Dybbøl is a small town with a population of 2,357 (1 January 2024)[1] in the southeastern corner of South Jutland, Denmark.

During the Second Schleswig War in 1864, the Danish Army withdrew from the traditional fortified defence line, the Dannevirke (after waters and marshes which supported its flanks froze solid in a hard winter), and marched for Dybbøl to find a more defensible position.

Although much artillery was abandoned and the evacuation was executed through a snow-laden north gale in winter, the army arrived almost intact.

[2] This name would be used for many years, until the T's started to get dropped, leading to the words eventual change to Dyppell in, for example, Johannes Mejer's atlas.

[2] The name would continue to evolve in this trend, eventually changing out Bol/Bel in favour of the newer word Bøl, to finally produce Dybbøl.

Conrad Georg was one of the first lords to do so, which made Dybbøl home of some of the first self-bought free peasants in Denmark.

[3] During later years between the two Schleswig Wars, namely in 1861, Danish engineers began construction of Dybbøl's trench system, which was finished in 1862.

[5][3] The redoubts were small earthen constructions with large powder stashes of concrete, as well as wooden blockhouses for soldiers.

[4] The massive influx of soldiers and officers meant that the Dybbøl Mill became temporary military headquarters, a role that the owners of the mill (a married couple) were famously happy to fulfil, to the point of that they were honoured by veterans of the later battle at their wedding anniversary a century later.

The celebrations were held at the newly-constructed trench system at Dybbøl, where about 2,000 war veterans from both Germany and Austria-Hungary attended, along with the Emperor's brother, Prince Heinrich.

After the end of World War I, populations in the former Duchy of Schleswig were given the opportunity through the Versailles Treaty to vote for which country they would rather be part of; Germany (then the Weimar Republic) or Denmark.

[4] Dybbøl continues to be a symbol of pride in Denmark, with it often being associated with a heroic last stand, similar to the Alamo in American conscience.