Sorø municipality

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Map of the future municipality

Drawing of the courtyard at Sorø Academy, Denmark by Ole Jørgen Rawert. August 1820.

Sorø municipality is a municipality (Danish, kommune) in West Zealand County on the island of Zealand (Sjælland) in east Denmark. The municipality covers an area of 149 km², and has a total population of 15,386 (2005). Its mayor is Ivan Hansen, a member of the Social Democrats (Socialdemokraterne) political party.

The main town and the site of its municipal council is the town of Sorø. Other towns in the municipality are Dianalund, Stenlille, and Ruds-Velby.

Neighboring municipalities are Ringsted to the east, Stenlille to the north, Slagelse and Hashøj to the west, and Fuglebjerg and Suså to the south.

By January 1, 2007 Sorø municipality will, as the result of Kommunalreformen ("The Municipality Reform" of 2007), be merged with existing Dianalund and Stenlille municipalities to form the new Sorø municipality. This will create a municipality with an area of 317 km² and a total population of 28,336 (2005). The new municipality will belong to the new Region Sjælland ("Region Zealand").

[edit] The city of Sorø

Main article: Sorø

The city of Sorø has a population is 6.996 (2003), and is the site of both the municipal council and the county council. It is scheduled to be regional seat for Region Sjælland, one of the five new regions to be implantated in Denmark January 1, 2007.

While by no means the biggest city in Denmark, it has great historical value. It was founded in 1161 by Bishop Absalon, later the founder of Copenhagen, and is the site of Sorø Academy (Danish Sorø Akademi) and Sorø Klosterkirke, the church where Absalon is buried, along with other notable Danes, including royalty. Queen Margaret I of Denmark was buried at this church until moved to Roskilde Cathedral in Roskilde.