Nyborg Municipality

Nyborg Municipality () is a '' kommune'' in the Region of Southern Denmark on the east coast of the island of Funen in central Denmark. The municipality covers an area of 278 km², and has a total population of 32,329 (2025). It borders Kerteminde Municipality to the north-west, Faaborg-Midtfyn Municipality to the south-west, Svendborg Municipality to the south and is connected to Slagelse Municipality by the Great Belt Bridge. Its mayor is Kenneth Muhs, a member of the Venstre (Liberal Party) political party. The main town and the site of its municipal council is the city of Nyborg.

The municipality was formed in 2007 as a result of the 2007 Municipal Reform, where the former Nyborg Municipality merged with Ørbæk and Ullerslev Municipality.

The island of Sprogø lies in the Great Belt c. 8.5 kilometers from the shores of the town of Nyborg. The Great Belt Bridge connects the municipality to the island, and then it continues to the island of Zealand at the town of Korsør.

Holckenhavn Fjord cuts into the municipality on its eastern shore, north of the castle of Holckenhavn. A road (''Svendborgvej'') connects the municipality across the fjord.

History

Nyborg Castle was built in 1170, and the city built up around the castle around that time. Nyborg Municipality as an administrative region has existed since the rule of Valdemar II of Denmark, who granted Nyborg the rights of a market town (Danish: ''Købstad''). A royal charter from 1193 indicates that the city has been granted the status of a market town even earlier. Nyborg Castle became the seat of the Danish Court (Danish: ''Danehof''), giving the town numerous unique privileges. Among those privileges was the fact that the merchants of Vindinge Hundred had to go to Nyborg to sell their wares. In 1410, the market town of Nyborg was given the same privileges as that of Odense, an even older market town. The privileges were expanded in 1446, where the merchants of Gudme Hundred also had to go to Nyborg with their wares. Harbours between Kerteminde, Svendborg was created, and besides the market town of Nyborg, it included the hundreds of Vindinge Hundred, Sunds Hundred, Gudme Hundred, Sallinge Hundred and the eastern part of Bjerge Hundred. It also included ten birks: Hindsholm, Holckenhavn, Ravnholt, Glorup, Hesselager, Brahetrolleborg, Holstenshuus, Vantinge, Avernakø and Strynø. In 1793, Nyborg County was dissolved and merged with Tranekær County to become a part of Svendborg County, with its seat in Svendborg, where Svendborg Country and Odense County were merged to form Funen County.

The hundreds, market towns and birks were dissolved in the municipal reform of 1970 and split Denmark into 277 municipalities. Nyborg Municipality was formed of the market town of Nyborg, and its parishes, as well as the two parish municipalities of Avnslev-Bovense and Vindinge. Ørbæk Municipality was formed of 7 parish municipalities, and Ullerslev Municipality was formed of 3 parish municipalities. In the 2007 municipal reform, these three municipalities of Nyborg, Ørkæk and Ullerslev were merged to form the present Nyborg Municipality.

Historical divisions

The table below shows the historical municipal subdivisions of Nyborg Municipality.

Honorary citizens

Four people are honorary citizens of the municipality. All four were granted honorary citizenship while Nyborg was still a market town.
*Waldemar Nicolai Bryggemann Beichmann (1783–1862) was granted honorary citizenship in 1841. From 1801 to 1841 he was lieutenant colonel in Nyborg Garrison.
*Frederik Ludvig Bierfreund (1782–1873) was granted honorary citizenship in 1858. He was in the Jaeger Corps on Sjælland. From 1829 to 1853 he was bailiff of Nyborg.
*Christian Eiler Lensbaron Holck (1847–1919) was granted honorary citizenship in 1908. He was the baron of Holckenhavn from 1877 and was in 1883 elected to sit in Vindinge Parish' parish council where he sat for 25 years. He was the chairman of Nyborg Tourist Association (Danish: ''Nyborg Turistforening'') from 1899 and until his death in 1919.
*Johannes Christian Marius Nielsen Høirup (1877–1958) was granted honorary citizenship in 1957. He was a school principal and author, and from 1933 to 1947 he was in charge of the school system in Nyborg. He modernized Nyborg's school system and later acted as the chairman of Nyborg Tourist Association (Danish: ''Nyborg Turistforening'').

Towns

Below are all settlements in the municipality with populations of at least 200 people (populations as of 2020).

Nyborg

Nyborg is connected to Sjælland through the Great Belt Bridge to the east, with motorway exits allowing to enter the city straight from the bridge. The city also has a railway station and a marina. The railway station was opened along with the Great Belt Bridge in 1997. 17,268 people live in the city of Nyborg (2020).

To the east and south-east of the city is the Nyborg Fjord and Knudshoved Spit. The southern parts of the spit are protected areas, while the northern parts houses the former ferry docks, a golf club and restaurants. Plans have been made to turn the old ferry docks into a marina. The Holckenhavn Fjord is located south of the town, with the Holckenhavn Castle on the opposite side of the fjord. To the south-west, the neighbourhood of Pilshuse connects to the village of Vindinge and ''Vindinge Forest''. Further north, the city borders the forests of ''Jagtenborg'', ''Telegrafskoven'', ''Juelsberg'' and ''Skemark''. Due north the city borders the village of Skaboeshuse and the forest ''Teglværkskoven''. To the north-east, Nyborg borders the Great Belt Strait.

In the city of Nyborg are several attractions from its time as a fort city, including Nyborg Castle and its surrounding fortifications. A large project to renovate the castle is scheduled to be complete in 2023. Nyborg Voldspil, an acting group, perform their plays on the fortifications.

The area around Nyborg's main hall is a pedestrian zone, containing a big variety of shops and facilities. North of the center of Nyborg, is Nyborg Cemetery. Further north are a series of larger shops and supermarkets, as well as Nyborg Hospital. A series of industries, including larger companies such as Trioplast, are located in Pilshuse. Nyborg's recycling center is also located here. In Nyborg Marina are a variety of sailing cooperations. By Nyborg's train station and the motor way exit is a series of fast-food restaurants, gas stations and grocery stores, as well as industries, including Daloon. At the motorway exit is also an indoor public swimming pool and a sports- and recreation center. A series of hotels are located along the north-eastern shore of the city, facing the Great Belt Strait. Nyborg Prison is located on ''Vindingevej''.

Nyborg Cemetery has been used as a cemetery since 1537, where it was used for victims of the black plague. A chapel was built on the cemetery in 1605, but torn down again sixty years later in 1665 when the fortifications of Nyborg city were being expanded. Parts of these fortifications eventually became a part of the cemetery, with cemetery expansions in 1816, 1833 and 1855. A new chapel was built in 1870 and in 1900 a residence for the gravedigger was built on the grounds. In 1950, permissions to expand the cemetery further was approved, another part of the fortifications becoming part of the cemetery. These fortifications were not to be removed, however. The expansion was finished in 1957, with the fortifications used as burial sites and the ground below for urns. The cemetery today covers 30,673 m². A book about the cemetery was written in 2013. It was named after a piece from a newspaper from 1886, naming Nyborg Cemetery as the most beautiful cemetery on Fyn.

Nyborg Prison

Nyborg Prison is a closed state prison, located on ''Vindingevej'' in the outskirts of the city of Nyborg. Construction was approved by the city council in 1911, and the prison was finished in 1913. Among the locations suggested as the location of the prison was Nyborg Castle, though Minister of Justice Frits Bülow did not find the castle suitable for a prison. The prison was built by Victor Nyebølle, and intended to house young prisoners of both genders. To make this work, the prison was built as two separate buildings. Many new methods were tested during the prison's early years, including mandatory sport and education. It has been a closed state prison since 1973. Today it employs around 225 people, with around two-thirds being correctional officers. The prison offers many different jobs for the inmates, as well as a variety of educations.

Ullerslev

Ullerslev is located 10 kilometers to the north-west of Nyborg. It has a population of 2,706 people (2020). Before the 2007 Municipal Reform, this was the seat of Ullerslev Municipality. The forests of ''Kirsebærhaven'', ''Bondemose Skov'' and ''Skovmærket'' are located in Ullerslev. In the town of Ullerslev are several shops, as well as industries, including a dairy factory. Ullerslev Church is located here.

Ørbæk

Ørbæk is located 14 kilometers south-west of Nyborg. It has a population of 1,691 people (2020). Before the 2007 Municipal Reform, this was the seat of Ørbæk Municipality.

Ørbæk has many shops and facilities, including sports facilities and a library. Ørbæk Brewery is located in the town, and the manor of Ørbæklunde is located near the town. There are also dolmen and passage graves located near the town. Ørbæk hosts a large yearly market known as 'Ørbæk Marked'.

Villages

Aunslev, north-west of Nyborg, has been the location of several significant Viking-related archeological discoveries, including a piece of jewellery in gold, in the shape of Jesus. This figure is the oldest of its kind found in Denmark. In the village are also Aunslev Church and Aunslev Hospital, which is under the care of the church.

Hjulby is located north-west of Nyborg. Hjulby Church and Hjulby Lake are located here.

Vindinge is located west of Pilshuse in Nyborg. It has sports-facilities and is also home to Vindinge Church.

Refsvindinge is located south-west of Nyborg. In addition to Refsvindinge Church, Refsvindinge Brewery is also located in this village.

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:

Nature

The municipality is home to many nature areas, namely forests, bogs, meadows and coast. Much of the municipality's nature is protected.

There are three small protected nature areas within the city of Nyborg, including a series of old linden trees and an open meadow. Inside the city is also ''Slotssøen'' - the lake and moat surrounding Nyborg Castle. The fortifications around Nyborg Castle is home to the purseweb spider, a rare spider in Denmark. It was previously thought to be extinct in Denmark, but was in 1994 rediscovered.

East of Refsvindinge is a water mill called Lillemølle, located by Ørbæk River. It was established in the start of the 1600s, and was until 1899 part of Holckenhavn Castle. It is privately owned today. The river and the tree-covered slopes have been protected since 1964. 10 acres around Lillemølle are protected.

Some of the manors in the municipality have parts of their territory protected. These include Ørbæklunde where 42 acres were protected in 1971, and Hindemae where 110 acres were protected in 1974.

Holckenhavn Fjord was protected in the 1970s and 1980s and covers an area of 150 acres. It acts as the southern border of the city of Nyborg, where it cuts into Nyborg Fjord.

Three areas in the municipality has been protected through the European Union's Natura 2000 project. These are ''Østerø Lake'' on Knudshoved, ''Kajbjerg Forest'' south of the city of Nyborg, and 5 lakes in Tårup Strand.

Knudshoved

Knudshoved, along with Slipshavn, make up a peninsula that creates a natural harbour in Nyborg Fjord. It is the easternmost point of Funen. It was protected in 2004, and the protection covers 210 acres. It consists of forests, beach meadows, reed beds, water holes and the lake of Østerø Sø. The Naval Home Guard of Denmark has a station on the Slipshavn peninsula. A sconce from the Second Northern War is also located on Slipshavn. There is also a lighthouse on Knudshoved.

In the Stone Age, the area of Knudshoved was shallow ocean, but has over time been transformed into the modern-day peninsula with beach meadows and lakes. The area has been transformed dramatically throughout history. It has been the location of ferry slips for the Great Belt ferries, piers, a golf course and the Great Belt Bridge. Much of the nature is still untouched, however. Parts of Knudshoved was protected in 1952 and the entire area in 2004.

Knudshoved's varied ecosystems allow a varied flora and fauna. The rare '' Bassia hirsuta'' (Danish: ''tangurt'') and ''Inula britannica'' (Danish: ''soløjealant'') can be found here.

It is also a breeding place for many ducks and shorebirds. In the autumn, the area is also a resting place for flocks of greylag goose. Kestrels hunts on the beach meadows. Knudshoved is also home to the natterjack toads, threatened in Denmark. There used to be a large colony of black-headed gulls on Knudshoved, but with the increased traffic on Knudshoved and Slipshavn over time, the population has decreased and they are no longer present in the area.

Politics

On January 1, 2007 Nyborg Municipality was, as the result of the 2007 Municipal Reform, merged with Ørbæk Municipality and Ullerslev Municipality to form the new Nyborg Municipality. The agreement was for the entirety of the three municipalities to be merged, with the exception of Flødstrup Parish. Some locations around in Denmark would have to decide which municipality to go under, with the many changes in the 2007 Municipal Reform. The population of Flødstrup Parish voted on 30 March 2005 to decide whether to join Nyborg or Kerteminde Municipality. 315 voted to join Nyborg and 303 voted to join Kerteminde, resulting in Flødstrup Parish going under the new Nyborg Municipality.

On the table below is an overview of all elections held in Denmark since the 2007 Municipal Reform. The percentages in the table are the local results from Nyborg Municipality. The party with the most votes received is shaded in their respective color. In all but six elections since the municipal reform, the Social Democrats have been the largest party in the municipality. Venstre has been the largest party in the municipality on five occasions: in the 2013, 2017 and 2021 regional elections and in the 2017 and 2021 local elections. In the 2021 local elections the incumbent mayor Kenneth Muhs received one third of the votes in the municipality, with his party Venstre receiving more than half of all votes cast in the election. In the 2014 European Parliament election the largest party in the municipality became the Danish People's Party. This was the case in most of the country, and the first time in Denmark's history that the party had been the largest party in a nationwide election. The average turnout for general elections in Nyborg Municipality is 86.3%.

Municipal council

Nyborg's municipal council consists of 25 members, elected every four years. The municipal council has nine political committees.

Below are the municipal councils elected since the Municipal Reform of 2007.

Mayors

Since the 2007 municipal reform, the mayors of Nyborg Municipality have been:

Economy

The largest industries by number of employees in Nyborg Municipality are social institutions, retail and education. The 7 hotels in the municipality also employ a large number of people.

Large companies with their headquarters set in Nyborg include Daloon, a company producing spring rolls and similar food products. Another company with their headquarter in the municipality is Tenax Sild, a company producing herring and fish products. Koppers has a refinery in the outskirts of Nyborg.

Demographics

There are 32,009 people living in Nyborg Municipality (2020). 50.63% are women and 49.37% are men. 81.46% of the municipality are members of the Church of Denmark.

Below is the age distribution of the municipality.

Education

There are 4 ground schools, 1 efterskole and 5 independent schools in the municipality, as well as 1 youth school and 2 special schools. There is also 1 gymnasium, 1 folk high school, 1 vocational school and 1 music school.

There are 3 libraries in the municipality, with Nyborg Library acting as the municipality's main library. Nyborg Library is located next to Nyborg Castle, with the castle's moats on two sides and open green areas on the other two sides. It was built in 1935 by Flemming Lassen and Erik Møller and the interior design was done by furniture designer Hans J. Wegner and architect Arne Jacobsen.

Sights

The city of Nyborg is heavily characterised by its history as a garrison city and a former royal residence. In addition to the sights listed below, there are also a series of statues and sculptures found in the city. The most well-known of these is known as ''Den med Fisken'' (English: The One with the Fish) by Harvey Martin, located next to the moat on Østerhavn.

*Mads Lerche's House (Danish: ''Mads Lerches Gård''), with the associated museum Mayor's House (Danish: ''Borgmestergården''), is a building located in the center of Nyborg. It was built in 1610 by merchant and Nyborg's mayor Mads Lerche, where it acted as his residence. The building has had many different uses since its construction. From 1916 to 1922, the building was renovated and from then on has been used as a museum. It also houses the city's library until 1939.
*The Bastion (Danish: ''Bastionen''), also known as the Industrial Hotel (Danish: ''Industrihotellet''), Citizen Community's House (Danish: ''Borgerforeningens Hus'') and Nyborg Theater (Danish: ''Nyborg Teater''), is a building located on the easternmost bank of Nyborg Castle's moat in the center of Nyborg. It was built in 1897, and has previously acted as a seat for the German invaders in World War 2, and later as a jazz club and disco. It has since 2017 been a cultural house.

*The White Virgin (Danish: ''Den Hvide Jomfru'') is a remnant of a dam fortification, and a single white pillar. A local legend says that Rigborg Brockenhuus was immured in the White Virgin.
*Nyborg Marina was established in 1929. It includes a small industrial harbour (Fishery Harbour, Danish: ''Fiskerihavnen''), a harbour exclusively for dinghies (Dinghy Harbour, Danish: ''Jollehavnen''), the West and East Harbours (Danish: ''Vesterhavn'', ''Østerhavn'') and a harbour for small motorboats (Channel Harbour, Danish: ''Kanalhavnen''). The marina can house around 500 boats in total.
*Dyrehave Windmill is located in the south-western outskirts of Nyborg, near Holckenhavn Castle. It was built in 1858 and is 25 meters tall, making it one of the tallest windmills in Denmark. In 2018 it was bought by Realdania with the intentions of making the mill usable again.
*Nyborg Distillery is located in the former DSB train workshops near East Harbour. In 2017, the old buildings were turned into a whiskey distillery, with an associated restaurant.
*The City Gate (''Landporten'') was the main entrance into Nyborg city, and the only way inside after dark until 1869. The current version of the gate is from 1666. The road leading up to the gate from the outside of the city is known as Lindealléen. Trees were planted on this street in 1806.
*Five passage graves are located in the forest by the village of Sulkendrup, one of which collapsed only a few years after having been built sometime during the Stone Age. Despite the collapse, the passage grave were continued to be used to bury the dead. Sulkendrup Passage Grave (''Sulkendrup Jættestue'') is today open to the public, after having been renovated in 2014, to prevent it from collapsing.
*Lindeskov Burial Mound (''Lindeskov Langdysse'') is the longest burial mound in Denmark, with 168 meters in length. It is located near Lindeskov, and originates from the Stone Age. There are several other burial mounds in the area.
*Knudshoved Lighthouse (Danish: ''Knudshoved Fyr'') is located on Knudshoved and was built in 1948. A lighthouse had been located on Knudshoved since the 1700s.
* Nyborg Town Hall is located near Nyborg Castle, and was built in 1799 and expanded in the 1800s.

*Nyborg Voldspil is an open-air theatre on the fortifications around Nyborg Castle. It first started in 1939, where it performed an original play named ''Danehof i Nyborg'' (Danehof in Nyborg). Many well-known Danish actors have started their career in Nyborg Voldspil, including Thomas Eje, Jakob Sveistrup, Julie Lund and Ulrich Thomsen.

Castles and manors

There is a large amount of castles and manors on the island of Funen. Many parks and forests owned by the manors are open to the public, or used for private hunting. Many castles are used for events and hotels.

*Juulskov is a manor located 6 kilometers west of Nyborg, and owns 187 acres. The first mention of Juulskov is from 1365, and the main building was built in 1590 and rebuilt in 1797. After a fire in 1862, it became necessary to rebuild the main building again.

* Juelsberg is a manor located north-west of Nyborg, and owns 901 acres. The manor was constructed around the year 1200, by order of the crown. During the Dano-Swedish War, the manor's castle was entirely destroyed and the crown decided to sell the manor rather than rebuild it. They sold it to Norwegian-born Claus Rasch in 1669. Claus Rasch eventually gained a seat on Nyborg's city council and ended up with a significant amount of influence over the city and the surrounding areas. Claus Rasch expanded Juelsberg's possessions significantly. In 1723, the manor was sold to Hans Adolph von Ahlefeldt, who also owned Sprogø, adding the island to Juelsberg's possessions. In 1776, the owner of Juelsberg was Amalie Christiane Raben who finished renovations of the manor's main building. When she died in 1803, her son, Knud Frederik Juel, inherited the manor. He sold the island of Sprogø to the Danish postal services in 1814. Juelsberg lost a portion of land in 1925 due to the 'estate replacement law'. Today, Juelsberg acts as a hotel.
* Hindemaegaard is a manor located south of Ullerslev, and own 212 acres. The first mentions of Hidemaegaard is from 1320. The manor was owned by the Urne family until 1605, when Breide Rantzau inherited it. In 1725, the manor was sold and for fifty years it changed hands many times. In 1778 it was bought by Ove Johan Vind Hindemaegaard, who built the current main building in 1790. He sold it in 1801 to Charles Adolph Denys Mourier, who made large improvements to the manor. A wind mill from 1806 is part of the manor.
* Risinge is a manor located near the coast, bordering the Great Belt Strait and Kerteminde Bay. It is located south of Kerteminde and north of Nyborg. It owns 349 acres. It was originally a farmhouse from around 1526, and the main building wasn't built until 1661–1664, when owner Jens Madsen Rosenberg expanded the manor. Jens Madsen Rosenberg would later become mayor of Nyborg. Today the manor acts as a hotel and as a location for events.
* Rørbæk is a manor located in the village of the same name, south of Kerteminde and north-west of Nyborg. It owns 181 acres. It is first mentioned in 1438, and was owned by the Qvitzow family for the first few hundred years. Henning Qvitzow, who owned Rørbæk, was Fyn's master of supplies during the Seven Years' War. The manor lost a lot of territory in 1925, after the 'estate replacement law'.
* Ravnholt is a manor located north-east of Ringe, south-west of Nyborg and south of Langeskov