Dybbøl Mølle

About the museum

A windmill stood on the hill Dybbøl Banke west of Sønderborg from 1744. The first, wooden mill burned down in 1800 after a lightning strike. During the Schleswig Wars the site lay in the middle of the combat zone: in 1849 the mill went up in flames, and in 1864 it served the Danish military as an observation and signal post, passing messages to the troops on Als by the position of its sails, until Prussian shelling destroyed it in April 1864. Each time it was rebuilt, and after 1864 it became the national symbol of the Danes.

After the reunification of North Schleswig with Denmark in 1920, the mill passed to an independent institution and was run by tenants. After a fire in 1935, the present brick building was erected in 1936, a Dutch-type smock mill with a gallery. Grinding continued until 1990.

Since 1995 the mill and granary have served as a museum; the first exhibitions were set up by the museum at Sønderborg Slot. In 2009 and 2019/20 the mill was comprehensively restored. Since 2020, Historiecenter Dybbøl Banke, which now runs the mill, has shown a new exhibition in the granary building about the people at the mill, the battles fought around it, and Dybbøl as a place of remembrance for Danes and Germans.

Highlights

• Dutch-type windmill from 1936 as a national symbol on a historic battlefield
• Exhibition in the granary on the battles of 1848–51 and 1864
• History of the miller families and their flight during the war
• Dybbøl as a place of remembrance for Denmark and Germany
• View over the Düppel Fortifications and the Alssund

Permanent exhibitions

• Dybbøl Mølle – faste udstillinger – Two floors in the granary building on the people at the mill, the many mill buildings, the battles for the site, and Dybbøl as a place of remembrance.

Founded

1995

Operated by

Historiecenter Dybbøl Banke

Admission & discounts

Historiecenter Dybbøl Banke is closed from September 2026 to May 2027 for renovation; the mill has its own opening hours independent of this.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: not available
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The exhibition on the first floor is easily accessible for people with limited mobility, the second floor is difficult to reach; the tour of the mill involves steep stairs. An autism-friendly visual preview is available at AutismGoTo.

Kids & families

Children and teenagers up to 17 years get in free. Family activities during school holidays take place in the neighboring Historiecenter Dybbøl Banke.

Getting there & parking

By car, follow the signs to Sønderborg and then to Dybbøl Banke.

Amenities & dining

• Café: not available
• Restaurant: not available

Ice cream and water for sale; picnic tables and benches at the mill and on the grounds of the fortifications.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.

Plan your visit