Odense Municipality

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Odense municipality (Odense Kommune)
Municipalities of Denmark
Country Denmark
Region Region Syddanmark
Seat Odense
 - coordinates 55°23′45.48″N 10°23′18.73″E / 55.3959667, 10.3885361
Area 304.34 km² (118 sq mi)
Population 186,932 (2008)
First documented 988
 - City charter 1355
 - Current municipality April 1, 1970
Mayor Jan Boye (Conservatives)
Time zone CET (UTC1)
 - summer (DST) CEST (UTC2)
none Odense Palace
Odense Palace
Website : www.odense.dk

Odense Municipality, (Danish: Odense Kommune) is a Danish municipality (kommune) in Region Syddanmark on the island of Funen in central Denmark. The municipality covers an area of 304 km², and has a total population of 186.932 (2008). It is the most populated municipality in Region Syddanmark.

Odense's mayor is Jan Boye, representing the Conservative People's Party (since 1 January 2006).

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[edit] Description

The main town and the site of its municipal council is the city of Odense. Including the social sector, 17,000 people are employed by the municipality. The municipal budget is 6,881 million DKK (2006). The municipality runs 37 schools. Odense is also the home of 13 private schools.

Neighboring municipalities are Kerteminde to the east, Faaborg-Midtfyn to the south, Assens to the west, and Nordfyn to the north.

Odense municipality is located near the Odense Fjord. The Odense Canal (Odense Kanal) flows out from the fjord and forms three ports in the city's industrial area. The Odense River (Odense Å) also flows out from the fjord and meanders through the municipality, including Odense town center where Sankt Jørgens Park and Munke Mose are located on its banks. The river terminates in Lake Arreskov (Arreskov Sø) in Faaborg-Midtfyn municipality.

The municipality is connected with all points on the island with an extensive system of roads, including the major E20 Funish Motorway (Fynske Motorvej) which runs across the island through the town of Odense and connect the island on the east to the island of Zealand over the Great Belt Bridge and on the west to the Danish mainland, Jutland over the Little Belt Bridge. A motorway is currently under construction which will connect Odense to the island's second-largest city, Svendborg. The northern half of this road opened 2006, and the remainder is planned to open in 2007 and 2009. The town of Odense is also a major stop on the national railroad system lines.

[edit] Creation

The municipality, a former "Provincial municipality" was re-created April 1, 1970 as Odense municipality as the result of a kommunalreform ("Municipal Reform") that merged a number of existing Provincial- Parish- and Village- municipalities: Allerup-Davinde, Allese-Næsbyhoved, Broby, Brændekilde, Bellinge, Dalum, Fraugde, Korup-Ubberud, Lumby, Odense, Paarup, Sanderum, Stenløse-Fangel, the "coalition-municipality" of Fjordager (which had been created in 1966 by merging Agedrup and Seden-Åsum municipalities), and Højby parish.

Odense municipality was not merged with other municipalities by January 1, 2007 as the result of the nationwide Kommunalreformen ("The Municipal Reform" of 2007). Before this reform, the list of neighboring municipalities were Langeskov to the east, Munkebo to the northeast, Otterup to the north, Søndersø, Vissenbjerg, and Tommerup to the west, and Broby and Årslev to the south. Odense belonged to Funen County 1970-2006 and before this to Odense County.

[edit] Municipal council

Danish city council members are elected for four-year terms. Last election took place in 2005 and councillors assumed office on 1 January 2006. The 2005 election was a victory for the Conservative People's Party. Jan Boye is Odense's first mayor since 1937 which has not belonged to the Social Democratic Party.

[edit] 15 November 2005 municipal election

Party name Party votes Vote percentage Total Seats Seat percentage
Conservative People's Party (C) 36,010 35.6% (+19.1) 11 (+6) 37.9%
Social Democrats (A) 32,972 32.6% (-14.3) 10 (-4) 34.4%
Socialist People's Party (F) 8,786 8.7% (+2.1) 2 (+0) 6.9%
Venstre (V) 6,853 6.8% (-7.7) 2 (-3) 6.9%
Red-Green Alliance (Ø) 6,616 6.6% (+1.1) 2 (+1) 6.9%
Danish People's Party (O) 4,511 4.5% (-0.8) 1 (+0) 3.4%
Det Radikale Venstre (B) 3,915 3.9% (+1.1) 1 (+0) 3.4%
All Others 1,339 1.3% 0 0.0%
Invalid Ballots 1,210 1.1% 0 0.0%
Totals 102,212 100.0% 29 100.0%


For more detailed results, see: http://www.kmdvalg.dk/av/a442461.htm

[edit] The city of Odense

Main article: Odense
Saint Canute's Church (Sankt Knuds Kirke) in Odense, Denmark.
Saint Canute's Church (Sankt Knuds Kirke) in Odense, Denmark.

Odense is the third largest city in Denmark, and one of country's oldest settlements. The first record of its existence dates from 988 and the town celebrated its 1,000th anniversary in 1988. The name refers to Odin in Norse mythology— Odins Vi ("Odin's Sanctuary"). The shrine of Canute the Saint was a great resort of pilgrims throughout the Middle Ages. His relics are still preserved in Saint Canute's Cathedral. In the 16th century the town was the meeting-place of several parliaments, and down to 1805 it was the seat of the provincial assembly of Funen.

Denmark's famous author and poet Hans Christian Andersen was born in Odense on April 2, 1805. Museums honouring him have been created both in a house in the old part of Odense with a large collection of his works and belongings, and his childhood home, which is also located in the city.

Odense also has a museum honouring the classical composer Carl Nielsen, who was born in Nr. Lynelse near Odense.

[edit] Twin cities and towns

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[edit] External links

[edit] References