Anholt (Denmark)
- For the village in Drenthe, Netherlands, see Anholt (Drenthe)
Anholt is a Danish island in the Kattegat. The island covers an area of 21,75 km² and has 160 permanent inhabitants. The island can be reached by ferry from Grenå. It is part of the Municipality of Grenå. After the Municipal Reform in Denmark it will belong to Norddjurs municipality in Region Midtjylland as from January 1 2007.
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History
Historically, the island was part of the parish of Morup in the province of Halland and consequently a part of the eastern Danish Scanian lands. Although the Treaty of Roskilde finally ceded the Scanian lands to Sweden in 1658, the island was not mentioned in the peace settlement, and remained part of Denmark. One unconfirmed legend claims that a glass of beer had been located on the map during the negotiations. Another explanation is that the fairly remote island had not been conquered by Sweden and the internal Danish administrative partitioning therefore mattered little. The only other part of the Scanian lands that remains Danish is the island of Bornholm, which was formerly a part of the province of Skåne.
From 1808 to 1814, Anholt was occupied by the British who sought to restore the function of the lighthouse. During the Gunboat War, Denmark attempted to retake the island by force. The Battle of Anholt (March 27 1811) proved a decisive British victory and led to many Danish casualties. A monument for the battle is located in Anholt village.
Terrain
The western part of Anholt is a moraine landscape. The small village is situated in the middle of the landscape whereas the harbour (built 1902) is placed at the north western tip of the island. The eastern part of the island is known as the largest desert in Northern Europe. A result of hundreds of years use of firewood for the important lighthouse on the islands eastern tip. Now, great efforts have been taken to preserve the unique scenery and prevent the devastational effects of erosion. Strictly speaking, the "desert" is not a real desert but a lichen heath.
On the Eastern tip of the island ("Totten"), there is one of the biggest Danish colonies of seals. This part of the island is protected from the visitors.
External links
- Anholt.dk (English)
Categories
Islands of Denmark