Silkeborg

Silkeborg is a Danish town with a population of 50,866 (1 January 2023). Silkeborg is the seat of Silkeborg Municipality, with a population of 97,358 as of 2022. Silkeborg is located in the middle of the Jutlandic peninsula, slightly west of the geographical centre of Denmark. The city is situated on the Gudenå River in the hilly and lush landscape of Søhøjlandet, surrounded by Denmark's largest forest district and a great number of lakes. Silkeborg is also known as Denmark's outdoor capital. The lakes between Silkeborg and Ry that are linked by the Gudenå, are known collectively as Silkeborgsøerne (the Silkeborg lakes). The city is divided along an east–west axis by the lake of Silkeborg Langsø, which at the eastern side of the city, flows into the Gudenå River. History Silkeborg was the site of a castle, a monastery and a farming estate, established in the 15th century, some 6 km from Alling Abbey. The modern town grew around the Drewsen og Sønner paper mill, established in 1844. Silkeborg Papirfabrik (Silkeborg Paper mill) was located near the Gudenå River where Silkeborg castle once stood, in order to exploit the river as a source of energy for the mill, as a resource for paper production and as a means of transport. Michael Drewsen, regarded as the founder of the city, was responsible for the daily management of the mill. A statue of Michael Drewsen now stands in front of the old city hall in the town square. A commission to establish Silkeborg as a trading centre was set up in 1845, and the site grew into a small settlement, from a population of 30 in 1844 to 556 in 1850 and to 1,204 in 1855. The City Council and the Parish were both established in 1855. The railway was built in 1871. Silkeborg was given the status of market town (købstad) in 1900. The population was recorded as being 7,228 in 1901, and 8,792 in 1911. During the German occupation of Denmark, the Gestapo turned the Silkeborg Bad (Silkeborg Baths), which had until then served as the municipal sanatorium, into its Danish headquarters. The remnants of German bunkers can still be seen today, and one of these bunkers is now a public museum. Geography Silkeborg is located in the region known as Søhøjlandet (lit.: the lake-highland) in mid-eastern Jutland. The landscape consists mostly of lakes, extensive woodlands (such as the Silkeborg Forests) and some of the highest points in Denmark, including Himmelbjerget.