Knivsbjerg

In 1893, people supporting the German occupation of Southern Jutland turned the 97-metre hill of Knivsberg (Knivsbjerg), the highest in Southern Jutland, into a rendezvous. A 45-metre granite tower and statue of Otto von Bismarck were erected in 1898-1901, though the statue was moved in 1919 and later re-erected at Aschberg (Askbjerg) by Eckernförde in Schleswig-Holstein.

Knivsberg continues to be a key meeting place for the German minority in the area, which throw a party here once a year in June. Today, a memorial and view platform have been erected at the top of the hill, which is also home to a large conference centre used by the German minority.

The various institutions and organisations belonging to the German minority in Southern Jutland are united in the umbrella organisation the Bund Deutscher Nordschleswiger (BDN). Today, BDN acts as umbrella organisation for i.a. 23 child care centres, 17 schools, Deutsche Nachschule Tingleff and Deutsche Gymnasium für Nordschleswig in Aabenraa as well as the General Secretariat in Aabenraa and the Secretariat in Copenhagen.

It has a total budget of around DKK 235 million, 45 per cent of which come from Denmark, 33 per cent from Germany and 22 per cent from the organisation itself. Today, the German minority includes around 15,000 individuals.