Haderslev is situated in a valley, leading from Vojens to Haderslev Fjord and the Baltic Sea.
Haderslev was presumably founded by Vikings at least a century before it was granted status as royal borough in 1292. At that time, it had become one of the main trading centres in Southern Jutland.
In 1327, Haderslevhus, the royal castle, was mentioned for the first time. It was situated east of the cathedral, in an area still called Slotsgrunden. In the following centuries the city prospered, building both the Gothic Cathedral and the second castle of Hansborg (burnt in 1644), which was similar to Kronborg. Due to the plague in Copenhagen, King Christian IV was married there.
In the 16th century, the city became one of the first Scandinavian centres of Lutheranism during the Reformation. Prior to the Second Schleswig War of 1864, Haderslev was situated in the Duchy of Schleswig, a Danish fief, so its history is properly included in the contentious history of Schleswig-Holstein. From 1864 it was part of Prussia, and as such part of the North German Confederation, and from 1871 onwards, part of the German Empire. In the 1920 Schleswig Plebiscite that returned Northern Schleswig to Denmark, 38.6% of Haderslev's inhabitants voted for remaining part of Germany and 61.4% voted for the cession to Denmark.[5] It was formerly the capital of the German Kreis Hadersleben and the Danish Haderslev County.
Buildings in Haderslev
The trademark of Haderslev is unquestionably Haderslev Cathedral, which has existed since the middle of the 13th century, and since 1922 it was the seat of Haderslev Diocese. The town was an important breeding ground for the reformation in Denmark, and as early as 1526 Christian introduced, as the duke of Schleswig-Holstein, the reformation in Haderslev, just eight years before he became King of Denmark.
Another noticeable church is the white-chalked Sankt Severin Church, which lies at the banks of the town's inner pond.
Because of a renovation of the town's oldest houses, it means Haderslev offers a unique collection of houses and buildings from 1400 to the beginning of the 20th century, and the town center's cobbled streets and alleys is very suitable for town strolling.
Once the town used to have a castle named "Haderslevhus", but due to several town fires through the town's history the castle is no longer existent.
Festival
In the public park "Kløften", near the town's center, Kløften Festival is held - a three-day annual festival in the summer. The festival uses one of Haderslev's important trademarks, the red-bricked water tower near the park as its logo.
Kløften Festival's trademark, the red water tower, is visible from many places in the town foto:Mogens Nielsen
A kommune by the previous name existed 1970–2006. It belonged to South Jutland County and covered an area of 272 square kilometres (105 sq mi) with a total population of 56,116 (2011). Its last mayor was Hans Peter Geil, a member of the liberal (Venstre) political party.
Eric Christoffersen of Denmark (c. 1307–c. 1332) King of Denmark from 1321, in 1325 he sought to halt the Counts of Holstein, but was deserted by his troops and confined in Haderslev Castle
Dorothea of Saxe-Lauenburg (1511–1571), consort of Christian III from 1525 and Queen consort of Denmark and Norway. Lived in her own courts in Haderslev.
^S. Madsen, Lennart (4 February 2012). "HADERSLEV BYS HISTORIE". museum-sonderjylland.dk/ (in Danish). Archived from the original on 15 March 2012. Retrieved 4 February 2012.
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