Hedeby and the Danevirke

Transboundary European World Heritage -
a Topic for UNESCO Associated Schools

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"Hedeby and the Danevirke"

Hedeby and the Danevirke

Hedeby and the Danevirke are outstanding testimonies of the Viking Age (8th-11th century AD). The trading post of Hedeby and the ramparts of the Danevirke secured the borderland between Scandinavia and mainland Europe at the narrowest point between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea, the land neck of Schleswig. This special location enabled intensive trade and exchange between the regions.

Hedeby was connected to the Danevirke, which served as a border fortification and was extended again and again by Danish kings over centuries. Hedeby flourished in this border region and developed into the central trade and transport hub in northern Europe. Hedeby is now a prime example of an early urban trading centre. The exceptionally well-preserved archaeological material serves science as a source for many important findings from the Viking Age.

"Hedeby and the Danevirke"

Project Videos

Introduction

The videos concerning the Vikings were produced in Hedeby and the Danevirke by Danish and international students from German schools. They addressed two important aspects of the lives and actions of the Vikings between the end of the 8th and middle of the 11th century, namely the topics: borders - cross borders as well as that of trade. Through archaeological investigations, assisted by experts, the students found visible legacies of the Vikings and worked them out for their videos with a specific emphasis pointed to Hedeby and the Danevirke as a World Heritage Site.

Trade

Name of students: Setayesh Salehi, Gemeinschaftsschule Ossenmoorpark, Norderstedt/ Louisa Marie Kjeldsen Orye, EUC Syd, Sønderborg

The Vikings developed a prosperous trade hub at Hedeby's shore. With up to 2000 inhabitants, Hedeby was the largest settlement in the entire region during the Viking Age and signals the beginning of urbanisation in Northern Europe. Many of the inhabitants of Haithabu helped to unload and reload vessels from distant countries, as well as ox carts transporting goods that had arrived from the North Sea via the nearby river Treene by land. They traded goods and sold crafted products. The defensive structures at the Danevirke offered protection from external threats.

Archaeology

Name of students: Lotta Schlüter and Laurits Radzio, EUC Syd, Sønderborg

Hedeby's treasures mainly lie in the untouched site between the shore and the half-wall which is part of the Danevirke. Only 5% has been excavated, but there are enough well preserved wooden structures, treasures and everyday utensils, such as pottery, metal tools, combs, weapons, pearls and jewellery. These all fill the museum at Hedeby and allow a vivid reconstruction of the life of the Vikings there, making it one of the most prolific archaeological sites from the Viking Age. The excellent preservation of many of the artefacts is due to the special composition of the soil with a high salt content. Also, the wall at Danevirke has been only partly excavated showing several layers of earthen ramparts dating back to the 7th century.

Borders

Name of students: Chanida Yochai, Gemeinschaftsschule Ossenmoorpark, Norderstedt/ Clara Nielsen, EUC Syd, Sønderborg

The Danevirke is situated around 30 km between North Sea and the river Treene and the Baltic Sea with the fjord Schlei. Several times in history, this narrow passage has helped the people in the north protect their territory against threats from the south. At the same time it united traders by the landmark and offered protection to the important Ox Road, the trackway connecting the Jutland peninsula and continental Europe.

TEACHING MATERIAL

Hedeby – Teaching Material for School Classes

Author: Dr. Jörg Heinke

Workshop Participants

EUC Syd ('Erhvervsuddannelsescenter Syd') Gymnasium in Sønderborg / DK

Hilmar Finsens Gade 14-18
6100 Sønderborg
DENMARK

Teachers

Karl Sebastian Grobba "International Baccalaureate (IB)- Department in Sønderborg "  

Pupils

Clara Eline Nielsen, Louisa Marie Kjeldsen Orye, Lotta Elisabeth Schlüter, Laurits Lindbøg Radzio

Gemeinschaftsschule Ossenmoorpark

Poppenbütteler Sttr. 230
22851 Norderstedt
GERMANY

Teachers

Kathrin Peters

Pupils

Setayesh Salehi und Chanida Yochai

Gymnasium Klaus-Harms-Schule

Hüholz 16
24376 Kappeln
GERMANY

Teachers

Dr. Jörg Heinke

Pupils

Tom Kühlke, Paul Litschen, Helena Scripczynski

Helsingoer Skole (Helsingoer School)

Skolen i Bymidten
Marienlyst Allé 2
3000 Helsingoer
DENMARK

Teachers

Louise Camilla Henrikson

Pupils

Magnus Svendsen, Martin Sand Rosenkrands, Nanna Maria Fogh Zillig

Rødkilde Gymnasium / Gymnasium in Dänemark

Rødkildevej 42
7100 Vejle
DENMARK

Teachers

Marie Søgaard Thellesen

Pupils

Pernille Dige Toft, 2g (11. Klasse) 17 years old, Jakob Askær Holm Knudsen, 2g (11. Klasse) 18 years old

Information Desk

Here one will find further content related information in the form of links, downloads, picture galleries and videos. These materials are freely available for use within lesson.*

* Any use, re-use or alteration of the documents and media available here, for any other purposes, is prohibited and it requires the permission of the respective copyright owner.

  • Photo Gallery
  • Technology
  • Archaeology
  • History
  • Pückler
  • Overcoming borders
  • Trade
  • Vikings
  • People
  • Environment
  • Sustainability
  • Environment & Sustainability
  • World Heritage
  • Video
Photo Gallery
Site 3
Because of its rich and well preserved archaeological material, Hedeby and the Danevirke are key sites for our today knowledge on the Viking age.
Hedeby and the Danevirke showcase the cultural exchange and territorial development in Northern Europe between the eighth and eleventh centuries AD.
Site 3
While – for centuries – the Danevirke was a token for territorial and cultural dispute it is today a symbol for the cooperation between Danes and Germans.
Hedeby and the Danevirke showcase exchange and trade between people of various cultural traditions in the Viking Age. Hedeby became the essential trading hub in Northern Europe.
Between the eighth and eleventh centuries AD, “Viking” refers to piracy in general and to Norse activities of warfare or trade. Today, “Viking” refers to the historic period of the Viking Age and to people from that period.
Site 3
Site 3
Site 3
Site 3
Hedeby and the Danevirke were inscribed as UNESCO-World Heritage Site as “Archaeological Border Complex of Hedeby and the Danevirke”.
Site 3
Gallery

Photo Gallery

Download

Matthias Maluck, Luise Zander. Archaeology - Information for students, 2019

Download

Matthias Maluck, Luise Zander. Arkæologi - information til studerende, 2019

Download

Matthias Maluck, Luise Zander. History - Information for students, 2019

Download

Matthias Maluck, Luise Zander.Historie - information til studerende, 2019

Link

Temahæfte: Hvor går grænsen? (Hrsg.: Region Sønderjylland-Schleswig)

Link

Dannevirke (Danmarkshistorien.de)

Link

Hedeby (Danmarkshistorien.de)

Link

Dannevirke (Nationalmuseet - natmus.dk)

Link

Deutsch oder dänisch (Webseite Stadtmuseum Schleswig)

Link

Danevirke Museum (Website af Sydslesvigsk Forening e.V.)

Download

Matthias Maluck, Luise Zander. Overcoming Borders - Information for students, 2019

Link

Matthias Maluck, Luise Zander. Overvinde grænser - information til studerende, 2019

Link

Temahæfte: Hvor går grænsen? (Hrsg.: Region Sønderjylland-Schleswig)

Download

Matthias Maluck, Luise Zander. Trade - Information for students, 2019

Download

Matthias Maluck, Luise Zander. Handel - information til studerende, 2019

Link

Hedeby and Danvirke (Website with information about the sites, Danewerk / Haithabu e. V. 2019)

Link

UNESCO World Heritage, an award that commits (Article DW 2018)

Link

Danevirkes spændende historie (danevirkemuseum.de)

Download

Matthias Maluck, Luise Zander. Vikings - Information for students, 2019

Download

Matthias Maluck, Luise Zander. Viking - information til studerende, 2019

Link

Vikings win UNESCO World Heritage title (Article DW 2019)

Link

Vikinger (faktalink - Bibliotek og undervisning)

Link

Mennesket i vikingetiden (Nationalmuseet - natmus.dk)

Link

Vikingetiden (800-1050) (Nationalmuseet - natmus.dk)

Picture

The Viking-age sites Hedeby and Danevirke (Video DW 2019)

Picture

On the trail of the Vikings in Europe (Gallery DW 2019)