Day of Remembrance for the Fallen at the Battle of Dybbøl in Denmark

After ten weeks of siege, the Prussian army stormed the Dybbøl position. On 18 April 1864 at 10.00 am, the Prussian forces attacked the Danish redoubts. The redoubts had been shot to pieces after a six-hour bombardment with more than 8,000 shells. The central and southern parts of the Danish line of redoubts fell after just half-an-hour. The Danish 8th brigade led a counter attack. After heavy losses they had fought their way forward to Dybbøl Mill. After 90 minutes the counter attack fell apart and the remains of the Danish army were forced to retreat to Als. About 1,800 Danish soldiers had been killed, wounded or missing after the Battle of Dybbøl, while a further 3,000 had been taken prisoner. The total Prussian losses were about 1,200 dead, wounded or missing.

The battles in 1864, the 56 years under German rule in southern Jutland, the referendum and Reunification have all made Dybbøl a Danish national symbol. A peace treaty was agreed in October 1864 under which the Danish Realm ceded to the victors the Duchies of Schleswig, Holstein and Lauenburg. Denmark lost one-third of its territory and about 40% of its population.