Welcome

GENFORENINGS- OG GRÆNSEMUSEET

A few kilometers north of Christi­ansfeld - opposite Den Gamle Grænsekro - a small mu­seum telling a great history is si­tuated. It is the story about one of the most important events in Danish history - the Reunifica­tien and the time around this event.

It all happened just outside the windows of the museum on July 10th in the year of 1920 - the fa­mous ride of the Danish king on horseback across the border which was wiped off the map - a pi.cture we have seen so ofte n being illu­strated in the history backs. Here H.M. King Chr. X was cheered. Here he lifted up a little girl dressed in white on his horse. For 56 years the region had been under Prus­sian control. The king’s ride across the border that did not exist any more meant that now is was over. The region belonged to Denmark again.

If you walk from the museum down to the old border today, you will find it hard to imagine that people trying to flee by crossing the border were shot in cold blood. Many people tried. Most of them succeeded. They smuggled goods in a large scale across the border. Here there was a cross­border trade in small wooden sheds on both sides of the border, too. If you were going to leave Denmark, you had to go through the Danish customs room lying in the southeast corner of “Den Gamle Grænsekro” before you could go south through No Man’s Land until after a few hundred meters more to the south you would be checked by the Prussi­ans at their frontier station. This building still exists, but is con­verted into a private residence. Opposite this two former Prussian gendarme houses are situated. The old main house of the mu­seum was situated north of the old border and was a private resi­dence at that time, but with a proviso that said that there must always be a bed at the disposal of gendarmes staying for the night here in a room on the first floor.

As you may understand, the area around the museum is really a hi­storic treat for the ones who appreciate the whirr of wings when it comes to history.

The museum tries to illustrate what happened around the Reuni­fication, to explain what the Uni­fication meant and to communicate knowledge about what it meant to people who voted the region back “home” to Denmark in 1920. The museum has many things to show its gu­ests and quite recently - in 2006 - it has been enlarged with a new wing for exhibitions 127 m2 big. In 2008 it will be extended again. This time with a new glass arcade which is supposed to unite the old and the new building.

One of the main attractions of the museum is the stained-glass win­dow which you can see in the southern gable of the museum. A glass window similar to this one ­also with a motive from the Reu­nification - is found in a window niche on Christiansborg - few me­ters from the exhibition case sho­wing the Danish Constitution. The Reunification well from Odense was made by a blacksmith from Fyn and his journeyman within 14 months in memory of the Reu­nification. For many years it was placed at the Grand Hotel in Odense. Today you can see it at the Genforenings- og Grænsemu­seet.
The paintings from Frej - three in all - tell the story from 1897 of how Valentiner, the Ger­man leader of the county, let the gendarmes bar the gate s of the Danish meeting hall (Frej) and the tables laid for coffee on the very opening day. The dry cakes were filled with dust and the coffee was dried out in the cups when ­after having won the case in court - people again had access to the big coffee meal one and a half year later. At the museum, you’ll find Knud’s coat and many, many other curiosities to look at and no doubt you’ll feel amused. Among other things also effects lent out from Koldinghus.

Apart from the permanent exhibi­tion also special exhibitions are arranged. For the time being you can see a special exhibition about the voting in Zone II.

Keep an eye on the calendar and on the news on the homepage of the museum for occasionally the museum arranges cultural features such as an evening with singing and reading, days of open-house arrangements and so on.

The museum was opened July 10th 1995 by H.M. Queen Marg­rethe II and H.M. Queen Ingrid. Also H.R.H. Crown Prince Frederik, H.R.H. Prince Joachim, H.E. Ingolf, Count of Rosenberg and approxi­mately 5000 people took part in the happy event. Since then run­ning the museum has been mana­ged by idealists - unpaid members of the board - 7 in all- and 16 at­tendants. The only official contri­bution is 35.000 kroner from the municipality of Kolding and the right not to pay tax on real pro­perty. The members of the board themselves work to raise the rest of the money for the daily running and for the enlargements. The number of visitors is expected to pass 44.000 in 2010.

We are looking forward to YOUR visit.

OPENING HOURS 2010

1st June -31st August 2010: Daily (apart from Monday) from 10 to 17.

Also open during the Easter vacation and the autumn vacation.

During winter the museum is closed, bu tgroups are welcome ­when booked in advance: Price: 100 kroner plus the normal en­trance fee. Booking by telephone for groups out of season:

7456 6593 or 2283 1879.

Prices:

Adults: 30, kroner pr. person

Groups (more than 20 persons): 20 kroner pr. person Children: 15 kroner pr. person

Special members: Free entrance