Broughton Quarterly - Fall 2007 - (Page 32) When the Danish-American settlers arrived from the Midwest back in the early 1900s, they were in search of sun, and they found it in Solvang. The town’s name in Danish means “sunny meadow” or “fields,” and likely represented more than the Dane’s appreciation for a sunny day. Perhaps it’s significant because it was a place they could keep their old traditions alive and cultivate new ones on fresh soil. Visitors to Solvang enjoy its charm and unique Danish character. It may seem as if you’re walking down a street designed by Walt Disney, but this isn’t the case. Many buildings are actually based on medieval Scandinavian and German architecture. The Danish founders of Solvang had a mission to build a place for cultural understanding, education, and worship when they built a combined Danish folk school and church. Today, this landmark building is home to the Bit O’Denmark Restaurant, and serves up Danish specialties in an original halftimber building based on quintessential Danish architecture of the 17th and 18th centuries. The first settlers of Solvang also built the Bethania Evangelical Lutheran Church, basing its design on the Danish architectural style of Bishop Grundtvig churches from the 14th century. Grundtvig may not be as famous as Hans Christian Andersen or Søren Kierkegaard, but his influence as a religious leader, hymn-writer, philosopher, and politician can still be felt in modern day Denmark. A good example is the Annisse Church, located about 30 miles north of Copenhagen and dating back to 1080. The white-washed Romanesque church is perched up on a hill along the edge of the Arresø Lake, Denmark’s largest. It’s graced by beautiful gardens that surround the onsite graveyard typical of most churches in Denmark. Preservation of half-timber buildings, churches, and other historical buildings are a large part of what makes Denmark special. And Solvang has continued this tradition in the New World. Here are some other examples of the origins of Solvang, inspired by Mother Denmark. Castles, Windmills, Winding roads In Solvang, you can drive along Fredensborg Canyon Road to reach Fredensborg Way and see the white picket fenced-in historic Wulff windmill with a backdrop of the rolling hills of the Santa ynez Mountains. In Denmark, Fredensborg is the name of the royal family’s summer residence and home of the Danish Crown Prince Frederik, Crown Princess Mary, and their two children, Prince Christian and Princess Isabella. The Fredensborg Palace, which means “palace of peace,” was originally 32 Broughton Quarterly Fall 2007
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