Aunslev


Aunslev is a village in central Denmark, in Nyborg Municipality on the island of Funen. Aunslev lies 10 kilometers north of Hjulby, 7 kilometers northwest of Nyborg and 32 kilometers east of Odense.
The village belongs to the parish of Aunslev, having the church located a kilometer from the center to the west. The village further houses the local school, Vibeskolen dept. Aunslev.
Aunslev is divided in two; Aunslev Overby and Aunslev Nederby. These are separated by the A1 highway between Nyborg and Odense

Village naming

In 1998 the Ministry of Culture Denmark changed the spelling of the village to Aunslev from Avnslev. Up until this change city signs and local businesses used both spellings. The name of the village can be dated back to 1231, firstly described as Agnslef.

Viking settlement

Several findings of artefacts from the Viking Age, especially Christ from Aunslev and a runestone, suggest that the area west of the city close to the church, was once the home of a Viking settlement.

Christ from Aunslev

is the oldest crucifix found in Denmark as of 2016. It was found by a local villager, Dennis Fabricius Holm, who searched a field between the village and the church using a metal detector on 11 March 2016. The crucifix is a pendant necklace, with a height of 4.1 cm. and a weight of 13.2 g. The precise dating of the crucifix has yet to be determined, though estimates state around 900–950 AD. This changes the broad understanding of the arrival of Christianity in Denmark. Until this finding the Jelling Stones has been acknowledged as the first sign of Christianity in Denmark, why the Christ from Aunslev changes fundamental parts of the Danish history.

Notable people