26th May:
On Sunday 11th June from 09.30-16.00, you are invited to visit the Danish-German folk festival “Citizens’ Day” in Rødbyhavn in connection with Fehmarnbelt Days 2023. This is an exclusive opportunity to get close to the construction site of the Fehmarnbelt tunnel, experience many family-friendly activities, exhibitions, stands, debates, and a Danish-German baking competition judged by the German Baking Contest host Enie van de Meiklokjes and the Danish Baking Contest judge Markus Grigo
Fehmarnbelt Days has been held every second year as a conference since 2012. This year, Region Zealand and Lolland Municipality are hosting Fehmarnbelt Days 2023 on the 11th and 12th June. A firm focus of the conferences has been to encourage Northern European cooperation as a natural and continued development of the future tunnel under the Fehmarnbelt between Denmark and Germany.
This year, the event kicks off for the very first time with a large Danish-German folk festival on Sunday 11th June and concludes with a conference for businesses and decision-makers on Monday 12th June. Committee Chairman Christian Wedell-Neergaard, Region Zealand, states:
"I am delighted that we can welcome a Danish-German folk festival to Rødbyhavn as part of Fehmarnbelt Days for the first time. We are preparing for the time when the border across the Fehmarnbelt will be landlocked. This means that the areas on both sides of the Fehmarnbelt will go from being a national periphery to being the centre of Northern Europe. It is important to ensure that both citizens and businesses on both sides of the Fehmarnbelt are aware of the opportunities this offers."
A close look at the construction site
The folk festival on Sunday 11th June will be held right next door to the construction site of the future tunnel under the Fehmarnbelt sound. The location is of course not entirely coincidental, as in collaboration with Femern A/S, up to 3,500 persons will be given a guided bus tour of the construction site. This will be the first time during the project period that the construction site will be open to the public on this scale. The tours will take place in buses with Danish or German guides and are subject to prior registration on the website:
On Sunday 11th June, there will also be a wide range of activities in the form of Danish-German co-creation art, debates, stands and exhibitions based on Danish-German relations. In addition, Danish and German vocational schools have joined forces to create a Danish-German cake-baking competition across the Fehmarnbelt. During the competition, samples will be handed out to the audience. The competition will be judged by the German baking competition host, Enie van de Meiklokjes and the Danish baking competition judge, Markus Grigo. Both have a Danish-German connection, as Enie is married to a Dane and Markus was born and raised in Germany, but now lives in Denmark.
Both will simultaneously participate in panel debates consisting of Danish-German cultural ambassadors who will put focus on Danish and German differences and similarities, and the need to foster good cross-border Fehmarnbelt neighbourly relationships.
Debates on Danish and German living conditions
The debates will also feature World Cup Gold medallist in Handball, Lasse Svan Hansen, who played 14 years for SG Flensborg-Handewitt before ending his active career in 2022.
The debates will be introduced by Mirco Reimer-Elster, a German-born political commentator, based on his presentation "Socks in sandals, Autobahn and telefax - thoughts from an ex-pat German".
Mirco has been called a 'fake German' in Germany and grew up as part of the Danish minority in South Schleswig, attending exclusively Danish institutions, even though his parents do not speak Danish. Also taking part will be young cultural ambassadors from the Danish-German minority, as well as Lolland Mayor Holger Schou Rasmussen, who has been involved in co-operation across the Danish-German border for many years.
The debates will be moderated by Lykke Friis, Director of Think-Tank EUROPA and former Minister for Climate, Energy and Gender Equality. Lykke Friis is a former German news correspondent and a declared fan of the Bayern Munich football club.
Holger Schou Rasmussen, Mayor of Lolland Municipality, is pleased to host the event on Lolland:
"We are already very happy with our good cooperation with Germany, but there is no doubt that an expanded and closer cooperation across the Fehmarnbelt will have a huge economic, mental and cultural impact on Lolland and the surrounding area. I therefore look forward to celebrating and building further our good neighbourly relations in Rødbyhavn on 11th June and getting to know our German friends even better."
Free ferry tickets and buses
To make it easier to participate from the German side, there will be up to 1,000 free tickets on Scandlines Puttgarden-Rødby ferries and free buses from the ferry to the festival area and back. The free tickets are valid for foot passengers and will be handed out at the ferry terminal on the German side.
The folk festival has been created partially with support from the EU Danish-German Interreg programme, which supports cooperation and development in the Danish-German border regions.
Celebrating and developing good neighbourly relations
Werner Schwarz, Minister for Europe of the State of Schleswig-Holstein:
"Together we are stronger - that is why cross-border cooperation is already crucial for our life in Schleswig-Holstein. I am glad that as part of the Fehmarnbelt Days partner group, we can contribute to bringing citizens together across the Fehmarnbelt for the Folk Festival. It is important to celebrate and develop good neighbourly relations across borders in a worthy fashion, especially at a time when good neighbourly relations in Europe cannot be taken for granted. Together with our partners, we hope to use the momentum created by the construction of the tunnel to promote further projects in the region."
Expected to attract 10,000 people
The citizens event is expected to attract up to 10,000 visitors, weather permitting.
For security reasons, all visitors must register as participants for this event via the website www.fehmarnbeltdays.com
Your registration must be presented to gain access to the site. You are welcome to bring your own food, but it is also possible to buy food and drinks on site.
The languages spoken on the day will be a mix of Danish and German to help train language skills across the border.
Facts:
- The folk festival will take place on Sunday 11th June at Strandholmsvej 17, 4970 Rødby, Denmark
- This is the 6th Fehmarnbelt Days event. In 2012, the first conference was held in Lübeck, 2014 in Copenhagen, 2016 in Hamburg, 2018 in Malmö and most recently in 2021 at Weissenhauser Strand in Germany.
- Fehmarnbelt Days 2023 is organised in cooperation between: Region Zealand, Lolland Municipality, Fehmarnbelt Business Council, Fehmarnbelt Committee, Femern A/S, Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Areas, Europe and Consumer Protection of Schleswig-Holstein and the STRING network.