History 1 — Aarhus from year 800

Notes

Early Aros

The church has been a centre for about 1,000 years. In the early period only Ribe was bigger than Aarhus. Settlement at the river mouth from c. 750; Aros a trading post in the 8th century with harbour, market, workshops and pit houses.^{SteffenLouise}

Kong Godfred: a fortress protected traffic between Jylland and Sjælland. Merchants or robbers — depends how strong you are. Godfred was assassinated, like many other viking kings.^Steffen

Gorm den Gamle / early 900s wall and moat; Harald Blåtand (958–987) expands them. First wooden church west of the ramparts; Kongsvang tithe farm; leding harbour; Djursland beacons.^{LouiseSteffen}

About 3,000 people lived in Aros; it was strategically important. Aros was a king city — there was no fixed capital; the king travelled from city to city. Minting under Hardeknud (1035–42).^Steffen

948 Reginbrand at German bishops’ meeting; 960 Harald baptised; 965 Aros bishopric mentioned by Otto the Great.^Louise

Harald Hardrada burns the city’s wooden church in 1051 (Aros holds); 1060 Bishop Christian builds the crypt / Skt. Nikolai — called in History 1 the oldest stone building in Scandinavia (more precise: oldest vaulted stone church / oldest room in Aarhus).^{LouiseSteffenVor Frue}

Six runestones found in Aarhus — expensive, so Aros was very rich.^{SteffenLouise} (Trap counts four among the Dominican/Vor Frue foundation stones.)^Trap

Aarhus still brands itself as a viking city. The board game Mølle appears on a ship drawing from around 1200 — not from that age or from Denmark; much older.^Steffen Aros = river-mouth settlement.^Aritra

Medieval Aarhus c. 1300

The wall was opened to the sea. Denmark is unified, and Aarhus sits in the middle. The cathedral has been built inside the city. The church is in charge; the king was thrown out and went to Kalø.^Steffen

Peder Vognsen was bishop 1191–1204 and built the cathedral.^Steffen (Danmarkshistorien gives his episcopate as 1191–1202.)^{Danmarkshistorien}

First town hall in front of the cathedral in the middle of Store Torv; the square had the same shape as today.^Steffen

Custom noted: if eight old men can remember something, then it is law. Queen Margrethe I rode the border of Riis Skov, separating Aarhus and Vejlby.^Steffen

Jens Iversen Lange was the biggest loan-giver to the crown; made the church as we know it today; biggest altarpiece in Denmark. Coat of arms: three roses.^Steffen

Niels Clausen 1490–1520 — Reformation begins. Lecture prompt: compare the period to what happened in the rest of the world.^Steffen