Re-union and national festival

Wars are terrifying - however they can be releasing as well!
When Germany lost WW1 (1914-18) the focus on the borderlines of Denmark, who were drawn alongside the river “Kongeåen” after the loss of the war of 1864, was renewed.

A voting was organized, giving the people living in the occupied North- and South-Schleswig the chance of deciding which country they wanted to live in and the rural population voted North-Schleswig home to Denmark. Without WW1, who knows if the Danish-minded population ever would have got the opportunity of voting?

The kings ride
On July 10 2020 it is a 100 years since, the white horse Malgré Tout wore King Christian X across the former borderline at Frederikshøj marking the re-union of South Jutland and Denmark. At the website Filmcentralen.dk you can see recordings of the event. The re-union was celebrated with a large national festival in the entrancement “Kongeskansen” on July 11 1920. As a part of the programme we should have celebrated the 100 year anniversary with a national festival on Dybbøl Banke on 11 July 2020, however COVID-19 sat everything on hold and the celebrations is starting up again in August, the national festival however will be held midst June 2021  - we hope to see you there!

Memorial stones
In memorial 600 re-union stones were raised in Denmark, of them are 40 situated in the municipality Sønderborg Kommune. On the new website Genforeningssten.dk you have an oversight with photos. One of the more special re-union stone is found in the village Lavensby at Northern Als, where a part of the text says; with 150 Danish votes against 1 German. Another one is the stone in Kruså saying; Here Christian X meat the Danes from the south on the 12·7·1920 - you shall not be forgotten! (Her mødte Christian X de danske syd fra den 12·7·1920 - I skal ikke blive glemt!)

Minorities
As the border was moved from ”Kongeåen” to its location of today, it created minorities on both sides of the new border. On the Danish side, the most German-minded people are living in the larger cities, amongst others in Sønderborg, where the Germans has placed a part of their marine and built a barrack and marine school. Today the German influence on the town of Sønderborg is mostly seen in form of the houses in Art Nouveau style as well as the most part of our lighthouses in the municipality, built during German rule.

A part from our German kindergartens, schools and library we also have a museum in Sønderborg, telling about German history and culture - from the pride time under German rule until today as a minority, at the time being the Museum Nord Schleswig is closed due to renovation and expansion and we look foreward to the new exhibition at the re-opening on Saturday 8 August 2020.

The society Grænseforeningen was established in 1920 to support Danishness on both sides of the border. In 2020, they celebrate their 100-year establishment with a new website, a book on the society and their work as well as a quiz-game named “Lige til grænsen”.

The re-unionification will be marked and celebrated in 2020, with new exhibitions at the Museum at Sønderborg Castle and Dybbøl Mill as well as events throughout the municipality of Sønderborg Kommune. One of the big events is the Royal Run on 12 September 2021, when more than 17.000 participants join Crown prince Frederik on the run through Sønderborg. The final big event will be the national festival on Dybbøl Banke 13 June 2021 as well as in Alsion and at the hotspots in the city of Gråasten, Sønderborg and Nordborg.

The programme of the celebration land wide will be announced January 10 2020 on the website Genforeningen2020.dk and you can already see some of the events in our municipality on the website Sonderborg.dk. Both websites are updated on cancelled and altereated events.