Denmark: A realm of moving borders

Jess Hearne traces Denmark’s transformation from a vast Scandinavian power to the compact nation we know today.

Photograph: Pixabay: WikiImages

Text: Jess Hearne

A small country tucked away in northern Europe, the peninsula and islands that make up Denmark appear at first glance to be a quiet and unassuming part of the world. Yet the country we know today was once the centre of a far-reaching kingdom that stretched from the Arctic Circle into modern-day Germany. Through expansion, shrinkage, and reshaping, Denmark’s map is ever-changing.

The epicentre of an empire

In 811 AD, Denmark’s southern border lay far below the one we know today. The ‘official’ frontier between the Danish kingdom and the Frankish Empire was marked by the River Eider, but the actual border was more complex. Schleswig and Holstein, the respective regions north and south of the river, were both ruled by the king of Denmark, even though Holstein had closer political and cultural ties to Germany. Surprisingly, this strange arrangement worked quite well, with the region being relatively peaceful for hundreds of years.

In 1397, the kingdoms of Denmark, Sweden and Norway were united under the Kalmar Union. Arranged by Queen Margrethe I in the hope that a united Scandinavia would offer stronger defences against invasions, the union wasn’t met with the same enthusiasm across the region. Swedish nobles often resisted Danish influence, with the conflict coming to a head during the Stockholm Bloodbath of 1520. Dozens of Swedish nobles were executed after a failed rebellion, which in turn mobilised Sweden to lead a final revolt three years later. They left the union, and Scandinavia was divided once more.

Norway, however, remained tied to Denmark for another three centuries. With Copenhagen as the centre of government for both kingdoms, the Danish crown ruled lands that stretched as far north as the Arctic.

Yet by the dawn of the 19th century, geopolitical sentiment across Europe was changing. History often shows how something built over centuries, no matter how solid it appears, can unravel in only a few years. Denmark was about to learn this lesson the hard way.

The fall of the 19th century

This unravelling began with Denmark’s fatal decision to ally with Napoleon in 1807. Perhaps the term ‘decision’ is unfair, since their initial neutrality was compromised when the British invaded Copenhagen in that same year. Yet Napoleon’s eventual defeat in 1814 led to Denmark seceding Norway to Sweden under the Treaty of Kiel, meaning that one of the largest parts of her kingdom had disappeared almost overnight.

Meanwhile, Denmark’s southern border was facing the threat of nationalism. Schleswig and Holstein became the subject of fierce debate, with both Denmark and Germany claiming ownership: Danes believed Schleswig belonged to Denmark, whereas Germans saw both territories as German. In 1848, the debate erupted into war. Supported by German forces, rebels in the regions revolted against Danish rule, but without success. Denmark had managed to survive, but not for much longer.

When Prussia and Austria joined forces against Denmark in 1864, the shrunken kingdom stood little chance against its invaders. In a war that was short yet brutal, Danish defences collapsed and the country was forced to surrender Schleswig and Holstein, triggering a sense of national trauma across Denmark.

In just a few decades, areas that had been linked to Denmark were now under the rule of others. Families had been divided; Danish speakers had become citizens of another country, and Denmark had been reduced to a fraction of its former size.

The Denmark we know today

The lost territory of Schleswig remained part of Germany for over fifty years. However, the Treaty of Versailles forced the German Empire to renegotiate its borders. In 1920, the people of Schleswig were asked to decide which country they would like to belong to, leading to northern Schleswig being returned to Denmark by popular vote. This event became known as the reunification of Sønderjylland, and the border remains in place to this day.

So, the Denmark we know today is merely the latest version. Beneath the calm surface lies a history of redrawn maps, divided kingdoms and the tales of people who emigrated without stepping outside their doors. Have the borders of Denmark now settled for good, or will they shift again in the centuries to come?