Præstø Explained

Præstø
Nickname:	Gøngernes By
Pushpin Map:	Denmark#Denmark Region Zealand
Pushpin Label Position:	right
Pushpin Map Caption:	Location in Denmark
Subdivision Type:	Country
Subdivision Name:	Denmark
Subdivision Type1:	Region
Subdivision Name1:	Zealand (Sjælland)
Subdivision Type2:	Municipality
Subdivision Name2:	Vordingborg
Area Urban Km2:	2.5
Population Urban:	3,880
Population As Of:	2024
Population Density Urban Km2:	auto
Population Blank1 Title:	Municipal
Population Blank1:	45,751
Population Density Blank1 Km2:	73
Population Blank2 Title:	Demonym
Population Blank2:	Præstøer
Coordinates:	55.1206°N 12.0436°W
Postal Code:	4720
Postal Code Type:	Postal codes
Area Code:	(+45) 9
Timezone:	Central Europe Time
Utc Offset:	+1
Utc Offset Dst:	+2

Præstø (in Danish pronounced as /ˈpʰʁæstˌøˀ/) is a town with a population of 3,880 (1 January 2024)^[1] in Vordingborg Municipality in Region Sjælland on the east coast of the island of Zealand (Sjælland).

The islands of Maderne, Storeholm, and Lilleholm are part of the wildlife reserves (Præstø Fjord Vildtreservat).

History

Præstø became crown property in 1353. In 1304, it was incorporated as a market town.

Præstø was the seat of the former Præstø municipality (Danish, kommune). As of January 1, 2007, Præstø municipality ceased to exist as the result of Kommunalreformen ("The Municipality Reform" of 2007). It was merged with Langebæk, Møn, and Vordingborg municipalities to form an enlarged Vordingborg municipality. This created a municipality with an area of 615km2 and a total population of 46,307 (2005). The municipality belongs to the new Region Sjælland ("Zealand Region").

The former Prøstø municipality covered an area of 107km2, and had a total population of 7,608 (2005). Its last mayor was Ole Møller Madsen, a member of the Venstre (Liberal Party) political party.

Education

Bosei Sports High School, a folk high school, is located in Præstø, in the former Tokai University Boarding School in Denmark campus.^[2] The Tokai school was a Japanese boarding school.^[3]

Zenvo

The supercar company Zenvo Automotive is headquartered here. They are known for making the Zenvo ST1.

Notable people

• N. F. S. Grundtvig (1783–1872) a Danish pastor, author, poet, philosopher, historian, teacher and politician. In 1821 he was granted the country living of Præstø and stayed a year.
• Pauline Worm (1825–1883) a Danish writer, poet, schoolteacher and feminist, a private tutor in Præstø 1847–1851
• Henry Johnson (1854 in Amendrup near Præstø – 1941) an American farmer, logger, businessman and politician, emigrated 1873.
• Karl Adolph Gjellerup (1857 in Roholte vicarage at Præstø – 1919) a Danish poet and novelist, shared the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1917
• Henrik Grønvold (1858 in Præstø – 1940) a Danish naturalist and artist, known for his illustrations of birds
• Knud Olsen (1919 in Præstø – 2010) a builder and designer of boats, designed the OK Dinghy.
• Poul Thomsen (1922 in Præstø – 1988) a Danish film actor ^[4]

See also

• Nysø Manor
• Oremandsgaard

External links

• Vordingborg municipality's official website (Danish only)
• Præstø commune (Archive)

References

• Municipal statistics: NetBorger Kommunefakta, delivered from KMD aka Kommunedata (Municipal Data)
• Municipal mergers and neighbors: Eniro new municipalities map

Notes and References

1. https://m.statbank.dk/TableInfo/BY3?lang=en BY3: Population 1st January by urban areas, area and population density
2. "English." Bosei Sports High School. Retrieved on 1 March 2015.
3. "Tokai University Boarding School in Denmark (Senior High Divisions)" (Archive). Tokai University. Retrieved on March 1, 2015. "Address: Evensoe lundvej5,4720 Praestoe, DANMARK"
4. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0860930/ IMDb Database