Dating back to the late 8th century, Aarhus was founded as a harbour settlement at the mouth of theAarhus River and quickly became a trade hub. The first Christian church was built here around the year 900 and later in the Viking Age the town was fortified with defensive ramparts. Thebishopric of Aarhus grew steadily stronger and more prosperous, building several religious institutions in the town during the earlyMiddle Ages. Trade continued to improve, although it was not until 1441 that Aarhus was grantedmarket town privileges, and the population of Aarhus remained relatively stable until the 19th century. The city began to grow significantly as trade prospered in the mid-18th century, but not until the mid-19th century did theIndustrial Revolution bring real growth in population. The first railway line in Jutland was built here in 1862. In 1928, the first university in Jutland was founded in Aarhus and today it is a university city and the largest centre for trade, services, industry, and tourism in Jutland.
Aarhus is a compound of the twoOld Norse words;ár, genitive ofá ("river", Modern Danishå), andoss ("mouth") referencing the city's location at the mouth ofAarhus Å (Aarhus River).[9][10][11]
Spelling
InValdemar's Census Book (1231) the city was calledArus, and in Icelandic it was known asAros, later written as Aars.[12] The spelling "Aarhus" is first found in 1406 and gradually became the norm in the 17th century.[12] With theDanish spelling reform of 1948, "Aa" was changed to "Å". Some Danish cities resisted the change but Aarhus city council opted to change the name.[13] In 2010, the city council voted to change the name back fromÅrhus toAarhus again with effect from 1 January 2011.[14]
It is still grammatically correct to write geographical names with the letter Å and local councils are allowed to use the Aa spelling as an alternative and most newspapers and public institutions will accept either. Some official authorities such as theDanish Language Committee, publisher of theDanish Orthographic Dictionary, still retainÅrhus as the main name, providingAarhus as a second option, in brackets[7] and some institutions are still usingÅrhus explicitly in their official name, such as the local newspaperÅrhus Stiftstidende and the schoolsÅrhus Kunstakademi andÅrhus Statsgymnasium. "Aa" was used by some major institutions between 1948 and 2011 as well, such asAarhus University or the largest local sports club,Aarhus Gymnastikforening (AGF), which has never used the "Å" spelling.[15] Certain geographically affiliated names have been updated to reflect the name of the city, such as the Aarhus River, changed fromÅrhus Å toAarhus Å.[9]
Founded in the earlyViking Age, Aarhus is one of the oldest cities in Denmark, along withRibe andHedeby.[16] The original Aros settlement was situated on the northern shores of afjord by the mouth of theAarhus River, right where the city center is today. It quickly became a hub for sea-going trade due to its position on intersecting trade routes in theDanish straits and the fertile countryside. The trade, however, was not nearly as prominent as that in Ribe and Hedeby during the Viking Age, and it was primarily linked to Norway as evidenced by archaeological finds. A shipbuilding yard from the Viking Age was uncovered upriver in 2002 by archaeologists. It was located at a place formerly known asSnekkeeng, or Snekke Meadow in English ('Snekke' is a type oflongship), east of theBrabrand Lake close toViby, and it was in use for more than 400 years from the late 700s till around the mid-1200s.[17]
Model of the fortified Viking town Aros (late 900s), north is up
Archaeological evidence indicates that Aarhus was a town as early as the last quarter of the 8th century.[18][19] Discoveries after a 2003 archaeological dig included half-buriedlonghouses, firepits, glass pearls and a road dated to the late 700s.[20] Several excavations in the inner city since the 1960s have revealed wells, streets, homes and workshops, and inside the buildings and adjoining archaeological layers, everyday utensils like combs, jewellery and basic multi-purpose tools from approximately the year 900 have been unearthed.[21] The early town was fortified with defensive earthen ramparts in the first part of the 900s, possibly in the year 934 on order from kingGorm the Old. The fortifications were later improved and expanded by his sonHarald Bluetooth, encircling the settlement much like the defence structures found atViking ring fortresses elsewhere.[18] Together with the town's geographical placement, this suggests that Aros became an important military centre in the Viking Age. There are also strong indications of a former royal residence from the same period inViby, a few kilometres south of the Aarhus city centre.[22][23]
The centre of Aarhus was originally apagan burial site until Aarhus's first Christian church, Holy Trinity Church, a timber structure, was built upon it during the reign ofFrode, King of Jutland, around 900.[24] Thebishopric of Aarhus dates back to at least 948 whenAdam of Bremen reported that the missionary bishopReginbrand of Aros attended thesynod of Ingelheim in Germany,[25][26] but the late Viking Age during thechristianisation of Scandinavia was a turbulent and violent time with several naval attacks on the town, such asHarald Hardrada's assault around 1050, when the Holy Trinity Church was burned to the ground.[18][27] Despite the conflicts, Aarhus continued to prosper from the trade and the finding of sixrunestones in and around Aarhus indicates the city had some significance around the year 1000, as only wealthy nobles traditionally used them.[28] Thebishopric diocese was obliterated for almost a hundred years after Reginbrand in 988, but in 1060 a new bishopChristian was ordained and he founded a new church in Aarhus,Sankt Nicolai Domkirke (St. NicholasCathedral), this time in stone. It was erected outside the town fortifications, and stood finished in 1070 at the site whereChurch of Our Lady stands today, but only an underground crypt remains.[29][30]
Middle Ages
Aarhus Cathedral. The cathedral was founded in 1190 and the original version stood finished in the year 1300.
The growing influence of the Church during theMiddle Ages gradually turned Aarhus, with its bishopric, into a prosperous religious centre. Many public and religious buildings were built in and around the town; notablyAarhus Cathedral was initiated in the late 12th century by the influential bishopPeder Vognsen, and around 1200, Aros had a total of four churches. The 13th century also marks a thorough reorganisation, erasing most of the town's original layout with new streets, relocations, dismantling and new constructions. The Church clearly had the upper hand in the Aarhus region during medieval times, and the largebishopric of Aarhus prospered and expanded territory, reaching as far asViborg in extent.[17] In 1441,Christopher III issued the oldest known charter granting market town status, although similar privileges may have existed as far back as the 12th century. The charter is the first official recognition of the town as a regional power and is by some considered Aarhus's birth certificate.[29][31]
The commercial and religious status spurred town growth, and in 1477 the defensive earthen ramparts, which had ringed the town since the Viking Age, were abandoned to accommodate expansion. Parts of the ramparts still exist today and can be experienced as steep slopes at the riverside, and they have also survived in some place names of the inner city, including the streets ofVolden (The Rampart) andGraven (The Moat).[32][33] Aarhus grew to become one of the largest cities in the country by the early 16th century. In 1657,octroi was imposed in larger Danish cities which changed the layout and face of Aarhus over the following decades. Wooden city walls were erected to prevent smuggling, with gates and toll booths on the major thoroughfares,Mejlgade andStudsgade. The city gates funnelled most traffic through a few streets where merchant quarters were built.[34]
In the 17th century, Aarhus entered a period of recession as it suffered blockades and bombardments during theSwedish wars and trade was dampened by the preferential treatment of the capital by the state.[35] Not until the middle of the 18th century did growth return, in large part due to trade with the large agriculturalcatchment areas around the city; grain, particularly, proved to be a remunerative export.[29] The first factories were established at this time, as theIndustrial Revolution reached the country, and in 1810 the harbour was expanded to accommodate growing trade.[36]
Industrialisation
View of Aarhus, 1850
Aarhus began to prosper in the 1830s as theindustrial revolution reached the city and factories with steam-driven machinery became more productive.[37] In 1838, the electoral laws were reformed leading to elections for the 15 seats on the city council. The rules were initially very strict, allowing only the wealthiest citizens to run. In the 1844 elections, only 174 citizens qualified out of a total population of more than 7,000.[38] The first city council, mainly composed of wealthy merchants and industrialists, quickly looked to improve the harbour, situated along theAarhus River. Larger ships and growing freight volumes made a river harbour increasingly impractical. In 1840, the harbour was moved to the coast, north of the river, where it became the largest industrial harbour outside Copenhagen over the following 15 years. From the outset, the new harbour was controlled by the city council, as it is to this day.[39]
Prussian soldiers herding cattle by Aarhus cathedral, 1864
During theFirst Schleswig War, Aarhus was occupied by German troops from 21 June to 24 July 1849. The city was spared any fighting, but inVejlby north of the city a cavalry skirmish known asRytterfægtningen took place which stopped the German advance through Jutland.[40] The war and occupation left a notable impact on the city as many streets, particularly onFrederiksbjerg, are named after Danish officers of the time. Fifteen years later, in 1864, the city was occupied again, this time for seven months, during theSecond Schleswig War.[41][42]
In spite of wars and occupation, the city continued to expand and develop. In 1851, theoctroi was abolished and the city walls were removed to provide easier access for trade. Regularsteamship links with Copenhagen had begun with theJylland in 1825–26 and theDania (1827–36), and in 1862 Jutland's first railway was established between Aarhus andRanders.[43][39]
Toldkammeret (Custom House, 1898)
In the second half of the 19th century, industrialisation came into full effect and a number of new industries emerged around production and refinement of agricultural products, especially oil and butter. Many companies from this time would come to leave permanent iconic marks on Aarhus. TheCeres Brewery was established in 1856 and served as Aarhus's local brewery for more than 150 years, gradually expanding into an industrial district known asCeres-grunden (lit.: the Ceres-ground).[44][45][46] In 1896, local farmers and businessmen createdKorn- og Foderstof Kompagniet (KFK), focused on grain andfeedstuffs. KFK established departments all over the country, while its headquarters remained in Aarhus where its large grain silos still stand today.[47][48]Otto Mønsted created the Danish Preserved Butter Company in 1874, focusing on butter export to England, China and Africa and later founded the Aarhus Butterine Company in 1883, the first Danish margarine factory.[49] His company became an important local employer, with factory employees increasing from 100 in 1896 to 1,000 in 1931, partaking in the effective transformation of the city from a regional trade hub to an industrial centre.[50] Other new factories of note included thedockyardAarhus Flydedok and theoil millÅrhus Oliefabrik.[51]
Aarhus became the largest provincial city in the country by the turn of the century and the city marketed itself as the "Capital of Jutland". The population increased from 15,000 in 1870 to 52,000 in 1901 and, in response, the city annexed large land areas to develop new residential quarters such asTrøjborg,Frederiksbjerg andMarselisborg.[52] Many of its cultural institutions were also established at this time such asAarhus Theatre (1900), the originalState Library (1902),Aarhus University (1928) and several hospitals.[53]
On 9 April 1940,Nazi Germany invaded Denmark, occupying Aarhus the following day; the occupation lasted for five years. This was a destructive period with major disasters, loss of life and economic depression. ThePort of Aarhus became a hub for supplies to theBaltics andNorway, while the surrounding rail network supplied theAtlantic Wall in west Jutland and cargo headed for Germany. Combined, these factors resulted in a strong German presence, especially in 1944–45.[54]
Resistance fighters onBispetorv fighting with German soldiers, 5 May 1945
Smallresistance groups first appeared in 1941–42 but the first to co-ordinate with theFreedom Council was theSamsing Group, responsible for most operations from early 1943.[55][56] The Samsing group, along with others in and around Aarhus, was dismantled in June 1944 whenGrethe "Thora" Bartram turned her family and acquaintances over to German authorities.[57] In response, requests for assistance were sent to contacts in England and in October 1944 theRoyal Air Forcebombed the Gestapo headquarters successfully destroying archives and obstructing the ongoing investigation.[58][59]
In the summer of 1944 the Copenhagen-based resistance groupHolger Danske helped establish the5 Kolonne group and anSOE agent arrived from England to liaison with theL-groups.[60] Subsequently, resistance operations escalated which was countered withSchalburgtage terror operations by thePeter group.[61][62] The increasingly destructive occupation was compounded when anammunition barge exploded in July 1944, destroying much of the harbour area.[63] On 5 May 1945 German forces in Denmark surrendered but during the transitional period fighting broke out resulting in 22 dead.[64] On 8 May the BritishRoyal Dragoons entered the city.[65]
Post-World War II years
In the 1970s and 1980s the city entered a period of rapid economic growth and the service sector overtook trade, industry and crafts as the leading sector of employment for the first time.[66] Workers gradually began commuting to the city from most of east and central Jutland as the region became more interconnected. The student population tripled between 1965 and 1977 turning the city into a Danish centre of research and education.[67] The growing and comparably young population initiated a period of creativity and optimism;Gaffa and theKaosPilot school were founded in 1983 and 1991 respectively, and Aarhus was at the centre of a renaissance in Danish rock and pop music launching bands and musicians such asTV2,Gnags,Thomas Helmig,Bamses Venner,Anne Dorte Michelsen,Mek Pek andShit & Chanel.[68][69][70]
The 2000s
Urban development in Aarhus city centre, 2013
Since the turn of the millennium, Aarhus has seen an unprecedented building boom with many new institutions, infrastructure projects, city districts and recreational areas. Several of the construction projects are among the largest in Europe, such as theNew University Hospital (DNU) and the harbourfront redevelopment.[71][72]
Both the skyline and land use of the inner city is changing, as former industrial sites are being redeveloped into new city districts and neighbourhoods. Starting in 2008, the former docklands known asDe Bynære Havnearealer (The Peri-urban Harbour-areas), and closest to the city seaside, are being converted to new mixed-use districts. It is among the largest harbourfront projects in Europe. The northern part dubbedAarhus Ø (Aarhus Docklands) is almost finished as of 2018, while the southern district dubbedSydhavnskvarteret (The South-harbour neighbourhood) is only starting to be developed.[73][74][75] The adjacent site of Frederiks Plads at the formerDSB repair facilities have been under construction since 2014 as a new business and residential quarter.[76][77][78] The main bus terminal close by is planned to be moved to the central railway station and the site will be redeveloped to a new residential neighbourhood.[79][80] Elsewhere in the inner city, the site of the formerCeres breweries was redeveloped in 2012–2019 as a new mixed use neighbourhood known asCeresByen.[81]
Construction ofAarhus Letbane, the firstlight rail system in the country, commenced in 2013, and the first increment was finished in December 2017.[82] Since then, the lightrail service has been expanded with two intercity sections to the towns ofOdder andGrenå, respectively, and also includes a northward leg to the suburb ofLisbjerg.[83][84] The light rail system is planned to tie many other suburbs closer to central Aarhus in the future, with the next phase including local lines toBrabrand in the east andHinnerup to the north.[85]
Accelerating growth since the early 2000s, brought the inner urban area to roughly 260,000 inhabitants by 2014. The rapid growth is expected to continue until at least 2030 when Aarhus municipality has set an ambitious target for 375,000 inhabitants.[86]
Geography
Aerial view of the bay and city
Aarhus is located at theBay of Aarhus facing theKattegat sea in the east with the peninsulas ofMols andHelgenæs across the bay to the northeast. Mols and Helgenæs are both part of the larger regional peninsula ofDjursland. A number of larger cities and towns is within easy reach from Aarhus by road and rail, includingRanders (38.5 kilometres (23.9 mi) by road north),Grenå (northeast),Horsens (50 kilometres (31 mi) south) andSilkeborg (44 kilometres (27 mi) east).[87]
Topography
At Aarhus's location, the Bay of Aarhus provides a natural harbour with a depth of 10 m (33 ft) quite close to the shore.[35] Aarhus was founded at the mouth of a brackish waterfjord, but the original fjord no longer exists, as it has gradually narrowed into what is now theAarhus River and theBrabrand Lake, due to naturalsedimentation. The land around Aarhus was once covered by forests, remains of which exist in parts ofMarselisborg Forest to the south andRiis Skov to the north.[88][89] Several lakes extend west from the inner city as the landscape merges with the larger region ofSøhøjlandet with heights exceeding 152 metres (499 ft) atHimmelbjerget betweenSkanderborg andSilkeborg.[90] The highest natural point in Aarhus Municipality is Jelshøj at 128 metres above sea level, in the southern district ofHøjbjerg. The hilltop is home to aBronze Age barrow shrouded in local myths and legends.[91]
The hilly area around Aarhus consists of amorainal plateau from the last ice age, broken by a complex system oftunnel valleys. The most prominent valleys of this network are the Aarhus Valley in the south, stretching inland east–west with the Aarhus River, Brabrand Lake, Årslev Lake and Tåstrup Lake, and theEgå Valley to the north, with the stream ofEgåen,Egå Engsø, the bog ofGeding-Kasted Mose andGeding Lake. Most parts of the two valleys have been drained and subsequently farmed, but in the early 2000s some of the drainage was removed and parts of the wetlands were restored for environmental reasons. The valley system also includes the stream of Lyngbygård Å in the west and valleys to the south of the city, following erosion channels from thepre-quaternary. By contrast, the Aarhus River Valley and the Giber River Valley are lateglacial meltwater valleys. The coastal cliffs along the Bay of Aarhus consist of shallowtertiary clay from theEocene andOligocene (57 to 24 million years ago).[92][93][94][95]
Aarhus has atemperate oceanic climate (Köppen:Cfb)[97] and the weather is constantly influenced by major weather systems fromall four ordinal directions, resulting in unstable conditions throughout the year.[98] Temperature varies a great deal across the seasons with a mild spring in April and May, warmer summer months from June to August, frequently rainy and windy autumn months in October and September and cooler winter months, often with frost and occasional snow, from December to March. The city centre experiences the same climatic effects as other larger cities with higher wind speeds, more fog, less precipitation and higher temperatures than the surrounding, open land.[99]
Western winds from the Atlantic andNorth Sea are dominant resulting in more precipitation in western Denmark. In addition, Jutland rises sufficiently in the centre to lift air to higher, colder altitudes contributing to increased precipitation in eastern Jutland. Combined, these factors make east and south Jutland comparatively wetter than other parts of the country.[96] Average temperature over the year is 8.43 °C (47.17 °F) with February being the coldest month (0.1 °C or 32.2 °F) and August the warmest (15.9 °C or 60.6 °F). Temperatures in the sea can reach 17–22 °C (63–72 °F) in June to August, but it is not uncommon for beaches to register 25 °C (77 °F) locally.[99][100]
The geography in the area affects the local climate of the city with the Aarhus Bay imposing a temperate effect on the low-lying valley floor where central Aarhus is located.Brabrand Lake to the west further contributes to this effect and as a result, the valley has a comparably mild, temperate climate. The sandy ground on the valley floor dries up quickly after winter and warms faster in the summer than the surrounding hills of moist-retainingboulder clay. These conditions affect crops and plants that often bloom 1–2 weeks earlier in the valley than on the northern and southern hillsides.[101]
Because of the northern latitude, the number of daylight hours varies considerably between summer and winter. On the summer solstice, the sun rises at 04:26 and sets at 21:58, providing 17 hours 32 minutes of daylight. On the winter solstice, it rises at 08:37 and sets at 15:39 with 7 hours and 2 minutes of daylight. The difference in length of days and nights between summer and winter solstices is 10 hours and 30 minutes.[102]
Climate data for East Jutland (Tirstrup) (1961–1990)
Aarhus is the seat of Aarhus Municipality, and Aarhus City Council (Aarhus Byråd) is also the municipal government with headquarters inAarhus City Hall. The Mayor of Aarhus since 2010 isJacob Bundsgaard of theSocial Democrats.[103] Municipal elections are held every fourth year on the third Tuesday of November with the next election in 2025. The city council consists of 31 members elected for four-year terms. When an election has determined the composition of the council, it elects a mayor, two deputy mayors and fivealdermen from their ranks.[104] Anyone who is eligible to vote and who resides within the municipality can run for a seat on the city council provided they can secure endorsements and signatures from 50 inhabitants of the municipality.[105]
The first publicly elected mayor of Aarhus was appointed in 1919. In the1970 Danish Municipal Reform the current Aarhus municipality was created by merging 20 municipalities.[106] Aarhus was the seat ofAarhus County until the 2007 Danish municipal reform, which substituted the Danish counties with five regions and replaced Aarhus County withCentral Denmark Region (Region Midtjylland), seated inViborg.[107]
Årslev Engsø. The lakes and wetlands of Årslev Engsø andEgå Engsø were re-established in the 2000s to help manage the water cycle.
Aarhus has increasingly been investing inenvironmental planning and, in accordance with national policy, aims to beCO 2-neutral and independent offossil fuels for heating by 2030.[112][113] The municipal power plants were adapted for this purpose in the 2010s. In 2015, the municipality took over three privatestraw-fired heating plants and the year after, a new 77MWcombined heat and power biomass plant atLisbjerg Power Station was completed whileStudstrup Power Station finished a refit to move from coal to wood chips.[114][115] In conjunction with the development of theDocklands district there are plans for a utility-scale seawaterheat pump which will take advantage of fluctuating electricity prices to supply thedistrict heating system.[116] Since 2015, the city has been implementing energy-savingLED technology in street lighting; by January 2019, about half of the municipal street lighting had been changed. Apart from reducing the city's CO2 emissions, it saves 30% on the electricity bill, thereby making it a self-financed project over a 20-year period.[117]
The municipality aims for a coherent and holistic administration of thewater cycle to protect against, and clean up previous, pollution as well as encouragegreen growth and self-sufficiency. The main issues areexcessive nutrients, adapting to increased (and increasing) levels of precipitation brought on byclimate change, and securing the water supply.[118] These goals have manifested in a number of large water treatment projects often in collaboration with private partners. In the 2000s, underground rainwater basins were built across the city while the two lakesÅrslev Engsø andEgå Engsø were created in 2003 and 2006 respectively. The number ofsewage treatment plants is planned to be reduced from 17 to 2 by 2025, as the treatment plants in Marselisborg and Egå are scheduled for expansion to take over all waste water treatment. They have already been refitted forbiogas production to become net producers of electricity and heat.[119][120] To aid the new treatment plants, and avoid floodings, sewage andstormwater throughout the municipality is planned to be separated into two different drainage systems. Construction began in 2017 in several areas, but it is a long process that is scheduled to be finished by 2085.[121][122]
Afforestation projects have been undertaken to preventgroundwater pollution, secure drinking water,sequesterCO 2, increasebiodiversity, create an attractive countryside, provide easy access to nature and offer outdoor activities to the public. In 2000, the first project, theNew Forests of Aarhus, was completed, which aimed to double the forest cover in the municipality and, in 2009, another phase was announced to double forest cover once more before the year 2030.[123] The afforestation plans were realised as a local project in collaboration with private landowners, under a larger national agenda.[124] Other projects to expand natural habitats include arewilding effort inGeding-Kasted Bog and continuous monitoring ofthe four Natura 2000 areas in the municipality.[125]
Aarhus has a population of 261,570 on91 square kilometres (35 sq mi) for a density of 2,874/km2 (7,444/sq mi).[2] Aarhus municipality has a population of 330,639 on 468 km2 with a density of 706/km2 (1,829/sq mi). Less than a fifth of the municipal population resides beyond city limits and almost all live in an urban area.[128] The population of Aarhus is both younger and better-educated than the national average which can be attributed to the high concentration of educational institutions.[129] More than 40% of the population have an academic degree while only some 14% have no secondary education or trade.[130] The largest age group is 20- to 29-year-olds and the average age is 37.5, making it the youngest city in the country and one of its youngest municipalities.[131][132] Women have slightly outnumbered men for many years.[131]
The city is home to 75 different religious groups and denominations, most of which are Christian or Muslim with a smaller number of Buddhist, Hindu, and Jewish communities. Since the 1990s there has been a marked growth in diverse new spiritual groups although the total number of followers remains small.[134] The majority of the population are members of the Protestant state church,Church of Denmark, which is by far the largest religious institution both in the city and the country as a whole. Some 20% of the population are not officially affiliated with any religion, a percentage that has been slowly rising for many years.[135]
During the 1990s there was significant immigration from Turkey and in the 2000s, there was a fast growth in the overall immigrant community, from 27,783 people in 1999 to 40,431 in 2008.[136] The majority of immigrants have roots outside Europe and the developed world, comprising some 25,000 people from 130 different nationalities, with the largest groups coming from the Middle East and North Africa. Some 15,000 have come from within Europe, with Poland, Germany, Romania and Norway being the largest contributors.[131]
Many immigrants have established themselves in the suburbs ofBrabrand,Hasle andViby, where the percentage of inhabitants with foreign origins has risen by 66% since 2000. This has resulted in a few so-calledghettos, defined as residential areas with more than half of inhabitants fromnon-Western countries and with relatively high levels of poverty and/or crime.Gellerup is the most notable neighbourhood in that respect. The ghetto-labelling has been criticised as unnecessarily stigmatising and counterproductive for social and economical development of the related areas.[137][138][139]
The economy of Aarhus is predominantly knowledge- and service-based, strongly influenced by theUniversity of Aarhus and the large healthcare industry. The service sector dominates the economy and is growing as the city transitions away from manufacturing. Trade and transportation remain important sectors, benefiting from the large port and central position on the rail network. Manufacturing has been in slow but steady decline since the 1960s while agriculture has long been a marginal sector within the municipality.[142] The municipality is home to 175,000 jobs with some 100,000 in the private sector and the rest split between state, region and municipality.[143] The region is a majoragricultural producer, with many large farms in the outlying districts.[144] People commute to Aarhus from as far away asRanders,Silkeborg andSkanderborg and almost a third of those employed within the Aarhus municipality commute from neighbouring communities.[145][146][147] Aarhus is a centre for retail in the Nordic and Baltic countries, with expansive shopping centres, the busiest commercial street in the country and a dense urban core with many speciality shops.[148][149]
The job market is knowledge- and service-based, and the largest employment sectors are healthcare and social services, trade, education, consulting, research, industry and telecommunications.[143] The municipality has more high- and middle-income jobs, and fewer low-income jobs, than the national average.[143] Today, the majority of the largest companies in the municipality are in the sectors of trade, transport and media.[150] The wind power industry has strong roots in Aarhus and the larger region ofCentral Jutland, and nationally, most of the revenue in the industry is generated by companies in the greater Aarhus area. The wind industry employs about a thousand people within the municipality, making it a central component in the local economy.[151] The biotech industry is well-established in the city, with many small- and medium-sized companies mainly focused on research and development.[152] There are multipleBig Tech companies with offices in the city, includingUber andGoogle.[153]
Several major companies are headquartered in Aarhus, including four of the ten largest in the country. These includeArla Foods, one of the largest dairy groups in Europe,Salling Group, Denmark's largest retailer,Jysk, a worldwide retailer of household goods,Vestas, a global wind turbine manufacturer,[154]Terma A/S, a major defence and aerospace manufacturer,Per Aarsleff, a civil engineering company and several large retail companies.[11][155] Other large employers of note include Krifa,Systematic A/S,[156]), andBestseller A/S. Since the early 2000s, the city has experienced an influx of larger companies moving from other parts of the Jutland peninsula.[157][158]
The Port of Aarhus is one of the largest industrial ports in northern Europe with the largest container terminal in Denmark, processing more than 50% of Denmark's container traffic and accommodating the largest container vessels in the world.[159][160] It is a municipal self-governing port with independent finances. The facilities handle some 9.5 million tonnes of cargo a year (2012). Grain is the principal export, whilefeedstuffs, stone, cement and coal are among the chief imports.[161] Since 2012 the port has faced increasing competition from thePort of Hamburg and freight volumes have decreased somewhat from the peak in 2008.[160]
The ferry terminal presents the only alternative to theGreat Belt Link for passenger transport between Jutland andZealand. It has served different ferry companies since the first steamship route to Copenhagen opened in 1830. Currently,Mols-Linien operates the route and annually transports some two million passengers and a million vehicles. Additionalroll-on/roll-off cargo ferries serveFinland andKalundborg on a weekly basis and smaller outlying Danish ports at irregular intervals. Since the early 2000s the port has increasingly become a destination for cruise lines operating in theBaltic Sea.[162]
TheARoS Art Museum, theOld Town Museum andTivoli Friheden are among Denmark'stop tourist attractions.[163] With a combined total of almost 1.4 million visitors they represent the driving force behind tourism but other venues such asMoesgård Museum andKvindemuseet are also popular. The city's extensive shopping facilities are also said to be a major attraction for tourists, as are festivals, especiallyNorthSide andSPOT.[164][165] Many visitors arrive on cruise ships: in 2012, 18 vessels visited the port with over 38,000 passengers.[166]
In the 2010s, there was a significant expansion of tourist facilities, culminating in the opening of the 240-room Comwell Hotel in July 2014, which increased the number of hotel rooms in the city by 25%. Some estimates put the number of visitors spending at least one night as high as 750,000 a year, most of them Danes from other regions, with the remainder coming mainly from Norway, Sweden, northern Germany and the United Kingdom. Overall, they spend roughly DKK 3 billion (€402 million) in the city each year.[167] The primary motivation for tourists choosing Aarhus as a destination is experiencing the city and culture, family and couples vacation or as a part of a round trip in Denmark. The average stay is little more than three days on average.[167]
There are more than 30 tourist information spots across the city. Some of them are staffed, while others are online, publicly accessible touchscreens. The official tourist information service in Aarhus is organised under VisitAarhus, a corporate foundation initiated in 1994 by Aarhus Municipality and local commercial interest organisations.[168][169]
The largest research park in Aarhus isINCUBA Science Park, focused onIT andbiomedical research, It is based on Denmark's first research park,Forskerpark Aarhus (Research Park Aarhus), founded in 1986, which in 2007 merged with another research park to form INCUBA Science Park. The organisation is owned partly byAarhus University and private investors and aims to foster close relationships between public institutions and startup companies.[170] It is physically divided across 4 locations after a new department was inaugurated inNavitas Park in 2015, which it will share with theAarhus School of Marine and Technical Engineering andAU Engineering. Another major centre for knowledge isAgro Food Park inSkejby, established to facilitate co-operation between companies and public institutions working within food science and agriculture. In January 2017Arla Foods will open the global innovation centreArla Nativa in Agro Food Park and in 2018 Aarhus University is moving theDanish Centre for Food and Agriculture there as well.[171][172] In 2016, some 1000 people worked at Agro Food Park, spread across 50 companies and institutions and in August 2016 Agro Food Park management published plans to expand facilities from 92,000 m2 to 325,000 square metres (3,500,000 sq ft).[172]
In addition, Aarhus is home to theAarhus School of Architecture, one of two DanishMinistry of Education institutions that provide degree programs in architecture, and some of the largest architecture firms in theNordic countries such asSchmidt Hammer Lassen Architects,Arkitema Architects andC. F. Møller Architects.[173] Taken together these organisations form a unique concentration of expertise and knowledge in architecture outside Copenhagen, which the Danish Ministry of Business and Growth refers to asarkitekturklyngen (the architecture cluster). To promote the "cluster", the School of Architecture will be given new school buildings centrally in the newFreight Station Neighbourhood, planned for development in the 2020s. In the interim, the city council supports a culture, business and education centre in the area, which may continue in the future neighbourhood in some form. The future occupants of the neighbourhood will be businesses and organisations selected for their ability to be involved in the local community, and it is hoped that the area will evolve into a hotspot for creativity and design.[174][175][176]
Panoramic view of the Aarhus skyline, seen from the top ofARoS (2012)
Aarhus has developed in stages, from the Viking Age to modern times, all visible in the city today. Many architectural styles are represented in different parts of the city such asRomanesque,Gothic,Renaissance,Baroque,Rococo,National Romantic,Nordic Classicism,Neoclassical,Empire andFunctionalism.[177] The city has developed around the main transport hubs – the river, the harbour, and later the railway station – and as a result, the oldest parts are also the most central and busiest today.[66]
The streets ofVolden (The Rampart) andGraven (The Moat) testify to the defences of the initial Viking town, andAllégaderingen inMidtbyen roughly follows the boundaries of that settlement. The street network in theinner city formed during the Middle Ages with narrow, curved streets and low, dense housing by the river and the coast.Vesterport (Westward Gate) still bears the name of the medieval city gate and the narrow alleywaysPosthussmøgen andTelefonsmøgen are remnants of toll stations from that time.[178] The inner city has the oldest preserved buildings, especially theLatin Quarter, with houses dating back to the early 17th century inMejlgade andSkolegade.[35] Medieval merchants' mansions with courtyards can be seen inKlostergade,Studsgade and Skolegade. By far, the largest part of the present-day city was built during and after the industrialisation of the late 1800s, and the most represented architectural styles today arehistoricism andmodernism, especially the subgenre ofDanish functionalism of which there are many fine examples.[179] The building boom of the 2000s has imprinted itself on Aarhus with a redeveloped harbourfront, many new neighbourhoods (also in the inner city), and a revitalised public space. It is also beginning to change the skyline with several dominating high-rises.[66]
Developments
In recent years, Aarhus has experienced a large demand in housing and offices, spurring a construction boom in some parts of the city. The newly built city district of Aarhus Ø, formerly docklands, includes major housing developments, mostly consisting of privately owned apartments, designed by architects such asCEBRA, andJDS Architects.[180][181]
Newly finished apartments in Aarhus Ø
In the second quarter of 2012, the population of the area stood at only 5; however, that number had risen to 3,940 by October 2019.[182]
The main public transportation service is bus line 23, as well asØstbanetorvet train station.[183] Plans to service the area by the light rail lineAarhus Letbane have now been shelved.[184]
Landmarks
Åboulevarden, 2016 and 1945, opening of the riverBispetorv in the historic centre
Aarhus Cathedral (Århus Domkirke) in the centre of Aarhus, is the longest and tallest church in Denmark at 93 m (305 ft) and 96 m (315 ft) in length and height respectively. Originally built as aRomanesque basilica in the 13th century, it was rebuilt and enlarged as aGothic cathedral in the late 15th and early 16th centuries.[185] Even though the cathedral stood finished around 1300, it took more than a century to build; the associated cathedral school ofAarhus Katedralskole was already founded in 1195 and ranks as the44th oldest school in the world.[186] Another important and historic landmark in the inner city, is theChurch of Our Lady (Vor Frue Kirke) also from the 13th century in Romanesque and Gothic style. It is smaller and less impressive, but it was the first cathedral of Aarhus and founded on an even older church constructed in 1060; the oldest stone church in Scandinavia.[187][188][189][190]Langelandsgade Kaserne inNational Romantic Style from 1889 is the oldest former military barracks left in the country; home to the university Department of Aesthetics and Communication since 1989.[191][192][193]Marselisborg Palace (Marselisborg Slot), designed byHack Kampmann inNeoclassical andArt Nouveau styles, was donated by the city toPrince Christian andPrincess Alexandrine as a wedding present in 1898.[194][195] TheAarhus Custom House (Toldkammeret) from 1898, is said to be Hack Kampmann's finest work.[196]
Tivoli Friheden (Tivoli Freedom) opened in 1903 and has since been the largest amusement park in the city and a tourist attraction.Aarhus Theatre from 1916 in the Art Nouveau style is the largest provincial theatre in Denmark.[197][198] The early buildings ofAarhus University, especially the main building completed in 1932, designed byKay Fisker,Povl Stegmann and byC.F. Møller have gained an international reputation for their contribution tofunctionalist architecture.[199] TheCity Hall (Aarhus Rådhus) from 1941 with an iconic 60 m (200 ft) tower clad in marble, was designed byArne Jacobsen andErik Møller in a modern Functionalist style.[200]
Culture
Aarhus is home to many annual cultural events and festivals, museums, theatres, and sports events of both national and international importance, and presents some of the largest cultural attractions in Denmark. There is a long tradition of music from all genres, and many Danish bands have emerged from Aarhus. Libraries, cultural centres and educational institutions present free or easy opportunities for the citizens to participate in, engage in, or be creative with cultural events and productions of all kinds.[201]
Since 1938, Aarhus has marketed itself asSmilets by (City of smiles) which has become both an informal moniker and official slogan. In 2011, the city council opted to change the slogan to "Aarhus. Danish for Progress" but it was unpopular and abandoned after just a few years.[202] Other slogans that have occasionally been used areByen ved havet (City by the sea),Mellem bugt og bøgeskov (Between bay and beechwood) andVerdens mindste storby (World's smallest big city).[203][204] Aarhus is featured in popular songs such asHjem til Aarhus byPå Slaget 12,Lav sol over Aarhus byGnags,8000 Aarhus C byFlemming Jørgensen,Pigen ud af Aarhus byTina Dickow andSlingrer ned ad Vestergade byGnags. In 1919, the numberSangen til Aarhus (Song to Aarhus) had become a popular hit for a time, but the oldest and perhaps best known "national anthem" for the city is the classicalAarhus Tappenstreg from 1872 byCarl Christian Møller which is occasionally played at official events or at performances by local marching bands and orchestras.[205][206]
Aarhus has a range of museums, includingtwo of the largest in the country, measured by the number of paying guests,Den Gamle By andARoS Aarhus Kunstmuseum.Den Gamle By (The Old Town), officiallyDanmarks Købstadmuseum (Denmark's Market Town Museum), presents Danish townscapes from the 16th century to the 1970s with individual areas focused on different time periods. 75 historic buildings collected from different parts of the country have been brought here to create a small town in its own right.[207][208]
ARoS Aarhus Kunstmuseum, the city's main art museum, is one of the largest art museums in Scandinavia with a collection covering Danish art from the 18th century to the present day as well as paintings, installations and sculptures representing internationalart movements and artists from all over the world. The iconic glass structure on the roof,Your Rainbow Panorama, was designed byOlafur Eliasson and features a promenade offering a colourful panorama of the city.[209][210]
Public libraries in Denmark are also cultural and community centres. They play an active role in cultural life and host many events, exhibitions, discussion groups, workshops, educational courses and facilitate everyday cultural activities for and by the citizens. In June 2015, the large central library and cultural centre ofDokk1 opened at the harbour front. Dokk1 also includes civil administrations and services, commercial office rentals and a large underground robotic car park and aims to be a landmark for the city and a public meeting place. The building of Dokk1 and the associated squares and streetscape is also collectively known as Urban Mediaspace Aarhus and it is the largest construction project Aarhus municipality has yet undertaken.[217] Apart from this large main library, some neighbourhoods in Aarhus have a local library engaged in similar cultural and educational activities, but on a more local scale.[218]
There are several cultural and community centres throughout the city. This includes Folkestedet in the centralÅparken, facilitating events for and by non-commercial associations, organisations and clubs, and activities for the elderly, the nearbyGodsbanen at the railway yard, with workshops, events and exhibitions, and Globus1 inBrabrand facilitating sports and various cultural activities.[221]
The city enjoys strong musical traditions, both classical and alternative, underground and popular, with educational and performance institutions such as the concert halls ofMusikhuset, the opera ofDen Jyske Opera,Aarhus Symfoniorkester (Aarhus Symphony Orchestra) andDet Jyske Musikkonservatorium (Royal Academy of Music, Aarhus/Aalborg). Musikhuset is the largest concert hall in Scandinavia, with seating for more than 3,600 people. Other major music venues include VoxHall, rebuilt in 1999, and the associated venue of Atlas, Train nightclub at the harbourfront, andGodsbanen, a former rail freight station.[222][223][224]
The acting scene in Aarhus is diverse, with many groups and venues engaged in a broad span of genres, fromanimation theatre andchildren's theatre toclassical theatre andimprovisational theatre. Aarhus Teater is the oldest and largest venue with mostly professional classical acting performances. Svalegangen, the second largest theatre, is more experimental with its performances and other notable groups and venues includes EntréScenen, Katapult, Gruppe 38, Helsingør Teater, Det Andet Teater and Teater Refleksion as well asdance venues like Bora Bora.[225][226][227] The cultural center ofGodsbanen includes several scenes and stages[222] and the Concert Halls ofMusikhuset also stage theatrical plays regularly and is home to the children's theatre Filuren and a comedy club.[228][229][230] The city hosts a biannual international theatre festival, International Living Theatre (ILT), with the next event being scheduled for 2021.[231]
Since 2010 the music production centre of PROMUS (Produktionscentret for Rytmisk Musik) has supported the rock scene in the city along with the publicly funded ROSA (Dansk Rock Samråd), which promotes Danish rock music in general.[232]
Aarhus is known for its musical history. Fuelled by a relatively young populationjazz clubs sprang up in the 1950s which became a tour stop for many iconic American Jazz musicians. By the 1960s, the music scene diversified into rock and other genres and in the 1970s and 1980s, Aarhus became a centre for rock music, fostering iconic bands such asKliché,TV-2 andGnags and artists such asThomas Helmig andAnne Linnet. Acclaimed bands since the 1970s includeUnder Byen,Michael Learns to Rock,Nephew,Carpark North,Spleen United,VETO,Hatesphere andIlldisposed in addition to individual performers such asMedina andTina Dico.[233]
Events and festivals
Aarhus Festuge
Aarhus hosts many annual or recurring festivals, concerts and events, with the festival ofAarhus Festuge as the most popular and wide-ranging, along with large sports events.[234][235] Aarhus Festuge is the largest multicultural festival in Scandinavia, always based on a special theme and takes place every year for ten days between late August and early September, transforming the inner city with festive activities and decorations of all kinds.[236][237]
The annual boat race at the university campus
There are numerous music festivals; the eight-dayAarhus Jazz Festival features jazz in many venues across the city. It was founded in 1988 and usually takes place in July every year, occasionally August or September.[238] There are several annually recurring music festivals for contemporary popular music in Aarhus.NorthSide Festival presents well-known bands every year in mid-June on large outdoor scenes. It is a relatively new event, founded in 2010, but grew from a one-day event to a three-day festival in its first three years, now with 35,000 paying guests in 2015.[239][240]Spot festival is aiming to showcase up-and-coming Danish and Scandinavian talents at selected venues of the inner city.[241] The outdoorGrøn Koncert music festival takes place every year in many cities across Denmark, including Aarhus.Danmarks grimmeste festival (lit. Denmark's ugliest Festival) is a small summer music festival held inSkjoldhøjkilen,Brabrand.[242]
Aarhus Pride march. There are several recurring niche festivals in Aarhus.
Aarhus also hosts recurring events dedicated to specific art genres. International Living Theatre (ILT) is a bi-annual festival, established in 2009, withperforming arts and stage art on a broad scale. The festival has a vision of showing the best plays and stage art experiences of the world, while at the same time attracting thespians and stage art interested people from both Aarhus and Europe at large.[243] LiteratureXchange is a new annual festival from 2018, focused on literature from around the world as well as regional talents.[244] The city actively promotes itsgay and lesbian community and celebrates the annualAarhus Pride gay pride festival while Aarhus Festuge usually includes exhibits, concerts and events designed for the LGBT communities.[245]
Notable events of a local scope include theuniversity boat-race, held in the University Park since 1991, which has become a local spectator event attracting some 20,000 people. The boat race pits costumed teams from the university departments against each other in inflatable boats in a challenge to win theGyldne Bækken (Golden Chamber Pot) trophy.[246] The annual lighting of the Christmas lights on theSalling department store inSøndergade has also become an attraction in recent times, packing the pedestrianised city centre with thousands of revellers.[247] Significant dates such asSaint Lucy's Day,Sankt Hans (Saint John's Eve) andFastelavn are traditionally celebrated with numerous events across the city.[248][249]
Sandy beaches, such asBellevue Beach, form most of the coastline.
The beech forests ofRiis Skov andMarselisborg occupy the hills along the coast to the north and south, and apart from the city centre, sandy beaches form the coastline of the entire municipality. There are two public sea baths, the northernDen Permanente below Riis Skov and close to the harbour area, and the southernBallehage Beach in the Marselisborg Forests. As in most of Denmark, there are no private beaches in the municipality, but access toDen Permanente requires a membership, except in the summer.[250]
The University Park; rolling lawns, ponds, and large oak treesBlooming cherry trees and Marselisborg Palace inMindeparken
The relatively mild, temperate marine climate, allows for outdoor recreation year round, including walking, hiking, cycling, and outdoor team sports. Mountain biking is usually restricted to marked routes.[251] Watersports like sailing, kayaking, motor boating, etc. are also popular, and since the bay rarely freezes up in winter, they can also be practised most of the year. Recreational and transportational pathways for pedestrians and cyclists, radiate from the city centre to the countryside, providing safety from motorised vehicles and a more tranquil experience.[252][253] This includes the 19 kilometre long pathway ofBrabrandstien, encircling theBrabrand Lake.[254][255] The long-range hiking route Aarhus-Silkeborg, starts off from Brabrandstien.[256]
Aarhus has an unusually high number of parks and green spaces, 134 of them, covering a total area of around 550 ha (1,400 acres).[257] The centralBotanical Gardens (Botanisk Have) from 1875 are a popular destination, as they includeThe Old Town open-air museum and host a number of events throughout the year. Originally used to cultivate fruit trees and other useful plants for the local citizens, there are now a significant collection of trees and bushes from different habitats and regions of the world, including a section devoted to native Danish plants.[258] Recently renovated tropical and subtropical greenhouses, exhibit exotic plants from throughout the world.[259] Also in the city centre is the undulatingUniversity Park, recognised for its unique landscaped design with large old oak trees.[260] TheMemorial Park (Mindeparken) at the coast below Marselisborg Palace, offers a panoramic view across theBay of Aarhus and is popular with locals for outings, picnics or events.[261][262] Other notable parks include the small centralCity Hall Park (Rådhusparken) andMarienlyst Park (Marienlystparken).[263] Marienlyst Park is a relatively new park from 1988, situated inHasle out of the inner city and is less crowded, but it is the largest park in Aarhus, including woodlands, large open grasslands and soccer fields.[264][265]
Marselisborg Forests and Riis Skov, has a long history of recreational activities of all kinds, including several restaurants, hotels and opportunities forgreen exercise. There are marked routes here for jogging, running and mountain biking and large events are hosted regularly. This includes running events,cycle racing andorienteering, the annual Classic Race Aarhus with historic racing cars, all attracting thousands of people.[266]Marselisborg Deer Park (Marselisborg Dyrehave) in Marselisborg Forests, comprises 22 ha (54 acres) of fenced woodland pastures with free-roamingsika androe deer.[267] Below theMoesgård Museum in the southern parts of the Marselisborg Forests, is a large historical landscape of pastures and woodlands, presenting different eras of Denmark's prehistory. Sections of the forest comprise trees and vegetation representing specific climatic epochs from thelast Ice Age to the present.[268] Dotted across the landscape are reconstructed Stone Age and Bronze Age graves, buildings from the Iron Age, Viking Age and medieval times, with grazing goats, sheep and horses in between.[269]
Food, drink, and nightlife
Aarhus presents a large variety of restaurants
Aarhus has a large variety of restaurants and eateries offering food from cultures all over the world, especially Mediterranean and Asian, but also international gourmet cuisine,traditional Danish food andNew Nordic Cuisine.[270] Among the oldest restaurants areRådhuscafeen (lit. The City Hall Café), opened in 1924, serving a menu of traditional Danish meals, andPeter Gift from 1906, a tavern with a broad beer selection and a menu ofsmørrebrød and other Danish dishes.[271][272] In Aarhus, New Nordic can be experienced atKähler Villa Dining,Hærværk andDomestic, but local produce can be had at many places, especially at the twice-weekly food markets in Frederiksbjerg.[273] Aarhus andCentral Denmark Region was selected asEuropean Region of Gastronomy in 2017.[274][275] The city (and municipality) is a member of theDélice Network, an international non-profit organisation nurturing and facilitating knowledge exchange ingastronomy.[276]
Appraised high-end restaurants serving international gourmet cuisine include Frederikshøj, Substans, Gastromé, Det Glade Vanvid, Nordisk Spisehus, Restaurant Varna, Restaurant ET, Gäst, Brasserie Belli, Møf.[277][278][279][280] Restaurants in Aarhus were the first in provincial Denmark to receiveMichelin stars since 2015, when Michelin inspectors ventured outside Copenhagen for the first time.[281]
Aarhus Street Food, one of two indoor food halls
Vendors of street food are numerous throughout the centre, often selling from small trailers on permanent locations formally known asPølsevogne (lit. sausage wagons), traditionally serving a Danish variety ofhot dogs, sausages and other fast food. There are increasingly more outlets inspired by other cultural flavours such assushi,kebab andcurrywurst.[282][283]
The city centre is packed with cafés, especially along the river and theLatin quarter. Some of them also include an evening restaurant, such asCafé Casablanca,Café Carlton,Café Cross andGyngen.[284] Aarhus Street Food and Aarhus Central Food Market are two indoorfood courts from 2016 in the city centre, comprising a variety of street food restaurants, cafés and bars.[285][286]
Cheese stand at the local food markets on Frederiksbjerg
Aarhus has a robust and diverse nightlife. The action tends to concentrate in the inner city, with the pedestrianised riverside, Frederiksgade, the Latin Quarter, and Jægergårdsgade on Frederiksbjerg as the most active centres at night, but things are stirring elsewhere around the city too. The nightlife scene offers everything from small joints with cheap alcohol and a homely atmosphere to fashionable nightclubs serving champagne and cocktails or small and large music venues with bars, dance floors and lounges. A short selection of well-established places where you can have a drink and socialise, include the fashionable lounge and night club Kupé at the harbourfront, the relaxed Ris Ras Filliongongong offeringwaterpipes and an award-winning beer selection, Fatter Eskild with a broad selection of Danish bands playing mostly blues and rock, thewine andbook café Løve's in Nørregade,Sherlock Holmes, a British-stylepub with live music, and thebrew pub of Sct. Clemens, withA Hereford Beefstouw restaurant across the cathedral.[287][288][289] A few nightlife spots are aimed at gays and lesbians specifically, including Gbar (nightclub) and Café Sappho.[290]
TheÅrhus Set (Danish: Århus Sæt) is a set of drinks often ordered together, named for the city and consisting of two beverages, oneCeres Top beer and one shotArnbitter, both originally from Aarhus. Ordering "a set" suffices in most bars and pubs.[291][292] Aarhus Bryghus is a localcraft brewery with a sizeable production. The brewery is located in the southern district of Viby and a large variety of their craft brews are available there, in most larger well-assorted stores in the city, and in some bars and restaurants as well. They also export.[293]
The Aarhus dialect, commonly calledAarhusiansk (Aarhusian in English), is aJutlandic dialect in theMid-Eastern Jutland dialect area, traditionally spoken in and around Aarhus.[294] Aarhusian, as with most local dialects in Denmark, has diminished in use through the 20th century and most Danes today speak some version of Standard Danish with slight regional features. Aarhusian, however, still has a strong presence in older segments of the population and in areas with high numbers of immigrants.[295][296][297] Some examples of common, traditional and unique Aarhusian words are:træls ('tiresome'),noller ('silly' or 'dumb') anddælme (excl. 'damn me!').[298][299] The dialect is notable for single-syllable words ending in "d" being pronounced withstød while the same letter in multiple-syllable words is pronounced as "j", i.e.,Odder is pronounced "Ojjer". Like other dialects in East Jutland, it has twogrammatical genders, similar to Standard Danish, but different from West Jutlandic dialects, which have only one.[300] In 2009, the University of Aarhus compiled a list of contemporary public figures who best exemplify the dialect, includingJacob Haugaard,Thomas Helmig,Steffen Brandt,Stig Tøfting,Flemming Jørgensen,Tina Dickow andCamilla Martin. In popular culture, the dialect features prominently inNiels Malmros's movieAarhus by Night and in 90s comedy sketches by Jacob Haugaard andFinn Nørbygaard.[301]
The municipality actively supports sports organisations in and around the city, providing public organisations that aim to attract major sporting events and strengthen professional sports.[310] TheNational Olympic Committee and Sports Confederation of Denmark counts some 380 sports organisations within the municipality and about one third of the population are members of one.[311] Soccer is by far the most popular sport followed byGymnastics,Handball andBadminton.[311]
Aarhus is the principal centre for education in the Jutland region. It draws students from a large area, especially from the western and southern parts of the peninsula. The relatively large influx of young people and students creates a natural base for cultural activities.[318] Aarhus has the greatest concentration of students in Denmark, fully 12% of citizens attending short, medium or long courses of study. In addition to around 25 institutions of higher education, several research forums have evolved to assist in the transfer of expertise from education to business.[319] The city is home to more than 52,000 students.[320][when?]
Since 2012,Aarhus University (AU) has been the largest university in Denmark by number of students enrolled.[321] It isranked among the top 100 universities in the world by several of the most influential and respected rankings. The university has approximately 41,500Bachelor andMaster students enrolled as well as about 1,500 PhD students.[321] It is possible to engage in higher academic studies in many areas, from the traditional spheres ofnatural science,humanities and theology to more vocational academic areas like engineering anddentistry.[322]
Aarhus Tech is one of the largest technical colleges in Denmark, teaching undergraduate study programmes in English, includingvocational education and training (VET), continuing vocational training (CVT), andhuman resource development.[323]Business Academy Aarhus is among the largest business academies in Denmark and offers undergraduate and some academic degrees, inIT, business and technical fields. The academic level technical aspects are covered in a collaboration with Aarhus Tech,Aarhus School of Marine and Technical Engineering andAarhus Educational Centre for Agriculture.[324] TheDanish School of Media and Journalism (DMJX) is the oldest and largest of the colleges, offering journalism courses since 1946, with approximately 1,700 students as of 2014. DMJX has been an independent institution since 1974, conducting research and teaching at undergraduate level, and in 2004, master's courses in journalism was established in a collaboration with Aarhus University. The latter is offered through the Centre for University studies in journalism, granting degrees through the university.[325]
TheRoyal Academy of Music in Aarhus (Det Jyske Musikkonservatorium) is aconservatoire, established under the auspices of theDanish Ministry of Culture in 1927. In 2010, it merged administratively with the Royal Academy of Music in Aalborg, which was founded in 1930.[326] Under the patronage of His Royal HighnessCrown Prince Frederik, it offers graduate level studies in areas such as music teaching, and solo and professional musicianship.VIA University College was established in January 2008 and is one of eight new regional organisations offeringbachelor courses of all kinds, throughout theCentral Denmark Region. It offers over 50 higher educations, taught in Danish or sometimes in English, with vocational education and it participates in various research and development projects.[327]Aarhus School of Architecture (Arkitektskolen Aarhus) was founded in 1965. Along with theRoyal Danish Academy of Fine Arts of Copenhagen, it is responsible for the education of architects in Denmark. With an enrolment of approximately 900 students, it teaches in five main departments: architecture and aesthetics, urban and landscape, architectonic heritage, design and architectural design.[328]
In the inner city, motorised traffic is highly regulated, larger parts are pedestrianised and in the 2000s, a system of roads prioritised for cyclists have been implemented, connecting to suburban areas.[330]
The main railway station in Aarhus isAarhus Central Station located in the city centre.DSB has connections to destinations throughout Denmark and also services toFlensburg andHamburg in Germany.[331]
As in Denmark overall, bicycles are a popular means of transportation. Bike parking at the central station.
Aarhus Letbane is a local electrictram-train system that opened in December 2017, connecting the central station and the inner city with the University Hospital in Skejby and also replaced local railway services toGrenaa andOdder in late 2018. It is the first electric light rail system in Denmark and more routes are planned to open in coming years. Tickets for the light rail are also available in local yellow bus lines.[332]
Most city bus lines go through the inner city and pass through eitherPark Allé orBanegårdspladsen, or both, right at the central station.[333] Regional and Inter-city buses terminate at Aarhus Bus Terminal, just east of the central station.[334][335]FlixBus provides long-distance buses that travel to other cities in Denmark and Europe.[336]
Aarhus Airport is located on Djursland, 40 km (25 mi) north-east of Aarhus nearTirstrup, and provides links to both Copenhagen and international destinations.[340] The largerBillund Airport is situated 95 km (59 mi) south-west of Aarhus.[341] There has been much discussion about constructing a new airport closer to the city for many years, but so far no plans have been realised.[342] In August 2014, the city council officially initiated a process to assert the viability of a new international airport.[343][344] A smallseaplane now operates four flights daily between Aarhus harbour and Copenhagen harbour.[345]
Aarhus has a free bike sharing system,Aarhus Bycykler (Aarhus City Bikes). The bicycles are available from 1 April to 30 October at 57 stands throughout the city and can be obtained by placing a DKK 20 coin in a release slot, like caddies in a supermarket. The coin can be retrieved when the bike is returned at a random stand. Bicycles can also be hired from many shops.[346]
Aarhus is home toAarhus University Hospital, one of six Danish "Super Hospitals" officially established in 2007 whenthe regions reformed the Danish healthcare sector.[347] The university hospital is the result of a series of mergers in the 2000s between the local hospitals ofSkejby Sygehus, theMunicipal Hospital, theCounty Hospital,Marselisborg Hospital andRisskov Psychiatric Hospital. It is today the largest hospital in Denmark with a combined staff of some 10,000 and 1,150 patient beds,[348] and has been ranked the best hospital in Denmark consecutively since 2008.[349] In 2012, construction of a new large hospital building began, known as Det Nye Universitetshospital (DNU) or 'The New University Hospital' in English, and it is centralising and accommodating all of the former departments, ending in 2019. The new hospital is divided in four clinical centres, a service centre and one administrative unit along with twelve research centres.[350][351]
Private hospitals specialised in different areas from plastic surgery to fertility treatments operate in Aarhus as well.Ciconia Aarhus Private Hospital founded in 1984 is a leading Danish fertility clinic and the first of its kind in Denmark. Ciconia has provided for the birth of 6,000 children by artificial insemination and continually conducts research into the field of fertility.[352]Aagaard Clinic, established in 2004, is another private fertility andgynaecology clinic which since 2004 has undertaken fertility treatments that has resulted in 1550 births.[353]Aarhus Municipality also offers a number of specialised services in the areas of nutrition, exercise, sex, smoking and drinking, activities for the elderly, health courses and lifestyle.[354]
Media
The headquarters of local newspaperÅrhus Stiftstidende at the central stationThe AarhusSøsterhøj TV tower, height 261 m (856 ft)
The first daily newspaper to appear in Aarhus wasÅrhus Stiftstidende, established in 1794 asAarhuus Stifts Adresse-Contoirs Tidender, with a moderately conservative approach. Once one of Denmark's largest,[355] it was a leading provincial newspaper for a time, but after the Second World War it increasingly faced competition fromDemokraten (1884–1974) andJyllands-Posten, both published in Aarhus. In 1998, it merged withRanders Amtsavis and is now run by Midtjyske Medier, part ofBerlingske Media.[356] The daily newspaper ofJyllands-Posten was established in 1871 in Aarhus, and takes a generally right-wing editorial approach. With a reputation as a serious news publication, the paper has always included news fromJutland in particular, but somewhat less so since its promotion as a national newspaper in the 1960s. Today it is one of the three bestselling serious newspapers in Denmark, the others beingBerlingske andPolitiken.[357] Jyllands-Posten publishesJP Aarhus, a section dedicated to news in and around Aarhus, and hosted a free cityguide website from 2010 to 2016.[358][359] The Copenhagen-based media company ofPolitiken, also publishes severalfree local papers once a week in parts of Denmark and Sweden. In Aarhus, they publish a total of five local newspapers;Aarhus Midt,Aarhus Nord,Aarhus Vest,Aarhus Syd andAarhus Onsdag.[360][361]Aarhus Onsdag (Aarhus Wednesday) is financed completely by advertisements and available in both paperform and online. It was bought fromÅrhus Stiftstidende in June 2017, but has been published for many years previous.[362][363]
Danmarks Radio has a large department in Aarhus with over 200 employees. It runs the DR Østjylland radio programme, provides local contributions toDR P4, and produces local regional television programmes.[364] In 1999,TV 2 moved its Jutland headquarters fromRanders toSkejby in northern Aarhus. The station broadcasts regional news and current affairs television and radio programmes. Since 2012, it has run its own TV channel,TV 2 Østjylland.[365] Aarhus has its own local TV channel TVAarhus, transmitting since 1984.[366][367] After an agreement on 1 July 2014, TVAarhus can be watched by 130,000 households in Aarhus, making it the largest cable-transmitted local TV channel in Denmark.[368]
With over 1,700 students, theDanish School of Media and Journalism (Danmarks Medie- og Journalisthøjskole) is the country's largest and oldest school of journalism. The school works closely with Aarhus University, where the first journalism course was established in 1946. In 2004, the two institutions established the Centre for University Studies in Journalism, which offers master's courses.[369]
^Kommune, Aarhus."Byens raad 1838–1868".Aarhus Kommune (in Danish). Aarhus Municipality. Archived fromthe original on 29 November 2014. Retrieved21 November 2014.
^Munchaus Petersen, Holger (1986).Fælles kræfter. Danske dampskibe indtil 1870, bind III (in Danish). Esbjerg: Fiskerimuseets Forlag. p. 89.ISBN87-87453-25-8.
^Ceres."History" (in Danish). Archived fromthe original on 28 March 2016. Retrieved27 June 2016.
^Magistratens 2. Afdeling (1979)."Frederiksbjerg Øst – Århus".Kommuneatlas (in Danish). Aarhus Municipality. Archived fromthe original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved15 August 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
^"Climate: Denmark, Aarhus" (in Danish). Climate Data.Archived from the original on 26 October 2016. Retrieved25 October 2016., Note:The Köppen World Map is rather course-scaled, and not very useful or precise on scales the size of Denmark.
^"Energianlæg Aarhus Ø" [Energy plant Aarhus Ø] (in Danish). Aarhus Municipality. 25 October 2016. Archived fromthe original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved10 June 2018.
^Peter Bro, PhD-studerende, MSc, Aalborg Universitet; Henrik Harder, Lektor, PhD HD.O MAA, Aalborg Universitet (2007)."Fremtidens Byudvikling i Østjylland"(PDF) (in Danish). Retrieved10 July 2014.
^"Religion_i_Aarhus_2013, s. 475"(PDF) (in Danish). Centre for Samtidsreligion, Aarhus Universitet.Archived(PDF) from the original on 9 October 2022. Retrieved8 December 2014.
^Nielsen, Regnar M. (1 December 2019).""Ghettolisten" skrumper - men det går langsomt" [The "Ghetto List" is shrinking - but it goes slowly] (in Danish). BL (Danmarks Almene Boliger). Retrieved28 January 2020.
^"Arkitekturklyngen i Århus"(PDF) (in Danish). Center for Strategisk Byforskning.Archived(PDF) from the original on 20 December 2016. Retrieved1 October 2016.
^"Sunbeams Over Århus"(PDF). Natural History Museum, Aarhus Nature and Environment (Municipality of Aarhus), The Outdoor Council.Archived(PDF) from the original on 9 October 2022. Retrieved23 August 2015. Pamphlet of seven routes ("sunbeams").
^Weinrich, Mogens (13 November 2000)."Historien om en sti" [The history of a pathway].Jyllands-Posten (in Danish). Archived fromthe original on 19 August 2014. Retrieved2 July 2018.
^"Restaurants in Aarhus".Jyllands-Posten (in Danish). Archived fromthe original on 3 September 2014. Retrieved27 August 2014. Reviews and data on 453 restaurants in Aarhus.
^Nielsen, Maria Danmark & Holler, Katrine (28 April 2014)."International mesterklasse på Frederikshøj" [International gourmet class at Frederikshøj].Spiseguiden.dk (in Danish). Jyllands-Posten. Archived fromthe original on 3 September 2014. Retrieved27 August 2014.22 restaurants in Aarhus were among the best in Denmark, according to White Guide
^Loumann, Ole."Restauranter i Aarhus" [Restaurants in Aarhus].Politiken (in Danish). Archived fromthe original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved30 July 2014.
^Daniel Winther Pedersen (15 January 2015)."Danske restauranter får stjerner i februar" [Danish restaurants receive stars in February].Spiseguiden.dk (in Danish). Jyllands-Posten. Archived fromthe original on 18 September 2016. Retrieved2 June 2016.
^"Pølsevogne i Aarhus" [Sausage wagons in Aarhus].Krak.dk (in Danish). Retrieved20 December 2014.
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