Flensburg , where two cultures meet

By Rasha Almaqaleh

I love old towns! They always fascinate me as I wander around and listen to the many wonderful stories they have to tell. That’s why choosing Flensburg for a destination in the fall holidays was a no-brainer! The gorgeous town is almost in Denmark. Although it is German , Flensburg was basically founded in the 13^th century by Danish settlers, basically fishermen. With its location near the German-Danish border (directly on the Baltic Sea) along with  its 700- year history, Flensburg brings the two cultures and two peoples together: the German and Danish. In Flensburg, you can definitely see and ‘hear’ something different!

The Danish minority

I was shopping in Flensburg Galerie when I first heard the Danish language. A mother was talking to her little daughter and the language sounded so different to me. I was listening and watching, and when she looked at me, I told her in German with obvious astonishment: "Sie sprechen dänish!" (You speak Danish!) She chuckled at the astonishment on my face and said : "Yes!" 

Apparently, the Danish people living in Flensburg know for sure that their minority adds to the appeal of their city. The Scandinavian flair makes Flensburg culturally distinguished and that brings in a lot of out-of-towners and tourists. 

Impressively, the settling Danes have established their community in the town which is a thriving one! In Flensburg, there are Danish kindergartens, schools, shops, libraries, cultural centers, etc.Moreover, in all the tourist attractions such as the historical harbor,
Phänommenta, etc there are descriptive signs in three languages: German, Danish, and English.  

The Isted Lion

Flensburg is not only geographically connected to Denmark but historically too; it was under the Danish rule for more than 400 years. On 25th July 1850, one of the biggest battles in the Scandinavian history took place: the battle of Isted. It was a war over who should control Schleswig, which ended with a Danish victory over the German Schleswig-Holstein forces.

 To commemorate this victory along with the Danish soldiers who died in this battle, a war monument, the Istedt Lion, was created in 1862 and placed in Flensburg's old cemetery. Two years later, the war broke out and the Prussians came back to Schleswig-Holstein and defeated the Danes. The Prussian authorities moved the bronze lion to Berlin where it remained for more than 80 years.

 In 1945, the monument was sent as a gift to Denmark by the United States army. It stayed in Copenhagen until 2011, when it returned home to Flensburg at the request of Germans. Impressively, what was once a monument of the Danish victory over the German troops is today a monument of the German-Danish friendship. Yesterday's enemies, today's friends!  

Flensburg Firth

The charming city is connected to the Baltic Sea with a firth, which is around 35 km long. Situated on the firth, the historical harbor is one of Flensburg’s best attractions. When I strolled along the docks and saw the old sailing vessels, it felt as if I went back in time.

One cannot walk through the picturesque port without meeting the princess Alexandra, the oldest German passenger steamer which is still in operation. She was built in Hamburg in 1908. Back then it belonged to a shipping company and was placed in the liner shipping. During the First World War she was used as an outpost boat. After the war, the steamer was back in the liner shipping service. In 1975, the steam ship was put out of service because of its unprofitable nature. It was hardly used and then it was left without maintenance. 

Luckily, Alexandra was officially recognized as a cultural monument in 1982.  A couple of years later, and after a lot of expensive renovation and rehabilitation work, the old steamer was back in service but this time as a regular ferry. In the season which runs from May to September, Alexandra offers public cruises. It was unfortunate that we couldn’t take a tour on the floating landmark of Flensburg as she was off-season during our visit. 

Museumwerft

At the end of the docks, there is a historic shipyard museum where old tools, boats and ships from the 18th and 19th centuries are exhibited. The shipyard provides a great experience especially for kids. The entrance fees are really reasonable , one euro for a person. The nice thing is that paying the fees was a matter of self-control. At the door to the museum, there was a sign that says : " Just put the money in the box and come in!" 

Flensburg city center

This scenic part of the town is full of vitality! It exhibits history through its alleys, courtyards, antique buildings and gates. There is a car-free zone that runs between Norderstraße, Große Straße and Holm. So, the best way to get around in here is walking. There are hundreds of  shops, cafes, restaurants, bars, etc. It is such a delight to wander around in a strange town and look at the shop windows. 

There are also two open-air markets that are held on a regualr base: the Southern Market 'Südmarkt' and the Northern Market 'Nordermarket'. We deliberately got lost here, and each time our feet would take us somewhere special.

To our surprise, when we entered the Norderstraße, we saw hundreds of shoes dangling from the power lines and other cables between house facades! It was something weird that we had never seen before. Surprisingly, many of the dangling shoes aren't even old. They are in a very good condition. We went to the tourist information center to inquire about the story behind the dangling shoes. 

The lady there told us that no one really knows the story behind this practice. She also said that there are two popular theories that explain the shoes, the first is that this is a danish practice, in Denmark when students finish school, they toss the shoes on the cables as a sign for finishing a stage and wishing good luck for the next step. The second theory states that when people buy new shoes and want to get rid of the old pairs, the shoe stores refuse to take the old shoes, so people go out and toss their shoes on the power lines. 

However, the hanging shoes have given the street a tremendous attraction, making  the travel magazine based in New York City  Travel +Leisure  include the Norderstraße  with its list of the World's Strangest Streets  .

Nordertor and Phänomenta, unwise combination?

After walking in the freakish street under the dangling shoes, we arrived at the Nordertor:  the oldest existing town gate in Flensburg. the name means the north gate as it was built as a control gate on the northern side of the old town. The structure is more than 400 years old (built in 1595) yet it is in such a good shape which suggests it has been renovated and taken care of. The gate is made of red bricks and consists of stepped gables. the gate has two sides, on the north side of the gate, the south north of the gate

To my surprise, there was a modern blue building on the right side of the gate. This is the Phänomenta which is an experimental museum for kids. I didn't really appreciate this combination as it doesn't fit the historical surroundings. 

However, the museum itself is amazing. We went inside and spent more than there hours. and it was such a great experience especially for our child!

Overall, old towns have always their own mixture of old and new. A town like Flensburg does not only provide that charming mixture but also presents two cultures! Walking down its streets, you hear the wonderful stories the town has to tell, stories about war and peace and how the two peoples could get over the conflicts of the past to coexist today in peace and harmony.