Niels Ebbesen Memorial
In the middle of Rådhustorvet stands the statue of Niels Ebbesen. The statue was created by F. E. Ring and has stood here since its unveiling in 1882. The statue was cast from cannons from the warship Dannebrog. The 7-metre-high statue (4 metres of which is the pedestal) was donated by a citizens' committee. After the loss of Southern Jutland in 1864, a wave of national romanticism swept across the country. The nation needed Danish heroes, and Niels Ebbesen was chosen as a symbol of this.
The story of ‘the bald count’
In the 1300s, Denmark was so deeply in debt that both Jutland and Funen were mortgaged to the German Count Gerhard of Holsten, also known as ‘The Bald Count’ or ‘Count Gert’. The count moved into Jutland to collect his debt and settled in Randers with 4,000 men.
On the night of 1 April 1340, the squire Niels Ebbesen and a group of his men entered the town and killed the count. Niels Ebbesen severed the count's head from his body with a single blow, thereby liberating Jutland. This event had a significant impact. In the long run, King Valdemar Atterdag reunited the country, and Niels Ebbesen came to be regarded as one of the most prominent symbols of Danish nationality. That is why the statue of Niels Ebbesen faces south today, so that he can keep an eye on the Germans.
Niels Ebbesen's House
In Storegade, you will find the largest preserved half-timbered house (from 1643) in Randers, with three storeys. This house was built by merchant and councillor Jens Jensen.
Legend has it that it was in this house that the town's hero, Niels Ebbesen, killed the count in 1340. According to tradition, Svend Trøst was the squire who was too afraid to go into town to kill him. Instead, he loosened the planks of Randers Bridge so that they could be tipped into the stream. This prevented the pursuers from reaching Niels Ebbesen. Furthermore, it is said that the hatch on the second floor of the house must always be left open so that Count Gert's spirit can escape. If the hatch is closed, it is certain that all kinds of misfortunes will rain down on Randers!
