Samsø Municipality

The table below shows the historical municipal subdivisions of Samsø Municipality.[9]

Tranebjerg is located centrally on the southern part of the island. Tranebjerg Bog and the river Sørenden borders the town to the north. The south-eastern neighborhood of the town is called Frederiksberg. The rest of the town is surrounded by fields.[11]

Tranebjerg is the administrative center of the municipality, and home to the municipality's town hall. Tranebjerg Church and Samsø Museum. South of the church is Samsø Library and the municipality's town hall. In the center of the town, slightly south of the town hall, is Samsø Hospital. Also in the center of the town is a football field known as Tranebjerg Stadion, used by the local football teams. Along the road of Langgade, where the football field is also located, are several shops, restaurants and cafés. A pharmacy and tourist center is located in this area. Frederiksberg, the southern part of the town, as well as the eastern part of the town are mainly residential areas. There is a small industrial area in the north-eastern part of the town.[11]

In 2008 ruins from a church from the 1100s was found in Tranebjerg. This indicated the presence of a castle known as Brattingsborg Castle (Danish: Gammel Brattingsborg), which was burnt down by Stig Andersen Hvide in 1289.[12]

Nordby is the northernmost settlement on the island, and is the location of several restaurants and hotel, as well as the largest natural maze in the world, Samsø Labyrinten.[13]

Ballen Marina.

There are marinas in Ballen, Langør and Mårup Havn, and all three marinas are popular tourist destinations. Ballen is also home to many hotels and restaurants.[14]

Samsø Højskole was located in the village of Kolby between 1984 and 2012. The school today acts as a hotel.[15]

The ferry harbour to Kalundborg is located in Ballen, on the south-eastern part of the island. The ferry harbour to Hov and Aarhus is located in Sælvig, also on the western side of the island, but further north.[16]

Kolby Kås ferry harbour.

Permelille is a village located south of Tranebjerg. A jam and pickled food factory - Samsø Syltefabrik - is located here. The factory building is from 1887 and is originally a dairy factory, which later became an company that sold eggs and asparagus. The asparagus was pickled, and the picked food factory was established in 1974.[17] Falcon Center Samsø (Danish: Falkecenter Samsø) is located north of Permelille.[18]

Stavns is a village located south of the Kanhave Canal, on the thin neck of the island. South of Stavns is the Samsø Airport (Danish: Samsø Flyveplads).[19]

In addition to these villages, there are a number of smaller settlements in the municipality. These are all the settlements with populations of less than 200 people:[20]

Nordby Heath (Danish: Nordby Hede) is a 6 km² large heath, largely covered in erica. It was protected, along with Stavns Fjord, in 1981. Up to a quarter of the heath is covered in the invasive moss campylopus introflexus, which suffocates the native erica. Other invasive species threatening the heath are rosa rugosa and Pinus mugo. Cattle has been grazing on the heath since 1998.[25][26]

Issehoved.

Nordby Hills (Danish: Nordby Bakker) cover most of the western and northern coasts of the northern part of the island. The highest point of the municipality is Ballebjerg (64 m) and is located among these hills. A watchtower was built on top of Ballebjerg in 1920, giving a view over the coast and the hills. 480 acres in total are protected, spanning from Issehoved, the northernmost point of the island, to Ballebjerg. Four isolated parts of the hills are also protected: Staderenden, Svinekilderne, Møgelskår and Asmindør Hage. The protection of the hills was done in stages, with Møgelskår being protected first in 1936. Issehoved was protected in 1949, and further areas were protected in 1963, 1967 and 1980.[27]

Espedal, a valley in Møgelskår, is home to unusual Danish livestock, namely gute sheep and highland cattle. The European green toad can be found in Nordby Hills, which makes it the northernmost habitat for the frog in Europe. The sand lizard thrive in the hills, though the lizard is threatened in Denmark. Rare Danish plants in the hills include anacamptis morio, potentilla neumanniana and medicago minima.[28][29]

Map of Stavns Fjord from around 1900.

Stavns Fjord is a fjord at central Samsø. It covers an area of around 20 km², and is surrounded by Samsø, with an opening between Lilleøre and the 5 km long isthmus Besser Rev to the north. The fjord is shallow, with a nearly circular shape and a number of uninhabited islands. Some islands have a history with livestock or fortifications. The Kanhave Canal cuts into the fjord in the west, on the narrowest section of the island, though water does not run through the canal. The entirety of Stavns Fjord is protected, with around 1500 acres total having been protected since 1981, though the area has been a nature reserve since 1926 before that.[30][31]

There is a harbour and marina in Langør to the north, and a much smaller harbour just outside Stavns. The harbours are for sports and recreational activities.[32]

The fjord is one of the biggest breeding grounds for the common eider in Denmark. Many types of ducks, seaducks and seabirds also breed here, including one of the largest cormorant colonies in Denmark. The yellow meadow ant is common on the beaches along the fjord, where swans and waders also breed. The fjord is also home to porpoises, harbor seals and grey seals.[33]

The island of Eskeholm.

The islands of Stavns Fjord are: Bosserne, Brokold, Eskeholm, Hjortholm, Hundsholm, Karlskold, Kolderne, Kyholm, Lindholm, Mejlesholm, Sværm, Vejrø, Yderste Holm, Ægholm and Ørhage. The strait between Yderste Holm and Kolderne is known as Rensegab.[34]

Hjortholm is the largest island in Stavns Fjord itself, spanning 51 acres. The island's name translates to 'island with deers' and dates back from the 1200s. There are two hills on the island, with the southern hill having been the planned site for a fortification in the Middle Ages. The construction of the fortification was started but never finished. The ruins of a building from the renaissance is located on the island, and this was likely the home of the island's caretaker. The island was around that time used for breeding horses. Hjortholm is owned by Brattingsborg Manor.[35][36]

Vejrø is located 7 km north-east of Samsø, and is the largest of the four island laying outside Stavns Fjord itself, but still being considered part of the fjord. It spans 55 acres. It is home to mouflon sheep and rabbits. The island is owned by Brattingsborg Manor.[37]

The island of Kyholm.

Kyholm is located just outside of Stavns Fjord itself, north of Besser Rev. It spans 30 acres. The name translates to 'cow island', and has historically been used for cattle grazing. Between 1709 and 1711 Kyholm was a quarantine station during the plague epidemic. A plague house was constructed, and merchant ships had to dock at Kyholm in 40 days to prevent infection with the islanders. During the English Wars between 1801 and 1815, a series of sconces were built and a garrison set up on the island. A quarantine station was established again between 1831 and 1859, this time to prevent cholera. A hospital and a cemetery was built. Ships wanting to go to Danish harbours had to visit Kyholm first. This stopped in 1857 and in 1859 the quarantine station was shut down and the buildings torn down. The cemetery remains on the island, and many tomb stones are still visible. The island is today under the same protection as the other islands in and around Stavns Fjord. Brattingsborg Manor owns the island.[38][39]

Samsø's municipal council consists of 11 members, elected every four years. The municipal council has four political committees.[46]

Below are the municipal council elected since the municipality's creation in 1970.

Since the 1970 Danish Municipal Reform, the mayors of Samsø Municipality have been:[47]

There are two manors in the municipality: Brattingsborg and Bisgaard.

Bisgaard has existed since the Reformation. Before 1536 the manor was owned by the Diocese of Aarhus. In 1536 it went to the crown, and was used as residence for local priests. Countess Sophie Amalie Moth bought Bisgaard in 1688. The estate replacement law of 1919 forced Bisgaard to release half of its territory. It remained under the Danneskiold-Samsøe noble family until 1921. The manor is today owned by Brattingsborg.[62]

Brattingsborg Manor.

Brattingsborg is first known from 1216, where the name of the manor was Søllemarksgaard. It was owned by the crown, but was pawned off several times due to its central location in Denmark. After the Dano-Swedish War ended in 1660, Denmark was forced to hand over several manors in Scania to Sweden. Among those were manors owned by Joachim Gersdorff, who as replacement was given Brattingsborg by the crown. After his death in 1661, the manor went to his daughter, Magdalene Sybille Gersdorff, whose husband sold the manor to Peder Schumacher Griffenfeld in 1674. Griffenfeld renamed the manor from Søllemarksgaard to the present name of Brattingsborg. When he was accused of treason in 1676, all of his possessions were handed over the crow, this including Brattingsborg. When Christian V gave the island of Samsø to Sophie Amalie Moth in 1676, Brattingsborg was included. Brattingsborg was the main seat of the new Danneskiold-Samsøe noble family from 1676 to 1921.[63]

The main building of the manor was built between 1870 and 1898 by Knud Christian Borring and Martin Borch. The buildings of Brattingsborg were protected in 2013.[64]

Brattingsborg owns 2,367 acres, including the territory of Bisgaard and the farms of Hjalmersgård and Sannholm. This amounts to around a quarter of the land on Samsø, and also includes Vesborg Lighthouse and the harbour in Kolby Kås. The islands of Kyholm, Lindholm, Vejrø, Bosserne, Hjortholm, Mejlesholm, Yderste Holm and Karlskold are all also owned by Brattingsborg. 1,100 acres of Brattingsborg's territory is used for agriculture and 700 acres are forests.[65]

See List of churches in Samsø Municipality

Samsø is home to the yearly Samsø Festival, a music festival held in week 29 in Strandskoven. The first festival took place in 1990.[66]

A food festival for ingredients is also hosted yearly on the island. Samsø Råvarefestival takes place in Tranebjerg and hosts many of the local food and drink companies. There is also a dinner, booths for local artisans and live music.[67]