Haderslev



Haderslev (German: ) is a Danish town of Region of Southern Denmark with a population of 21,396 (1 January 2012). It is the main town and the administrative seat of Haderslev Municipality.

Overview
Haderslev is situated in a valley, leading from Vojens to Haderslev Fjord and the Baltic Sea. Haderslev was presumably founded by Vikings at least a century before it was granted status as royal borough in 1292. At that time, it had become one of the main trading centres in Southern Jutland. In 1327, Haderslevhus, the royal castle, was mentioned for the first time. It was situated east of the cathedral; an area still called Slotsgrunden. In the following centuries the city prospered, building both the Gothic Cathedral and the second castle of Hansborg (burnt in 1644), which was similar to Kronborg. Due to the plague in Copenhagen, King Christian IV was married there. In the 16th century, the city became one of the first Scandinavian places to embrace the Lutheran Reformation. Prior to the Second Schleswig War of 1864, Haderslev was situated in the Duchy of Schleswig, a Danish fief, so its history is properly included in the contentious history of Schleswig-Holstein. From 1864 it was part of Prussia, and as such part of the North German Confederation, and from 1871 onwards, part of the German Empire. In the 1920 Schleswig Plebiscite that returned Northern Schleswig to Denmark, 38.6% of Haderslev's inhabitants voted for remaining part of Germany and 61.4% voted for the cession to Denmark. It was formerly the capital of the German Kreis Hadersleben and the Danish Haderslev County.

Education in Haderslev
Three branches of University College South (University College Syd) can be found in Haderslev.

Former municipality (1970–2006)
A kommune by the previous name existed 1970–2006. It belonged to South Jutland County and covered an area of 272 km² with a total population of 56,116 (2011). Its last mayor was Hans Peter Geil, a member of the liberal (Venstre) political party.

Neighboring municipalities were Christiansfeld to the north, Vojens to the west, Rødekro to the south, and Assens (on the island of Funen) to the East.

City Partnerships
Haderslev is twinned with:

Notable Residents

 * Carl Bertelsen, footballer