Haderslev Municipality (, ) is a town and municipality on the east coast of the Jutland peninsula in the Region of Southern Denmark. It includes the island of Årø as well as several other smaller islands in the Little Belt. The municipality covers and has a population of 55,218 (2026). Its mayor is Mads Skau, representing the Venstre political party. Following the Kommunalreformen ("The Municipal Reform" of 2007), Haderslev municipality was merged on 1 January that year with the former municipalities of Gram and Vojens, as well as Bjerning, Hjerndrup, and Fjelstrup parishes of Christiansfeld Municipality and Bevtoft parish of Nørre Rangstrup Municipality.
The municipality is part of Triangle Region and of the East Jutland metropolitan area, which had a total population of 1.378 million in 2016.
The waters of Haderslev Fjord cut into the municipality from the Little Belt, dividing the city north-to-south, becoming Haderslev Dam west of the city centre. Årø Strait (Årøsund) separates the bulk of the municipality from the island of Årø, and the two are connected by ferry service between the town of Årøsund on the mainland and the town of Årø on the island.
Locations
Haderslev 21,994 Vojens 7,579 Gram 2,526 Starup 2,486 Over Jerstal 1,103 Sommersted 1,073 Hammelev 1,013 Marstrup 779 Bevtoft 749 Hoptrup 685
The city of Haderslev
The main town and the site of the municipal council is the city of Haderslev.
North Schleswig Germans Haderslev Municipality is home to the only officially recognised ethno-linguistic minority of Denmark proper, the North Schleswig Germans. This minority makes up about 6% of the total population of the municipalities of Aabenraa/Apenrade, Haderslev/Hadersleben, Sønderborg/Sonderburg and Tønder/Tondern. In these four municipalities, the German minority enjoys certain linguistic rights in accordance with the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages.
Politics Haderslev's municipal council consists of 31 members, elected every four years. The municipal council has 11 political committees.
Municipal council Below are the municipal councils elected since the Municipal Reform of 2007.
Election Party Totalseats Turnout Electedmayor2005131112133173.3%Hans Peter Geil (V)20091412211169.6%Jens Christian Gjesing (A)201392114111274.1%Hans Peter Geil (V)2017101112419273.4%2021101521119168.3%Mads Skau (V)Data from Kmdvalg.dk 2005, 2009, 2013, 2017 and 2021
Notable people
Ole Olsen (born 1946), three-time speedway world champion Günter Weitling (born 1935), Lutheran theologian, historian, and author
Twin towns – sister cities
Haderslev is twinned with: Braine, France
Sandefjord, Norway Uusikaupunki, Finland Varberg, Sweden Wittenberg, Germany Dunavarsány, Hungary
Sources Municipal statistics: NetBorger Kommunefakta, delivered from KMD aka Kommunedata (Municipal Data) Municipal mergers and neighbours: Eniro new municipalities map
References
External links
Municipality's official website (Danish only) Haderslev tourism information in English The new Haderslev municipality's official website (Danish only)