| Official Name: | Ribe |
| Settlement Type: | Town |
| Pushpin Map: | Denmark#Denmark Region of Southern Denmark |
| Pushpin Label Position: | bottom |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location in Denmark |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | Denmark |
| Subdivision Type1: | Region |
| Subdivision Name1: | Southern Denmark (Syddanmark) |
| Subdivision Type2: | Municipality |
| Subdivision Name2: | Esbjerg |
| Area Urban Km2: | 7.3 |
| Population As Of: | 2024 |
| Population Urban: | 8,295 |
| Population Density Urban Km2: | auto |
| Population Blank1 Title: | Gender [1] |
| Population Blank1: | 3952 males and 4343 females |
| Population Demonym: | Ripenser |
| Timezone1: | CET |
| Utc Offset1: | +1 |
| Timezone1 Dst: | CEST |
| Utc Offset1 Dst: | +2 |
| Coordinates: | 55.3283°N 8.7622°W |
| Postal Code Type: | Postal code |
| Postal Code: | DK-6760 Ribe |
Ribe (in Danish pronounced as /ˈʁiːpə/) is a town in south-west Jutland, Denmark, with a population of 8,295 (2024).[2] [3] It is the seat of the Diocese of Ribe. Until 1 January 2007, Ribe was the seat of both a surrounding municipality and county. It is now part of the enlarged Esbjerg Municipality in the Region of Southern Denmark. It is the oldest town in Denmark.[4]
The town was a center of commercial activity in the early 8th century, and this may have originated with royal influence. Coins may have been struck there in 720. Whichever king was involved in the digging of the Kanhave Canal may have been involved in the establishment of Ribe also. Trade contacts were mostly with Frisia and England.[5] Of the over 300 sceatas found in Denmark, 216 come from in or around Ribe, most of them the Wodan type, and these were likely minted in Ribe in the early eighth century.[6] The Ancient Diocese of Ribe was established in 948 with the consecration of Leofdag of Ribe as its first bishop.[7]
Early in the ninth century a 2-meter wide ditch (a demarcation rather than a fortification) was dug around the town, enclosing a 12-hectare area. Later that century the ditch was replaced by a moat, 6 to 7 meters wide. Archeological evidence shows Ribe was "an active and impressive market place" in the eighth and ninth centuries, and again at the end of the eleventh century, but there is little evidence from the period in between; the town may have dwindled or even disappeared.[6]
When archbishop Ansgar set out to christianize Scandinavia, he requested (in about 860) of King Horik II of Denmark that the first Scandinavian church be built in Ribe, which at the time was one of the most important trade cities in Scandinavia. However, the presence in Ribe of a bishop, and thus a cathedral, can only be confirmed from the year 948. Recent archaeological excavations in Ribe, however, have led to the discovery of between 2,000 and 3,000 Christian graves. They have been dated to the ninth century, indicating that a large Christian community was already living peacefully together with the Vikings at the time.[8] Excavations conducted between 2008 and 2012 have also revealed more details of the original church built by Ansgar.[9]
Construction on the Ribe Cathedral started in 1150, on top of an earlier church, most probably Ansgar's church, built in 860.[10] The Treaty of Ribe was proclaimed in 1460. Being located in a large region of low-lying marshland, Ribe has repeatedly been hit by storm floods, the most devastating being the Burchardi flood of 1634. The marks after this flood can still be seen on the cathedral's walls and is also marked as the top point on a flood pillar in the town.[11] [12] Today Ribe, along with much of the Wadden Sea coastline, is protected by dykes.
The Catholic diocese was dissolved in 1536 during the Reformation; it was succeeded by the Diocese of Ribe, governed by the newly established protestant Church of Denmark.
On 1 January 2007, the Municipality of Ribe ceased to exist as it merged with the municipalities of Esbjerg and Bramming, now forming the new municipality of Esbjerg.
The following table shows the population of Ribe. Data from before the 18th century are estimates, the rest are taken from the official census.
|
|
|
|
|
The town of Ribe has a long history as a center of learning. The cathedral school (Ribe Katedralskole) has its roots in the Latin School of Ribe, dating back to at least 1145, when the bishop officially handed over the chapter's school.[13] The school provided religious education of priests and clergymen up until 1805 and is nowadays a gymnasium (Danish high school). Ribe Katedralskole celebrated its 850th anniversary in 1995, and is the oldest continuously existing school in Scandinavia.
Ribe is served by Ribe railway station, located on the Bramming–Tønder railway line.[14] The northern part of the town is also served by the railway halt Ribe Nørremark.[15]
|
|
