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574:– resulting in a fierce political debate. As the debate ended with a confirmation of the existing border, the same politicians ruled out the possibility of returning the statue to a German-ruled town. On a number of occasions, controversy over the monument resurfaced, as a new generation of politicians began advocating for its return to a German-administered Flensburg.
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volunteered to pay for the relocation. The wooden plinth was replaced with a bigger one made of brick, and the statue was reunited with its four reliefs for the first time in more than a century. The finished result was unveiled on the 150th anniversary of the battle, July 25, 2000, by Danish
380:, was seen as a provocation by the region's German nationalists who opposed the Danish claim to sovereignty over the area. The decision to let the lion face south reinforced this feeling. Flensburg was divided by national sympathies but had a pro-Danish majority until after the 1864 war.
548:. Møller said, "The removal of this sepulchral monument, which in this country is considered a national sanctuary, and its erection in a German military academy, caused a resentment which till this very day is still alive in wide circles of the Danish people."
658:
At the request of the city council of
Flensburg, the Danish Government decided to return the Isted Lion to its original home in Flensburg. On 10 September 2011, it returned to the military cemetery, where it was first erected. The ceremony was attended by HRH
627:. In her speech, she expressed the wish that the statue would be returned to Flensburg. In a Parliament debate on November 20, 1998, she had previously stated that the statue should be returned to Flensburg, since that was the wish of the
483:, in effect reversing the meaning of the original monument. In 1938, the Danish press reported the existence of the copy of the historic monument, and at roughly the same time, the zinc copy was moved to Heckeshorn near the
411:
forces, German nationalists attacked the monument and tried to topple it. They succeeded in removing the tail and part of the lion's back but failed to destroy the statue due to the intervention of German authorities.
551:
In the autumn of 1945, the paperwork had been completed, and an
American army convoy headed for Copenhagen, where it arrived on October 5. On October 20, the lion was officially handed over to King
281:
292:, it was decided that the funds would instead be used for a monument commemorating the Battle of Isted. Like the previous monument, this commission was awarded to Bissen.
280:
in 1858. At the following banquet, it was decided to start a public subscription of funds for a second monument, and one of the options discussed was a statue of
General
600:
The new plaque on the front side. Translation of text: Isted 25 June 1850 / erected 1862 / 2011 erected again as a sign of friendship and trust between Danes and
Germans
81:
445:(Arsenal) in Berlin on February 9, 1868. Following the transformation of the arsenal into a military museum in 1875, the lion was transported to the Cadet Academy in
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of the Allied forces in Europe, who demanded an official request in order to allow the return of the monument. Such a request was promptly delivered by
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404:. In the following peace settlement, Denmark surrendered both Schleswig and Holstein, leaving the monument on the German side of the new border.
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and approached the United States Army about a possible return of the statue. The issue ultimately reached the desk of
General
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From 1945 to 1947, a few Danish politicians, with wide support in the popular opinion, advocated for a re-annexation of
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which contain three and two blue lions, respectively. In order to create a perfect image of a lion, Bissen travelled to
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and created a life-size model before returning to
Denmark. Bissen completed his first plaster model in 1860, and the
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479:. On the copy, the reliefs of the four Danish officers were replaced with a single image of the German officer
419:, ordered the monument to be dismantled, and its parts were originally stored in the courtyard of the Schleswig
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555:. In what was considered an interim solution, the lion was placed in a courtyard on the rear side of the
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to a neighbouring site. The debate about moving the lion to this more prominent position began, and the
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The statue was unveiled on the 12th anniversary of the battle, 25 July 1862, at St Mary's
Cemetery in
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343:. The finished monument was approximately four meters tall, and carried the following inscription:
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Prince
Joachim of Denmark is looking to the memorial plaque which he had revealed, seconds before.
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781:(in German). Haus der Wannsee-Konferenz. Gedenk- und Bildungsstätte. 2005-06-07. Archived from
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was commissioned to create a monument to the ordinary Danish soldier. Although not an actual
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2011 wieder errichtet als
Zeichen von Freundschaft und Vertrauen zwischen Dänen und Deutschen
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supporting the
Schleswig-Holstein insurgents. At its time it was the largest battle in
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of 1864 and remained there until 1945. It was returned to Denmark as a gift from the
365:'s largest city. Among the celebrities attending the ceremony was fairy-tale writer
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originally intended as a monument of the Danish victory over German-minded
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Others perceived it more as a memorial for the Danish dead in the battle.
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The zinc copy in Berlin. Picture taken following its restoration in 2005.
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507:, Søren Kierkegaards Plads, Copenhagen. The plinth was created in 2000.
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Part of the information regarding the copy in Berlin is based on the
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in Flensburg. In 1867, the lion and the four reliefs were moved to
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810:(in Danish). Foreningen Til Istedløvens Placering i Fredericia
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Website advocating for the movement of the lion to Fredericia
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copy of the monument was erected in Berlin in a public park,
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874:"1998-99. Svar på § 20-spørgsmål: Placeringen af Istedløven"
464:
association of war veterans. This monument was paid for by
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347:
Isted den 25. Juli 1850. Det danske Folk reiste dette Minde
471:. A path leading up to the statue was fittingly dubbed,
400:
to the region, culminating in the German victory in the
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Isted, 25 July 1850. The Danish people set this memorial
611:
near the museum began, prompted by a relocation of the
268:, his monument reflected a similar idea. This monument
327:
depicting four Danish officers from the war; Generals
718:(in Danish). Kulturcenteret Assistens. Archived from
288:
of the town. Through the intervention of politician
962:Official website of Berlin mentioning the monument
231:. In September 2011 it was returned to Flensburg.
826:
824:
806:Christlieb, Emanuel; Christiansen, Thomas Kvist.
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284:, the commander of Fredericia during the German
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372:Erecting the monument in Flensburg rather than
821:
642:, was lobbying for moving the monument there.
315:cast was completed by June 1862. The statue's
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491:. The statue in Berlin was repaired in 2005.
954:Flensburg Online Magazine about the monument
523:, a correspondent from the Danish newspaper
215:authorities after Prussian conquests in the
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872:Official website of the Danish Parliament.
679:
677:
992:
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938:Official museum website about the monument
846:Eduard Troelsgård. Rådgivende ingeniører.
835:. Cambridge University Press. p. 134.
323:stone was decorated with four round metal
207:during still Danish rule, it was moved to
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833:America and the return of Nazi contraband
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407:Following the occupation of Flensburg by
1151:Danish military memorials and cemeteries
1136:First Schleswig War memorials in Denmark
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503:The original Isted Lion in front of the
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439:The reassembled lion was erected in the
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563:) and placed on a mere wooden plinth.
1116:Buildings and structures in Flensburg
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16:Danish war monument unveiled in 1862
1141:Sculptures by Herman Wilhelm Bissen
808:"Istedløven blev født i Fredericia"
690:Dansk-Skånsk Tidsskrift no. 1, 2002
684:Kragelund, Britta (February 2002).
481:Prince Frederick Charles of Prussia
248:The Isted Lion in Flensburg c. 1864
34:Danish Palace and Properties Agency
13:
1146:Monuments and memorials in Germany
1033:Equestrian statue of Frederick VII
252:Following the Danish victory over
14:
1177:
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529:, "rediscovered" the monument in
181:which was a civil war within the
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607:In 1999, construction of a new
415:The Prime Minister of Prussia,
1015:Statue of Anders Sandøe Ørsted
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333:Friderich Adolph Schleppegrell
177:) on 25 July 1850, during the
1:
1161:Outdoor sculptures in Germany
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649:The wrapped Lion in Flensburg
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295:The lion is derived from the
906:Den Store Danske Encyklopædi
307:to study a lion held in the
282:Frederik Rubeck Henrik Bülow
239:
185:, although with troops from
7:
901:, accessed on 12 June 2006.
850:(in Danish). Archived from
753:(in Danish). Archived from
692:(in Danish). Archived from
557:Royal Danish Arsenal Museum
505:Royal Danish Arsenal Museum
329:Gerhard Christoph von Krogh
266:Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
260:(1848–51), Danish sculptor
42:Slots- og Ejendomsstyrelsen
10:
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831:Kurtz, Michael J. (2006).
434:Friedrich Graf von Wrangel
234:
1092:54.78526000°N 9.4297389°E
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661:Prince Joachim of Denmark
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908:, CD-ROM edition, entry
511:Following the defeat of
225:Søren Kierkegaards Plads
716:"Herman Wilhelm Bissen"
625:Elsebeth Gerner Nielsen
617:Ny-Carlsberg Foundation
543:Danish Foreign Minister
367:Hans Christian Andersen
1097:54.78526000; 9.4297389
1021:Statue of Frederick VI
779:"Der Flensburger Löwe"
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258:First War of Schleswig
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199:Originally erected in
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1001:Herman Wilhelm Bissen
933:at Wikimedia Commons
895:corresponding article
751:Dansk militærhistorie
714:Jensen, Hans Jørgen.
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546:John Christmas Møller
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262:Herman Wilhelm Bissen
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100:Herman Wilhelm Bissen
622:Minister for Culture
613:Danish Royal Library
570:, and in particular
535:Dwight D. Eisenhower
430:Generalfeldmarschall
217:Second Schleswig War
1156:Sculptures of lions
1088: /
654:Return to Flensburg
223:and was located at
179:First Schleswig War
58:For victory in the
1166:Statues in Germany
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568:Southern Schleswig
521:Henrik V. Ringsted
509:
489:Wannsee Conference
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309:Jardin des Plantes
276:) was unveiled in
254:Schleswig-Holstein
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221:United States Army
169:insurgents in the
167:Schleswig-Holstein
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427:at the order of
402:Battle of Dybbøl
274:the Foot Soldier
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149:Flensburger Löwe
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96:Designed by
82:The Old Cemetery
69:25 July 1862 in
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878:. Retrieved
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856:. Retrieved
852:the original
848:"Istedløven"
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832:
812:. Retrieved
787:. Retrieved
783:the original
759:. Retrieved
755:the original
750:
747:"Istedløven"
724:. Retrieved
720:the original
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698:. Retrieved
694:the original
689:
686:"Istedløven"
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640:Foot Soldier
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553:Christian X
475:, i.e. the
460:, near the
452:In 1874, a
114:REJST 1862
1110:Categories
1027:Isted Lion
1008:Sculptures
931:Isted Lion
910:Istedløven
880:2006-07-14
858:2006-07-14
814:2006-07-14
789:2006-07-14
761:2006-07-14
726:2006-07-14
700:2006-07-14
667:References
636:Fredericia
495:Copenhagen
374:Copenhagen
278:Fredericia
229:Copenhagen
137:Istedløven
125:Isted Lion
28:Istedløven
22:Isted Lion
572:Flensburg
526:Politiken
396:In 1864,
363:Schleswig
359:Flensburg
301:Schleswig
240:Flensburg
205:Schleswig
201:Flensburg
193:history.
85:Flensburg
71:Flensburg
1052:(father)
442:Zeughaus
321:Bornholm
213:Prussian
163:monument
77:Location
66:Unveiled
897:on the
631:there.
485:Wannsee
458:Schweiz
421:Estates
325:reliefs
256:in the
235:History
187:Prussia
175:Idstedt
157:) is a
89:Germany
1043:People
1035:(1873)
1029:(1862)
1023:(1858)
1017:(1837)
537:, the
531:Berlin
466:banker
425:Berlin
409:German
384:Berlin
317:plinth
313:bronze
209:Berlin
159:Danish
145:German
133:Danish
38:Danish
378:Isted
305:Paris
286:siege
107:ISTED
454:zinc
339:and
331:and
299:and
161:war
127:(or
123:The
515:in
376:or
319:of
227:in
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