Dybbøl Mill
Dybbøl Banke
At the History Centre Dybbøl Banke, you step directly into the dramatic days of the 1864 war. You become part of the drama and gain new insights into one of the most pivotal battles in Danish history.
Keep all your senses open as you enter the area, where the roar of booming cannons mixed with the cries of wounded soldiers. Explore the historically accurate redoubt and peek into the barracks in the soldiers' village behind the front lines, where weary young men rested between bloody battles.
The result of the 1864 war was the collapse of the multinational Danish monarchy. Denmark was reduced to a small national state but later regained part of Schleswig in the form of South Jutland in 1920. Prussia became the expanding German Empire, which later fell and transformed into the federal state of Germany as we know it today. The History Centre offers a vital chapter in European history.
The Story of Dybbøl Mill
Dybbøl Mill has had a tumultuous existence atop Dybbøl Banke.
The first mill, made of wood, was built in 1744. In 1745, it was purchased by brothers Valentin and Lorenz Claussen, and Lorenz operated it until his death in 1775. The mill then passed to Lorenz Claussen's son, Lorenz Claussen the Younger, who was only 21 but a skilled young man. He experimented with milling technology and won a gold medal in 1782 for his work on the subject. In 1800, the mill was struck by lightning and burned down. It was quickly rebuilt in wood, but the process was expensive. Lorenz focused less on milling and more on experiments and writings. In 1810, he went bankrupt and had to leave Dybbøl. Lorenz Claussen died in Aarhus in 1823 when he was struck by a mill blade.
From 1810, Dybbøl Mill was operated by a series of tenants until it was auctioned in 1832. The highest bid of 3,280 rigsdaler came from Heinrich B. Quade. Unknown to everyone, Quade was asked to provide security for the large sum. He immediately brought out a chest from his wagon, full of silver coins. The mill was handed over to Quade, and the chest is now part of the exhibition at Dybbøl Mill, though without the coins. Heinrich B. Quade moved into the mill with his family and ran it for many years.
In 1848, the First Schleswig War, also called the Three Years' War, broke out. The war reached Dybbøl Mill several times. In 1848, the Danish army set up an observation post at the mill. Danish victories at Nybøl on May 28, 1848, and at Dybbøl on June 5, 1848, were celebrated. In August 1848, the Danish army and Schleswig-Holstein troops agreed to a truce, but the war resumed in 1849. On April 13, 1849, Danish and German troops clashed at Dybbøl, with the Germans bombarding Dybbøl Banke. Dybbøl Mill was hit and burned down. Heinrich B. Quade received war compensation but could not rebuild until 1853 due to the ongoing war. The mill stood idle for three years, causing significant losses for Quade.
The new mill built in 1853 was a Dutch-style windmill made of brick. In 1860, Heinrich B. Quade passed away, and the mill was inherited by his daughter Margrethe and her husband, Jørgen Hansen. The following year, the Danish army constructed 10 redoubts immediately west of the mill.
Dybbøl Banke 7
6400 Sønderborg
Opening
All days of the week 10.00-16.00