View source for Stevns Municipality

{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2012}}
{{Infobox settlement
<!-- See Template:Infobox settlement for additional fields and descriptions -->
| name                    = Stevns Municipality
| native_name             = {{native name|da|Stevns Kommune}}
| settlement_type         = [[Municipalities of Denmark|Municipality]]
| image_skyline           = Kirketorvet StHeddinge.jpg
| image_alt               = 
| image_caption           = 
| image_seal              = 
| seal_alt                = 
| image_shield            = Stevns Kommune coa.svg
| shield_size             = 100x80px
| image_map               = Map DK Stevns.PNG
| map_alt                 = 
| map_caption             = 
| coordinates             = {{coord|format=dms|region:DK_type:city|display=inline,title}}
| coor_pinpoint           = 
| coordinates_footnotes   = 
| subdivision_type        = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
| subdivision_name        = Denmark
| subdivision_type1       = [[Regions of Denmark|Region]]
| subdivision_name1       = [[Region Zealand|Zealand]]
| established_title       = Established
| established_date        = {{#property:P571}}
| seat_type               = [[Administrative centre|Seat]]
| seat                    = [[Store Heddinge]]
| government_footnotes    = 
| leader_party            = [[Venstre (Denmark)|V]]
| leader_title            = Mayor
| leader_name             = Annette Mortensen
| unit_pref               = Metric<!-- or US or UK -->
| area_footnotes          = 
| area_total_km2          = 249.92
| area_land_km2           = 
| area_water_km2          = 
| area_water_percent      = 
| area_note               = 
| elevation_footnotes     = 
| elevation_m             = 
| population_footnotes    = <ref>[https://m.statbank.dk/TableInfo/BY2?lang=en BY2: Population 1. January by municipalities] The Mobile Statbank from [[Statistics Denmark]]</ref> 
| population_total        = 23612
| population_as_of        = 1. January 2025
| population_density_km2  = auto
| population_note         = 
| timezone1               = [[Central European Time|CET]]
| utc_offset1             = +1
| timezone1_DST           = [[Central European Summer Time|CEST]]
| utc_offset1_DST         = +2
| blank_name_sec1         = 
| blank_info_sec1         = 
| blank1_name_sec1        = [[Kommunkod|Municipal code]]
| blank1_info_sec1        = 336
| postal_code_type        = 
| postal_code             = {{#property:P281}}
| area_code_type          = 
| area_code               = {{#property:P473}}
| iso_code                = 
| website                 = {{Official URL}}
| footnotes               = 
}}

'''Stevns Municipality''' ({{langx|da|Stevns Kommune}}) is a ''[[Municipalities of Denmark|kommune]]'' in the [[Region Sjælland]] on the southeast coast of the island of Zealand in south [[Denmark]]. The municipality covers an area of {{convert|250|km2}}, and has a population of 23,612 (1 January 2025). The municipality covers most of [[Stevns Peninsula]].

The third largest town and the site of its municipal council is the town of [[Hårlev]].

On 1 January 2007 Stevns municipality, as the result of [[Municipalities of Denmark#Municipal Reform 2007|''Kommunalreformen'' ("The Municipal Reform" of 2007)]], merged with [[Vallø]] municipality to form an enlarged Stevns municipality.

<!-- ===History=== -->

== Locations ==
The ten largest locations in the municipality are:

{| class="wikitable" style="margin-right:1em"
|-
| [[Strøby Egede]] || align="center"| 3,900
|-
| [[Store Heddinge]] || align="center"| 3,200 
|-
| [[Hårlev]] || align="center"| 2,500
|-
| [[Rødvig]] || align="center"| 1,600
|-
| [[Valløby]] || align="center"| 760
|-
| [[Strøby]] || align="center"| 670
|-
| [[Hellested]] || align="center"| 610
|-
| [[Klippinge]] || align="center"| 520
|-
| [[Magleby, Stevns Municipality|Magleby]] || align="center"| 320
|-
| [[Lyderslev]] || align="center"| 320
|}

===The town of Store Heddinge ===
{{Main|Store Heddinge}}
The town of [[Store Heddinge]] came into existence during the 13th century, and Saint Katharina Church (''Sct. Katharina kirke'') is also from that time.  The town received privileged status as a merchant town in 1441.  A Latin preparatory school was founded in the town in 1620, but was closed down in 1739.

==Politics==

===Municipal council===
Stevns' municipal council consists of 19 members, elected every four years.

Below are the municipal councils elected since the [[Municipalities of Denmark#Municipal Reform 2007|Municipal Reform of 2007]].

{| class="wikitable" 
! rowspan="2"| Election
! colspan="9"| Party
! rowspan="2"| Total<br/>seats
! rowspan="2"| Turnout
! rowspan="2"| Elected<br/>mayor
|-
|style="background:#B5211D;"|'''[[Social Democrats (Denmark)|{{font color|white|A}}]]'''
|style="background:#843A93;"|'''[[Danish Social Liberal Party|{{font color|white|B}}]]'''
|style="background:#89A920;"|'''[[Conservative People's Party (Denmark)|{{font color|white|C}}]]'''
|style="background:#C9096C;"|'''[[Socialist People's Party (Denmark)|{{font color|white|F}}]]'''
|style="background:#8B8989;"|'''{{tooltip|2=Stevnslisten|{{font color|white|L}}}}'''
|style="background:#8B8989;"|'''{{tooltip|2=Nyt Stevns|{{font color|white|N}}}}'''
|style="background:#F4D44D;"|'''[[Danish People's Party|{{font color|white|O}}]]'''
|style="background:#254C85;"|'''[[Venstre (Denmark)|{{font color|white|V}}]]'''
|style="background:#FF0000;"|'''[[Red-Green Alliance (Denmark)|{{font color|white|Ø}}]]'''
|-
|[[2005 Danish local elections|2005]]
|9
|style="background:#CDC9C9;" rowspan="2"|
|2
|1
|style="background:#CDC9C9;"|
|style="background:#CDC9C9;" rowspan="3"|
|2
|13
|style="background:#CDC9C9;" rowspan="2"|
|27
|74.6%
|rowspan="2"|Poul Arne Nielsen (V)
|-
|[[2009 Danish local elections|2009]]
|6
|1
|2
|2
|1
|7
|rowspan="3"|19
|71.0%
|-
|[[2013 Danish local elections|2013]]
|5
|1
|1
|style="background:#CDC9C9;" rowspan="2"|
|1
|2
|8
|1
|75.2%
|Mogens H. Nielsen (V)
|-
|[[2017 Danish local elections|2017]]
|6
|1
|2
|style="background:#CDC9C9;"|
|2
|2
|4
|2
|72.7%
|Anette Mortensen (V)
|-
|colspan="14"|Data from [https://www.kmdvalg.dk/kv/2005/adk.htm Kmdvalg.dk 2005], [https://www.kmdvalg.dk/kv/2009/adk.htm 2009], [https://www.kmdvalg.dk/kv/2013/Default.htm 2013] and [https://www.kmdvalg.dk/kv/2017/KMDValgKV.html 2017]
|}

==Attractions==
[[Image:Stevns Klint.jpg|thumb|left|Stevns Klint]]
The area is known for its white [[chalk]] cliffs, which are quite rare in Denmark. [[Stevns Klint]] (Stevns' Cliffs), a popular tourist attraction, is one of these.  The old town church by the small village of Højerup collapsed partially over the cliffs in 1928 due to [[erosion]].

The cliffs at Højerup are also the place where the father-and-son team of scientists [[Luis Walter Alvarez|Luis]] and [[Walter Alvarez]] measured<ref name="cite">{{cite journal | first1 = Luis W. | last1 = Alvarez | first2 = Walter | last2 = Alvarez | first3 = Frank | last3 = Asaro | first4 = Helen V. | last4 = Michel | citeseerx = 10.1.1.126.8496 | title = Extraterrestrial cause for the Cretaceous–Tertiary extinction | journal = [[Science (journal)|Science]] | volume = 208 | issue = 4448 | pages = 1095–1108 | doi = 10.1126/science.208.4448.1095 | date = June 6, 1980 | pmid=17783054| bibcode = 1980Sci...208.1095A | s2cid = 16017767 }}</ref> the highest level of [[iridium]] in the [[Cretaceous–Paleogene boundary]] layer, which led them to propose their [[Alvarez hypothesis|hypothesis]] that the [[Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event]] was caused by an [[Impact event|impact]] of a large [[asteroid]] 66 million years ago.

By 2014 [[Stevns Klint]] was listed on [[UNESCO]] [[List of World Heritage Sites in Northern Europe]].

In 2008 the Cold War Museum Stevns Fortress opened to the public. It features a large exhibition of military equipment and a 1.5-hour guided tour in the large underground system of the fortress. The underground system of the fortress features {{convert|1.6|km}} of tunnels, living quarters, command centers, hospital and even a chapel. And in addition two ammunition depots for its two {{convert|15|cm}} cannons. The tunnels are {{convert|18|–|20|m}} below surface excavated in the chalk of Stevns. This top secret fortress was built in 1953 and remained operational until 2000.

Stevns is also home to Elverhøj (Elves' Hill), while not much of an attraction, it is famous for the fairy tale The Elf Mound by [[Hans Christian Andersen|H.C. Andersen]] and the Danish national play  [[Elves' Hill]], both of which in Danish share the name ''Elverhøj''.

== Notable people ==
[[File:Jens Juel-Vind.jpg|140px|thumb|Jens Juel-Vind]]
* [[Peder Syv]] (1631–1702), philologist, folklorist and parish priest at Hellested from 1664 until 1702
* [[Berte Skeel]] (1644 in [[Vallø Castle]] – 1720), noble, philanthropist and estate owner of [[Selsø]] Manor
* [[Jens Juel-Vind]] (1694 in Huellinge – 1726), baron of [[Juellinge]], chamberlain, and landowner.
* [[Christen Lindencrone]] (1703–1772), landowner and [[supercargo]], owned [[Gjorslev]] Manor 1743-1772
* [[Severine Casse]] (1805 in Lyderslev – 1898), women's rights activist and an influential member of the Danish Women's Society
* [[Hans Peter Johan Lyngbye]] (1834 in [[Vallø Castle]] – 1920), businessman, dealing with timber and salvage
* [[Gunnar Asgeir Sadolin]] (1874 in [[Valløby]] – 1955), businessman and manufacturer of dry pigments and [[Aniline dyes]]
* [[Martin A. Hansen]] (1909 in [[Strøby]] – 1955), author and member of the Danish resistance during WWII
*[[Gitte Karlshøj]] (born 1959 in Lyderslev), long-distance runner, ran the 3000 metres at the [[1992 Summer Olympics]]

==Image gallery==
<gallery mode=packed>
Image:Sankt Katharina kirke store heddinge.jpg|St. Catherine's Church, [[Store Heddinge]]
Image:GjorslevSlotDK.jpg|Gjorslev Castle
Image:ValloeStift.jpg|[[Vallø Castle]]
File:Boesdal Kalkbrud 3.jpg|Boesdal Kalkbrud
</gallery>

== References ==
{{reflist}}
* Municipal statistics: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070812152043/http://www2.netborger.dk/Kommunefakta/ NetBorger Kommunefakta], delivered from [https://www.kmd.dk/ KMD aka Kommunedata (Municipal Data)]
* Municipal mergers and neighbors: [https://web.archive.org/web/20071011050224/http://kommune.eniro.dk/danmarkskort/ Eniro new municipalities map]

== External links ==
{{Commons category|Stevns Kommune}}
* {{Official website|https://www.stevns.dk|Municipality's official website}}
* [http://www.turismesyd.dk/ East Denmark tourism information]
* [http://www.stevnsfortet.dk/ Cold War Museum Stevns Fortress]

{{Geographic location
 | Centre = Stevns
 | N  = ''[[Køge Bay]]''
 | E  = ''[[Baltic Sea]]''
 | S  = ''Faxe Bay''
 | W  = [[Faxe Municipality|Faxe]]
 | NW = [[Køge Municipality|Køge]]
}}

{{Stevns Municipality}}
{{Municipalities of Denmark}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Stevns Municipality| ]]
[[Category:Municipalities of Region Zealand]]
[[Category:Municipalities of Denmark]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 2007]]