Denne monumentale statue viser folkehelten Niels Ebbesen, der dræbte den holstenske Grev Gerhard 3. i Randers. Statuen er støbt af bronze fra orlogsskibet Dannebrogs kanoner. Kunstnerisk kan den ses som et sidestykke til H. W. Bissens statue Landsoldaten i Fredericia. Statuen blev afsløret d. 2. november 1882, samme dato som Niels Ebbesen døde i 1340. Den måler ca. 7 meter.
I anledning af afsløringen af statuen sendte Sønderjyske kvinder en krans bundet af løv fra krigergravene på Als og Sundeved. Netop her var mange danske faldne fra krigen i 1864 begravede. Der er formentligt årsagen til at denne statue af Niels Ebbesen af nogle kilder nævnes som et uofficielle monument for krigen i 1864 og Danmarks tab af Sønderjylland.
Niels Ebbesens livsforløb og slægtsforhold er næsten ukendte. Historikere har fastslået at han var en nørrejysk væbner, og det regnes for sikkert at han døde i kamp d. 2. november 1340 ved Skanderborg. Hans motiv for at dræbe Gerhard 3. af Holsten er aldrig blevet fastslået lige som kilder fra den tid beskriver hans liv og handlinger meget forskelligt.
Grev Gerhard tog i starten af 1340 Nørrejylland i pant og iden forbindelse besatte han området med en anseelig hær. Med en del af sin hær slog han sig ned i Randers i slutningen af Marts. Natten til den 1. april blev han her dræbt.
Jyske Krønike (Chronica Jutensis) er et mindre, dansk historisk værk fra midten af det 14. århundrede, skrevet på latin. Denne jyske kilde fortæller at en jysk væbner ved navn Niels Ebbesen trængte over Randers Bro med 47 ledsagere. De stak byen i brand, trængte ind i det hus hvor greven sov, og fældede ham og nogle andre på trods af at grevens hær på 4000 mand opholdt sig i byen. Soldater optog forfølgelsen, men i kamp med dem trak Niels Ebbesen sig igen tilbage over Randers bro med et tab på kun én mand.
I en folkevise fra 1500-tallet fortælles det at Svend Trøst inden drabet havde løsnet bjælkerne i broen og så snart Niels Ebbesen og hans ledsagere var kommet i sikkerhed blev bjælkerne kastet i vandet så grevens soldater ikke kunne forfølge dem.
Detmar fortæller i Lybske krønike at en dansk styrke på 60 mand ved nattetid sneg sig ind i Randers forklædt som nattevagter. Her skjulte de sig i et stenhus. Herefter myrdede de den beende og syge greve. Grevens kapellan og tre andre mænd opholdt sig sammen med greven og blev ligeledes dræbt. Udenfor på gaden blev en fornem mand fra Westfalen slået ihjel da han kom ud af et hus for at se hvad der skete. Derpå lykkedes det danskerne at flygte uden tab.
Hvad der i virkeligheden skete må man gætte sig til men begge kilder bærer præg af forfatterens holdninger. I den danske kilde berettes der om en heltegerning udført af frihedskæmpere, mens den tyske kilde fortæller om et afskyeligt mord på en kristen og syg mand uden mulighed for at forsvare sig.
Valdemar Atterdag forhandlede med grevens sønner om en traktat der skulle afklare magtforholdene i Jylland og på Fyn. I Spandau d. 22. april kom det til en politisk forståelse og i traktaten der sikrede Valdemar Atterdag kongemagten i Danmark tog kongen afstand fra mordet: "Fremdeles skal vi ingenlunde retsligt forsvare dem, som har myrdet grev Gerhard, og vi skal være deres fjende og fjende af alle dem, som retsligt forsvarer dem". I Jylland havde Niels Ebbesen dog stor opbakning og drabet er ofte i danske kilder og sagn blevet beskrevet starten på en frihedskamp og Niels Ebbesen er blevet hyldet som landets befrier.
I efteråret 1340 belejrede Niels Ebbesen Skanderborg. Soldater drog afsted fra Fyn og det kom til kampe ved byen. Danskerne led store tab og blandt de mange faldne var Niels Ebbesen.
I 1942, under den tyske besættelse af Danmark, skrev Kaj Munk et skuespil om Niels Ebbesens bedrifter. Skuespillet blev forbudt af tyskerne og Kaj Munk blev henrettet.
This monumental statue shows hero Niels Ebbesen, who killed the Holstein Count Gerhard III in Randers. The statue was cast in bronze taken from the cannons of the warship Dannebrog. Artistically it can be seen as a companion piece to the Landsoldat (Infantryman) of H. W. Bissen in Fredericia. The statue was unveiled on November 2nd 1882, the same date as Niels Ebbesens death in 1340. It measures approx. 7 meters.
Niels Ebbesen's life and family history are almost unknown. Historians tells that he was a danish squire, and it is certain that he died in battle on November 2nd 1340 near Skanderborg. His motive for killing Gerhard III of Holstein has never been established just as sources from the time describes his life very differently.
Count Gerhard entered Noerrejutland in early 1340 with a large army and occupied the area. With a part of his army he settled in Randers at the end of March. The night of April 1st he was killed here.
On the day the statue was unveiled women from southern Jutland sent a wreath bound by foliage from soldier graves at Als and Sundeved. In this area many fallen danes from the war in 1864 was buried. This wreath is probably the reason why this statue of Niels Ebbesen in some sources is mentioned as an unofficial monument to the war in 1864 and Denmark's loss of southern Jutland.
Jyske Krønike (Chronica Jutensis) is a small, Danish historical work from the mid-14th century, written in latin. This source tells that a Jutland squire named Niels Ebbesen passed the bridge of Randers with 47 men. They set the city on fire, forced their way into the house where the Count was asleep, and killed him and some others, even though the Count's army of 4000 men stayed in the city. Soldiers took up pursuit, but Niels Ebbesen and his men managed to get back across the bridge with a loss of only one single man.
An old folk song from the 15th century tells that Svend Trøst before the killing had loosened the beams of the bridge and as soon as Niels Ebbesen and his men had passed the bars were thrown into the water so the count's soldiers could not pursue them.
Detmar writes in the Lübeck chronicle about a Danish force of 60 men who sneaked into Randers at night disguised as nightguards. Here they hid in a stone house untill they murdered the praying and ill count. The count's chaplain and three other men stayed with the count and they were also killed. Outside on the street was a great man from Westfalen killed when he came out of a house to see what happened. Then the Danes succeeded to escape without loss.
What really happened must be a guess but both sources are written from each author's view. The Danish source tells of a heroic deed carried out by freedom fighters, while the German source describes an abhorrent murder of a Christian and sick man with no opportunity to defend himself.
Danish King Valdemar IV negotiated with the count's sons on a treaty that would clarify the balance of power in Jutland and on Funen. In Spandau on April 22nd they came to a political agreement and in the Treaty that secured Valdemar royal power in Denmark he declares: "Neither will we in any way legally defend those who have murdered Count Gerhard III, and we must be their enemy and the enemy of all those who defend them." In Jutland, Niels Ebbesen, however found great support and the killing of Gerhard are often in Danish sources and legends described as the beginning of a struggle for freedom with Niels Ebbesen being hailed as the liberator of Denmark.
In the fall of 1340 Niels Ebbesen and his men surrounded Skanderborg. Holstein soldiers set out from Funen and it came to battles around the city. The Danes suffered heavy casualties and among the many fallen was Niels Ebbesen.
In 1942, during the German occupation of Denmark in the Second World War, a play about Niels Ebbesenwas written by the dramatist Kaj Munk. The german forces banned the play and Kaj Munk was killed.
Sources:Skulpturer i det fri - Randers Kommune
Wikipedia -
Niels Ebbesen
Chronica Jutensis - Continuatio compendii Saxonis
Jyske Krønike - ISBN 87-89531-14-0
Chronicon lubecense - Detmar
Dansk Militærhistorie -
Fra linieskib til skydemål - Søren Nørby, cand. mag.