Køge

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Køge
Køge coat of arms
Køge (Denmark)
Køge
Køge
Basic data
State : DenmarkDenmark Denmark
Region : Sjælland
Municipality
(since 2007) : 		Køge
Coordinates : 55 ° 27 '  N , 12 ° 11'  E Coordinates: 55 ° 27 '  N , 12 ° 11'  E
Founded: 1288 (receiving city rights)
Population :
(2020) 		37,754
Area : 255 km²
Population density : 148 inhabitants per km²
Postal code : 4600
Sister cities : GermanyGermany Trittau

FinlandFinland Espoo Waterford Sauðárkrókur Dundaga Klaipėda Kongsberg Kristianstad Sjöbo
IrelandIreland 
IcelandIceland 
LatviaLatvia 
LithuaniaLithuania 
NorwayNorway 
SwedenSweden 
SwedenSweden 

Kirkestræde in Køge
Kirkestræde in Køge
Template: Infobox location in Denmark / maintenance / height is missing

Køge [ ˈkøːə ] or [ ˈkøːjə ] is a Zeeland port city on the Køge Bugt . Administratively it belongs to the Danish region of Sjælland and is the center of the Køge municipality of the same name with 60,979 inhabitants (as of January 1, 2020).

history

Køge is one of the best preserved medieval towns in Denmark. It was built near the coast by royal orders and provided with a well-developed road network. Every form of trade took place on the large market square in the city center. Large knight tournaments were also held here and public punishments were carried out on the large execution site. In 1288 Køge received town charter and was then given a rampart, a moat and mighty town gates. However, all this was not enough to save the city from the Holstein invasion, who burned it down in the middle of the 14th century.

At the end of the 14th century, Køge grew into an important trading metropolis, which developed into one of the most important cities on Zealand over the next 250 years. No other city can boast as many well-preserved half-timbered buildings and medieval cellars as Køge. In Kirkestræde you can visit Denmark's oldest house, which was built in 1527. The only parish church in town at the time was St. Nicolai, which was expanded in the 15th century. The church tower was raised and provided with a bay window, which later also served as a lighthouse and could already be seen from the large port at the mouth of the river. The Chapel of the Holy Cross for sailors was also built here. The St. Gertruds Chapel was built in Vestergade with a hostel for travelers, which was located just behind the city gates. Directly opposite a Franciscan monastery was built , which especially provided help to the poor and sick. It belonged to the Dacia order and became extinct as a result of the Reformation . The Steen Boder Foundation for the Poor was later set up next door.

Shortly after the Reformation in 1536, a new town hall was built using the building materials from former religious institutions. It still serves as the town hall today and is the longest-serving in Denmark. At least 15 women were imprisoned in his dungeons, who were accused on the basis of rumors circulating since 1608 about the appearance or influence of the devil as a witch and who were executed at the stake in various witch trials until 1615 or, for example, lost their lives by suicide . Due to one of the events, the processes are now summarized with the term "Køge House Cross" (Køge Huskors), a plaque commemorates this.

From 1658 to 1660 Køge was occupied by Swedish troops during one of the Danish-Swedish wars . This marked the beginning of a continuing economic decline in the once prosperous city. Køge only recovered from this blow with industrialization in the 19th century, when the increasing spread of the railroad also gave the local economy a boost. Today Køge is blooming again in its old splendor and is again a successful port and trading town in the Køgebucht, which has a well-preserved historical town center that was created more than 700 years ago.

Attractions

Køge Museum
  • The picturesque townscape has numerous half-timbered houses from the 16th and 17th centuries.
  • The Nicolaikirche was built in the 14th century.
  • Vallø Castle is 7 kilometers south of Køge.
  • You can get an impression of the life of the people of Køge in the Middle Ages and of their work and economy in the Køge Museum, which is housed in a listed building, formerly a merchant's house.

Economy and Infrastructure

Important branches of industry are rubber and paint production.

Køge is on the Roskilde – Næstved railway line . Here is the southeastern end of the Copenhagen S-Bahn line E or A (in the evenings and on weekends).

There is a ferry connection from the harbor in Køge to Rønne on the Danish island of Bornholm in the Baltic Sea .

The city is connected to the Berlin – Copenhagen cycle route and the European EuroVelo route 7, making it easy to get to by bike not only from Berlin and Copenhagen, but also from Sweden and the Czech Republic.

Personalities

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Statistics Banks -> Befolkning og valg -> BY1: Folketal January 1st efter byområde, alder og køn (Danish)
  2. ↑ see the long article in the Danish and a shorter article in the English-language Wikipedia
  3. ↑ The witch trials for the Køge House Cross (engl.)
  4. ↑ Memorial plaque for the victims of the witch trials for the Køge House Cross . Tourist information about the city of Køge
  5. ↑ Historical view from 1729: Delineatio Koeg . ( Digitized version )
  6. ↑ translator2: EuroVelo 7 - EuroVelo. Retrieved April 29, 2017 .

Web links

Commons : Køge  - collection of images, videos and audio files