The city of Aabenraa (also Åbenrå, (German: Apenrade) is situated at the head of the Åbenrå Fjord, in Denmark, an arm of the Little Belt, 38 miles (60 km) north of the town of Schleswig. Its name— Aabenraa, dialect Affenrå— meant originally 'open beach' (Danish, åben strand). (The German version Apenrade is Low German for 'monkeys' council'!)
It is located in Aabenraa Municipality.
History
The town grew up in the early Middle Ages around Opnør Hus, the bishop's castle, and received status as a merchant town in 1240. During the Middle Ages the town was known for its fishing industry and for its production of hops.
Between 1560 and 1721 the town was under the rule of the Dukes of Gottorp.
The town's glory days were during the period of the 1750s to c. 1864, when ship traffic was at a high growth rate with trade to the Mediterranean Sea, China, South America, and Australia. It possessed a good harbour, which afforded shelter for a large carrying trade, Aabenraa having the Danish monarchy's third-largest trade fleet, after Copenhagen and Flensborg. The city had a number of well-known shipbuilding yards, which were known for their fine ships. The most famous of these was the clipper Cimber, which in 1857 sailed from Liverpool to San Francisco in 106 days. Fishing and various small factories also provided occupation for the population.
From 1864 as a result of the Second War of Schleswig it was part of Prussia, and as such part of the North German Confederation, and from 1871 onwards, part of the German Empire. In the 1920 Schleswig Plebiscite that brought Northern Schleswig to Denmark, 55.1 % of Aabenraa's inhabitants voted for remaining part of Germany and 44.9 % voted for the cession to Denmark. [1]
Today
The town has a 7.5 meter deep harbour with a significant shipping trade. There is varied industry in the city, including Marcussen's Organ Building (Marcussens Orgelbyggeri) and Callesens Machineworks (Callesens Maskinfabrik). The city is the administrative center for the county. Danmarks Radio has an office in the city.
Some significant buildings in the town are St. Nikolai Church (St. Nikolaj kirke) from the time of King Valdemar with construction beginning ca. 1250. Brundlund Castle (Brundlund Slot) was erected by Queen Margaret I around 1400.
The town is a bathing resort, as is Elisenlund close by.
The city has several preserved neighborhoods from the 1800s including Slotsgade, Store Pottergade, Lille Pottergade, Nygade, Nybro, Skibbrogade and Gildegade.
Coordinates: 55°02′N 09°26′E
