| Settlement Type: | Town |
| Maribo | |
| Pushpin Map: | Denmark Lolland#Denmark Region Zealand#Denmark |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location on Lolland |
| Coordinates: | 54.7747°N 11.5011°W |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | Denmark |
| Subdivision Type1: | Region |
| Subdivision Name1: | Region Sjælland |
| Subdivision Type2: | Municipality |
| Subdivision Name2: | Lolland Municipality |
| Area Urban Km2: | 4.1 |
| Population As Of: | 2024 |
| Population Urban: | 5827 |
| Population Density Urban Km2: | auto |
| Population Blank1 Title: | Gender [1] |
| Population Blank1: | 2706 males and 3121 females |
| Timezone1: | CET |
| Utc Offset1: | +1 |
| Timezone1 Dst: | CEST |
| Utc Offset1 Dst: | +2 |
| Postal Code Type: | Postal code |
| Postal Code: | DK-4930 Maribo |
Maribo is a town in Lolland Municipality in Region Sjælland on the island of Lolland in south Denmark. It was the municipal seat of the former Maribo Municipality, until 1 January 2007, and then it became the seat of the current Lolland Municipality.
The merchant town of Maribo is located centrally on Lolland. Its population is 5,827 (1 January 2024).[2] It has, among other facilities, a gymnasium (Secondary school), a public international school, an open-air museum and a cultural heritage museum. A brewery, "Maribo Bryghus" used to be located in the town, but it was closed down in 2008 by its owner, Unibrew. Beer labeled "Maribo Øl" is still available, but it is brewed elsewhere.
Maribo is surrounded by Nørresø ("The Northern Lake" or "Northern Maribo Lake") to the north and Søndersø ("The Southern Lake" or "Southern Maribo Lake") to the south. Søndersø is, with an area of 852 hectare, the largest lake on Lolland. There are more islands in Søndersø than in any other lake in Denmark. These include the islands of Fruerø, Hestø, Præstø, Borgø, Lindø, Askø and Worsaaes. This is part of the Maribo Lakes Nature Park, which spans the towns of Maribo, Holeby, Sakskøbing and Nysted.[3]
Saint Birgitta (1303–1373), also known as Birgitta of Vadstena, has cast her shadow on this municipality, and is shown on the municipality's coat-of-arms. Her order established the Bridgettine Order's Abbey in Maribo, when 1416 monks from Vadstena Abbey were sent to Maribo, then called Skimminge, to help establish a monastery.
In 1536, however, the abbey was abolished and transformed into a convent for noble virgins in 1556. After the old town church burned down in 1596, the abbey church then in place received status as town church.[4]
King Christian IV's daughter, Leonora Christina Ulfeldt, was probably the abbey's most famous resident. In 1685 after her release from 21 years imprisonment for high treason from the Blue Tower (Blåtårn) in Copenhagen's Castle, she spent her final years in the then already dilapidated abbey, and was buried in a crypt at the church, until her body was removed shortly after the burial.[5]
In 1803-1804 the islands of Lolland-Falster, which previously belonged to the Funen diocese, were made into an independent diocese, and the abbey church was given the status of the diocese's cathedral (domkirke) now known as Maribo Cathedral. The bishop, however, resides in Nykøbing Falster.
Several times during the 1800s the church has been secured against decline.
The town is served by Maribo railway station, located at Lollandsbanen, a railway line between and, which is operated by the railway company Lokaltog A/S since 2015.
Lolland Falster Airport is located south of Maribo between the towns of Holeby and Rødby.[6]
Until 1 January 2007, Maribo was also a municipality (Danish, kommune) in the former Storstrøm County. The municipality, which included the islands of Askø ("Ash Island") and Lilleø ("little Island") in the Rågø Sound, covered an area of 154 km2, and had a total population of 11,098 (2005). Its last mayor was Liljan Køcks, a member of the Socialist People's Party (Socialistisk Folkeparti) political party.
Maribo Municipality ceased to exist as the result of Kommunalreformen ("The Municipality Reform" of 2007). It was merged with Holeby, Højreby, Nakskov, Ravnsborg, Rudbjerg and Rødby municipalities to form the new Lolland Municipality. This created a municipality with an area of 892 km2 and a total population of 49,469 (2005).