Short Study Tour, Day 1

I spent the weekend in Germany for the short study tour associated with my core course, European Memory and Identity. It was great to get acquainted with my classmates in a more relaxed setting as well as learn about the significance of the German/Danish border region.

First stop: Dybbøl Banke, the battlefield on which Denmark lost the War of 1864, losing 1/3 of its land and population to Austria/Prussia. It became a turning point for Danish policy as the focus shifted to internal affairs, thus beginning the welfare society. Today, Dybbøl is symbolic of nationalistic pride for the Danes.

Next we went to Frøslev/Fårhus Concentration Camp/Frøslevlejren. During WWII, Germany and Denmark were never officially at war because an ultimatum was signed allowing the Danish government to remain in power in exchange for a peaceful occupation. When a few hundred Danes were sent to German Concentration Camps, the Danish government proposed an internment camp on Danish soil. Unlike many camps of WWII, Frøslev was not a death camp. There was little violence and, with the Danish Prison Authority in charge of feeding the prisoners, little starvation.

The less told story is that of Fårhus, a state prison for Danes and Germans convicted of SS military service. This camp was maintained by the resistance, many of whom had been prisoners at Frøslev, and operated from May 1945 to 1949 when the prisoners were pardoned as Europe began to come to terms with the past.

Just for fun, we went to a Glüksburg Castle, just over the border. While I scoured the place for secret passage ways and eligible princes, none were to be found. Oh well, more time to practice my princess wave.