Randers

Denmark

Written and fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Article History

Randers, city, eastern Jutland, Denmark. It lies at the mouth of the Gudenå River along Randers Fjord, northwest of Århus. First mentioned in 1086, it was chartered in 1302 and became an important market and ecclesiastical centre in the Middle Ages. In 1340 the tyrant Count Gerhard of Holstein was assassinated there by the Danish national hero Niels Ebbesen. Despite successive fires in the 17th century, some medieval merchants’ houses have survived, as have St. Morten Church (1490) and the Holy Ghost Monastery (1510). Randers manufactures railway rolling stock, gloves, beer, bacon, agricultural machinery, and dairy products. Pop. (2008 est.) city, 59,565; (2005 est.) mun., 91,961.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Amy Tikkanen.