Rønne
Rønne | |
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Town | |
UTC+2 (CEST) | |
Postal code | 3700 |
Area code | (+45) 56 |
Website | brk |
Rønne is the largest town on the Danish island of Bornholm in the Baltic Sea. It has a population of 13,798 (1 January 2023).[2] It was a municipality in its own right from 1970 until 2002, when Bornholm was a county (Danish: Bornholms Amt). It has an area of 29.11 square kilometres (11.24 square miles), and is the administrative centre of the Bornholm municipality. As of 2018[update] 11,539 inhabitants live in Rønne Parish (number 16 on the map of parishes), which is a narrow piece of land on the westernmost of the island and stretching north and southward comprising around a third of the area of the former municipality. Knudsker Parish (number 11 on the map) made up the rest of the former municipality. Not all inhabitants of either Rønne (statistikbanken.dk/(table) KM1:number 400-7552) or Knudsker (400-7553) parishes live in the city (contiguous built-up area) of Rønne.
Owing to its natural harbour and its strategic position in the Baltic Sea, Rønne has an interesting history coming under German and Swedish influence during its development as a herring fishing port. Today, with its cobbled streets, half-timbered houses and interesting museums, it attracts visitors mainly from Denmark, Germany, Sweden and Poland.
History
Rønne probably originated around the year 1000 when a small fishing community grew up around the natural harbour. Around 1275,[3] a small chapel dedicated to St Nicolas was built on the site where Rønne's church now stands. The community was soon granted the status of a market town with its own mayor and council and its own law court. However, by the beginning of the 14th century, the King of Denmark, the Archbishop of Lund and even various north German princes were all competing for control of the town. The Germans took a special interest in Bornholm because of its strategic position in the Baltic Sea between the German coast and Visby in Gotland, off the coast of southern Sweden, at times establishing their own interests in the town. After the church's expansion in 1360, the parish of Rønne was established.
As its trade prospered, by the beginning of the 15th century Rønne was repeatedly plundered and burnt by men from Lübeck.[4] In 1525, they took control of Bornholm as compensation for the large debts that Denmark was unable to repay. They even allowed their own merchants to establish businesses in Rønne. Though the Lübeckers contributed to the success of the fishing trade, they demanded ever-higher taxes from the local population. The citizens took revenge, chasing the Lübeckers off while allowing other German communities to remain. The result was that in 1576, control of Rønne returned to the Danish Crown. However the Baltic Sea had by this time lost much of its strategic importance. The fishing industry declined and after the town was twice struck by the plague in 1619 and 1655, it took decades for it to recover.[5]
A further setback occurred in April 1658 when, in the midst of the Dano-Swedish war, Denmark ceded Bornholm to Sweden under the Treaty of Roskilde. The occupation was however short-lived as the Swedes were overcome by the local population in December of the same year.[6]
In 1834, Rønne Town Hall was built on the Store Torv, the town's main square. This important building was the centre of administration in Rønne and Bornholm for many years, and the island's courthouse and jail were there.[7]
At the end of World War II, on 7 and 8 May 1945, the town was bombed by Soviet aircraft when the commandant of the German occupying forces refused to surrender.[3][8] The air raid destroyed 212 houses,[9] but only ten civilians were killed, the population having been alerted in advance.[10] Although the rest of Denmark had been liberated on 4 May, the Soviets occupied Bornholm on 9 May, sending the Germans back to Germany. The Soviet Union did not leave until 5 April 1946 when an agreement was reached with the Danish authorities and the island finally came under Danish rule once more.[11]
Most of the houses in Rønne were destroyed or damaged by the bombs and it took several years to rebuild the town, retaining its traditional architecture, quaint streets and half-timbered houses.[3] The Swedes contributed 300 timber houses to the town while the rest of Denmark including Greenland and the Faroes raised the considerable sum of 8 million Danish kroner to help rebuild the town.
Geography
Climate
Climate is
Climate data for Rønne | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 3.8 (38.8) |
3.6 (38.5) |
8.5 (47.3) |
12.5 (54.5) |
17.6 (63.7) |
20.3 (68.5) |
22.1 (71.8) |
22.0 (71.6) |
17.2 (63.0) |
13.1 (55.6) |
8.9 (48.0) |
5.4 (41.7) |
12.9 (55.2) |
Daily mean °C (°F) | 1.9 (35.4) |
2.0 (35.6) |
5.0 (41.0) |
8.3 (46.9) |
13.2 (55.8) |
16.1 (61.0) |
18.0 (64.4) |
17.9 (64.2) |
14.4 (57.9) |
10.3 (50.5) |
7.0 (44.6) |
4.2 (39.6) |
9.8 (49.6) |
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 0.0 (32.0) |
0.3 (32.5) |
1.5 (34.7) |
4.1 (39.4) |
8.7 (47.7) |
11.9 (53.4) |
13.8 (56.8) |
13.7 (56.7) |
11.5 (52.7) |
7.4 (45.3) |
5.1 (41.2) |
2.9 (37.2) |
6.7 (44.1) |
Average precipitation mm (inches) | 43 (1.7) |
28 (1.1) |
31 (1.2) |
32 (1.3) |
39 (1.5) |
46 (1.8) |
56 (2.2) |
49 (1.9) |
61 (2.4) |
49 (1.9) |
53 (2.1) |
46 (1.8) |
533 (21.0) |
Average precipitation days | 11 | 7 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 103 |
Mean monthly sunshine hours | 43 | 76 | 152 | 247 | 311 | 315 | 282 | 252 | 192 | 104 | 53 | 37 | 2,063 |
Source: "Danish Meteorological Institute". |
Economy and infrastructure
The economic status of Rønne grew dramatically during the Middle Ages with the development of the herring industry.[12] However, by the late 16th century, the fishing industry had begun to decline and for the next 300 years there was practically no further growth. The ceramic industry in the town surpassed that of the fishing industry and has continued into modern times, with as many as 50 ceramics shops in Rønne today.[3] However tourism is now the most important contributor to the local economy:[3] There are several notable sandy beaches in the area used by tourists.[12]
Local heat and electricity production
The local utility company Bornholms Energi og Forsyning[13] is located at the harbour of Rønne and produces electricity and heat.
Grandfather clocks
Rønne also became famous for its
Several workshops soon began to produce Bornholm clocks which became popular as they were cheaper than the more authentic models produced elsewhere. There were probably about 30 different clockmakers in the town at the beginning of the 19th century. By the 1840s, some 2,000 clocks were made each year. Over the years, they were produced in various styles with both wooden and metal casings. The smaller pendulum clocks which were also produced became popular too. Around the end of the 19th century, production came to a halt as industrially produced clocks became far cheaper than Bornholm's handcrafted artefacts.[14][15]
Demographics
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Landmarks
The town has some quaint cobbled streets and low-timbered houses. Two streets of particular interest are the
The Bornholm Museum offers an insight into the history of Rønne and the island of Bornholm, from the
The Rønne Lighthouse, a slender white-painted octagonal tower in cast iron, stands on the waterfront not far from the church. Constructed in 1880, it was decommissioned in 1989.[19]
St Nicolas's Church, with its distinctive tower, is part of the Diocese of Copenhagen and in its present form was enlarged and fully refurbished in 1918. It stands on the site of an earlier church or chapel from the 13th century of which some sections can still be seen.[20]
Forsvarsmuseet, or the Rønne Defence Museum, is housed in a round tower with walls 3.5 m (11 feet) thick known as Kastellet or the citadel. Built in 1744 for the town's defence, there was never any occasion for it to be used. The museum has numerous artefacts relating to military history such as guns, blades, bombs and uniforms.
Transportation
Rønne is connected to the rest of Denmark and to the outside world by ferry lines.
There is a high speed catamaran link to Ystad which connects with a direct train link between Ystad and Copenhagen.
Outside Rønne, Bornholm Airport offers flights to Copenhagen and to some summer destinations.
Twin towns – sister cities
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References
- ^ BY1: Population 1st January by urban areas, age and sex The Mobile Statbank from Statistics Denmark
- ^ BY3: Population 1st January by urban areas, area and population density The Mobile Statbank from Statistics Denmark
- ^ a b c d e f "Rønne, Bornholm". Bornholm in Pictures. Archived from the original on 29 June 2013. Retrieved 28 May 2010.
- ^ "Rønne i Middelalderen" Archived 17 July 2012 at archive.today (in Danish) Retrieved 28 May 2010.
- ^ "Lübeckertiden 1525–1576." (in Danish) Retrieved 28 May 2010.
- ^ Bornholms besættelse 1658 Archived 15 July 2012 at archive.today. (in Danish) Retrieved 28 May 2010.
- ^ a b Bender & O'Brien (2005), p.169
- ^ Bender & O'Brien (2005), p.171
- ^ Andreas Haller: Bornholm, p. 82. Erlangen 2013
- ^ "Outlook on Bornholm". Russia Today Newsletter. 1948.
- ISBN 87-88179-49-4
- ^ ISBN 1-58843-579-2.
- ^ See local webpage "Bornholms Energi og Forsynings' webpage"
- ^ "Bornholmerure - et rigtigt eventyr" Archived 2 October 2011 at the Wayback Machine, Bornholmsmuseum.dk. (in Danish) Retrieved 1 June 2020.
- ^ Karl Blemsted, "En oversigt over udviklingen af Rønnes industri", Geografisk Tidsskrift, Bind 52 (1952 - 1953). (in Danish) Retrieved 1 June 2010.
- ^ a b c d Bender & O'Brien (2005), p.168
- ^ a b c d Bender & O'Brien (2005), p.170
- ^ "About the museum". Bornholm Museum. Archived from the original on 5 June 2009. Retrieved 28 May 2010.
- ^ "Rønne Havn Bagfyr", Danske fyrtårne. (in Danish) Retrieved 30 October 2012.
- ^ O. Norn, C.G. Schultz, Erik Skov, "Danmarks Kirke udgivet af Nationalmuseet: Bornholm", Copenhagen, G.E.C. Gads Forlag, 1954.
- ^ "Hovedvagten" Archived 19 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine, Bornholmsmuseum.dk. Retrieved 31 May 2010.
- ^ Søren Olsen: Oplev Bornholm og Christiansø, p. 23. Gjern 2015
- ^ "Ferries". bornholm.info. Archived from the original on 1 July 2010. Retrieved 31 January 2009.
Bibliography
- Bender, A; O'Brien. S. (2005). Lonely Planet Denmark. ISBN 1-74059-489-4.
Rønne bombing.
External links
- (in Danish) Official website
- Weather forecast Rønne, Denmark weather-atlas.com
Media related to Rønne at Wikimedia Commons