Danevirke
Danish defensive earthwork system spanning 30 km across the Cimbrian peninsula.
The Danevirke (Dannevirke in modern Danish, Danavirki in Old Norse, Danewerk in German) is a series of Danish fortifications located in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. Its name means "earthwork of the Danes." Stretching about 30 kilometers from the former Viking trading center of Hedeby near Schleswig on the Baltic coast to marshlands in the west, this linear defensive structure was first built by the Danes in the Nordic Iron Age around 650 AD. It was expanded several times during the Viking Age and High Middle Ages, and saw its last military use in 1864 during the Second War of Schleswig.
The fortifications consist of multiple walls, trenches, and the Schlei Barrier. One section, Østervolden, runs between the Schlei and Eckernförde inlets to defend the Schwansen peninsula. The walls vary in height from 3.6 to 6 meters. In the Middle Ages, they were reinforced with palisades and masonry, and Danish kings used the site as a staging point for military campaigns, including crusader raids against Slavic peoples. King Valdemar the Great added a brick wall in the 12th century, now called Valdemarsmuren (Valdemar's Wall).
Written sources claim King Gudfred began work on the Danevirke in 808, fearing a Frankish invasion after the Franks conquered Frisia and Old Saxony. However, archaeological excavations show the structure is much older. Carbon-14 dating in 2013 revealed that the second phase started around 500 AD, with the oldest parts predating that. Earlier dendrochronology from 1969–1975 dated the main structure to three phases between 737 and 968, making it contemporary with Offa's Dyke in Britain. The first Danevirke (Hovedvolden, Nordvolden, and Østervolden) was built in five stages starting around 650, with a timber palisade added in 737 and later a stone wall. Annals credit Angantyr, Siegfried, and Guðfrið with the work.
The Danevirke also holds symbolic importance. Legend says Queen Thyra, wife of King Gorm the Old, ordered its construction. In the 19th century, as national states emerged, it became a powerful symbol of Danish identity and culture. During the political and military struggles over Sønderjylland/Slesvig (Schleswig), the Danevirke served first as a mental barrier against Germany and then as a concrete fortification, strengthened with cannon emplacements in 1850 and 1861. Danish nationalist journals, most notably one by N. F. S. Grundtvig from
- Location
- Schleswig-Holstein, Germany
- Length
- 30 km (19 mi)
- Height
- 3.6 to 6 m (12 to 20 ft)
- Construction started
- c. AD 650 (Nordic Iron Age), with earlier phases from c. 500 AD
- UNESCO World Heritage inscription
- 2018
- Last military use
- 1864 (Second War of Schleswig)
- Notable associated site
- Hedeby (Viking trade centre)
Lore & Background
According to written sources, work on the Danevirke was started by the Danish King Gudfred in 808, fearing an invasion by the Franks who had conquered heathen Frisia and Old Saxony. However, recent archaeological excavations have revealed that the Danevirke was initiated much earlier than King Gudfred's reign, at least as far back as 500 AD and probably well before that. The structure consists of several walls, trenches and the Schlei Barrier, stretching from the former Viking trade centre of Hedeby near Schleswig on the Baltic Sea coast in the east to the extensive marshlands in the west of the peninsula.
Legend has it that Queen Thyra, wife of King Gorm the Old (reign c. 936 – c. 958), ordered the Danevirke to be built. Archaeological excavations in 1969–1975 established, with the help of dendrochronology, that the main structure was built in three phases between AD 737 and 968. New carbon-14 dating in 2013 revealed that the second stage started around 500 AD, and the oldest fortifications are even older. The Danevirke was reinforced with palisades and masonry walls during the Middle Ages, and in particular the 12th-century King Valdemar the Great reinforced parts with a brick wall known as Valdemarsmuren.
Reader's Guide
The Danevirke holds significant historical importance as a testimony to the defense of trade routes in the Viking Age, leading to its inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2018 alongside the nearby Viking town of Hedeby. With the emergence of national states in Europe during the 19th century, the Danevirke became a powerful symbol for Denmark and for the idea of a unique Danish people and Danish culture. Throughout the nineteenth century, Denmark and Germany struggled politically and militarily for possession of the territory known as Sønderjylland or Slesvig by the Danes and Schleswig by the Germans, resulting in two wars: the First Schleswig War (1848–1851) and the Second Schleswig War (1864), which ended in Danish defeat and German annexation. In this hostile context, the Danevirke played an important role, first as a mental cultural barrier against Germany, and later as a concrete military fortification when it was strengthened with cannon emplacements and entrenchments in 1850 and again in 1861. The Danevirke had earlier defined a cultural and linguistic border between Danish and German fiefdoms, though by the 19th century the frontier had moved north. The structure began to lose its purpose in the 14th century due to the expense of manning it and the development of siege engines such as ballistas and trebuchets.
Did You Know?
- The Danevirke was last used for military purposes in 1864 during the Second War of Schleswig.
- Archaeological excavations in 1969–1975 established, using dendrochronology, that the main structure was built in three phases between AD 737 and 968.
- New carbon-14 dating in 2013 revealed that the second stage of construction started around 500 AD, with the oldest fortifications being even older.
- The Danevirke and the nearby Viking town of Hedeby were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2018.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Danevirke?
The Danevirke is a 30-kilometer-long Danish defensive earthwork system built across the Cimbrian peninsula in what is now Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. Its name literally translates to "earthwork of the Danes," and it served as a major border fortification for centuries.
Where exactly is the Danevirke located?
It stretches roughly 30 km (about 19 miles) across Schleswig-Holstein, running from the former Viking trading post of Hedeby near modern Schleswig on the Baltic coast westward into marshland. The ramparts stand between 3.6 and 6 meters (12 to 20 feet) high.
When was the Danevirke originally built?
Construction began around 650 AD during the Nordic Iron Age, though earlier phases date back to approximately 500 AD. The Danes expanded and reinforced the fortifications repeatedly through the Viking Age and into the High Middle Ages.
Why was the Danevirke inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site?
UNESCO granted the Danevirke World Heritage status in 2018, recognizing it as an outstanding example of a large-scale linear defensive structure that reflects over a millennium of cross-cultural military and political history in northern Europe.
When was the Danevirke last used in an actual military conflict?
Its final military role came in 1864 during the Second War of Schleswig, when the earthworks were incorporated into Prussian and Austrian defensive lines against Danish forces. That engagement marked the end of more than 1,200 years of the Danevirke serving as an active border defense.
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