Augustenborg
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Augustenborg (German: Augustenburg), is a municipality (Danish, kommune) in South Jutland County on the island of Als off the east coast of the Jutland peninsula in south Denmark. The municipality covers an area of 53 km², and has a total population of 6,577 (2005). Its mayor is Åse Nygaard.
The site of its municipal council is the town of Augustenborg.
Neighboring municipalities are Sydals to the south, Nordborg to the north, and Sønderborg to the west, albeit partly separated by the waters of Als Fjord, which define the municipality's western border. To the east is the Little Belt.
Ferry service connects the municipality at the town of Fynshav to the island of Funen at the town of Bøjden.
By January 1, 2007 Augustenborg municipality will cease to exist due to Kommunalreformen ("The Municipality Reform" of 2007). It will be combined with existing Broager, Gråsten, Nordborg, Sundeved, Sydals, and Sønderborg municipalities to form the new Sønderborg municipality. This will create a municipality with an area of 499 km² and a total population of 49,886 (2005). The new municipality will belong to the new Region Syddanmark ("South Denmark Region").
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[edit] The town of Augustenborg
The town lies at the head of Als Fjord.
[edit] History
- See also: Duke of Augustenborg
The town grew up around Augustenborg Palace which was established by Ernest Gunther, a member of the ducal house of Schleswig-Holstein (its branch of Sønderborg) and a cadet of the royal house of Denmark, in the years after 1651. The palace, and the town consequently, received the name in honor of Ernest's wife Auguste, herself also from a branch of dukes of Schleswig-Holstein.
The palace became the chief seat of their line which used the name Augustenborg as its branch name. Later, a Danish king made the head of that line specifically Duke of Augustenborg. They grew in relative prominence in late 18th century, and in the 19th century Schleswig-Holstein Question, being the symbols of pro-German nationalistic movement in Schleswig-Holstein. The area was annexed by Prussia in 1864 from Denmark, but was returned in 1920 following a plebiscite.
The Augustenborg male line died out in 1931, upon the death of Albert, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein, a grandson of queen Victoria of the United Kingdom. Their female-line descendant today holds the throne of Sweden.
[edit] Attractions
[edit] Augustenborg Palace
A large part of Augustenborg Palace is currently used as a mental institution. There is an exhibit about the palace, the town and its ducal history in the building's entryway. The palace church is open to the public in the summertime. There are periodic tours given.
[edit] External links
- Municipality's official website
- The new Sønderborg municipality's official website (Danish only)
- Augustenborg Palace (in Danish only)
[edit] References
- Municipal statistics: NetBorger Kommunefakta, delivered from KMD aka Kommunedata (Municipal Data)
- Municipal mergers and neighbors: Eniro new municipalities map
Augustenborg is also a suburb of Malmö, Sweden.
