Iowa Old Press
Davenport Daily Leader
Davenport, Scott, Iowa
March 25, 1892
THEY HONOR 1848
THE SCHLESWIG-HOLSTEIN KAMPFGENOSSENVEREINS CELEBRATION.
The Veterans of the War with Denmark once More Assemble to Recall the Memories
of Four and Forty Years ago.
Yesterday the veterans of the
Schleswig-Holstein war held their annual celebration.
The history of this province of Germany is very interesting,
Schleswig formed a part of Denmark from the establishment of that kingdom up to
1866. In the year 826 King Gorm the Old had united all the small Danish kings
under his own sway. His wife, Thyra Dannebod, persuaded the Danes to build a
wall (Dannevirke) on the frontier between Denmark and Germany, or what amounted
to the same, between Schleswig and Holstein. The Danes assembled and worked on
the wall for the space of thirty years, when Dannevirke was finished. The huge
wall stretched from the gulf of Schley to the river Eider, a distance of about
20 miles. It was built of turf, peat and wood and was from 20 to 40 feet high.
This artificial boundary line became a natural division between the people in
Schleswig and those of Holstein.
King Waldemar in 1232 divided his empire between his
three sons. Erik became king in 1241 ad Abel received Schleswig as a fief.
Quarrels arose between Erik and Abel. The family of Abel intermarried with that
of the Counts of Holstein and thus secured their aid. In 1375 Abel's family line
perished, and Schleswig returned to Denmark. In 1386 Count Gerhardt of Holstein
was given possession in fief of Schleswig. In 1459, on the dying out of this
Holtsatian family, Christian I, the Danish king, but a German, the founder of
the house of Oldenburg, promised that Schleswig and Holstein should always be
united under one government and had himself elected duke of Holstein. This new
ducal line being German, paved the way for the germanizing of the united
provinces. This alienation of the province from Denmark, kept on increasing,
until the uprising of 1848 showed that loyalty to Denmark was entirely
eradicated from the hearts of its inhabitants. The insurgents declared their
independence and fought to sustain their declaration upon the field of battle.
This was 44 years ago yesterday. They made a brave stand for their rights and
won support from Austria and Prussia. They would have achieved their
independence had not Russia stepped in and called on Prussia to withdraw its
troops and to lend them no more aid. Thus left alone they lost the fight and had
to submit to the Danish yoke again. In 1864 Prussia and Austria succeeded in
conquering Schleswig-Holstein, and Denmark in the treaty at Vienna, made Oct.
30, 1864, had to relinquish all claims to their possession. Another treaty that
of Gastein, made Aug. 13, 1865, gave Holstein to Austria and Schleswig to
Prussia. Finally, by the treaty of Prague, dated Aug. 23, 1866, Prussia got
possession of Holstein also, and the two provinces, after so many changes today
constitute part of the German empire.
The province has now about 1,200,000 inhabitants, about 140
to the square mile. If Iowa was as densely populated as they are it would have
nearly 8,000,000 inhabitants. About one-half the people of Schleswig speak the
Danish language. Kiel, the city from which the Davenport society yesterday
received some remembrances, has a fine harbor, that is considered the best in
Germany for naval purposes. The province contains 8,524 square miles. To the
east the surface is diversified with hills, to the west it is level and low so
that in some places the land is protected by high dikes, as in Holland. The soil
is fertile and pasturage good. Wheat, hops, and fruit are raised in abundance,
and cattle are exported in large numbers. These are valuable fisheries carried
on in the North Sea. The town, Schleswig, was formerly the capital of the
province, is a very old place, and during the Middle Ages it was a great
commercial point. But as it is 20 miles from the Baltic and its harbor became
filled up with sand, its commerce decreased.
The above is a brief outline of the history of Schleswig-Holstein.
There are many in this city who hail from that province and many who took part
in the rising of 1848. Twenty years ago, Henry Dresel and Squire Langheim were
the originators of a movement, which led to the organization of the present
society. This was decided upon at a mass meeting in the Turn Halle, Aug. 1,
1872. On the 24th day of March, 1873, the silver anniversary of the insurrection
of 1848 was celebrated. Since then each recurring anniversary of the declaration
of '48 is marked by a special celebration on the part of the Schleswig-Holstein
Kampfgenossenverein.
The Der Democrat has the following report of the celebration:
"It buds and blooms and ever thrives. That may be said
of the society of the veterans of the Schleswig-Holstein war of 1848-50.
Although the number of these former fighters for liberty had very much
diminished in the more than forty years that have flown by since that period of
strife and in accordance with nature's law must keep on becoming ever smaller,
the number of the members of the society has nevertheless held steady from year
to year.
Yesterday the veterans celebrated the 44th anniversary of the
uprising against the Danes and at the same time the 20th anniversary of the
founding of the society, in the old traditionally, jovial and patriotic manner.
In the afternoon a session was held for the transaction of society business,
followed in the evening by a ball in Turner opera house.
The membership has increased during the past year from
216-217. Two members have died, Comrades Claus Ahrens and Detlef Kiesby, while
on the other hand, three others were admitted, Max Sieble of Muscatine county,
Jacob Hellberg of Mt. Joy and Claus Paustian of Davenport.
The former officers who have already been in charge of the
society's affairs for many years, were re-elected, as follows:
President, Bleik Peters.
Vice Presidents, Otto Klug, Henry Horstmann.
Secretary, Emil Geisler.
Corresponding Secretary, Ernst Claussen.
Treasurer, J.F. Hass.
Sergeant-at-arms, Henry Nagel.
Color Bearer, P. Behrens.
Secretary Geisler made an investigation as to how many of the
members were wounded during the war. Just while the business meeting was going
on 15 such men were entered in the list. The first wounded in the German-Danish
war was Mr. Jungclaus Claussen, who on the seventh day of April, at Holnis, was
struck by a ball from a Danish ship. The ball robbed Mr. Claussen of a little
flesh, but his stock of humor undiminished.
There were sent over here from the society of veterans in
Kiel pictures of the monument of Idstedt, as well as of the armory of
Reventiow-Beseler monument in Schleswig. These were hung near the society's
picture group in the ball room, which was adorned with red, white and blue, the
Schleswig-Holstein and the American colors as well as with the German black, red
and gold and the very beautiful society banner. The attendance at the ball
was very large and it was a genuine pleasure to see "old boys' tripping the
light fantastic to so jauntily. The banquet furnished a pleasant interruption
and needed time for rest. No official toasts were set for it, but despite this
there was not a lack of speech, serious and humorous, as each one felt himself
inspired thereto. After the table was cleared, the ball was again renewed."
Submitted by C.J.L., May 2006