Tønder (; ) is a town in the

Region of Southern Denmark The Region of Southern Denmark (, ; , ; ) is an administrative region of Denmark established on Monday 1 January 2007 as part of the 2007 Danish Municipal Reform, which abolished the traditional counties ("amter") and set up five larger regions ...

. With a population of 7,477 (as of 1 January 2025), it is the main town and the administrative seat of the

Tønder Municipality Tønder (; ) is a town in the Region of Southern Denmark. With a population of 7,477 (as of 1 January 2025), it is the main town and the administrative seat of the Tønder Municipality. History The first mention of Tønder might have been in th ...

History

The first mention of Tønder might have been in the mid-12th century, when the Arab geographer

Muhammad al-Idrisi Abu Abdullah Muhammad al-Idrisi al-Qurtubi al-Hasani as-Sabti, or simply al-Idrisi (; ; 1100–1165), was an Arab Muslim geographer and cartographer who served in the court of King Roger II at Palermo, Sicily. Muhammad al-Idrisi was born in C ...

mentioned the landmark ''Tu(r)ndira'', which might have been a reference to either Tønder, or the nearby town of

Møgeltønder Møgeltønder () is a small town in Denmark, located in Møgeltønder Parish, Tønder Municipality, in the southwestern corner of the Danish peninsula of Jutland 5 kilometres north of the Danish-German border and 4 kilometres west of Tønder ...

. Tønder was granted port privileges by the

Hanseatic League The Hanseatic League was a Middle Ages, medieval commercial and defensive network of merchant guilds and market towns in Central Europe, Central and Northern Europe, Northern Europe. Growing from a few Northern Germany, North German towns in the ...

in 1243, making it Denmark's oldest privileged market town. In 1532 it was hit by severe floods, with water levels reaching 1.8 m in St Laurent's church. In the 1550s, Tønder's port lost direct access to the sea due to dykes being built to the west of town at the direction of Duke Hans the Elder of Schleswig-Holstein-Haderslev, the son of

Frederick I of Denmark Frederick I ( Danish and ; ; ; 7 October 1471 – 10 April 1533) was King of Denmark and Norway. He was the last Catholic monarch to reign over Denmark and Norway, when subsequent monarchs embraced Lutheranism after the Protestant Reformatio ...

. The town centre is dominated by houses from the late 17th and early 18th century, when the town experienced rapid growth as a result of its

lace Lace is a delicate fabric made of yarn or thread in an open weblike pattern, made by machine or by hand. Generally, lace is split into two main categories, needlelace and bobbin lace, although there are other types of lace, such as knitted o ...

industry. Prior to 1864, Tønder was situated in the

Duchy of Schleswig The Duchy of Schleswig (; ; ; ; ; ) was a duchy in Southern Jutland () covering the area between about 60 km (35 miles) north and 70 km (45 mi) south of the current border between Germany and Denmark. The territory has been div ...

, so its history is intertwined with the contentious

history of Schleswig-Holstein The history of Schleswig-Holstein consists of the corpus of facts since the pre-history times until the modern establishing of the Schleswig-Holstein state. Early history The Jutland Peninsula is a peninsula in Northern Europe with modern-day ...

. In the 1920s, when the

Schleswig Plebiscite The Schleswig plebiscites were two plebiscites, organized according to section XII, articles 109 to 114 of the Treaty of Versailles of 28 June 1919, in order to determine the future border between Denmark and Germany through the former Duchy of S ...

incorporated

Northern Schleswig Northern may refer to the following: Geography * North, a point in direction * Northern Europe, the northern part or region of Europe * Northern Highland, a region of Wisconsin, United States * Northern Province, Sri Lanka * Northern Range, a ra ...

into Denmark, 76.5% of Tønder's inhabitants voted to remain part of Germany and 23.5% voted to join Denmark. During

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, a

Zeppelin A Zeppelin is a type of rigid airship named after the German inventor Ferdinand von Zeppelin () who pioneered rigid airship development at the beginning of the 20th century. Zeppelin's notions were first formulated in 1874Eckener 1938, pp. 155� ...

base was operated in Tønder by the

Imperial German Navy The Imperial German Navy or the ''Kaiserliche Marine'' (Imperial Navy) was the navy of the German Empire, which existed between 1871 and 1919. It grew out of the small Prussian Navy (from 1867 the North German Federal Navy), which was mainly for ...

. The base was attacked by the British on 19 July 1918, in what is known as the

Tondern raid The Tondern raid or Operation F.7, was a British bombing raid by the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force against the Imperial German Navy airship base at Tønder, Denmark, then a part of Germany. The airships were used for the strategic bombing of Br ...

. Seven

Sopwith Camels The Sopwith Camel is a British World War I, First World War single-seat biplane fighter aircraft that was introduced on the Western Front (World War I), Western Front in 1917. It was developed by the Sopwith Aviation Company as a successor to ...

from the aircraft carrier bombed the base, hitting two of the three

airship hangar Airship hangars (also known as airship sheds) are large specialized buildings that are used for sheltering airships during construction, maintenance and storage. Rigid airships always needed to be based in airship hangars because weathering was a s ...

s. The Zeppelins ''L.54'' and ''L.60'' inside one hangar were destroyed and a balloon inside the other was damaged. After this, Tønder was abandoned as an active airship base, and was used only as an emergency landing site. A wartime aircraft hangar survives, as do some of the ancillary buildings, but only the foundations remain of the large airship hangars. The site now houses a museum, named the Zeppelin and Garrison Museum Tønder. After the First World War, Tønder was detached from Germany, in spite of the majority of its population casting a pro-German vote in the

Schleswig Plebiscites The Schleswig plebiscites were two plebiscites, organized according to section XII, articles 109 to 114 of the Treaty of Versailles of 28 June 1919, in order to determine the future border between Denmark and Germany through the former Duchy of S ...

– as Tønder was included in Zone I, which as a whole had a strong pro-Danish majority. In the years that followed, German political parties enjoyed a majority in the city council, and until 1945, the city was officially bilingual. After the end of the

German occupation of Denmark At the outset of World War II in September 1939, Denmark declared itself neutral, but that neutrality did not prevent Nazi Germany from occupying the country soon after the outbreak of war; the occupation lasted until Germany's defeat. The ...

, the political influence of the German population dwindled considerably. In spite of the improvement in cross-border traffic, the location of the town continued to hamper industrial growth through the late 20th century, although some companies did set up businesses. Tourism has grown in importance. In 1989, Tønder Seminarium, the oldest teacher training college in Scandinavia, established in 1788, was closed.

Attractions

Every August, the

Tønder Festival Tønder Festival is an annual folk music festival in Tønder, Denmark. It is held on the last weekend of August. It was founded in 1974. The first festival took place in 1975. The festival is one of the most prominent festivals for traditional an ...

offers visitors a wide variety of traditional and modern folk music. The Scouts of Tønder are twinned with

Hemyock Hemyock () is a village and civil parish in Devon, England. It is about 8 miles north-west of Honiton and south of the Somerset town of Wellington. The 2011 Census recorded the parish's population as 1,519. Hemyock is part of the electoral ward ...

, in Devon, England, and make exchange trips between the countries every few years.

Marriage

As Tønder is the first town over the border in Denmark from Germany, the town has been a particularly popular place to which to

elope Elopement is a marriage which is conducted in a sudden and secretive fashion, sometimes involving a hurried flight away from one's place of residence together with one's beloved with the intention of getting married without parental approval. A ...

since the 1960s. This is especially true for couples of mixed nationalities, particularly between European citizens and non-European citizens. This is due in part to Denmark's liberal marriage laws, compared with those in nearby

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

which requires a minimum of three months' residence and where the ceremony has to be in

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

. However, in Denmark, the marriage formalities can be completed in around a week, with fewer documents required and the vows may be taken in languages other than Danish. In 2007, over 2,500 marriages were formalised at Tønder town hall by non-resident couples compared with just 150 local couples.

Transport

Tønder is served by

Tønder railway station Tønder (; ) is a town in the Region of Southern Denmark. With a population of 7,477 (as of 1 January 2025), it is the main town and the administrative seat of the Tønder Municipality. History The first mention of Tønder might have been in th ...

, located on the

Bramming–Tønder railway line The Bramming–Tønder railway line () is a long railway line in Denmark which runs through the historical region of Southern Jutland between and the German border just south of . The standard gauge railway line is single track and unelectrifi ...

. The station offers train services to and in Denmark and in Germany. The northern part of the town is also served by the

railway halt A train station, railroad station, or railway station is a railway facility where trains stop to load or unload passengers, freight, or both. It generally consists of at least one platform, one track, and a station building providing such a ...

Tønder Nord.

Notable people from Tønder

Public Service, Science & Business

Oluf Gerhard Tychsen Oluf (Olaus) Gerhard Tychsen (14 December 1734, Tønder, then Schleswig, now Denmark – 30 December 1815, Rostock, then Mecklenburg-Schwerin, now Germany) was a German Orientalist and Hebrew scholar. He is known today as one of the founding fath ...

(1734–1815) a German Orientalist and Hebrew scholar, a founding father of

Islam Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...

numismatics Numismatics is the study or collection of currency, including coins, tokens, paper money, medals, and related objects. Specialists, known as numismatists, are often characterized as students or collectors of coins, but the discipline also inclu ...

Johan Christian Fabricius Johann Christian Fabricius (7 January 1745 – 3 March 1808) was a Danish zoologist, specialising in "Insecta", which at that time included all arthropods: insects, arachnids, crustaceans and others. He was a student of Carl Linnaeus, and is co ...

(1745–1808) a Danish zoologist, specialising in "Insecta",

arthropods Arthropods ( ) are invertebrates in the phylum Arthropoda. They possess an arthropod exoskeleton, exoskeleton with a cuticle made of chitin, often Mineralization (biology), mineralised with calcium carbonate, a body with differentiated (Metam ...

: insects, arachnids and crustaceans. *

Georg Zoëga Georg Zoëga ( Jørgen Zoëga; 20 December 1755 – 10 February 1809) was a Denmark, Danish scientist. He was noted for his work as an archaeologist, numismatist and anthropologist. Biography Jørgen Zoëga was born at Daler parish in Tønder M ...

(1755 in Daler–1809) a scientist, archaeologist, numismatist and anthropologist *

Nicolai Andresen Nicolai Andresen (24 September 1781 – 18 November 1861) was a Norwegian merchant, banker and member of Stortinget. He laid the foundation for Andresens Bank A/S, which after several mergers became Nordea Bank Norge. Andresen was born at Tø ...

(1781–1861) a Norwegian merchant, banker and member of

Stortinget The Storting ( ; ) is the supreme legislature of Norway, established in 1814 by the Constitution of Norway. It is located in Oslo. The unicameral parliament has 169 members and is elected every four years based on party-list proportional represe ...

Peter Andreas Hansen Peter Andreas Hansen (born 8 December 1795, Tønder, Schleswig, Denmark; died 28 March 1874, Gotha, Thuringia, Germany) was a Danish-born German astronomer. Biography The son of a goldsmith, Hansen learned the trade of a watchmaker at Flensburg, ...

(1795 in Tønder–1874) a Danish-born German astronomer *

Julius Bahnsen Julius Friedrich August Bahnsen (30 March 1830 – 7 December 1881) was a German philosopher. Bahnsen is usually considered the originator of characterology and a real-dialectical method of philosophical reflection which he laid down in his tw ...

(1830–1881) a German philosopher, originator of

characterology Characterology () is the academic study of character which was prominent in German-speaking countries during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It is considered a historic branch of personality psychology, which extended into psychoanalysi ...

Gustav Adolf Neuber Gustav Adolf Neuber (24 June 1850 – 13 April 1932) was a German surgeon born in Tondern (today- Tønder. He studied medicine in several universities, receiving his doctorate in 1875 at the University of Giessen. Later he worked as an assistan ...

(1850–1932) a German surgeon * Bernhard M. Jacobsen (1862–1936) emigrated 1876, became a U.S. Representative from

Iowa Iowa ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the upper Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west; Wisconsin to the northeast, Ill ...

* Captain

Max Valentiner Captain Christian August Max Ahlmann Valentiner (15 December 1883 – 19 July 1949) was a German U-boat commander during World War I. He was the third highest-scoring U-boat commander of the war, and was awarded the Pour le Mérite for his achievem ...

(1883–1949) a German U-boat commander during World War I *

Poul Schlüter Poul Holmskov Schlüter (; 3 April 1929 – 27 May 2021) was a Danish politician who served as Prime Minister of Denmark from 1982 to 1993. He was the first (and to date, only) member of the Conservative People's Party to become Prime Minister, ...

(1929–2021) a Danish politician,

Prime Minister of Denmark The prime minister of Denmark (, , ) is the head of government in the Kingdom of Denmark comprising the three constituent countries: Denmark, Greenland and the Faroe Islands. Before the creation of the modern office, the kingdom did not init ...

1982–1993 *

Jan Beyer Schmidt-Sørensen Jan Beyer Schmidt-Sørensen (January 17, 1958) is a Danish economist and former Director of Business Development at Aarhus Municipality.

(born 1958) a Danish economist and former Director of Business Development at

Aarhus Municipality Aarhus Municipality (), known as Århus Municipality () until 2011, is a ''Municipalities of Denmark, kommune'' in the Central Denmark Region, on the east coast of the Jutland peninsula in central Denmark. The municipality covers an area of , and ...

The Arts

Heinrich Wilhelm von Gerstenberg Heinrich Wilhelm von Gerstenberg (3 January 1737 – 1 November 1823) was a German poet and critic. Gerstenberg was born in Tønder, Denmark. After attending school in Husum and at the Christianeum Hamburg, and studying law at the Universi ...

(1737–1823) a German poet and critic. * Conrad Christian Bøhndel (1779 in Hostrup–1847) a Danish painter and lithographer * Gretelise Holm (born 1948), journalist, non-fiction and fiction writer * Hansigne Lorenzen (1870–1952), writer and lace expert * Siegfried Saloman (1816 in Tønder–1899) a Danish violinist and composer * Geskel Saloman (1821–1902) a Danish–Swedish portrait and genre painter *

Hans Wegner Hans Jørgensen Wegner (April 2, 1914 – January 26, 2007) was a Danish furniture designer. His work, along with a concerted effort from several of his manufacturers, contributed to the international popularity of mid-century Danish design. His ...

(1914–2017) Danish furniture designer

Sport

Henning Munk Jensen Henning Munk Jensen (12 January 1947 – 17 November 2023) was a Danish footballer who played as a defender. He most prominently played professionally for Dutch team PSV Eindhoven, as well as 392 games for AaB in Denmark during the 1960s. He w ...

(born 1947) a Danish former association football player, played 392 games for AaB and 62 matches for

Denmark Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...

1966–1978, 24 of these as team captain *

Jakob Michelsen Jakob Saldern Stein Michelsen (born 30 September 1980) is a Danish football manager. He is currently the manager of Norwegian Eliteserien club HamKam. Jakob Michelsen was selected coach of the year in Denmark in 2015. He was the coach behind t ...

(born 1980) a Danish unattached football manager.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Tonder Municipal seats of the Region of Southern Denmark Municipal seats of Denmark Cities and towns in the Region of Southern Denmark Tønder Municipality