Maribo
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Maribo is a municipality (Danish, kommune) on the island of Lolland in Storstrøm County in south Denmark. The municipality, which includes the islands of Askø ("Ash Island") and Lilleø ("little Island") in the Rågø Sound, covers an area of 154 km², and has a total population of 11,098 (2005). Its mayor is Liljan Køcks, a member of the Socialist People's Party (Socialistisk Folkeparti) political party.
The main town and the site of its municipal council is the town of Maribo.
Neighboring municipalities are Sakskøbing to the east, Ravnsborg and Højreby to the west, and Rødby and Holeby to the south. To the north is the Lindholm Deep (Lindholm Dyb) and the Sakskøbing Fjord.
Ferry service connects the island of Askø to the rest of Maribo municipality at the town of Bandholm.
Lakes lie both to the north and south of the town of Maribo. To the north is Nørresø ("The Northern Lake" or "Northern Maribo Lake") and to the south is Søndersø ("The Southern Lake" or "Southern Maribo Lake"). Søndersø is the largest lake on Lolland. There are more islands in Søndersø than in any other lake in Denmark. These include the islands of Fruerø, Hestø, Præstø, Borgø, Lindø, Askø og Worsaaes Ø. This is part of the Maribo Lakes Nature Park, which spans the municipalities of Maribo, Holeby, Sakskøbing and Nysted.
By January 1, 2007 Maribo municipality will cease to exist as the result of Kommunalreformen ("The Municipality Reform" of 2007). It will be merged with existing Holeby, Højreby, Nakskov, Ravnsborg, Rudbjerg and Rødby municipalities to form the new Lolland municipality. This will create a municipality with an area of 892 km² and a total population of 49,469 (2005). The new municipality will belong to the new Region Sjælland ("Zealand Region").
Contents |
[edit] The town of Maribo
The merchant town of Maribo is located centrally on Lolland. Its population is 5.423 (2005). It has, among other facilities, a gymnasium and a brewery, Maribo Brewery (Maribo Bryghus).
The predeccesor to today's Maribo Brewery was started in 1895. The brewery is Maribo's second largest employer, and produces a range of beers and soft drinks. Maribo Brewery is a part of Royal Unibrew, the second largest brewery business in Scandinavia.
[edit] History
Saint Birgitta (1303-1373), also known as Birgitta of Vadstena, has cast her shadow on this municipality, and is shown on the municipality's coat-of-arms. Her order established the Bridgettine Order's cloister in Maribo, when i 1416 monks from Vadstena cloister were sent to Maribo, then called Skimminge, to help establish a cloister.
In 1536, however, the cloister was abolished. After the old town church burned down in 1596, the cloister then in place received status as town church.
King Christian IV's daughter, Leonora Christina Ulfeldt, was probably the cloister's most famous resident. In 1685 after her release from 21 years imprisonment for high treason from the Blue Tower (Blåtårn) in Copenhagen's Castle, she spent her final years in the cloister, and is buried in a crypt at the church.
In 1803-1804 the islands of Lolland-Falster, who had until then belonged to the Funen diocese, were made into an independent diocese, and the cloister church was given the status of the diocese's cathedral (domkirke). The bishop, however, resides in Nykøbing Falster.
Several times during the 1800s the church has been secured against decline. 
[edit] External links
[edit] References
- Municipal statistics: NetBorger Kommunefakta, delivered from KMD aka Kommunedata (Municipal Data)
- Municipal mergers and neighbors: Eniro new municipalities map
| Municipalities in Storstrøm County | |
|---|---|
|
Fakse | Fladså | Holeby | Holmegaard | Højreby | Langebæk | Maribo | Møn | Nakskov | Nykøbing Falster | Nysted | Næstved | Nørre Alslev | Præstø | Ravnsborg | Rudbjerg | Rødby | Rønnede | Sakskøbing | Stevns | Stubbekøbing | Suså | Sydfalster | Vordingborg |
|
