Viborg is one of the oldest cities in Denmark. The city has
40,778 inhabitants (2020) and is centrally located in Central
Jutland by Hærvejen. The town is divided into two lakes, Søndersø
and Nørresø. The town's name, which through the ages has been
written as Wiborg, Wibjerg, Wibiærgh, Wybærgh, Wiburgh and in Latin
Wibergis, refers to a consecrated place for worship (We in Old
Danish means sanctuary) and to the town's location high in the
terrain. Viborg thus means "the holy place on the hill".
The
entire Viborg Municipality has 96,921 inhabitants (2020) inhabitants
by 2020. The municipality is Denmark's second largest after
Ringkøbing-Skjern Municipality. Since 1 January 2007, the city has
been the seat of the central administration in the Central Jutland
Region.
In 2012, Viborg Municipality was named Sports
Municipality of the Year and Youth Municipality of the Year.
There is archaeological evidence that the first town formation in
Viborg took place at the end of the 9th century and the beginning of
the 11th century. It took place by dividing one or more large Viking
Age farms into smaller plots along a street. Viborg is mentioned in
a literary source (Gisle Surssøn's saga), which tells that Gisle and
two of his fellows from Iceland traveled south to Denmark and came
to the market town of Viborg, where they spent the winter with a man
named Sigurhaddur. It must have taken place in 961, but since the
saga was written several hundred years later, the text is no
reliable testimony of Viborg's age. Around 1060, Jutland was divided
into dioceses and Viborg became a bishopric. At the beginning of the
12th century, the construction of the cathedral began. In the middle
of the 12th century, the town was fortified with a rampart and a
tomb in connection with the disputes between the princes Svend, Knud
and Valdemar. Entrance to the city was then through five city gates:
at Skt. Mathias Street, Skt. Mikkels Gade, Skt. Hans Gade, Skt.
Mogens Gade and Skt. Ibs Street.
At the beginning of the 14th
century, King Erik Menved built a fortification on a hillock by the
Viborg lakes. The fortification was not built to protect the city
and its citizens, but was a so-called forced castle, which was
supposed to ensure the king's influence on the Viborg County
Council. The castle was already demolished again in connection with
the next change of kings in 1320, when Erik Mendved's brother
Christoffer II became king. The knoll, where the fortification was
located, is now part of the Borgvold park. At the top of the hill
stands a monument to King Erik Ejegod.
In the Middle Ages,
Viborg had five monasteries and twelve parish churches. With the
exception of part of Gråbrødre Kloster and the church belonging to
Sortebrødre Kloster, all the monasteries and the twelve parish
churches were demolished in connection with the Reformation. The
Lutheran-evangelical reformation of Denmark proper began in Viborg
in connection with Hans Tausen's stay in the city 1525-1529. In this
connection, it is worth mentioning that Søndre Sogns church was the
first Danish church that was allowed to hold Lutheran services.
Viborg continues to be the center of the Roman Catholic
congregation in Central and West Jutland, and in 1966 Sankt Kjelds
Church was inaugurated as the congregation's local meeting point,
and later the current Sankt Kjelds Church was built on the same site
in 2008.
The city has been exposed to several large fires,
including in 1501 and in 1567. However, the biggest disaster
happened on 25 June 1726, when a fire broke out, which during the
following days destroyed the entire eastern part of the city with
the cathedral, Sortebrødre Church and the town hall. It took a very
long time before Viborg got back on its feet. The town, which in the
Middle Ages had 4,000 – 5,000 inhabitants, had less than 2,000
inhabitants in the middle of the 18th century.
Viborg began
to grow again in the 1830s, among other things, in connection with
the fact that the Assembly of States for Northern Jutland had its
seat in Viborg. Later, other institutions came to the city: the
garrison, Denmark's first credit union and Hedeselskabet. In 1864,
the railway line from Langå via Viborg to Skive was opened. The
first railway station was at Søndersø, but in 1896 the line was
routed south-west around the town, and the new railway station was
built the same year. Two other railway lines, which ran from Viborg
via Karup to Herning and from Viborg via Fårup to Mariager, have
been closed again.
From 1865 to 2001, Viborg had a garrison,
as the 3rd Regiment, which was later named the Prince's Life
Regiment, was garrisoned in the city. Viborg Barracks, which were
mainly built in the 1930s, were taken over by Viborg Municipality
when the regiment left the city to move to Skive. The barracks area
has been developed into a knowledge and training centre, and
Viborg's new town hall opened on the area in 2011. From 1913 to
1947, the 2nd General Command, and for part of the period also the
Jyske Division Command, had their domicile in Viborg. The General
Command Building in St. Mathias Gade, built in 1913 with Søren
Vig-Nielsen as architect, has now been sold to the private sector
and houses a law firm.
The town houses the National Archives
for Northern Jutland. The main building, which was completed in
1891, was built by architect Hack Kampmann. A modern magazine
building was designed by Kgl. building inspector Leopold Teschl.
InterCity and regional trains depart from Viborg Station to
Copenhagen, Aarhus and Struer. Most of the city's bus lines also stop at
the station.
Several primary routes go to or from the city. This
includes e.g. primary route 16 from Randers and on to Holstebro. Søndre
Ringvej (Viborg) goes around the city and is part of primary route 26,
which runs from Aarhus and on to Skive.
In the old part of the
city there are several pedestrian streets, primarily Sct. Mathias Gade
and the side streets.
Viborg Airport is located a little outside
the city and has three runways.
The county council in Viborg
Viborg was the main court in Northern Jutland from the time of Canute
the Great in the 11th century. The monk Ælnoth wrote around 1120: "Large
crowds frequently gather from all over Jutland, partly to negotiate
about the common affairs, partly to discuss whether the laws are just or
still valid, and also to give them firmness. And what has been
determined with the unanimous consent of the assembled multitude, cannot
with impunity be put out of force in any part of Jutland."
One of
the county council's functions was to pay tribute, i.e. approve, the
newly elected king. The first royal tribute at the Viborg County Council
is believed to have taken place in 1027. It was Hardeknud who was hailed
as Danish king. The last homage to the nine-year-old crown prince, who
later became King Christian the 5th, took place in 1657. After absolute
power and hereditary monarchy were introduced in 1660, the kings were no
longer to be honored at the county councils.
The Landstinget was
formally abolished in 1806, but by then had already lost most of its
influence, and was in reality only a court. The current Vestre Landsret,
which has its headquarters in Viborg, can be said to be a relic from the
old county council.
Hospital service
Regionshospitalet Viborg
is the largest hospital in Hospitalsenhed Midt, and is one of the
largest workplaces in the city with around 2,900 employees. There are
500 beds. Hospitalsapoteket Viborg is a hospital pharmacy, connected to
the hospital.
Supply
The yellow water tower was built in 1927
and the red water tower supplies water to the city.
Viborg
Kraftvarmeværk is a relatively modern cogeneration plant from 1996.
Retail trade is particularly concentrated along the pedestrian
streets in the city centre. There are numerous specialty shops,
restaurants, cafes and St. Mathias Centre.
Golf Hotel Viborg is
located next to Søndersø and has just over 130 rooms.
Palads
Hotel Viborg on Sct. Mathias Street. The hotel has 100 rooms.
Public schools and private schools
Western School
Houlkærskolen
Overlund School
Northern School
Vestervang School
Finderuphøj
School
Viborg Private High School
Søndre School
Møllehøj School
Hald Ege School
Viborg Cathedral School is the oldest high school in the city
(established in the period 1060-1160) and is the center of the city. The
school has approx. 1,000 students.
STX
Viborg High School is in
the Houlkær district, and the high school has approx. 900 students.
STX
HF
The business school Mercantec, which is in the eastern
suburb of Overlund, offers
HHX
HTX
Professional bachelor's
programs are offered by VIA University College
Pedagogue
Nurse's
box
Further education is offered by Erhvervsakademi Dania
Marketing economist
Administrative economist
IT technologist
Automotive technologist
Professional Bachelor in Data Analysis
Other programs and schools
Asmildkloster Agricultural School
The
media schools, Media College Denmark
The Animation Workshop
Viborg contains several museums. Viborg Museum is a local museum of
cultural history in the central part of the city, which is visited by
approximately 20,000 guests a year. The Skovgaard Museum was established
in 1937 and houses a collection of a large number of Danish artists,
especially from the Golden Age. Viborg Kunsthal was established in 1994
and contains a collection of contemporary art.
Outside the city
is Bruunshaab Gamle Papfabrik, which formerly produced cardboard and
cloth, but is today an industrial museum, and E Bindstouw (museum),
which is a regional and open-air museum in Lysgård. The latter is part
of the Viborg Museum.
Paletten is a venue for rhythmic music.
Viborg Theater was founded in 1909 and is located on the street Gravene.
The city's cinema Fotorama Viborg is today part of Nordisk Film
Cinemas. It was built in 2002 and has 5 halls.
Viborg Cathedral
is the city's best-known church, but there are several others. It is
centrally located in the city with a square in front. Digterparken is
the largest park in the city. There are also Borgvold, part of the
medieval ramparts around the city, Pilehaven and Sønæs.
The
municipality's main library is located in the town, but the Viborg
Libraries contain several other libraries in the surrounding towns. In
addition, the Houlkær district also has its own library.
The town
contains several old and listed buildings, of which Domprovstegården is
among the oldest. In addition, there is the Old Presbytery, the County
Commissioner's Farm, the Bishop's Farm, the Hauchske Farm, the little
farm on Torvet, Morville's Farm, Gamle Vagt, the Exercise House,
Karnapgården and Salomon Gerber's Farm, Stillings' Farm, Swan Apotheke,
Ursin's Farm, Villadsen's Farm, Hans Werring's Farm and Zahrtmann's Farm
Farm.
Viborg has several sports facilities. The Liseborg center is a sports
facility in the district of Liseborg in the southern end of the city.
Søndermarkens Idræts Klub and Team Viborg play here. Viborg Stadium has
room for almost 10,000 spectators. Viborg Svømmehal is close to the
station, and Vestbadet is an outdoor swimming facility in the Vestervang
district.
Viborg Fodsports Forening is a football club that has
played in the Super League for years and was most recently promoted for
the 2015/16 season.
Viborg Handball Club has its home at Viborg
Stadionhal and the club's women's team plays in the Women's Handball
League. The team was the best women's handball team in the world in
2009-2010 after two victories in the EHF Champions League.
In
addition, there are many different sports clubs, such as Viborg Karate
School, United Clubs in Viborg, Viborg Athletics and Exercise and
Bowling Club Viborg. There are several recurring sports events,
including the Viborg City Marathon, the Sabaki Challenge Spirit and the
Søndersøløbet.