The Brave Country Soldier

After the first war of Slesvig in 1848 to 1850 there was a pretty nationalistic mood in Denmark and there was a wish to commemorate the Danish victories during the war. The most famous monument is Isted Løven or Isted Lion which is located at the old cemetery in Flensborg. The Germans has put a copy of this famous lion in Wansee in Berlin and call it Flensburger Löwe.

The second most famous of the Danish monuments after the war is called Den Tapre Landsoldat or the brave country soldier – since the majority of the Danish soldiers during this war was farmers from across the country. This is apparently the first memorial statue in the world which honors the unknown private soldier after any war.

The statue commemorates the success assault from the fortress of Fredericia city on July 6 1849. This was one of the important Danish victories in the war which led to more victories which paved the way for a negotiated peace which secured the Danish border at least for a few more years.

The money for the statue was raised through a nationwide fundraising effort which was very successful and the statue was finally reviled on July 6 1858 nine year after the actually battle.

The statue is representing all the common soldiers of the war but the sculptor Bissen had to use a model and he choose Christian Christiansen who was a private soldier participating in all the three years the war lasted.

The model is inspired by the old statues of antiquities and is more than double the size of a common man at that era with a height of 3.75 meters.

The statue has a prominent location just inside the fortifications of Fredericia which was one of the strongest and most modern fortifications anywhere in Denmark during this time. You find the statue right next to the main gate through the fortification Prinsens Port and it is nice to go and explore the fortification before or after you go see the statue.