Christiansfeld timeline

The Moravian cemetery, the God’s Acre, is being thoroughly renovated 2018-2019. The renovation has been funded by:
A.P. Møllerfonden and Augustinus Fonden.

On the 4th July 2015, Christiansfeld was appointed World Heritage site by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee.

This happened at the convention of the UNESCO Committee in Bonn.

In 2002, a comprehensive renovation of the historic buildings and streets in Christiansfeld began.

At the 15th anniversary for the Reunification, the Reunification memorial stone was erected at the Reunification Square (Genforeningspladsen) in Christiansfeld.

On the 10th July 1920, King Christian X rode across the old border north of Christiansfeld. At a devotion in Tyrstrup Church, the King spontaneously kneeled down at the altar.

On the 11th November at 11.00 the armistice agreement took effect and thus officially ended the First World War.
Next to Tyrstrup Church there is a memorial stone carrying the names of the locals who were killed in this war.

Just like all other towns in Schleswig, Christiansfeld had to send the young men from the town to war.

On the 4th March 1899 a train line between Haderslev and Christiansfeld was established. It was called “æ kleinbahn” (the small railway). The train line was shut down again on the 25th June 1932.

During the war in 1864, the Moravian community was split. Some members felt Danish while others wanted to be included in the German League, but in the Church, the disputes were set aside because the faith was a common matter.
The church served as camp hospital for wounded soldiers from both sides.

The Church Hall served as a camp hospital for wounded soldiers from both sides.
The Danish soldiers were buried on the God´s Acre in a mass grave marked with a black cross. The German soldiers were buried among the Moravian brothers and their tombstones have been marked with a white colour.
The dead soldiers were buried on the cemetery of the Moravian community because they were under the care of the Moravians when they died.

In 1794, the Moravian community established water supply for the town. The water was led from natural sources in the nearby wood, Kohaveskoven, through hollowed oak logs to the well on the Church Square. From here, the water was distributed to all other wells in town.

In 1788, the Moravian community built the Commercial House Spielweg & Comp. On the same building site, a smaller back building was erected in which a tobacco factory was established. Later on, the Commercial House was expanded.

In 1784, the boys’ boarding school got its own building. Since 1775, boys had received lessons in the Brothers’ House. The school had great success until 1864, when the region became German territory. In 1891, the school was closed due to insufficient attendance.

In 1781, stove builder and potter Abraham Goll built his house and workshop at Lindegade 44. Christiansfeld is famous for these stoves, and they are still produced at the very same address.

In 1776, the Moravian community builds the Church Hall. Until this time, the community had used the first house in town as church, but now it had become too small. The growing community expanded so much that also the Church Hall became too small and had to be extended later on.

On the 1st April 1776, the Moravian community began the establishment of the Sisters’ House. At this time, there was only capital available to build the western part of the main building. Later on, the eastern part of the main building was erected in 1780 in order for the front door to be placed in the middle of the front. Later on, the building was extended three times by side wings and with workshops in the courtyard.

On the 6th August 1779, the Moravian community laid down the foundation stone for the Widows’ House that was completed by the 31st August 1780. Later on, the Widows’ House was extended by a west wing in 1797-1799.

On the 2nd April 1774, the Moravian community inaugurated its cemetery, the God’s Acre. The cemetery is divided into a Sisters’ side towards east and a Brothers’ side towards west. The first grave (carrying the consecutive number 1) belongs to an infant that did not survive the journey from Zeist to Christiansfeld.

The God’s Acre became scheduled in 1988.

At the end of August, after a building period of almost five months – these two private houses were inaugurated, and these leading figures left the residence in the farmhouse of Tyrstrupgård.

On the 10th of December 1771, King Christian VII signed the concession that gave the Moravian community permission to establish Christiansfeld. The concession granted the Moravian community a series of privileges such as a grant of 10% of the building costs for all buildings established within the first decade, exemption from taxation, military service and from the guild system and last but not least freedom of religion etc.

While Christian VII was on an educational journey together with Struensee, one of the towns they visited was the Dutch Moravian town of Zeist. Struensee was very enthusiastic by the flourishing economy and trade and wanted such a town to be established in Denmark as well.

The Moravian Church was almost wiped out during the religious wars that were fought 1618-1648, since they were persecuted by both Catholics and Protestants.