Southern Jutland: family history from 1864 to the Reunification of 1920

Few places in Denmark have a family history as dramatic as Southern Jutland. From the defeat of 1864 to the Reunification of 1920, families in Southern Jutland lived between two countries - and their experiences are found in letters and diaries written in Gothic script, which many descendants have tucked away.

A region under foreign rule

The defeat of 1864 cost Denmark Southern Jutland, and for more than half a century Danish Southern Jutlanders lived under German rule. The language of school and administration became German, while many held on to Danish within the walls of their homes. It left deep marks on the families - and in their letters.

Letters across a border

Family documents from Southern Jutland from this period are often in Gothic handwriting, which was common to both the Danish and the German school tradition. Some letters are in Danish, others in German, and many switch between the languages. Young men from Southern Jutland were conscripted into the German army and wrote home from the front during the First World War.

The Reunification of 1920

When the Reunification came in 1920, it was the culmination of generations of hope. A deciphered letter or diary from the period can show how a family experienced the border, the war and the reunification - seen from the inside, in the words of ordinary people.

With MormorsBreve you can have documents from Southern Jutland deciphered, whether they are in Danish or German, and translated so the whole family can read along. See also our page on Southern Jutland 1864-1920.