, mechanism of action, clinical usage and legislation of medications in ...
, and the brothers were born in the old
pharmacy
Pharmacy is the science and practice of discovering, producing, preparing, dispensing, reviewing and monitoring medications, aiming to ensure the safe, effective, and affordable use of medication, medicines. It is a miscellaneous science as it ...
on Gåsetorvet. Across from their birth house is a statue of Hans Christian, and a statue of Anders is located at nearby Ørstedsparken, which is named in their honor. The old pharmacy remained in use until 2017.
Rudkøbing got its first proper harbor in 1826 (it had previously only had a
pier
A pier is a raised structure that rises above a body of water and usually juts out from its shore, typically supported by piling, piles or column, pillars, and provides above-water access to offshore areas. Frequent pier uses include fishing, b ...
). In 1898, in a town of about 3,500 people, there were 152 ships
based in Rudkøbing. Every year, over 2,500 ships (carrying over 18,000 metric tons of cargo) came in and over 2,800 ships (carrying over 11,500 metric tons of cargo) went out, mostly to and from elsewhere in Denmark. The town was connected by steam ferry routes to
Copenhagen
Copenhagen ( ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a population of 1.4 million in the Urban area of Copenhagen, urban area. The city is situated on the islands of Zealand and Amager, separated from Malmö, Sweden, by the ...
,
Korsør
Korsør is a town in Zealand (Denmark), Zealand, Denmark. It is located in Slagelse Municipality. Until 2007 Korsør was the seat of Korsør Municipality. The town is located west of Slagelse, north-west of Skælskør and connects to Nyborg thr ...
,
Marstal
Marstal () is a town in southern Denmark, located in Ærø Municipality on the island of Ærø. Marstal has a population of 2,077 (1 January 2024)[Svendborg
Svendborg () is a town on the island of Funen in south-central Denmark, and the seat of Svendborg Municipality. With a population of 27,616 (1 January 2025), Svendborg is Funen's second largest city.](_blank)[interwar period
In the history of the 20th century, the interwar period, also known as the interbellum (), lasted from 11 November 1918 to 1 September 1939 (20 years, 9 months, 21 days) – from the end of World War I (WWI) to the beginning of World War II ( ...]
, hovering above 4,000, with the census in 1930 recording a population of 4,129. The population peaked at 4,541 in 1950, and by 1965, it had fallen to 4,204. Around this time a suburb developed in , which eventually grew together with Rudkøbing.
Each year between 1991 and 2022, the town hosted
Langelandsfestivalen, a music festival which targeted families. Usually lasting 8 days, the festival had performances from both Danish and foreign musicians. The 2023 edition was canceled because of economic problems, and the company behind the festival filed for
bankruptcy
Bankruptcy is a legal process through which people or other entities who cannot repay debts to creditors may seek relief from some or all of their debts. In most jurisdictions, bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the deb ...
at the
Maritime and Commercial Court on 13 June 2023, after owner Allan K. Pedersen had unsuccessfully tried to find a new owner.
Rudkøbing was the seat of the former
Rudkøbing Municipality in
Funen County
Funen County () is a former county (Danish: '' amt'') in central Denmark, comprising the islands of Funen, Langeland, Tåsinge, Ærø, and approximately 90 other islands, of which only 25 are inhabited. The county was formed on 1 April 1970, com ...
, and is the seat of the current
Langeland Municipality in the
Southern Denmark Region. When Rudkøbing was its own municipality, there were often negotiations with the two other Langelandic municipalities of
Sydlangeland and
Tranekær to merge. These plans were repeatedly abandoned due to a lack of public support. In the
2007 Danish Municipal Reform
The Strukturreformen or ''Kommunalreformen'' ( ''English'': ''structural reform'') meant large changes to the administrative structure of local government in Denmark. The reforms reduced 271 municipalities to 98 and replaced 13 counties with 5 ...
, the three were forced together, and Rudkøbing has since been the municipal seat.
Transport
Bridges connecting Rudkøbing and Svendborg were built throughout the late 1950s and early 1960s, finishing in 1966. The old ferry route between the two towns gradually lost popularity due to the bridges, and the route was eventually ended. The ferry route to Marstal, which had been active since 1866, was closed in 2013, so that the only ferry on this route could be moved to the busy route between Marstal and Svendborg. The ferry route between Rudkøbing and Marstal opened again in December 2019.
The
Langeland Bridge
Langeland Bridge (Danish language, Danish, ''Langelandsbroen'') is a road bridge that connects the islands Langeland and Siø. From Siø a connection exists via Tåsinge to Funen.
It was built from 1960 to 1962.
Dimensions
The Langeland Bridge ...
was built between 1960 and 1962. It connects Rudkøbing and the rest of Langeland to the island of
Siø
Siø is a small Denmark, Danish island in the South Funen Archipelago between Tåsinge and Langeland. It is part of Langeland Municipality. With an area of 1.3 km2, as of 1 January 2014 it has a population of 16. Since 1681, a system of dykes ...
. Siø is further linked by the
Siøsund Bridge to
Tåsinge
Tåsinge () is a Danish island immediately south of Funen, opposite and facing Svendborg, divided from Funen by Svendborgsund.See detailed Denmark roadmap in References section. The island covers an area of circa . It is part of the South Funen ...
, and Tåsinge is linked by the
Svendborgsund Bridge
The Svendborg Sound Bridge (Svendborgsundbroen) is a bridge that crosses Svendborg Sound between the town of Svendborg on Fyn and Vindeby on the island of Tåsinge in Denmark. It is on the road to the island of Langeland
Langeland (, ) is ...
to
Svendborg
Svendborg () is a town on the island of Funen in south-central Denmark, and the seat of Svendborg Municipality. With a population of 27,616 (1 January 2025), Svendborg is Funen's second largest city.[Funen
Funen (, ), is the third-largest List of islands of Denmark, island of Denmark, after Zealand and North Jutlandic Island, Vendsyssel-Thy, with an area of . It is the List of islands by area, 165th-largest island in the world. It is located in th ...]
, making Rudkøbing accessible by road.
From 1911 to 1962, Rudkøbing was the main station of the Langeland rail network (). The network was connected to Svendborg in 1926, when a railway ferry route made it possible to move train wagons between Rudkøbing and the mainland of
Funen
Funen (, ), is the third-largest List of islands of Denmark, island of Denmark, after Zealand and North Jutlandic Island, Vendsyssel-Thy, with an area of . It is the List of islands by area, 165th-largest island in the world. It is located in th ...
.
Notable residents
Artists
*
Jens Christian Bay
Jens Christian Bay (October 12, 1871 – April 11, 1962) was a Danish American writer and librarian.
Biography
Jens Christian Bay was born in Rudkøbing, Denmark to Lars Hansen Bay (1828–1894) and Doris Oline Jørgine Christiansen (1828–1908 ...
(1871–1962), Danish American writer, bibliographer and librarian, who emigrated to the US in 1892.
*
Preben Lerdorff Rye
Preben Lerdorff Rye (23 May 1917 – 15 June 1995) was a Danish film actor. He appeared in 92 films between 1941 and 1989. He was born and died in Denmark.
Selected filmography
* '' The Child'' (1940) – Jurastuderende
* '' En ganske almind ...
(1917–1995), actor who appeared in 92 films
*
Bjørn Watt-Boolsen (1923–1998), actor who played several characters in the ''
Olsen-banden
The ''Olsen Gang'' (, ) is a Denmark, Danish comedy film series created by Danish director Erik Balling and special effects expert Henning Bahs about the eponymous fictional criminal gang. The gang's leader is the criminal genius and habitual o ...
'' films.
*
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau
Nikolaj William Coster-Waldau (; born 27 July 1970) is a Danish actor. He graduated from the Danish National School of Performing Arts in Copenhagen in 1993, and had his breakthrough role in Denmark with the film ''Nightwatch (1994 film), Night ...
(born 1970), actor who played
Jaime Lannister in the TV series ''
Game of Thrones
''Game of Thrones'' is an American Fantasy television, fantasy Drama (film and television), drama television series created by David Benioff and for HBO. It is an adaptation of ''A Song of Ice and Fire'', a series of high fantasy novels by ...
''.
Athletes
*
Ingrid Larsen (1912–1997), diver who competed in the
1932 Summer Olympics
The 1932 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the X Olympiad and also known as Los Angeles 1932) were an international multi-sport event held from July 30 to August 14, 1932, in Los Angeles, California, United States. The Games were held du ...
.
*
Hans Jørgen Boye (born 1942), retired rower who competed in the
1964 Summer Olympics
The , officially the and commonly known as Tokyo 1964 (), were an international multi-sport event held from 10 to 24 October 1964 in Tokyo, Japan. Tokyo had been awarded the organization of the 1940 Summer Olympics, but this honor was subseq ...
.
Politicians and public thinkers
*
Erik Bredal (1608–1672), Danish-born Norwegian
Lutheran
Lutheranism is a major branch of Protestantism that emerged under the work of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German friar and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practices of the Catholic Church launched ...
bishop.
*
Otto Fabricius (1744–1822),
missionary
A missionary is a member of a Religious denomination, religious group who is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Thoma ...
, naturalist,
ethnographer
Ethnography is a branch of anthropology and the systematic study of individual cultures. It explores cultural phenomena from the point of view of the subject of the study. Ethnography is also a type of social research that involves examining ...
, and
explorer
Exploration is the process of exploring, an activity which has some Expectation (epistemic), expectation of Discovery (observation), discovery. Organised exploration is largely a human activity, but exploratory activity is common to most organis ...
of Greenland.
*
Anders Sandøe Ørsted
Anders Sandøe Ørsted (21 December 1778 – 1 May 1860) was a Danish lawyer, politician and jurist. He served as the Prime Minister of Denmark in 1853–1854.
Biography
He studied philosophy and law at the University of Copenhagen and was ...
(1778–1860), politician and jurist, who served as
Prime Minister of Denmark
The prime minister of Denmark (, , ) is the head of government in the Kingdom of Denmark comprising the three constituent countries: Denmark, Greenland and the Faroe Islands. Before the creation of the modern office, the kingdom did not init ...
1853–1854.
*
Mads Johansen Lange (1807–1856), nicknamed the ''King of Bali'', Danish trader, entrepreneur, and
peace maker on Bali. Several of his descendants visited Rudkøbing in 2011, including
Tunku Abu Bakar, first cousin of sultan
Ibrahim Iskandar of
Johor
Johor, also spelled Johore,'' is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Malaysia in the south of the Malay Peninsula. It borders with Pahang, Malacca and Negeri Sembilan to the north. Johor has maritime borders with Singapore ...
.
Scientists
*
Hans Christian Ørsted
Hans Christian Ørsted (; 14 August 1777 – 9 March 1851), sometimes Transliteration, transliterated as Oersted ( ), was a Danish chemist and physicist who discovered that electric currents create magnetic fields. This phenomenon is known as ...
(1777–1851), physicist and chemist who discovered that
electric currents create magnetic fields, known for
Oersted's law
In electromagnetism, Ørsted's law, (also spelled Oersted's law), is the physical law stating that an electric current creates a magnetic field.
This was discovered on 21 April 1820 by Danish physicist Hans Christian Ørsted (1777–1851),H ...
*
Anders Sandøe Ørsted
Anders Sandøe Ørsted (21 December 1778 – 1 May 1860) was a Danish lawyer, politician and jurist. He served as the Prime Minister of Denmark in 1853–1854.
Biography
He studied philosophy and law at the University of Copenhagen and was ...
(1816–1872), botanist,
mycologist
Mycology is the branch of biology concerned with the study of fungi, including their taxonomy, genetics, biochemical properties, and use by humans. Fungi can be a source of tinder, food, traditional medicine, as well as entheogens, poison, and ...
, zoologist and
marine biologist
Marine biology is the scientific study of the biology of marine life, organisms that inhabit the sea. Given that in biology many phyla, families and genera have some species that live in the sea and others that live on land, marine biology clas ...
.
*
Marianne Schroll
Marianne Schroll née Bruun (born 1942) is a Danish specialist in geriatric medicine. As head of the Danish Geriatrics Society (Dansk Selskab for Geriatri) from 1986 to 1992, she has played a key role in promoting interest in the ailments of elderl ...
(born 1942), specialist in
geriatric medicine
Geriatrics, or geriatric medicine, is a medical specialty focused on addressing the unique health needs of older adults. The term ''geriatrics'' originates from the Greek γέρων ''geron'' meaning "old man", and ιατρός ''iatros'' meani ...
Gallery
Image:Rudkøbing - Gåsetorvet ved Brogade.JPG, Statue of Hans Christian Ørsted
Hans Christian Ørsted (; 14 August 1777 – 9 March 1851), sometimes Transliteration, transliterated as Oersted ( ), was a Danish chemist and physicist who discovered that electric currents create magnetic fields. This phenomenon is known as ...
on Gåsetorvet.
File:H.C. Ørsted - Rudkøbing.jpg, Closeup of the Ørsted statue on Gåsetorvet.
File:Rudkoebing 1900.jpg, Map of Rudkøbing in 1900. Note the archaic spelling of the town's name.
File:Rudkøbing - Langelandsbroen.JPG, The Langeland Bridge
Langeland Bridge (Danish language, Danish, ''Langelandsbroen'') is a road bridge that connects the islands Langeland and Siø. From Siø a connection exists via Tåsinge to Funen.
It was built from 1960 to 1962.
Dimensions
The Langeland Bridge ...
, as seen from Rudkøbing.
File:RudkøbingBanegårdVejside.JPG, The old railway station in Rudkøbing.
File:Rudkøbing Kirke 2007.jpg, Rudkøbing Church.
External links
Rudkøbing on danmarkshistorien.dk(in Danish)
Dansk Center for Byhistorie – Rudkøbing
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rudkobing
Municipal seats of the Region of Southern Denmark
Municipal seats of Denmark
Cities and towns in the Region of Southern Denmark
Langeland Municipality