Sønderborg

Geobox Settlement
name = Sønderborg
native_name =
category = Municipality


image_size = 29px
image_caption = Harbour of Sønderborg

| flag_size=
symbol = Sonderborg2007logo.gif
symbol_size = 75px
country = Denmark | state=
district = Sønderborg municipality
district_type = Municipality | district_label=
part_type = | part_count =
part = | part1 =
area = 496
area_round = 0
location =
lat_d = 54 | lat_m = 55 | lat_s = 0 | lat_NS= N
long_d= 9 | long_m= 47 | long_s= 0 | long_EW= E
elevation =
population_as_of = 2008
population = 76,236
population_density=
established_type = Municipality
established = since January 2007
established1_type =
mayor =
timezone = CET
utc_offset = +1
timezone_DST = CEST
utc_offset_DST= +2
postal_code = | postal_code_type = Postal codes
area_code = | area_code_type=
free_type = | free=
free1_type = | free1=

map_size=
map_caption = Sønderborg (bottom left) in Denmark
map_locator =
map_locator_x = 23.6
map_locator_y = 86.4
website =

Sønderborg (German: "Sonderburg"), is a municipality (Danish, "kommune") in Region Syddanmark partially on the Jutland peninsula and partially on the island of Als in south Denmark, at the border with Germany. The municipality covers an area of 496,57 km² (192 sq. miles), and has a total population of 76,236 (2008). Its mayor is Jan Prokopek Jensen, a member of the Socialdemokraterne political party.

The site of its municipal council is the town of Sønderborg, which covers most of the area of the municipality.

The municipality is split into two sections separated by Als Fjord, the waterway which separates the island of Als from the Jutland mainland.

The town of Sønderborg lies on both sides of Als Fjord; the narrow strait between these two sides is called Als Strait ("Alssund"). Two road bridges connect the city across the strait: the 682-meter Als Strait Bridge ("Alssundbro"), built in 1978-1981; and the 331-meter King Christian X's Bridge ("Kong Christian Xs Bro"), built in 1925-1930.

2007 administrative reform

On January 1, 2007, due to "Kommunalreformen" ("The Municipal Reform" of 2007), the former Sønderborg municipality was combined with Augustenborg, Broager, Gråsten, Nordborg, Sydals, and Sundeved municipalities to form a new Sønderborg municipality. The former Sønderborg municipality covered an area of 54 km², and had a total population of 30,555 (2005). Its last mayor was Arne Peder Hansen, a member of the Venstre (Liberal Party) political party.

The town of Sønderborg

The town of Sønderborg (German name "Sonderburg") is home to Sønderborg Castle ("Sønderborg Slot") and Sandbjerg Estate ("Sandbjerg Gods", Sundeved) near Sønderborg. Sønderborg castle is in the centre of the town, and houses a museum focusing on the history and culture of the area. The museum is open all year. Sandbjerg Estate, which had belonged for many years to the Dukes of Sønderborg, and then to the Reventlow family, was donated to Aarhus University in 1954. In addition Sønderborg has a castle-like barracks built by the german military in 1906, placed centrally by Als Fjord, opposite Alsion (see picture below). Today the barracks is the home the danish army NCO school.

The old part of Sønderborg is on the island of Als, but some of its western suburbs have spread onto the mainland of Jutland into what had been the interior of the fort of Dybbøl.

History

Beginning in 1864, Sønderborg had been part of Prussia, and as such, was part of the North German Confederation, and from 1871 onwards, part of the German Empire. In the 1920 Schleswig Plebiscite that brought Northern Schleswig to Denmark, 56.9% of Sønderborg's inhabitants voted for remaining part of Germany, and 43.8% voted for the cession to Denmark. [http://www.dhm.de/lemo/forum/kollektives_gedaechtnis/082/nachher.html]

External links

* [http://www.sonderborg.dk Municipality's official website] da icon
* [http://www.visitsonderborg.com/default.asp?lang=en Tourist attractions in Sønderborg] en icon
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8zPH8GzDJnM Video showing the town of Sønderborg]
* [http://www.study-soenderborg.dk/pages/id68.asp Study in Sønderborg]

References

* Municipal statistics: [http://www2.netborger.dk/Kommunefakta/ NetBorger Kommunefakta] , delivered from [http://www.kmd.dk/ KMD] aka Kommunedata (Municipal Data)
* Municipal mergers and neighbors: [http://kommune.eniro.dk/danmarkskort/ Eniro new municipalities map]