Nexø

Sister cities

• Wolgast
• Kołobrzeg

History

Nexø originated as a fishing village for the parish of Bodilsker with a chapel attached to St Bodil's Church. In 1346, it was granted rights as a market town, dealing in both the herring trade and in agricultural products. Over the centuries the town has suffered a number of disasters. The Lübeckers burned the town in 1510, in 1563 most of the inhabitants died from the plague and in 1645 it was plundered by 500 Swedish soldiers. In 1756 there was another serious fire and in 1872 a storm damaged the harbour. The 19th century also saw the development of ship building, the foundation of an iron foundry (1864) and of the Østbornholmske Dampskibsselskab (East Bornholm Steamship Company) which operated a regular service to Copenhagen from 1877. Although the rest of Denmark had been liberated on 4 May, the Red Army occupied Bornholm from 9 May 1945 to 5 April 1946, when an agreement was reached with the Danish authorities and the island finally came under Danish rule once more. Between 1900 and 1968, a railway connected Nexø with Rønne, the island's largest town. The old station building at Rønne is still preserved, whilst Nexø is now host to a railway museum. The former Nexø Municipality (1970–2002) covered an area of with a population of 8,558, but is now included in Bornholm Municipality. The Hyundai Nexo is named after the city.