# Timeline of Aarhus

The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Aarhus, a city in central Denmark.

## Viking Age

* 750–800 – Aarhus is founded by the northern shore of the Aarhus River.
* c. 900 – The first church, the Holy Trinity Church, is built during the reign of Frode, King of Jutland.
* c. 900 – Gorm the Old fortifies Aarhus with ramparts.
* 10th century – Harald Bluetooth strengthens and expands the ramparts.
* 948 – First mention of Aarhus as the bishop of Aarhus Reginbrand attends the Synod of Ingelheim.
* 988 – Diocese of Aarhus is dissolved.
* 1035–42 – Harthacnut coins money stamped with the original name of Aarhus: "AROS".
* 1043
** Svend Estridsen gains support from Aros in war against Magnus the Good and a battle between the two are fought in the Bay of Aarhus.
** Magnus the Good becomes ruler of Aarhus for a period and coins money inscribed "Magnus Konge, Lif-sig i Aros" in latin.
* 1050 – Harald Hardrada attacks Aarhus and burns the settlement including the Holy Trinity Church.
* 1060
** Diocese of Aarhus is reestablished as Svend Estridsen divides the country into 8 bishoprics.
** Crypt church is constructed on the site of the former Holy Trinity Church and present day Church of Our Lady.

## Middle Ages

* 1080 – The crypt church is expanded and dedicated to Saint Nicholas.
* 12th century
** The bishopric begins collecting tithe.
** The defensive ramparts are strengthened and a cobbled ring road built along it.
* 1134 – The bishop of Aarhus Ulkil is killed at the Battle of Fotevik in support of King Niels.
* 1180
** Saint Nicholas Church mentioned as the first cathedral of Aarhus.
** Niels of Aarhus dies and is buried in Aarhus.
* 1191 – Peder Vognsen is appointed bishop by King Canute VI.
* c. 1192 – Construction begins on Aarhus Cathedral on the burial site of Niels of Aarhus.
* 1195 – Aarhus Cathedral School is mentioned for the first time. The school possibly predates the Aarhus Cathedral.
* 13th century – Valdemar II builds a grain mill at Aarhus River and hand grinders are made illegal.
* c. 1250 – Dominican friars are given Saint Nicholas Church which they tear down and begins construction on Church of Our Lady.
* 1298 – King Eric VI grants the Diocese of Aarhus rent from the peasantry enlisted in leidang.
* 1441 – Christopher of Bavaria ratifies existing market town privileges.
* 1477 –
** Christian I grants citizens of Aarhus rights to fisheries in Lillebælt, Kalø Vig and Jutland.
** The defensive ramparts ringing the town since the Viking age are removed.
* 1483 – King Hans ratifies that citizens of Aarhus are free of duties and may trade in all markets in Jutland.
* 1496 – King Hans ratifies that citizens of Aarhus may use all fisheries in Jutland.

## Renaissance 16th – 18th century

* 1505 – King Hans establishes a four-mile exclusion zone around Aarhus within which only citizens may trade with farmers.
* 1542 – Large fires break out destroying parts of present Indre By.
* 1546 – Parts of the city burns down as fires breaks out.
* 1556 – Large fires breaks out.
* 1627-1629 – Aarhus is occupied by Albrecht von Wallenstein's troops on behest of Ferdinand II during the Thirty Years' War.
* 1637 – Thors Mølle is constructed as a powder mill.
* 1644-1645 – Occupation by Swedish troops during the Torstenson War
* 1657 – Wooden city walls erected as octroi is introduced.
* 1657-1659 – Aarhus is occupied during the Dano-Swedish wars of 1657–58 and 1658–60.
* 1659
** Aarhus is bombarded by 13 Swedish warships during the Dano-Swedish War of 1658–60.
** Plague breaks out in the city. Nationwide a third of the population is killed.
* 1662 – The medieval fiefs reformed into counties and Aarhus County is established.
* 1672 – 3,474 inhabitants.
* 1740 – New citizens council established, composed of the wealthiest citizens.
* 1794 – Århus Stiftstidende is published for the first time.

## 19th century

* 1801 – 3,837 inhabitants.
* 1830
** Regular steamship links with Copenhagen begins.
** Vennelystparken opens for the first time.
* 1838 – Electoral rules changed to allow voting for the city council.
* 1840 – 7,087 inhabitants.
** Harbor moved from the Aarhus river to the coast.
* 1849
** Occupied by Prussian troops during the First Schleswig War.
** The skirmish known as Rytterfægtningen is fought in the area of present-day Trøjborg.
** Denmark gets constitution and new electoral laws. The greater half of citizens representatives to be elected by all citizens while the other half is elected by the highest taxed citizens.
* 1850 – The psychiatric hospital of Jydske Asyl opens.
* 1851 – 11,009 inhabitants.
** Octroi abolished and the city walls removed.
* 1854 – Frichs company is established.
* 1856 – The Ceres Brewery is established.
* 1862 – Jutland's first railway established between Aarhus and Randers.
* 1864 – Aarhus is occupied by Prussian troops during the Second Schleswig War.
* 1869 – Citizen Representation reformed to a city council with 19 members elected for 6 years. 10 members elected by all citizens, 9 by the highest taxed.
* 1871
** Aarhus Oliefabrik A/S is established.
** Jyllands-Posten publishes its first paper.
* 1873 – Cholera kills 213.
* 1874 – Frederiksbjerg annexed.
* 1875 – Aarhus Botanical Gardens is constructed.
* 1876 – The Grenaa Line opens; connecting Aarhus to Grenå by rail.
* 1880 – 24,831 inhabitants.
* 1882 – Aarhus County Hospital founded.
* 1883
** Aarhus Butterine Company is established.
** First public transportation in the form of horse drawn carriages.
* 1884 – The rail line Odderbanen opens, connecting Aarhus to Odder.
* 1893 – Aarhus Municipal Hospital is founded.
* 1896
** Korn- og Foderstof Kompagniet is established.
** Marselisborg estate purchased.
** Construction on Trøjborg begins.
* 1900 – Aarhus Theatre is completed.

## 20th century

* 1901 – 51,814 inhabitants.
* 1902
** The State Library is finished. The historicist building was later repurposed as Erhvervsarkivet (The Corporate Archives) in 1948.
** Marselisborg Palace is established.
* 1904 – Tivoli Friheden starts as an amusement park.
* 1906 – Frederik Ferdinand Salling opens the store that will eventually grow to become the Salling department store.
* 1909
** Aarhus hosts the National Exhibition of 1909.
** Electoral periods for the city council changed to 4 years, privileged electoral system abolished and women given voting rights.
* 1911 – 64,607 inhabitants.
* 1912 – Den Gamle By is established.
* 1913 – Marselisborg Hospital opens.
* 1919 – First publicly elected mayor.
* 1921 – 86,197 inhabitants.
* 1925 – Mindeparken is established.
* 1928
** Aarhus University is opened.
** Aarhus Sporveje is established.
* 1929 – The Central Station is completed.
* 1930 – 101,423 inhabitants.
* 1931 – Spanien Public Baths opens.
* 1932
** Marselisborg Deer Park is established.
** University Park is established.
* 1933
** The first university buildings opens
** Den Permanente is established.
* 1937 – The ring road of Ring 1 is finished.
* 1940 – 126,459 inhabitants.

### World War II

* 10 April 1940 – Aarhus occupied by invading German troops.
* 1941
** The Aarhus City Hall by architect Arne Jacobsen is completed.
** The Royal Air Force bombs a viaduct in Viby.
* 24 September 1942 – The Aarhus oil mill is bombed by the Royal Air Force.
* 3 July 1943 – The resistance bombs and destroys the viaduct at Spanien.
* 4 July 1944 – German barge loaded with ammunition explodes in the harbor killing 38.
* 22 August 1944 – Aarhus Sporveje tram depot on Dalgas Avenue is blown up in an act of schalburgtage.
* 10 October 1944 – German steamer Scharnhörn bombed by the resistance movement.
* 30 September 1944 – Aarhus-Hallen is bombed killing 5 people.
* 9 October 1944 – The Peter group destroys the building of the newspaper Demokraten.
* 31 October 1944 – The Gestapo headquarters in Aarhus University is bombed by the Royal Air Force.
* 11 November 1944 – Five buildings on Ryesgade are destroyed by the Peter group.
* 12 November 1944 – Buildings in Søndergade 10-14, 23- 27, 29 and 58-60 are bombed.
* 2 December 1944 – Aarhus Håndværkerforening is bombed killing 1 person.
* 21 January 1945 – Vennelyst Teateret (Vennelyst Theatre) in Vennelystparken is bombed.
* 22 February 1945 – The Peter group bombs Guldsmedgade, Nørregade, Ryesgade and Aarhus Theatre killing 8 people.
* 13 March 1945 – Risskovtoget (Risskov Train) is bombed killing two people.
* 29 March 1945 – Editor of Århus Stiftstidende Børge Schmidt is shot and killed in a clearing murder.
* 5 May 1945 – Fighting between resistance fighters and German forces refusing surrender claims 15 lives.
* 8 May 1945 – British troops enter and officially liberate Aarhus from German occupation.

### Post-war

* 1945 – Aarhus Flydedok is established.
* 1948 – Erhvervsarkivet (The Corporate Archives) opens in the building formerly housing the State Library.
* 1950 – 153,546 inhabitants.
** City management of Aarhus is changed to a Magistrate.
* 1960 – 177,234 inhabitants.
** First direct elections of county council.
* 1963 – The landmark State and University Library tower and building in yellow brick at the university campus is finished.
* 1965 – The first Aarhus Festuge festival is held.
* 1968 – Construction of the Gellerup Plan, a large modernist suburban satellite city, begins.
* 1970 – 199,427 inhabitants.
** Aarhus Municipality is merged with a number of surrounding municipalities during the 1970 Danish Municipal Reform
* 1975 – The anti-nuclear Smiling Sun logo is designed by the local group of Organisationen til Oplysning om Atomkraft.
* 1977 – The first Moesgård Vikingetræf event is held.
* 1979 – Machine manufacturing company Frichs, a large local employer, is declared bankrupt. Production in Aarhus was finally halted, after more than 125 years, in the 1980s.
* 1982 – Musikhuset (Aarhus Concert Hall) is finished
* 1983 – Gaffa is published for the first time.
* 1987 – The ring road of Ring 2 opens.
* 1988
** University hospital Skejby Sygehus opens.
** The afforestation of the New Forests of Aarhus is initiated.
* 1989 – The first Aarhus International Jazz Festival.
* 1990 – 200,188 inhabitants.
* 1991
** KaosPilots is founded by Uffe Elbæk.
** Marselisborg Yacht Harbour opens
* 1994 – The first SpoT Festival is held.
* 1995 – Scandinavian Center is finished
* 2000 – 217,260 inhabitants.

## 21st century

* 2002
** Louise Gade becomes the first woman and non-Social Democratic mayor of Aarhus.
** The re-establishment of Årslev Engsø begins.
* 2003
** The dockyard of Aarhus Flydedok closes after 58 years, following a bankruptcy.
** Bruun's Galleri shopping mall opens.
* 2004 – ARoS art museum opens
* 2005 – The nature sites of Hasle Hills and Skjoldhøjkilen are inaugurated.
* 2006 – 228,674 inhabitants.
** The lake of Egå Engsø is created.
* 2007
** Construction begins on Aarhus Ø.
** Aarhus County is dissolved and Aarhus becomes part of Central Denmark Region.
* 2008 – The Ceres Brewery closed production in Aarhus after 152 years.
* 2009
** Sculpture by the Sea is held for the first time.
** The first Northside Festival is held.
* 2011
** City council elects to change spelling from "Århus" to "Aarhus".
** Aarhus University Hospital is created.
* 2012
** Aarhus Pride is held for the first time.
** Construction begins on CeresByen.
* 2013 – 256,018 inhabitants.
** Construction begins on Aarhus Letbane (Aarhus light rail)
* 2014
** The new Moesgård Museum (MOMU) opens.
** The New University Hospital (DNU) partly opens to become fully operational in 2020.
** Aarhus City Tower, the second tallest building in the city at 94 metres, opens.
* 2015
** Dokk1 opens.
** Redevelopment of Frederiks Plads begins.
* 2017
** Aarhus is European Capital of Culture
** The inner harbour front and two squares of Hack Kampmanns Plads and Havnepladsen are finished.
** Aarhus Letbane opens
* 2018 – 273,077 inhabitants
** The harbour baths of Havnebadet opens
** The New University Hospital (DNU) is finished
** Aarhus County Hospital is closed after 136 years of service
** Risskov Psychiatric Hospital (Jydske Asyl) is closed after 168 year of service
* 2019
** Aarhus Municipal Hospital is closed after 125 years of service