Skælskør

Town in Region Zealand, Denmark

Seal

Coat of arms

Nickname(s):

The Sunshine Town
Solskinsbyen

55°15′14″N 11°17′25″E / 55.25389°N 11.29028°E / 55.25389; 11.29028CountryDenmarkRegionRegion ZealandMunicipalitySlagelseParishSkælskørArea

• Urban

4.3 km² (1.7 sq mi)Population

(2023)^[1]

• Urban

6,394 • Urban density1,500/km² (3,900/sq mi) • Gender ^[2]

3,002 males and 3,392 femalesDemonymSkælskørianerTime zoneUTC+1 (CET) • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)Postal code

DK-4230 Skælskør

Calling code(+45) 58

Skælskør (Danish: [skelˈskøˀɐ̯]) is a town in Zealand, Denmark. It is located in Slagelse Municipality. Until 2007 Skælskør was the seat of Skælskør Municipality. The town is located 17 km southwest of Slagelse and 12 km southeast of Korsør. Skælskør is home to one of Denmark's largest breweries, the Harboe Brewery.

History

Skælskør was already incorporated as a market town by Valdemar II in 1240. The town's market rights were confirmed by Eric VII on 23 December 1414.^[3]

Historically Skælskør was a harbour for traffic between Zealand and Funen, but Korsør took over when the harbour there was settled. Skælskør Fjord is difficult to navigate, and was one of the last waters in Denmark that legally required a pilot on recreational boats.

Saint Nicholas Church

Saint Nicholas Church (Danish: Sankt Nicolai Kirke), also known as Skælskør Church, is located centrally in Skælskør. The earliest parts of the church were built in the beginning of the 1200s, with later extensions all built before the 1500s.

The altarpiece is from 1475. The altarpiece depicts the apostles and Jesus' crucifixion. The chalice is from 1729. The baptismal font is from around 1300. The baptismal font lid is from the 1700s. The pulpit is from 1630-1631, and includes figures of Jesus' birth, baptism, walk to Calvary, crucifixion and ascension. The figures are separated by caryatids. There are three church bells. They are from 1516, 1520 and 1562.

The turret clock is in iron and made by Hans Boesen in 1770.^[4]

Notable residents

Andreas Bjørn (1703–1750), merchant and shipbuilder
Conrad Christian Hornung (1801–1873), piano maker
Vilhelm Topsøe (1840–1881), author
Haldor Topsøe (1842–1935), chemist
Bertel Bruun (1937–2011), conservationist
Henrik Brodersen (born 1964), politician and MF
Sannie Charlotte Carlson (born 1970), singer
Karsten Nielsen (born 1973), rower
Pernille Rosenkrantz-Theil (born 1977), politician and MF

References

^ BY3: Population 1. January by rural and urban areas, area and population density The Mobile Statbank from Statistics Denmark
^ BY1: Population 1. January by urban areas, age and sex The Mobile Statbank from Statistics Denmark
^ "Kerteminde" (in Danish). Center for Byhistorie. Retrieved 16 June 2022.
^ Danmarkskirker.natmus.dk "Skælskør Kirke" Retrieved 6 September 2020