Skjern

Skjern is a municipality (Danish, kommune) in Ringkjøbing County near the west coast of the Jutland peninsula in west Denmark. The municipality covers an area of 327 km², and has a total population of 13,107 (2005). Its mayor is Viggo Nielsen, a member of the Venstre (Liberal Party) political party.

The main town and the site of its municipal council is the town of Skjern, with a population of 7,567 (2003). Other towns in the municipality are, according to 2003 population, in descending order— Borris, Stauning, Astrup, Rækker Mølle/Sædding, Dejbjerg, Hanning, Bølling, Finderup, and Faster.

Neighboring municipalities are Aaskov to the east, Videbæk and Ringkøbing to the north, and Egvad to the south. To the west is Ringkøbing Fjord with neighboring municipality to the west Holmsland on the other side of the fjord.

The municipality was created in 1970 due to a kommunalreform ("Municipality Reform") that combined the following, existing parishes:

Bølling Parish
Dejbjerg Parish
Faster Parish
Fjelstervang Parish
Hanning Parish
Skjern Parish
Stavning Parish
Sædding Parish
Sønder Borris Parish

By January 1, 2007 Skjern municipality will cease to exist due to Kommunalreformen ("The Municipality Reform" of 2007). It will be merged with existing Egvad, Holmsland, Ringkøbing, and Videbæk municipalities to form the new Ringkøbing-Skjern municipality. This will create a municipality with an area of 1,485 km² and a total population of 57,818 (2005). The new municipality will belong to the new Region Midtjylland ("Mid-Jutland Region").