The Dybbøl oak at Højerup on Stevns

The oak is planted in memory of the many Danish soldiers who lost their lives in the Battle of Dybbøl on 18 April 1864.

Brief history:

With the November Constitution of 1863, Schleswig was tied to Denmark, and Holstein and Lauenburg were separated. The constitution was in clear conflict with the agreements from 1852 that Denmark had made with Prussia and Austria concerning the preservation of the composite state, and that Schleswig should not be more closely linked to Denmark.

Bismarck was the Minister-President of Prussia and had several interests in resolving the Danish question through war. On the night of 1 February 1864, the Prussians and Austrians crossed the Eider. The fight was unequal, and the Danes retreated from Dannevirke to Dybbøl on 5 February 1864. On 18 April 1864, the redoubts at Dybbøl were stormed, and the superior Prussian/Austrian army inflicted a crushing defeat on the Danes with many dead, wounded, and captured. On 29 June 1864, the Prussians conquered the last bastion on Als. By the peace treaty in Vienna on 30 October 1864, Denmark ceded Schleswig, Holstein, and Lauenburg. The border then lay at the Kongeåen, and Denmark had lost 1/3 of its territory.