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Jan S. Krogh's Geosite: Germany (DE) – Denmark (DK)

Wilmkjer (DE) – Vilmkær (DK) border

Vilmkærgård farm is located 2,3 km west of the Danish-German border at E45 highway. After the demarcation in 1920 the border was still patrolled by foot, but in 1955 the border control became more mobile. First motorcycles, then car patrols. In 1969 the systematic surveillance of the hinterland was established, with among other video surveillance, thermal image cameras, motion detectors and infra-red cameras.

 

In particular one farmer was monitored in Vilmkær. He was counted to Denmark upon personal request in the 1920 demarcation process. Unfortunately the road to his house became German, and he had to use the border crossing every time he drove from his farm. As there was no barrier here, the customs officials anxiously waited for smugglers, and examined the Farmer and his visitors at every opportunity.  
The Schengen Acquis came into effect here on
25 March 2001 25 March 2001.

 

We regret some photos are unsharp due to lack of daylight at the visit.

 

Unfortunately the road to the farm remained on German side of the boundary. This was a problem for the farmer because the customs frontier now lay in front of the door. When he harvested his corntake it into Denmark. Therefore, in 1927 he built a barn on the German side. There were their meals because they did not have permission to cross the border for lunch. It happened that not even the horses that stood in the Danish stables were allowed to work on the German fields.

The guests
to the farm were unfortunately often controlled very carefully. The remote Vilmkær evolved namely, for lack of an official crossing point, a popular smuggling route.

 

 

The yard of the farmer is still divided by the boundary. The post box is clearly located in Germany.

 

The trees seem to stand more or less on the boundary line.

This page was last time updated 04/03/12 .