Episodes from the history of Ærø
The inhabitants of Ærø are like a family.They may disagree amongst themselves, but they stick together if outside authorities interfere in their lives. The internal debate adds colouring to an ordinary day, and the population varies from one locality to another. There are substantial differences in dialects and culture, and the is- land itself alternates in landscapes of varying beauty. Above all the island has remained an island. An island must be reached by boat - the feeling of it vanishes if you have to cross a bridge to get there. Down through the Ages people have lived on Ærø. Some of the earliest traces of Danish ancestry are found on the island. At the termination of the Ice Age the sun nursed a meek growth that was ideal for reindeers and in turn attracted hunters. More than 11.000 years ago a horde of trappers roamed about the island. A proof of their existence is a depositary of arrow-heads found at Ommelshoved.
The find is exhibited in the naval museum of Marstal among many proofs of human presence in the course of time. A dozen burial mounds across the island are a small section of at least 250 that have been traced. A report from the past that the island was al- ways comparatively densely populated.Another visible sign of past activity are the many banks
and ramparts. These defensive constructions were built as a safeguard against the Wends who their expeditions from their native place, the north-coast of Germany. The Wends themselves were pushed forward by their southernneighbours, and they practised their looting with such intensity that many parts of southern Denmark became desolate. The inhabitants were robbed, extorted contributions from and suppressed - many were enslaved and villages set on fire. Only a few locations could manage real resistance, in other places the Wends settled which certain place names suggests. On Ærø it is believed that the Vindeballe settlement is established by these obtrusive new arrivals. The Arkona
Castle on Rygen, which also was the setting of the temple for the God Svantevit, fell after Valdemar the Great and the expedition of bishop Absalon in 1167. Still years after the Wends attacked southern Denmark many times. but now Ærø had good defence constructions like the rampart at Søbygård, a great castle at Gråsten cove (demolished), and a third rampart at Stokkeby cove. Ærø was in other words rather exposed and had to be fortified. A fact that commanded royal interest, and it is likely that the island from this time and age became the personal property of the King. That meant perceptible changes as the King disposed of the island as he saw fit. It was within his power to give
parts of the island away, land could be inherited by various relatives in op- position to Crown-lands that be- longed to the King only. In short, Ærø was open to juggling - and that happened. Some twenty years after the fall of Svantevit a good friend of King Valdemar was presented with a substantial part of the island. Not for long as they shortly after becameunfriendly.
A longer lasting change occurred when the margraves of Brandenburg obtained the island as dowry in 1232. The margraves founded villages in their districts, and it is likely that they established Ærøskøbing in mid 13th century.
The ground-plan of the city is similar to the cities founded by the Brandenburgers in northern Germany around the same period. The age of the margraves ceased in 1315 when Laurids Jonsen, one of the Kings knights, was presented with the island. In the year 1331 it came under the reign of count Gert, and until 1864 it was most of the time in the hands of the Slesviger duchyes. Thus Ærø was always under Danish colours - also following 1864 when the neighbouring island Als was occupied by the Germans after the war with Denmark. The period of the duchies had far-reaching consequences through the partition of the island into four parts in 1634, and three separate duchies in the year following. Most significant was the collapse of the trade monopoly of Ærøskøbibg- although the market town was promised that its privileges would continue. The east and northern parts of the island thus had an opportunity to participate in trade and shipping. A possibility the people of Marstal seized with great expediency. Their eastern point, Erikshale, gave shelter to the Østersø and presented a natural harbour inhabited by a comparatively numerous population of fishermen. The Duke to whom this part of the island belonged allowed the proprietor of his farm "Gudsgave", to sell farm products to these fishermen who resold them in the Kingdom and the duchies.They were easily accessible through the channel to the Østersø that originally founded the settlement. This channel is still of great importance and dredged concurrently with the development in time towards larger vessels.