Guns, Art and Power Station
The Crown Prince’s Gun Batteries at Aabenraa (1807–1817)
You are standing at the former Southern Battery, one of two gun batteries established at Aabenraa in late 1807. The background was the Napoleonic Wars and the British bombardment of Copenhagen, during which the Danish fleet was seized. There were fears of attacks along the Danish coast. As a result, more than 200 gun batteries were built or reinforced to protect harbours and approaches.
The battery here was built on a low rise by the shore, just south of the old market town and close to the town’s former place of execution. It consisted of four 18-pounder guns, supplied by the arsenal of the Danish Navy in Copenhagen. The guns you see here are not the originals, but were cast from the original drawings.
Each gun was mounted on a carriage that could be turned and aimed at a target on the fjord. If the battery went into action, it required a crew of one non-commissioned officer and 24 enlisted soldiers, but normally only a couple of guards were stationed here. The Danish swallow-tailed flag flew above the battery.
No enemy ships ever appeared on Aabenraa Fjord, however, and the battery never fired a shot in war. By the end of 1813, the guns, gunpowder and ammunition had been sent back to the arsenal in Fredericia, and in 1817 the battery was officially decommissioned.
Although the war never reached Aabenraa, it had major consequences for the town. Many of the long-distance sailing ships that had made Aabenraa an important maritime town were seized by the British, sold at auction, and their crews were interned. After the war, the town’s merchant fleet had to be rebuilt from scratch – an effort that marked the beginning of Aabenraa’s golden age as a maritime town.
Today, the guns are used for salutes, for example in connection with anniversaries and celebrations in the Danish Royal House.
Read more about the history and about those who contributed to the realisation of the gun battery via the QR code.
Stricker’s Battery on Amager during the Battle of Copenhagen on 2 April 1801. Detail from a gouache by T. E. Lønning. Statens Forsvarshistoriske Museum/Orlogsmuseet
Two Figures on a Beach by Hans August Andersen, 1995 - photo by Poul Skøtt
Two Figures on a Beach (1995)
Two Figures on a Beach was created by Hans August Andersen in 1995 and stands on Flensborgvej as a distinctive welcome to the town. The sculpture was installed to mark the 25th anniversary of the Danish municipal reform and is made of corten steel.
The two intersecting figures may evoke the silhouettes of ships on the fjord and point to Aabenraa’s proud maritime tradition. At the same time, they symbolise the meeting between Danish and German culture, which has shaped the border region and the town for many years.
The artist Hans August Andersen (1926–2003) was a prominent figure in Danish concrete art and among the first Danish artists to work with the optical effects that internationally became known as op art. Beginning with realistic depictions of everyday life, he developed a simple, geometric visual language in which form, balance and our experience of space and movement became central.
Hans August Andersen believed that art should be a natural part of everyday life. He therefore created a number of sculptures for public spaces, where they were not merely intended to be looked at, but experienced in interaction with people and their surroundings.
Two Figures on a Beach is part of this interaction. Here, the sculpture’s simple forms meet the landscape, the light and the changing seasons. The two figures can be experienced as people engaged in dialogue, as stylised forms from nature – or as a story completed only in the imagination of the viewer.
Coal Wall (2005)
On the southern side of the fjord, a more recent work of art tells the story of the industry that has also left its mark on the fjord.
Coal Wall stands at the former Ensted Power Station. The 500-metre-long and 25-metre-high concrete wall was built as a barrier against noise and dust when the power station’s coal yard was in operation. Although the wall is only 20 centimetres thick, its carefully calculated undulating form makes it both strong and gives it a light, organic expression.
The wall is built from just two basic forms – an angular one and a curved one – which can be combined in different ways. This creates a lively and varied sequence throughout the entire structure.
The artwork was created in collaboration between architect Niels Junggreen Have (1946) and designer and artist Torkild Junggreen Have (1951).
The 33 aluminium sails reflect the changing colours of the sky and evoke the sails on Aabenraa Fjord. When darkness falls, 222 small fibre-optic lights shine through the concrete, slowly blinking like stars in the night sky.
Ensted Power Station was built in 1958 and for decades was one of Denmark’s largest coal-fired power stations. Thanks to the deep Aabenraa Fjord, large ships could bring coal here from all over the world, and for a period the harbour was Northern Europe’s largest coal and oil harbour serving power stations. After the power station closed in 2013, the buildings were demolished, and the area is now being developed for businesses with a focus on green energy.
Today, Coal Wall is a distinctive landmark that unites the area’s industrial history with the maritime landscape of the fjord.
In 2005, the artwork was honoured with Aabenraa Municipality’s Architecture Award.
Coal Wall by Niels Junggreen Have, 2005. Photo by Kenneth Stjernegaard
The following provided financial support for the establishment of the Crown Prince’s Gun Battery:
Aabenraa Municipality – Sydbank Sønderjyllands Fond – Skifter Andersens Fond – the late Reimer Lindorf – SE Vækstpulje – Jyske Bank Fonden – Michael Jebsen Fonden – Kreditbanken A/S – Nordea Fonden – 3. november fonden – Broager Sparekasse – Horup – Christian Panbo – Karen and Leif Toft.
The following partners and volunteers supported the establishment of the Crown Prince’s Gun Battery:
Frida and Einar Callesen – Bygma Aabenraa – Dansk Skibstræ – EUC Syd: Carpenters and Joiners – EUC Syd: Painters – Smedien i Skibbroagade – KIS, Felsted – Teknidan – Sønderjysk Droneservice – Auroras Kanonlaug – Nyborg Fæstnings Saluteringslaug – Aabenraa Marineforening – Træværket – H. G. Tømrerfirma – Karsten Espersen – Jette Borch – Orla Jensen – Leif Ludvigsen – Gunnar Jepsen – Henning Wollesen – Poul Petersen – Bernd Thomsen – Svend Nielsen – Gunnar Pedersen – Erik Housted – Mikkel Leth Jespersen – Carlo Daus Petersen – Erik Skifter Andersen – Stefanie Robl – Jørn Grevsen and salute company – Claus Pihl – Flemming Pallesen – Gitte Requate – Viggo Hansen – Egon Callesen – Flemming Jensen – Per Teglgaard.