Ødis is a village in Southern Jutland, Denmark, with a population of 481 (1 January 2026),BY3: Population 1. January by urban areas The Mobile Statbank from Statistics Denmark located 7 km east of Vamdrup, 12 km northwest of Christiansfeld, and 13 km southwest of Kolding. The village is part of Kolding Municipality in Region of Southern Denmark. From 1970 to 2006, Ødis was part of Vamdrup Municipality.
Parish and church Ødis is located in Ødis Parish, which historically belonged to the Duchy of Schleswig and was part of the historic South Jutland. However, it was incorporated into the Kingdom of Denmark after the Second Schleswig War in 1864 in exchange for other territories. Thus, it avoided Prussian rule and is not part of South Jutland in the modern sense. From 1970 to 2006, the parish was part of Christiansfeld Municipality in Sønderjyllands Amt.
Ødis Church was built in 1857 in a Byzantine-inspired architectural style by L.A. Winstrup, based on his travels to Greece and Asia Minor. It replaced a medieval stone church, though the original tower remains, modified with a spire to suit the new style.
Ødis Lake
Southwest of the town lies Ødis Lake, which was drained in the early 1800s and restored in 2003. The lake covers 26 hectares, while the surrounding recreational area spans 40 hectares, with a parking area, paths around the eastern side, a viewing tower by the school, and a shelter area. Over 200 bird species have been recorded around the lake.
Facilities
Ødis School is located slightly southwest of the village, with 97 students from kindergarten through sixth grade and 13 teachers.According to the school's former website, replaced by the Aula system in 2019 Ødis Hall and a sports field are adjacent to the school. Ødis Sports Association offers handball, football, badminton, and children’s gymnastics.Ødis-IF
Ødis Village Hall, dating back to 1903, has a meeting room on the first floor and a banquet hall, renovated in 2013, with a capacity for 85 guests.Ødis Community Hall: The House Ødis Nursery, established in 1971, is now a branch of Børnehuset Søbo in Christiansfeld, with a capacity of 60 children ages 0-6.Børnehuset Ødis Vesterled Care Center, expanded in 2006, has 25 rooms: 18 single rooms, three rooms for couples, and four temporary rooms.Vesterled Care Center
History Archaeological finds from the Neolithic have been found south of Ødis Lake, and a Bronze Age refuse layer was discovered north of the lake. Two burial mounds in Drenderup Forest are believed to date from around the time of Christ, and remains of a 600-700-year-old water mill were discovered west of Ødis Lake.
The Railway Town In 1904, Ødis was described as follows: "Ødis with Church, Parsonage, School and Primary School, Mission House (built 1893), Savings Bank (founded 1880...232 accounts), Mill and Inn".Ødis Parish in J.P. Trap: Kingdom of Denmark, by H. Weitemeyer (3rd edition, volume 5, 1904), p. 444 The 19th-century map shows a brickworks, and the 20th-century map shows a bakery and two blacksmith shops.
Ødis had a railway station on the Kolding Sydbaner line from Kolding to Vamdrup (1911–1948). The station had a 100-meter siding and an animal pen. The station building still exists at Stationsvej 15.
With the railway, the town gained a midwife, shop, knitwear store, saddler, cooperative, dairy, mill, and a telephone exchange serving 49 subscribers (the same number in 1924 and 1942).
Reunion Stone
A stone on the Church Square originally commemorated the loss of Schleswig in 1864 and was later updated to commemorate the Reunion of 1920.Denmark's Reunion Stones: Ødis
Notable people Johannes C. Bjerg (1886–1955), sculptor, professor, and director of the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts Erik Hoppe (born in Ødis 1896, died in Kvam, Norway 1968), Danish painter
Notes
External links
Ødis, Ødis Bramdrup, and Fovslet - with links to recent issues of the Parish Newsletter Kolding Municipality: Development Plan for Ødis Parish