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Aarhus , is the second largest city in Denmark. It is the principal port on the east coast of Jutland and the seat of Denmark's second largest bishopric. Aarhus is also the location of the council of both Aarhus municipality and Aarhus County.

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The city's population is 293,932 (July 2005) (1).

The town lies at the junction of railway lines from all parts of the country in a low-lying, fertile, and well-wooded district. To the southwest (13 miles by rail), a picturesque region that contains the Gudenå and several lakes extends west from the railway junction of Skanderborg, and rises to ground exceeding 500 feet in the Himmelbjerget. The railway traverses this pleasant district of moorland and woodland to Silkeborg, a modern town with one of the most attractive situations in the kingdom.

The harbour is good and safe, and agricultural produce is exported, while coal and iron are among the chief imports.

The bishopric of Aarhus dates back at least from 951. Aarhus' 13th century cathedral, The Århus Domkirke, is the largest church in Denmark, as well as the second largest in Northern Europe, being only 1.5 ft shorter than its counterpart in Trondheim.

Aarhus is also home to one of the few ghettos in Denmark: Gellerup

One major tourist attraction in Aarhus is The Old Town (Danish: i), which is not actually an old part of the city itself, but a collection of old buildings from Danish history gathered from all around the country.

The Lord Mayor of Aarhus is Nicolai Wammen of the Social Democrats.

Aarhus is the home of University of Aarhus, Aarhus School of Business and the University College of Aarhus.

"mouth" (obsolete). The city is located on the mouth of the small river Århus Åen.

Through regular sound development, Medieval Danish i, a form, which persisted in the dialects of the surrounding parishes until the 20th century. In 1406 i, possibly as a result of the influence of German merchants.

The city is mentioned the first time by Adam of Bremen who mentions that "Reginbrand, bishop of the church of Aarhus (Harusam)" participates in a church meeting in the city of Ingelham in Germany. sup

The oldest archaelogical findings in Aarhus are glass pearls which date to the end of the 7th century. Half buried Long houses, used both as homes and workshops for the Vikings have also been found.sup

In the houses and the adjoining archaelogical layers, combs, jewelry and basic multi-purpose tools have been found that indicate the settlement is from approximately year 900. Digs in the spring of 2005 revealed a so-called city-ditch from the year 850 which might have marked the trade centre upon which the city is built. sup

The finding of six rune stones in and around Aarhus indicates the city had some significance around year 1000 as only wealthy nobles traditionally used them. sup

During the wars of the 17th century, it is probable that the city suffered a great deal. Fortifications still exist south of the city as a reminder of the German imperial campaigns between 1627 and 1629. In 1644, Sweden taxed the city harshly and between 1657 and 1659, it was occupied by Swedish troops on several occasions. sup

In spite of these and other misfortunes, such as plague and city-wide fires, Aarhus was still quite a significant city in Denmark due to its favourable geographical position which was of significant importance for trading. Trade came mainly from the inland of Jutland but also from Norway, Lübeck, Amsterdam, England, France and Spain. In the middle of the 18th century the trade fleet consisted of approximately 100 ships.sup

In the 19th century, the city gained more independence from the dominance of Copenhagen and Hamburg. While it had been the third largest city in Jutland during the early 19th century, its population surpassed Randers in 1840 and in 1850, Ålborg became the largest city in Jutland and the second largest in Denmark.sup

The city's material prosperity continued to increase as the harbour expanded and the railway network grew. Culturally, it marketed itself as the "Capital of Jutland" and expanded many of its cultural institutions like the national library, universities, the Aarhus Theater and hospitals.

Telecommunication Tower Arhus (Concrete tower with guyed mast on its top, not accessible for visitors)Wikisource, as part of the 1911 Encyclopedia Wikiproject, has original text related to this article: