[[Image:Map Denmark CIA extended.gif|right|thumb|
Horsens [
left center] lies southwest of
Aarhus and northeast of
Vejle, on Denmark's
Jutland peninsula.]]
Street in the old part of Horsens.
New development in the harbor area of Horsens.
is a
Danish city in east
Jutland. It is the site of the council of
Horsens municipality. The city itself has a population of 52,518 and the
Horsens municipality has 81,565 (1 January
2009).
The municipality is also a part of the
East Jutland metropolitan area, which has 1,2 mio inhabitants..
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Geography
Horsens lies at the end of Horsens Fjord in eastern Jutland. The city is surrounded by typical
moraine landscape with low hills and valleys created by glaciers during the last ice ages. Situated 50 km (31 miles) south of
Aarhus and 30 km (19 mi) north of
Vejle with approximately 200 km (125 miles) to
Copenhagen.
History
It is believed the name Horsens derives from the
old Danish words
hors (horse) and
næs (headland). From the 12th century the name
Horsenes is known.
The earliest traces of a city are remains of a pagan burial site and houses dating back to the 10th century. In the 12th century the kings
Sweyn III and
Valdemar I issued coins in the city. In the 1200s the city got its own legal code.
Excavations have shown that the city was expanded around 1300 with a moat going around the city and its harbour.
From the middle of the 1800s industrialisation started and the population rose dramatically when people from the countryside moved to the city to work in the factories. The first Danish iron foundry outside of
Copenhagen was opened as well as tobacco and textile factories.
Economy
The city is currently undergoing a positive development with new industry moving to Horsens, or expanding their activities already in Horsens. A lot of electronics and graphical companies are based here. Horsens also has Denmark's only Industrial Museum. The city is also home to
VIA University College.
Culture
European Medieval Festival
In recent years, much effort has been made to expand and improve cultural events. Several internationally known artists, like
Iron Maiden,
Joe Cocker,
Elton John,
The Beach Boys,
Bob Dylan,
Tom Jones,
Bryan Adams,
David Bowie,
José Carreras,
Helmut Lotti,
Westlife,
R.E.M.,
Paul McCartney,
Robbie Williams,
The Rolling Stones,
Madonna,
Dolly Parton and
U2 have performed, or have performances planned in Horsens.
Hard Rock/Heavy Metal band
Pretty Maids is from Horsens.
One of the largest cultural events in Denmark is the annual European
Medieval Festival on the last Friday and Saturday in August. The town centre of Horsens is transformed into the largest medieval market town in Northern Europe with activities and entertainment for families and children of all ages.
Every March, Horsens hosts a special
Crime Festival. The
Crime Festival - in Danish called
Krimimessen - is an event for literary crime, mysteries and thrillers. The Crime Festival is organized by Horsens Public Library and every year many well known and even famous crimewriters visit Horsens.
The city is home to
Horsens Industrimuseum, a museum showing the history of the industrial society. The museum shows the technological development as well as the development in living conditions for workers.
European route E45 runs by the city of Horsens.
Jan Trøjborg from the
Social Democrats is mayor of Horsens.
Vitus Bering, the famous
Russian Navy captain was born here.
Education
The largest educational institution in Horsens is VIA University College offering a wide range of mostly technical educations.
Prison
From
1853 the city housed the Horsens Statsfængsel prison, which held prisoners serving longer sentences. Notable prisoners included former
minister of justice Peter Adler Alberti and mass murderer
Peter Lundin.
The last execution in peacetime in Denmark happened in the prison in
1892 when
Jens Nielsen was decapitated in the courtyard.
Carl August Lorentzen was a safe cracker who became famous for his escape from the prison in
1950 when he dug a tunnel from his cell and out to freedom. When the guards discovered he was missing they found a note from him with the words "Where there is a will there is a way". Lorentzen was captured a few days later on a nearby farm.
The old run down buildings were not fit for a modern prison so in
2006 the prison was closed down and the newly built Statsfængslet Østjylland prison was opened.
See also
