Europe’s most peculiar Border
At the Rudbøl/Rosenkranz border crossing, the border runs for 130m right in the middle of the road.
The residents to the east of the road live in Germany, and their neighbours on the west reside in
Denmark.
According to an anecdote, this odd border was created in 1920 because the border regulation
commission had granted a request from residents who wanted to belong to Denmark at all costs.
Another story has it that the boundary line originally was planned to run through the middle of the
Old Tavern, ”Grenzkrug”, but following lengthy discussions, the border regulation authorities decided
to move the line into the middle of the road. In fact, the real reason for lining out this peculiar border
had a more practical side to it: Lake Rutebüll was to be divided nationwise in a way that people living
near the lake on both sides - Germany and Denmark – would be able to continue to make a living
from cutting rush canes and fishing. However, the neighbouring Koog (polder) to the west, was to
become Danish territory. Consequently, the border had to be lined out to run along the top of the dike
between the Koog and the lake: in the middle of the road.
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