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Aarhus

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: European Geography

   CAPTION: Aarhus, Denmark

   Location in Denmark
   Population
   (2006-01-03)
    - City
    - Metropolitan
    - Density (city/met)
   296,368 Århus municipality: 468 km²
   urban area 739,013. 5060 km² eastern part of region midtjylland 1 jan
   2007
   Time zone Central European: UTC+1
   Latitude
   Longitude 56°09' N
   10°13' E

   Aarhus ( Danish pronunciation ) also commonly known by its contemporary
   Danish spelling Århus, is the second largest city and the principal
   port of Denmark situated on the peninsula of Jutland. Aarhus is the
   seat of the council of both Aarhus municipality and Aarhus County and
   claims the unofficial title "Capital of Jutland".

Demographics

   Aarhus city holds almost 300.000 citizens, but within a 30 minute
   drive, there are around 700.000 inhabitants making it the second most
   populated area in Denmark after the Copenhagen area. Aarhus will be a
   part of the new Region Midtjylland beginning 01 Jan 2007. Aarhus is the
   largest city in the region and will be the natural economic and
   cultural focal point of the area. The new region will hold 1,219,741
   inhabitants and Aarhus is expected to change a lot in the coming years
   because of the influx of people moving to the city from surrounding
   areas. Aarhus has issued a highrise policy for the city to accommodate
   new apartments being built for the many new inhabitants. Already about
   70 highrises, 10 stories and higher are being planned, and plans for
   many more are under way. Aarhus is the fastest growing city in Denmark,
   with approximately 2,500 new inhabitants every year. In 1980, the city
   had 245,000 inhabitants. Today that number nearly surpasses 300,000.
   The built up area around Aarhus is more or less from Skanderborg in the
   south to Studstrup in the north - about 40 km from north to south.

Geography

   Aerial photo of Aarhus from the south. In the centre Aarhus Domkirke is
   visible.
   Enlarge
   Aerial photo of Aarhus from the south. In the centre Aarhus Domkirke is
   visible.

   The city lies roughly in the geographical centre of the kingdom on the
   relatively sparsely populated peninsula of Jutland with large natural
   areas and preserves nearby. Forests expand from the south into the city
   within just a kilometre of the city centre. The city is practically
   built around the harbour which is predominantly industrial, although a
   large recreational marina is situated south of it as an extension.

   While some of the highest points of Denmark are close to the city, the
   general landscape is typically flat with large swathes of farmland
   interspersed with forests and meadows. The coastline consists mostly of
   sandy beaches, but stony areas are not uncommon. The immediate coastal
   regions are not heavily populated due to a national policy of keeping
   residences inland rather than crowding the coast.

   The city lies at the junction of railway lines from all parts of the
   country in a low-lying, fertile, and well-wooded district. To the
   southwest (about 21 km by rail), sits a picturesque region that
   contains the Gudenå. Several larger lakes extend west from the railway
   junction of Skanderborg and rise to heights exceeding 152 metres in the
   Himmelbjerget. The railway traverses this pleasant district of moorland
   and woodland to Silkeborg, a modern town in one of the most attractive
   areas in the kingdom.

Culture

   The "Spanish Stairs" in the city centre by the Århus å.
   Enlarge
   The "Spanish Stairs" in the city centre by the Århus å.

   Aarhus is a centre for education on the peninsula of Jutland drawing
   students from a large area, especially from the western and southern
   parts of the peninsula. The relatively large influx of young people and
   students creates a natural base for cultural activities and there are
   many cafes - around 500 in the city - as well as discoteques, cinemas,
   museums, amusement parks and various other venues of entertainment.
   Each year the town hosts several festivals and concerts including
   Aarhus International Jazz Festival and Aarhus Festuge the biggest
   festival in Scandinavia.

   One major tourist attraction in Aarhus is The Old Town ( Danish: Den
   Gamle By), which is not actually an old part of the city itself, but a
   collection of historic Danish buildings gathered from all around the
   country. The old town was recently ranked one of the 3 best tourist
   attractions in Denmark in the same category as Tivoli and Legoland. The
   city also hosts the Tivoli Friheden amusement park as well as the Deer
   Park situated in the large nearby public forest.

   Architecturally impressive sights include the 13th century cathedral in
   the centre of the city; Århus Domkirke is the tallest cathedral in
   Denmark, as well as the second tallest in Northern Europe, being only
   1.5 ft shorter than its counterpart in Trondheim. The Aarhus City Hall
   is a uniquely designed building drawn by renowned architect Arne
   Jacobsen, located in the city centre. The city hall is included in the
   national educational canon for culture as an example of important
   architectural work.

   There are many museums scattered around the city with ARoS being the
   newest and largest featuring daily exhibits of contemporary art. Other
   museums include Aarhus kunstbygning also featuring mostly contemporary
   art, Frihedsmuseet focusing on the occupation and resistance movement
   during World War II and Kvindemuseet mainly showcasing feminist history
   and culture.
   The Old Town of Aarhus.
   Enlarge
   The Old Town of Aarhus.

   Being a comparably large Danish city, Aarhus has received a fair share
   of immigrants from various other cultures and is as such also home to
   one of the few ghettos in Denmark, Gellerup. The international cultures
   present in the community are an obvious and visible part of the city's
   daily life and contribute to many cultural flavours uncommon for the
   North, such as the Arabic themed Bazar West, a market with shopkeepers
   predominantly of foreign descent.

   The city has an active and visible gay and lesbian community which the
   city officially attempts to promote and nurture. The Aarhus Festuge
   festival usually includes several exhibits, concerts or events
   specifically designed for these communities. There are several clubs,
   discos and cafes aimed at gays and lesbians: Danish D-lite (sports),
   Diskotek Blender (disco) or Gaia Vandreklub (hiking club) are a few
   examples. The mood in the city is generally relaxed towards group
   minorities of varying persuasions and safety and security is generally
   very good.

   It is common for tourist brochures and local politicians to refer to
   the town with the tongue-in-cheek slogan "The worlds smallest big city"
   reflecting the fact that the city has everything a city needs while
   unquestionably not a metropolis. Another popular, and perhaps better
   known phrase to describe the city, is "City of Smiles" - a slogan first
   coined by the city council in the 1930s as an advertising slogan, and
   which subsequently is used widely in popular culture today.

Sports

   In the southern-Aarhus Marselisborg Park, the sports centre named
   Atletion is located, comprising of athletics and football NRGi Park and
   indoor sports NRGi Arena. Several sport clubs have their home ground in
   Atletion, including Aarhus Gymnastik Forening, the top league football
   team, and Aarhus GF handball team, the 1960 European Cup runner-up.

   Aarhus (and especially Atletion) has served or will serve as the host
   of many sport events in recents years including:
     * 2002 European Women's Handball Championship
     * 2005 European Table Tennis Championships
     * Denmark Open in badminton
     * UCI Women's Road Cycling World Cup
     * 2006 World Orienteering Championships
     * 2006 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships
     * GF World Cup; the world's largest handball tournament for women
     * dancesport IDSF World Standard 2006

Education

   University of Aarhus.
   Enlarge
   University of Aarhus.

   The town is home to the University of Aarhus, Aarhus School of
   Business, Aarhus Technical College and the University College of Aarhus
   and several other high-end educational centres. It is possible to
   receive higher educational levels within many areas, from engineering
   and dentistry to language and theology. The educational institutions
   are key elements of the social life of the city and play a large role
   in many cultural events throughout the year.

   The University of Aarhus is divided into 5 faculties: Humanities,
   Health Sciences, Social Sciences, Theology and Science. There are at
   any given time approximately 40.000 students in city and 21,000
   students at the university with approx. 5,000 new students per year.
   Every year the university educates some 2,000 masters and another 2,000
   bachelors.

Politics

   The Århus City Hall.
   Enlarge
   The Århus City Hall.

   The city council consists of 31 members elected for 4-year terms.
   Anybody eligible to vote and residing in Aarhus municipality can run
   for a seat on the city council. After elections have determined the
   members of the city council, the council elects a mayor, 2 deputy
   mayors and 5 councilmen. The current Mayor of Aarhus is Nicolai Wammen
   of the Social Democrats elected by the city council after the 2005
   municipal elections.

   The city is divided into 6 minor administrative bodies which together
   constitute the magistrate led by the mayor and the 5 elected councilmen
   as political and administrative directors. The 6 magistrate departments
   of the city are the “Mayor’s Magistrate”, “Social and Employment
   Magistrate”, “Technology and Environment Magistrate”, “Health and
   Social Magistrate”, “Culture and Service Magistrate” and “Children and
   Youth Magistrate” and handle all the day-to-day operations of the city.

   City council meetings are held every second week and the first part of
   the meetings are usually open for interested observers, be it tourists
   or locals. The second part is usually closed for spectators. Aarhus is
   also the seat of Aarhus Municipality and Aarhus County which arguably
   gives the city some control over a sizable area of its surroundings.

Industry and business

   The harbour is one of the largest industrial harbours in northern
   Europe and the largest in Denmark. The facilities are very modern and
   handle some 10.000.000 tons of cargo per year. Much agricultural
   produce is exported, while coal and iron are among the chief imports.
   The harbour itself is maintained by Århus Stevedore Kompagni A/S
   originally based in Aarhus but currently operating several harbours
   around the world.

   The region is a major producer of agricultural products with many large
   farms in the outlying districts. Cattle, pork and grain are the main
   products with a sizable related refinement industry present. Computer
   and technology heavy industries are mainly focused in the urban areas
   with an abundance of small and medium sized IT and service companies
   dotting the city centre.

   The Ceres Brewery, part of Royal Unibrew, is based in Aarhus and was
   originally founded here as well. It is a well-known Danish beer brand
   exported mainly to Germany, Poland and the United Kingdom.

History

   Picture from Viking rally at the Moesgaard Museum, Aarhus.
   Enlarge
   Picture from Viking rally at the Moesgaard Museum, Aarhus.

   The town is relatively old. The bishopric dates back at least from 951,
   and archaeological findings date back some 1300 years to viking times.
   The city itself is presumably older than 770 AD, making Aarhus the
   oldest big city in Scandinavia. The favorable central position of the
   city within Denmark afforded it trade from Germany, the Baltic
   countries, the greater peninsula of Jutland and the communities on the
   many smaller islands in its vicinity, which meant that trade always had
   a great significance to the town - a significance which is still true
   today.

   The city didn't outgrow Randers until the late 1800s and Aalborg
   remained the largest city on the peninsula until the 1920s. The
   relatively fast, albeit late, growth of the city can be ascribed to the
   general tendencies of moving from rural to urban areas during the
   industrial revolution. Industrialisation meant that proximity to trade
   routes became more important giving the harbour city some advantages
   over other nearby cities as new industries came into existence.

The name

   In medieval times, the city was called Arus, and in Icelandic
   chronicles, it was known as Áróss. It is a compound of the two words
   ār, genitive of ā "river" (Modern Danish å) and ōss "mouth" (obsolete
   in Modern Danish; in Modern Icelandic this word is still used for
   "river delta"). The city is located on the mouth of the small river,
   Århus Å.

   Through regular sound development, Medieval Danish Arus became Aars or
   Oes, a form which persisted in the dialects of the surrounding parishes
   until the 20th century. In 1406 Aarhus became prevalent in the written
   sources, and gradually became the norm in the 17th century. Aarhus is
   probably a remodelling after the numerous Low German place names in
   -husen, possibly as a result of the influence of German merchants.

   The city is mentioned the first time by Adam of Bremen who mentions
   that "Reginbrand, bishop of the church of Aarhus (Harusam)"
   participates in a church meeting in the city of Ingelham in Germany.

Viking times

   The oldest archaeological findings in Aarhus are glass pearls which
   date to the end of the 7th century. Half buried Long houses, used both
   as homes and workshops for the Vikings have also been found.In the
   houses and the adjoining archaeological layers, combs, jewelry and
   basic multi-purpose tools have been found that indicate the settlement
   is from approximately year 900. Digs in the spring of 2005 revealed a
   so-called city-ditch from the year 850 which might have marked the
   trade centre upon which the city is built.

   The finding of six rune stones in and around Aarhus indicates the city
   had some significance around year 1000 as only wealthy nobles
   traditionally used them.

1600-1700

   The city seal from 1421 and 1608
   Enlarge
   The city seal from 1421 and 1608

   During the wars of the 17th century, it is probable that the city
   suffered a great deal. Fortifications still exist south of the city as
   a reminder of the German imperial campaigns between 1627 and 1629. In
   1644, Sweden taxed the city harshly and between 1657 and 1659, it was
   occupied by Swedish troops on several occasions.

   In spite of these and other misfortunes, such as plague and city-wide
   fires, Aarhus was still quite a significant city in Denmark due to its
   favourable geographical position which was of significant importance
   for trading. Trade came mainly from the inland of Jutland but also from
   Norway, Lübeck, Amsterdam, England, France and Spain. In the middle of
   the 18th century the trade fleet consisted of approximately 100 ships.

1800

   In the 19th century, the city gained more independence from the
   dominance of Copenhagen and Hamburg. While it had been the third
   largest city in Jutland during the early 19th century, its population
   surpassed Randers in 1840 and in 1850, Ålborg, thus becoming the
   largest city in Jutland and the second largest in Denmark.

   The city's material prosperity continued to increase as the harbour
   expanded and the railway network grew. Culturally, it marketed itself
   as the "Capital of Jutland" and expanded many of its cultural
   institutions like the national library, universities, the Aarhus
   Theatre and hospitals.

Sights and landmarks

     * Århus Domkirke Tallest cathedral in Denmark'
     * Church of Our Lady Large church in Århus
     * Århus City Hall City Hall of Århus
     * Aarhus Universitet University of Århus
     * Statsbiblioteket State library
     * The Old Town Open air museum
     * Det Jyske Musikkonservatorium The Jut music conservatory
     * Botanisk Have Botanical garden
     * Tivoli Friheden Amusement park
     * ARoS Aarhus Kunstmuseum The main Århus arts museum
     * Aarhus kunstbygning Århus arts museum
     * Marselisborg Slot The royal castle of Århus
     * Århus Teater Official theatre of Århus
     * Musikhuset Music and theatre scene
     * Dyrehaven Open air park with deers and wild boar enclosures
     * Telecommunication Tower Arhus Concrete tower with guyed mast on its
       top
     * Skejby Sygehus 'The second largest hospital in Denmark
     * Atletion Combinated sport venue

Famous Aarhusians

     * Ole Rømer
     * Jens Christian Skou
     * Bjarne Stroustrup
     * Ole Worm
     * Lene Hau
     * Steffen Brandt
     * Flemming Povlsen
     * Marc Rieper
     * Camilla Martin
     * Kaare Norge
     * Tina Dico
     * Nicklas Clausen

   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aarhus"
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   with only minor checks and changes (see www.wikipedia.org for details
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