Nexø Museum – the history of a town and region on Bornholm's coast
Nexø Museum is an intimate regional museum housed in a distinctive building right by the harbour in Nexø – Bornholm's second-largest town. Run by a local museum association, the museum presents the history of Nexø and the surrounding area – from early times, through the Swedish era, to the dramatic Soviet bombings in May 1945.
The museum is located in a historic building from 1796, constructed from sandstone as "Nexøe Vagt" – the former town guardhouse. Permanent and changing exhibitions depict the everyday life of the region's inhabitants, fishing and craft traditions, and the cultural heritage of south-eastern Bornholm.
Good to know
- The museum building from 1796 originally served as the town guardhouse and was built from sandstone quarried at the nearby Frederiks Stenbrud quarry.
- The museum's website features a rich collection of archival photographs from Nexø, Svaneke and the surrounding villages – well worth a look before or after your visit.
Visiting and exhibitions
Nexø Museum spans four levels – from the basement to the second floor. Each floor is devoted to different aspects of regional history, guiding visitors through successive layers of the town's past. The ground floor houses exhibits related to everyday life, crafts and fishing, while the upper floors present the political and wartime history of Nexø.
Among the permanent exhibitions, the documentation of the Soviet bombings of 7 and 8 May 1945 deserves special attention. Nexø, like Rønne, was severely damaged in the final days of the Second World War – the displays feature archival photographs, documents and personal memories of residents, illustrating the scale of the destruction and the town's subsequent rebuilding.
Changing exhibitions complement the permanent collection and each season bring new subjects – from photography and local art, through the history of seafaring and trade, to presentations of artefacts discovered during nearby excavations.
History of the building
The museum's home is a building with a rich past. Erected in 1796 as "Nexøe Vagt" (the town guardhouse), it replaced an older, dilapidated structure that had stood on the same spot. The building material was sandstone from the Frederiks Stenbrud quarry, established in 1754 to the north of the town.
The guardhouse served its purpose for 60 years. Following the introduction of citizen representation in Danish market towns in 1843, a new town hall with court and jail was built at Købmagergade in 1856. The harbour building was then converted into a warehouse – its walls were raised by an extra storey, and extensions were added for the harbour office, public weighing facilities and other services. These additions were all demolished over time.
The association and its tradition
The museum is run by Nexø og Omegns Museumsforening – a local history association founded in 1968. After two years of extensive renovation, the museum officially opened in 1970 and has been documenting and sharing the cultural heritage of Nexø and the neighbouring communities of Bodilsker, Poulsker, Ibsker and Svaneke for over half a century.
How to get there
The museum is located directly at the harbour in Nexø (Havnen 9), right in the centre of town. It is just a few minutes' walk from the bus stop or the town centre.
Getting there by car or bicycle is convenient – parking is available near the harbour. Nexø is situated on Bornholm's east coast, approximately 25 km from Rønne via road 38.
Location
| Nexø Museum | |
| Havnen 9, 3730 Nexø, DK | |
| nexoemuseum.dk | |
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