Denmark–Germany border

In the treaty of Heiligen in 811, the Eider river was recognized as a border between Denmark and the Frankish Empire.{{cite book | last = Thursten | first = Tina L. | title = Landscapes of Power, Landscapes of Conflict: State Formation in the South Scandinavian Iron Age | publisher = Kluwer Academic | year = 2001 | location = New York | isbn = 0-306-44979-X | page = 340 }} As a swampy river, it formed a natural border. In the highest area near the watershed, it was drier. The ancient travel route of Hærvejen went there, and a defense wall, Danevirke, was built there. Later the duchies of Schleswig and Holstein arose. Before 1864 Schleswig was a fiefdom of Denmark, while Holstein was a fief of the Holy Roman Empire (until 1806) and a member of the German Confederation (after 1815). Both territories were ruled by the Danish king in his additional role as Duke of Schleswig and Duke of Holstein (occasionally together with other Dukes, like the Gottorp Dukes). The border between the Danish fief of Schleswig and the German fief of Holstein still ran along the Eider river, the boundary between the duchies and the Kingdom of Denmark ran along the Kongeå watercourse, and the southern boundary of the Danish monarchy (≈Helstaten) ran along the Elbe.

In 1864, Schleswig-Holstein was conquered by Prussia, and so an international border was created between Denmark and Germany/Schleswig-Holstein. It went from a place at the coast {{convert|5|km|0}} south of Ribe, rounded Ribe on {{convert|5|km|0}} distance, then went eastbound just south of Vamdrup, and just north of Christiansfeld to the Baltic Sea.

In 1920, the border was moved about {{convert|50|km}} southward to the present position, as determined by the Schleswig referendum in 1920. This approximately followed the not clearly defined language border.

File:Hertugdømmerne.png|The duchies Schleswig, Holstein and Lauenburg before 1864

File:Londonkonferencen Grænseforslag.png|Border proposals in 1864

File:Abstimmung-schleswig-1920.png|Results of the vote in 1920

File:SchleswigSlesvig18642016.png|Schleswig/Slesvig with former and present-day administrative borders

In 2001, all border controls were removed based on the Schengen Agreement.

In response to the Swedish border control due to the European migrant crisis, border checks were temporarily introduced starting January 4, 2016. Prime minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen cited fear of accumulation of illegal migrants in Copenhagen as one of the reasons for this decision.{{Cite web|url=http://www.politiko.dk/nyheder/regeringen-indfoerer-midlertidig-graensekontrol-til-tyskland|title = Berlingske | Læs nyheder på berlingske.dk}} It was reported that the border controls at the German border cost the Danish tax payers 1.25 billion DKK (€167 million) from 2016 until mid-2019.[https://www.dr.dk/nyheder/politik/graensekontrollen-har-nu-kostet-mindst-125-milliarder-kroner Grænsekontrollen har nu kostet mindst 1,25 milliarder kroner] They were never fully ended before the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020,{{Cite web|last=Nielsen|first=Nikolaj|date=2019-12-09|title=Revealed: little evidence to justify internal border checks|url=https://euobserver.com/investigations/146897|url-status=live|access-date=2021-07-21|website=EUobserver|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191212122529/https://euobserver.com/investigations/146897 |archive-date=2019-12-12 }} which caused renewed border closures throughout Europe.

To pass the border, an approved travel document is needed. This is mainly a passport. But also a national identity card from the European Economic Area is acceptable, although Denmark does not issue such cards, so a passport is needed for Danes for crossing back into Denmark.[https://politi.dk/pas/rejselegitimation Rejselegitimation]

In January 2019, the Danish government began constructing a fence along the border to keep wild boar, which can carry African swine fever virus, from crossing into Denmark. The {{convert|1.5|m|ft}} high, nearly {{convert|70|km|mi}} long fence—spanning the entire land border—was completed in December 2019 at an estimated cost of 30.4 million Danish kroner.{{cite press release |author= |title=Construction begins on wild boar fence |url=https://en.mfvm.dk/news/news/nyhed/construction-begins-on-wild-boar-fence/ |location=Copenhagen |publisher=Ministry of Environment and Food of Denmark |date=28 January 2019 |access-date=29 January 2019 |archive-date=19 December 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201219015616/https://en.mfvm.dk/news/news/nyhed/construction-begins-on-wild-boar-fence/ |url-status=dead }}{{cite web |url=https://www.dr.dk/ligetil/indland/danmark-begynder-bygge-hegn-mod-vildsvin |title=Danmark begynder at bygge hegn mod vildsvin |last=Topp |first=Anders |date=28 January 2019 |website=dr.dk |publisher=Danmarks Radio |access-date=29 January 2019}} (In Danish){{cite web |url=https://www.dw.com/en/denmark-starts-building-anti-swine-border-fence/a-47261851 |title=Denmark starts building anti-swine border fence |last=Walsh |first= Alistair |date=28 January 2019 |website=dw.com |publisher=Deutsche Welle |access-date=29 January 2019}} The fence has created some protests. In May 2019 a volleyball tournament was held over the fence as a publicity event which was given some media attention.{{cite news |title=Unge spillede volleyball hen over vildsvinehegn |url=https://www.dr.dk/nyheder/regionale/syd/faa-det-hegn-vaek-unge-spillede-volleyball-hen-over-vildsvinehegn |work=Danmarks Radio |date=19 May 2019 |access-date=19 May 2019 |language=da }} After completion there was a decision to raise it by adding wires over it, because animals like deer have been killed after being injured because of jumping over the fence.{{cite news| url=https://www.tvsyd.dk/vildsvinehegnet/vildsvinehegn-bliver-aendret-undgaa-skade-raavildt |title=Vildsvinehegn bliver ændret for at undgå at skade råvildt |date=11 December 2019 |language=da}}

File:2020-06-21 - Wildschweinzaun ins Watt.jpg|Western end of the fence at the Wadden Sea

File:Vildsvinehegnet, Flensborg Fjord.jpg|Eastern end of the fence in the Flensburg Firth

File:Rønsdam grænse 2020b.jpg|The Rønsdam border crossing at Padborg with fence, Cattle grid and Corona crisis block

File:Gendarmstien - Vildsvinehegnet.jpg|Gendarmstien passing through the fence at Padborg

There are two railway lines across the land border:

• The main route is via the Fredericia–Padborg/Flensburg–Padborg lines, which cross the eastern part of the land border between {{rws|Padborg}} and {{stn|Flensburg}}. This route, which is electrified, is operated by EuroCity (EC), EuroNight (EN) and regional trains of DSB. The line also used to carry CityNightLine trains.[https://web.archive.org/web/20100821152910/http://www.dsb.dk/Global/PDF/Koereplaner/International/International_Koereplan20jun_11dec_2010.pdf Køreplan Timetable/ International Køreplan 20.06.2010-11.12.2010 (archived)] originally at dsb.dk, accessed 5 January 2019[https://web.archive.org/web/20130717082550/http://www.dsb.dk/global/pdf/koereplaner/international/k13/intkpl_k13.pdf Køreplan Timetable/ International Køreplan 09.12.2012-14.12.2013 (archived)] originally at dsb.dk, accessed 5 January 2019

• The western part of the land border is crossed by the Marsh Railway line between {{rws|Tønder}} and Süderlügum.[http://www.neg-niebuell.de/ Wir verbinden! Festland mit Inselnfähren! Deutschland mit Dänemark! (We connect! Ferries between the mainland and islands! Germany with Denmark!)] neg-niebuell.de, accessed 5 January 2019 This line is not electrified, and is therefore operated by DMUs and diesel locomotive hauled trains.

A third route, the Vogelfluglinie ({{lit|bird flight line}} in German), which included a train ferry over the countries' maritime border (between Rødby and Puttgarden), closed in December 2019. Until then, this route carried EuroCity and ICE services.

The Fehmarn Belt Fixed Link is a planned rail and road tunnel across the Fehmarnbelt.

• Denmark–Germany relations

{{reflist}}

{{Borders of Denmark}}

{{Germany borders}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Denmark-Germany border}}

Category:European Union internal borders

Germany

Category:Borders of Germany

Category:International borders

Category:Holy Roman Empire