3-011-788 - The Print Collector/Heritage Images

The Schleswig-Holstein Difficulty: entry of the Federal troops into Altona through the Nobis Thor, 1864. 'On the 24th December the Saxons entered, with their band playing "Schleswig- Holstein, Sea-surrounded," through the Nobis Thor to the Townhall...and were at once received with great demonstrations of welcome. All the members of the different societies...namely, the new Riflemen's Club, the Turners, the Brethren-at-Arms [etc] - turned out in great glee. Duke Frederick was proclaimed at noon in the presence of the entire population, as well as half that of Hamburg. A great change was effected in the appearance of the town after the departure of the Danes in the morning, as many of the houses were adorned with German and Schleswig-Holstein flags...and in the streets the people were moving about in a state of great excitement...Correspondence from the duchies is unanimous in describing the [federal] execution as having taken place without any disturbance of public order. An hour before the federal troops arrived at the different towns the Danish forces marched out; and, except for the differences of the uniforms, one would imagine that regiments were being relieved in the ordinary course of military duty.' From "Illustrated London News", 1864.