Vilslev

A parish in two countries
Vilslev north of the river Kongeå belonged to the Kingdom of Denmark, while Jedsted and Hillerup on the south side belonged to the German duchies. This meant the church had parishioners in two different countries. The parish boundaries often follow natural boundaries and it is unusual to have one parish on both sides of a large river. Therefore, one might think that the parish was put together by two parishes early in the Middle Ages, but no trace of any church has been found on the south side.

The church is dedicated to St. Nikolaj, who was bishop of Myra in the 300s. He was the children’s patron saint and was the inspiration for Santa Claus. He also protected skippers and fishermen, and many churches along the coast and larger rivers were devoted to him, including Aabenraa, Kolding, Varde and Vejle. (From kongeaastien.dk)

Photos by James Derheim, founder of European Focus Photography and European Focus Private Tours

Google Maps Location of Vilslev: https://www.google.com/maps/place/6771+Vilslev,+Denmark/@55.3977337,8.6845744,14z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m6!3m5!1s0x464b3a49efca2bd9:0xa00afcc1d50aa90!8m2!3d55.397736!4d8.705174!16s%2Fg%2F120jl0hy?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI2MDEwNy4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D