Tag Archives: Sonderborg

House of Knowledge – TeleBilling, KPMG & Rambøll

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On the harbour of Sønderborg a new building is rapidly taking shape. It’s another of the pieces from Frank Gehry’s Masterplan for the harbour front of Sønderborg. The plan is to transform the harbour into a vibrant new part of town.

Sønderborg Videnshus / House of Knowledge

The first block was the white residential building (to the right in the picture above) – this time it’s a bronze “House of Knowledge” – Videnshus in Danish – (to the left). The building will be the new corporate residence for local IT company TeleBilling, the local branch of KPMG accounting and Rambøll engineering.

house of knowledge

Recently TeleBilling made a film of what the building looks like now as they are still working on the interior. (Skip to 0:23)

The offices there will have amazing views up and down Alssund and you couldn’t blame the office workers for sometimes stopping what they are doing to stare at the beautiful scenery.

interior house of knowledge

The building has 6 floors and 4750 square meters of office space. The roof will be fitted with solar panels and will comply with the 2020 standard of buildings, which means it’s very energy efficient.

If everything goes according to plan the three residents should be moving in in November. Let’s hope they have an open house reception, so the rest of us can come in and be jealous of their sparkling new office.

Read more at Byens Havn

Ringridning – the Highlights

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July is here and, with that, the annual tilting at the rings festival in Sonderborg. The first day I ever visited Sonderborg, long before I had any plans to move here, we had stumbled across this festival. It was a great event and one which I was looking forward to repeat once we moved here.

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Tilting at the Rings, or Ringridning, is an extended-weekend celebration of tilting at the rings and all that goes with it. There is loads going on, and you probably can’t be everywhere all the time. So what should you make sure you don’s miss? These are my personal highlights:

  • Tilting competition at the ringridning grounds: Every day. Finals and crowning on Sunday (start around 16:45)
  • Concert at the town hall square. Highly entertaining! Be there early for a good spot. Saturday at 11:00.
  • Visit Ringridning Museum. A real gem.
  • Concert and start of the cavalcade from Sonderborg castle: Friday and Sunday morning at 10:50
  • Historic tilting at the rings, by Sonderborg Castle: Saturday at 13:00. Also every Tuesday throughout the summer.

There are also a number of events that have caught my eye that I haven’t as yet seen:

  • Combined tour of the city and tilting grounds. Friday and Sunday at 12:00
  • Fireworks competition: Friday at 23:00
  • Light tattoo and fireworks. Monday from 21:00.

Other than that, just enjoy the atmosphere in town and at the ringridning grounds. Enjoy!

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Hustle and bustle during market days

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Sonderborg Handel is Sonderborg’s chamber of commerce, bringing together the shops and business in the area. One of its main tasks is to draw customers in to the city. And one of the ways this is done is by organising ‘market days’.

There are two main sets of ‘market days’ organised in town. These are the Market Days in June and the International Market Days in July. The Market Days have already happened this year, but you are still in time for the International Market Days!

So what happens?

Well, in the June set of market days the shops all put on offers and make an effort to showcase their products to the customers. However, there is even more than that. What really caught my eye was the ‘kunst telt’ where there were local producers showcasing their crafts. As always, I am particularly drawn at things made of wood. not sure why. Maybe as in Malta wood isn’t used that much except for furniture, considering we have no forests from where to get it!

This year, the Market days also coincided with the Danish-German Music day, where musicians from all over the Southern Denmark and Schleswig Holstein meet to play in a number of locations in one town. And this year, it was Sonderborg. Combine a market day with a music day, and you get a very busy and lively town. Oh, and don’t forget to add sunshine! It really makes me happy to be in Sonderborg on days like that.

So now all that is left is to cross our fingers for good weather in July for the International Market Days. Last year I remember cheese and sweets from around the world. What will there be this year?

Universe – Revisited

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Universe (then called Danfoss Universe) was my first introduction to Sonderborg 3 years ago, way before we had any plans to move to Denmark. It is a science theme park where people can interact with science in a fun and enjoyable way through hundreds of hands-on activities, from Segway rides, to themed exhibits. I loved my time in the park then so now that the new season has started it was well worth visiting again to check out what was new.

Hurtig på Segway

The Name

The biggest change that cannot possibly escape you is in the name. In 2013 Danfoss Universe dropped the Danfoss part of the name to become Universe, an independent foundation. This should enable the park to become bigger (and, better?). A number of changes could, in fact, already be seen in place!

Weekend Events

Prior to this year most of the main events have consisted of the daily science show, as well as workshops, such as this rocket-building workshop. However, this year there is a whole programme of events during the weekends. This weekend it was Jimmy Enoch with his circus act. It was great fun watching him (if a bit scary!) and having a workshop with him on how to use different circus tricks and the unicycle.

 

If you missed it there is still a lot to come. From gymnasts (Flying Super Kids) to Children’s tv personalities (Hr Skraeg, Sofie Ostergaard), to Soapbox car building  and rally, your kids should be happily entertained.

Speed: This year’s theme

Every year Universe celebrates one particular theme. Last year it was ‘The body’. This year the theme is ‘Speed‘. One of the highlights appears to be the ‘race room’, where up to 8 people can race together to see who comes out fastest. There is also a leaderboard with the top times so far. Other connected attractions include the hands-on exhibits in the Cumulus and the 5D simulator of being in a race car. If you’ve been before visiting this part of the place is possibly worth it.

New Attractions

The waterworks part of the park has been extended! When I’ve been there before I loved playing around in this part of the exhibit. I do come from an island after all, so water is in my genes! This has now been extended with more set-ups for kids (whatever their age) to play around in.

 

All in all, Universe is a good place to spend an enjoyable day, especially if the sun is out as it has been this weekend. There’s enough variety to keep kids entertained as well as the bigger kids (also known as adults). So a definite place to put on your list if you’re visiting the area, as well as if you live here.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mogello/7983294257/

Disclaimer: Michael works at Universe as a Web developer. 

 

contemporary dance

Love Songs at Sonderborg Theatre

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Sonderborg theatre is one of the main venues of Sonderborg theatre union, an organisation set up to promote interest in theatre in the Sonderborg area and arranging performances with a varied repertoire in Sonderborg. One of these performances in the 2012/2013 season was Love Songs by Dansk Danseteater.

contemporary dance

Dansk Danseteater is the largest contemporary dance company in Denmark. Its main 2012/2013 show is Love Songs, which will be touring first around Denmark and then internationally. The Danish tour started in Sonderborg and this is the performance we watched.

Loves Songs is “an intimate portrait of love…which is neither a dance performance nor a jazz concert”. It consists of 9 dancers playing around and showing the concept of love to a soundtrack of jazz classics.

I was a bit sceptical about a contemporary dance show, having seen and been utterly bored by such a show previously. However, during a chance meeting with a dance teacher in Sonderborg I was convinced that I should try it out and that my previous experience was not what I should expect.

She was right! The performance was lively, fun and, most importantly, accessible. Love Songs will be playing around theatres in Denmark for the next 2 months so do check it out at a theatre near you – they seem to be playing all over the country so that should be possible! They will be playing in Kolding if you are interested in checking it out and live in Sonderborg.

And if you live in Sonderborg and want something closer, don’t forget to check out the Sonderborg theatre union programme! There are a couple of other interesting shows coming up, including the dance show ‘Future Roads and Swan Lake‘ and Tosca.

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Historic Tilting at the Rings

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As we have written previously, tilting-at-the-ring (better known in Danish as Ringridning) is a popular sport in the south of Denmark. Nowadays, riders gallop towards a ring suspended on a rope and try to catch the ring on a lance they carry. However, this sport has a long tradition, and is to be expected, changes have occurred over the years.

ringridning

During the summer, there are displays of historic tilting events at a track right by Sonderborg castle. During the weekly occurrence, one of the tilting families of the region (participation in this sport seems to be a family tradition) takes part in a re-enactment of such tournaments from days gone by on a small scale.

When I went to check it out I had expected to see a similar display to that seen at the modern tournaments, just in costume. However, I was surprised to finally make sense of statues of cocks standing in the middle of the course! In fact, rather than only grabbing rings from suspended ropes, the riders also attempt to grab rings that are suspended from the cocks’ mouths. Seeing the riders in action it was quite clear that this is no longer a practised tradition…the riders had infinitely more problems grabbing these rings than the more ‘normal’ ones!

Unfortunately these displays only occur in Danish school holidays (which end in the beginning of August in Denmark), so apologies for writing about it this late in the season. However, if you are visiting the area, now you have an excuse to come again next year!

A Countryside Metropolis Song

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The local musician and multiartist Richardt Nielsen of Rich-Art has written a song about what it means to be part of a countryside metropolis.

The lyrics are in both Danish, English and German and celebrates the diversity and joy of bringing people together. The video above is shot walking down the street with young people from Denmark, Iceland, Finland and Latvia.

Kan du sige ja til at være dig selv
Yeah,
Også når du kommer fra et lille sted
Yeah
Kan du mærke dit hjerte banker nu
Yeah
Det er så nice for vi lever nu

A countryside metropolis
Yeah
Metropolis and countryside
Yeah

Hej ved du godt din stemme lyder fedt
Europas tag det løfter sig lidt
We all believe in the human kind
With understanding we will change our mind
Wir werden alle wunder sein
And the capital of culture 2017
2017

© Richardt Nielsen 2012

Richardt has done a lot of interesting projects in and around Sonderborg (as well as in rest of Europe) usually working with young people and the influence of music and singing.

We support Sonderborg2017

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This Friday (24th) is the big day when the decision on whether Sonderborg or Aarhus will be 2017 European Capital of Culture is taken. All the work of the last 3 years to bring this title to Sonderborg comes down to these days: the jury visit to Sonderborg on the 23rd of August and a presentation and question round on the 24th in Copenhagen.

The S2017 team has been working very hard to make what was at first a very far-fetched dream into reality. It has become more tangible through the active contribution of the citizens in the community. Getting the title and the large scale event that it is will further reconnect the community and make people proud to be a part of it: look at what the Olympics has done for the UK!

Sonderborg acutely needs this title to put itself on the European map. However, even more importantly, Sonderborg needs this title to ensure its future. At the moment 8 out of 10 young people who leave the area do not return and are not replaced as the dichotomy between city and countryside is seen an unbridgeable. But Sonderborg has the facilities, energy and drive to show the third alternative: a countryside metropolis with the benefits of both worlds. To achieve this goal the time to act is now; in 10 to 15 years it will be too late!

Show your support

Actively show your support by liking the S2017 facebook page and encourage your friends to do the same. To make it easier, we have added a ‘like’ link to the S2017 facebook page here, so no excuses:

If you feel that you need to inform yourself further about this process you can go to the S2017 website or visit the S2017 shop on Perlegade in Sonderborg.

You can also participate in the events organised in the week leading up to the decision. During this week, events will be going on every evening in front of the town hall. This will all lead up to a live transmission of the press conference stating the jury’s decision on Friday at 4pm, as part of the Culture Night Celebrations.

And of course, some luck never hurt anyone, so don’t forget to keep your fingers crossed!

Music fit for a King: Sonderborg Slot

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Traditionally the abode of kings, and nowadays the site of the area’s museum, Sonderborg Castle also hosts a number of musical events throughout the year. This might be an unlikely music venue, however, having served as a location for royal entertainment for centuries, it has the locations to satisfy modern expectations as well.

Queen Dorothea’s Chapel

During the summer, the chapel plays host to a number of concerts, mainly revolving around the chapel’s organ. The organ, which was reconstructed in 1996 in accordance with 16th century traditions, was built in 1570 by the organ builder Hermann Raphaelis. The programme of organ concerts in the chapel can be found on the castle’s website under arrangementer.

The Great Hall (Riddersal)

The great hall used to be the reception room for guests to the castle, and the scene for many parties and dances. Nowadays, it is used for both one-off concerts as well as for concerts of the Sonderborg music union. From here you also have the added bonus of a marvelous view of the harbour.
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Concerts

Our first experience of music events at the castle was during our visit to Sonderborg in September last year before we moved here. This was a vocal and organ concert in the chapel, and was excellent proof that we can find good quality music in the area should we move here.

Danish German Brass Academy

Recently we then attended an excellent brass concert following the annual Danish-German Brass Academy in Gråsten. The quality of the performances and the enthusiasm of the performers belied the fact that they had only been working on these pieces for a week! Ending the concert with Brahms lullaby as the castle’s clock was chiming the time was a fitting coincidence to this excellent concert.

What is the video that best showcases Sonderborg?

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There has been a number of great videos showcasing the town of Sonderborg. Have you seen them all and which one is you favorite? Let us know in this poll.

  • A Common Cause by Bellamondo
  • Here You Can Build Your Own Future by Kim Groth & Fynn Laue
  • Kulturen er mangfoldig by Anonyme Sønderborggensere
  • A New Cruise Destination by Avid Cruiser
  • A romantic tour by Bellamondo
  • Vores Countryside Metropolis by TMODSAI

A Common Cause by Bellamondo

Here You Can Build Your Own Future by Kim Groth & Fynn Laue

Kulturen er mangfoldig by Anonyme Sønderborggensere

A New Cruise Destination by Avid Cruiser

A romantic tour by Bellamondo

Vores Countryside Metropolis

http://www.youtu.be/P0lPNxbliSA

Take part in the poll I’m really interested in hearing what people think.