The struggle for Schleswig-Holstein, 1848/49

[Fritz]

At Bramfelder Dorfplatz just northeast of the city centre of Hamburg there is an old oaktree - a symbolic "Doppeleiche" - and a memorial beneath it commemorating the struggle for Schleswig-Holstein, 1848-1849. See illustrations.

In the first half of the 19th Century, Schleswig-Holstein was under Danish rule. The Kings of Denmark had long been Duke of Oldenburg and Holstein, and Schleswig-Holstein was therefore under "Personal-Union" with the Kingdom of Denmark. All the territory north of the River Elbe was under Danish rule, exclusive of the Free Hanseatic City of Hamburg, which had always been able to maintain it's independance. It was at Easter 1848 when Schleswig-Holstein patriots started an uprising to gain their independence, as they considered themselves as belonging to a "German Nation". At the ´time, there had been uprisings all over Europe, in which citizens demanded their rights, which had been reduced after 1815 when the ancien régime was re-established after the ultimate defeat of Napoleon. Schleswig-Holstein had even become a French province of Napoleons Empire at the time. After 1815, again under Danish rule. The Schleswig-Holstein patriots were supported by the German states, after decisions made at the Frankfurt parlament, but effective support had failed, and the German states withdrew their troops, after failure in the campaign. Diplomatic pressure had also been put on the German states by Russia and Britain.

 

It was not until 1863/64 that decisive military action was to end Danish rule, after the King of Denmark had made clear his intention to permanently annex Schleswig-Holstein and incorporate it into the Danish State.

 

After the decisive campaign of 1864 Schleswig-Holstein came under joint rule of Austria and Prussia. Disputes over this led ultimately to the next conflict of 1866, after which Prussia annexed the territories, these then becoming a Prussian province (IX.) After the 1914-18 war, in which Denmark had not taken part, Danish troops marched into North Schleswig and occupied it until 1940. After the campaign in the North from April to June 1940, Northern Schleswig was incorporated into the Reich. In May 1945 the Danes re-occupied the territories, and destroyed many of the Prussian Victory Monuments of 1864.

 

Around fifty years later, many monuments were errected commemorating the fatefull years of 1848/49. Some of the German states struck commemorative medals for the campaign. The most well known of these is probably the so-called Hohenzollern Medal (Prussia), which was only issued for this campaign.

The provisional government also awarded campaign crosses in 1850. These were of blackened cast iron from the canons of the Danish warship "Christian VIII", captured at Eckernförde in April 1849. The cross was worn on a ribbon in the national colours of Schleswig-Holstein, red, white and blue.

An illustration by August Deusser, 1917 depicts the proclamation of the Provisional Schleswig-Holstein Government in Rendsburg on 24th March 1848

 

 

 

[Fritz]

Nordfriedhof in Kiel. Memorial to the Schleswig-Holstein Army of 1848/9, was moved from the St.Jürgen Friedhof in later years

Altona, 1898, Graf Waldersee (r.) with veterans of the Schleswig-Holstein War, 1848/50