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  • 21 Aug, 2019

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Skjern, Denmark
Skjern is a railway town just north of the Skjern river in western Jutland, Denmark with a population of 7,839 (1 January 2024). The town was the seat of the former Skjern Municipality, though since 2007 it has been the joint administrative seat of Ringkøbing-Skjern Municipality.

The town's expansion in the 19th century was the result of the newly created Skjern railway station. Today, it is connected to the Esbjerg–Struer line and the Skanderborg–Skjern line. It is also served by the Stauning Vestjylland Airport, which also contains Danmarks Flymuseum, displaying historic aircraft.

History

According to legend, King John was thrown from his horse in the ford crossing Skjern river in 1513. He died on 20 February of that year, most likely from pneumonia as a result of the lake's cold water.

In 1875, the a station on the Esbjerg–Struer railway line opened in Skjern. The town then became the site of a railway junction in 1881 when the Skanderborg–Skjern line opened. The town grew rapidly as a result of the railway traffic. In 1879 it consisted of a church and parsonage, school, inn, general store, and a smattering of farms and houses. By 1904, the town had more than 1120 inhabitants, as well as several schools, mission houses, banks, hotels, and industrial works. In the mid 20th century, the town's economy was primarily based upon industrial work. According to the 1930 census, of Skjern's 2,985 residents, 94 worked in agriculture, 1146 in industry, 424 in trade, 496 in transportation, and 298 in housework.

For a short period around 1940, Skern was the common spelling used for the town. In 1958, the town was designated as a market town (Danish: købstad), though the designation lost its official significance in the 1970 municipal reforms. Through the reforms, Skjern became the seat of the newly formed Skjern Municipality which included the parishes of Bølling, Dejbjerg, Faster, Hanning, Skjern, Stauning, Sædding, and Sønder Borris. The municipality has since been merged to form Ringkøbing-Skjern Municipality.

Statue of Holger Danske in Skjern.

A statue of Holger Danske by Hans Peder Pedersen-Dan was moved to Skjern in 2013 from the Hotel Marienlyst in Helsingør after it was sold on an auction site. The statue is now a tourist attraction in Skjern.

Skjern is the home town of the player character in the computer roleplaying game Expeditions: Viking.

Notable people

See also

References

  1. ^ BY3: Population 1. January by rural and urban areas, area and population density The Mobile Statbank from Statistics Denmark
  2. ^ BY1: Population 1. January by urban areas, age and sex The Mobile Statbank from Statistics Denmark
  3. ^ "Skjern Station" (in Danish). Arriva. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
  4. ^ Trap, J.P., ed. (1879). "Stjern Sogn". Kongeriget Danmark (in Danish). Vol. VI (2nd ed.). p. 408.
  5. ^ Trap, J.P., ed. (1904). "Skjern Sogn". Kongeriget Danmark (in Danish). Vol. V (3rd ed.). Copenhagen: G.E.C. Gad.
  6. ^ Statistisk Tabelværk (in Danish). 1935. p. 158.
  7. ^ Gregersen, A. (1974). "Nedlagte Baner: Jyske Statsbanestrækninger" (PDF). Signalposten (in Danish). 5: 200.
  8. ^ Brovall, Sandra (6 May 2014). "Nu sover Holger Danske i Skjern". Politiken (in Danish).
  9. ^ Nielsen, Jesper (26 April 2013). "Holger Danske solgt: Her ender han". TV 2 (in Danish).
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