Skamlingsbanken

About

Skamlingsbanken is a large hill located in Vejstrup Parish, Jutland, Denmark, between Kolding and Christiansfeld. With a peak rising to 113 metres (371 ft) above sea level, it is the highest point in Southern Jutland. The bank of the hill is 2 to 3 kilometres (1.2 to 1.9 mi) long and was created during the ice age with clay pushed up the Little Belt Strait from a nearby glacier. Several major historic public meetings took place here during and after the disputes over the territory of Schleswig-Holstein. When peace returned, there was an exchange of territories between the kingdom and the Duchy of Southern Jutland. As a result, eight non-Jutland parishes in the northern part of Tyrstrup Herred, including Vejstrup Parish, were transferred to the kingdom and Skamlingsbanken thereafter fell within the borders of Denmark.

Skamlingsbanken is a lateral moraine formed at the beginning of the Wisconsin glaciation period, approximately 22,000–25,000 years ago, although other glaciers came through later from the east and south, forming Skamlingsbanken and the large hills and rugged terrain south of Kolding. From Højskamling the landscape falls steeply eastwards and ends up in a cove at Mosvig. To the west, the landscape drops to a level height of around 60 metres (200 ft) above sea level and continues all the way to the Jutland ridgeway.

The area has been covered in largely beech forest for centuries, leading to the development of a rich flora. Botanically similar to South Jutland, common plants in the area between Skamlingsbanken and Grønninghoved include wax hat, low thistle and hawthorn. As a result of cattle grazing, growth on the lower part of the hill is kept in check but the top grows wild. Some areas are left to nature allowing blackthorn, hawthorn, roses, elder and other scrub growth to flourish, while other areas are maintained in order to preserve the fragile natural grasslands. The whole area is protected by the Danish Nature Conservation Act.

During the 16th century, Skamlingsbanken belonged to Frederick II of Denmark as part of his hunting ground, which stretched all the way to Vejle. The area remained under crown ownership for many years, but in 1764 the monarch began to sell various areas. One area, Grønninghoved Strandskov, remained under crown ownership and is currently state forest. Over many centuries, cultural historical sites such as mounds, depressions and dykes have developed in the wild forest.

After the crisis in 19th–century Schleswig-Holstein, a desire to retain and strengthen the Danish spirit and the Danish language in South Jutland arose. A meeting in Stændersalen, Rendsburg in December 1842, caused a great stir when grocer Peter Hiort Lorenzen [ da ] from Haderslev, then Nis Lorenzen [ da ], Lilholt and Posselt from Københoved, spoke Danish. The Germans regarded this as an insult, while Danish-minded Schleswigers saw it as a patriotic victory to be celebrated. This resulted in a celebration held on 21 February 1843 at an inn in Sommersted where farmer Laurids Skau [ da ] gave a speech and ended with the words;

"Like our ancestors, we empty a cup of oath. We will not promise so much, that we will turn our backs to German officials, who speak German to us, nor that we within three years will hunt Duke of Nordalbingia out of the country, but we will promise and keep – within three years to gather to feast again."

Whereupon Hans Ivar Staal [ da ] shouted, "We will meet within three months." He went on to explain that the patriotic men of his district had decided to celebrate on 14 May, to commemorate the royal decree introducing the Danish language in a number of public offices. They chose Skamlingsbanken where they had secured a place to gather. The surprised and enthusiastic participants immediately created a committee which would collect the 440 silver Thaler required to purchase the hill, which was raised within a few weeks. Skamlingsbanken then officially came under the association's ownership in 1854, following confirmation by the king's signature.

A number of other languages meetings then followed, which later evolved into folk festivals and national meetings. The first was held on 18 May 1843 instead of 14 May, since this was a Sunday and would have conflicted with the holiday law. Beginning at sunrise the participants hoisted the Dannebrog, a huge split flag 12 Ell long and 6 ell wide (7.68 by 3.84 metres (25.2 by 12.6 ft)). At 11 o'clock Højskamling was inaugurated and Laurids Skau became the first speaker. Drewsen spoke next and handed over a silver drinking horn to P. Hiort Lorenzen. It was made of Danish silver pieces and bore the inscription, "He spoke Danish, and continued to speak Danish." Later on, the Højskamlings banner was consecrated, with a speech by teacher A. C. Abbey from Moltrup and the rest of the day continued with songs, music, disc shooting and dancing. The celebrations ended at nightfall with bonfires and singing.

The second meeting on 4 July 1844 was a protest meeting over the King's degradation of the Danish language's influence in the charter of 29 March 1844. This meeting had native language conservation as its key theme which applied to all of the Nordic countries. The previous evening, a steamer with 120 citizens from Copenhagen arrived, including N. F. S. Grundtvig, Orla Lehmann, Carl Ploug and Meïr Aron Goldschmidt. The huge party began at sunrise with hoisting of the flag accompanied by cannon salutes. Then, after Kaj Hansen from Vonsild [ da ] had welcomed everyone, Laurids Skau made a speech. Carl Ploug was in the audience and it is probably this speech he refers to when he later writes about the peasant who says:... from South Jutland High,

as scintillating starlight thoughts flew,

The next speaker was N. F. S. Grundtvig, who ended his speech with a prophecy:

Northern Schleswig-Holstein inhabitants continued to speak Danish, it must be after centuries of history, the main abstracts of your giant story.

Hiort Lorenzen then walked on to the podium, to talk about the United States Declaration of Independence as he had chosen 4 July as the date for this Skamlingsbanken Meeting. Orla Lehmann followed on and promised the inhabitants of South Jutland to stand with them through thick and thin. Professor C. Paulsen then spoke, saying, "a people are only lost when it denies itself self." After lunch, Carl Ploug addressed the meeting claiming that North Schleswig had the backing not only of the Danish people but the whole of Scandinavia. Kloster, a teacher from Sommersted also took the podium and after him came Meïr Aron Goldschmidt, editor of The Corsair. who said:

I am your brother. Here is my hand. May it write for you? can it hit for you? So command!

This celebration ended with a giant bonfire consisting of three or four trees and some tar barrels.

The third meeting was also a protest meeting. On 18 July 1845 it drew 8,000 people with a large contingent from Norway and Sweden. Among the speakers was Laurids Skau, Steen Steensen Blicher Frederik Barfod [ da ] and Carl Ploug, whose speech was suppressed by censors in Denmark, but was reported in Swedish magazines.

The fourth meeting opened with a mood of happy expectation, since an open royal letter dated 8 July 1846, laid out Denmark's claim to the whole of Schleswig. Carl Ploug spoke at this meeting and once again the speech was censored.

On 28 June 1847, the fifth meeting took place when Laurids Skau was pleased to report on the establishment of a Danish teacher training college and that the German high school in Haderslev, would henceforth teach in Danish. Master Helweg from the folk high school in Rødding then took the podium and pupils from the entire school sang. There were almost as many people present as there had been at the 1844 protest meeting.

This proved to be the last language festival due to the start of the First Schleswig War.

During the 1850s a number of folk festivals took place, with the first in 1851 and the last in 1859. However, these saw fewer participants, because the main theme of the Danish language had declined in importance. Several language charters had been introduced during this period, while Danish had also become the language of schools in some parts of south Jutland.