Editing Schleswig-Holstein (section)

===The Migration Period===
[[File:Danevirke 123.jpg|thumb|The [[Danevirke]], stretching from the [[Treene (river)|Treene River]] in the east to [[Schlei|Schlei Bay]] in the west.]]
[[File:Hærvejen.gif|thumb|upright=0.75|The [[Hærvejen]], starting at its northern terminus in [[Viborg, Denmark|Viborg]] and reaching its southern terminus in [[Hamburg]].]]
During the [[Migration Period]], the [[Jutland]] peninsula was home to several tribes. The [[Jutes]] inhabitted the most northern part of the peninsula from [[Grenen]] to {{ill|Olger's Dyke|de|Olgerdige}}. This dyke, dating back to around the first century, served as the boundary between the Jutes in the north and the [[Angles (tribe)|Angles]] in the south.<ref>{{cite web |title=Olgerdiget: Den første grænse |url=https://politikenhistorie.dk/art7619917/Den-f%C3%B8rste-gr%C3%A6nse |website=Politikenhistorie |access-date=28 September 2024 |language=da-DK |date=5 February 2020}}</ref> This dyke lost its relevance in the 200s when the Angles expanded northward, leading to the establishment of a new dyke called the {{ill|Wendish Dyke|da|Vendersvold Vendersvold (Wendish dyke)}}. The southern border of the Angles was marked by the [[Marsh|marshes]] surrounding the [[Eider (river)|Eider]], that combined with the dense [[Old-growth forest|old-growth forrest]] to the south of the river, formed a natural barrier.<ref>{{cite web |title=Eider River {{!}} North Sea, Schleswig-Holstein, Denmark {{!}} Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Eider-River |website=www.britannica.com |language=en}}</ref> South of the forest lay the region now known as Holstein, which was divided between the [[Germanic peoples|Germanic]] [[Saxons]], who inhabited the western part, and the [[Slavs|Slavic]] [[Wagria|Wagri]], who lived in the eastern part. In the 8th century, the Wagri would become part of the Slavic tribal confederation known as the [[Obotrites]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Obodrite {{!}} Germanic Tribe, Slavic Tribe, Paganism {{!}} Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Obodrite |website=www.britannica.com |language=en}}</ref> (Also known as the [[Wends]] by the Danes and Saxons).<ref>{{cite web |title=Wend {{!}} Germanic tribe, Migration, Paganism {{!}} Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Wend |website=www.britannica.com |language=en}}</ref>

During the 4th and early 5th centuries, a significant migration saw the Jutes, Angles, and Saxons depart from their homelands to settle in the [[British Isles]].<ref>Jim Storr, The Anglo-Saxon Conquest of England. Helion & Company, Warwick, 2023.</ref> This mass exodus left much of the Jutland Peninsula sparsely populated, allowing the Danes from southern Scandinavia and the islands of [[Zealand]], [[Funen]], and other smaller Danish isles to migrate into the peninsula. They gradually settled the region, integrating the remaining Jutes and Angles who had not left for Britain. By the mid 5th century, the Danes had established settlements from Grenen in the north to just north of the Eider River and its marshes. Their southernmost settlements being around [[Schwansen]], [[Hedeby]] and [[Husum]], mirroring the same southern border as their Angle predecessors.<ref>{{cite web |title=Grænselandets historie |url=https://graenseforeningen.dk/om-graenselandet/graenselandets-historie |access-date=28 September 2024 |website=Graenseforeningen |language=da}}</ref> As raiding was a frequent practice among the Danes, Saxons, and Wagrians, the borderlands was a hostile and unsafe area to inhabit. In response to these threats, the Danes began constructing the [[Danevirke]]. Originally built as a dyke, it was gradually expanded into a 30-kilometer earthwork with a palisade fortification, forming a barrier between the Danes and their southern neighbors. The Danevirke was strategically positioned  at the most narrow point of the peninsula, with its eastern end beginning at the [[Treene (river)|Treene River]] and extending to the [[Schlei |Schlei Bay]].<ref>Henrik Jansen, Danevirke. Aarhus University Press, Aarhus, 2013.</ref> This fortification served to deter Saxon and Wagrian raids while enabling the Danes to launch their own raids into southern territories. It would remain in use until 1864, being expanded and adapted to the changing military needs of the Danes multiple times.<ref>{{cite web |title=Dannevirke, 500- |url=https://danmarkshistorien.dk/vis/materiale/dannevirke |website=danmarkshistorien.dk |date=24 March 2025 |language=da}}</ref>

The establishment of the Danevirke not only helped to prevent Saxon and Wagrian raids into Danish territory but also served as a toll station. Danish chieftains would collect fees from traders, merchants, and peasants traveling along the [[Hærvejen]] (Heerweg/Armyway), the main trade route running through the peninsula. Saxons, Wagrians, and Danes alike used the Hærvejen to trade goods such as honey, furs, amber, glass, metalwork, and other commodities, such as livestock, with cattle and oxen being particularly important. Especially the Danes developed a thriving livestock breeding industry, driving large herds along the Hærvejen to sell on the continent. This trade gave the route its alternative names, such as "Studevejen" (Cattle Way) in Danish and "Ochsenweg" (Oxen Way) in German.<ref>{{cite web |title=Ochsenweg – Gesellschaft für Schleswig-Holsteinische Geschichte |url=https://geschichte-s-h.de/sh-von-a-bis-z/o/ochsenweg/ |website=geschichte-s-h.de |access-date=28 September 2024}}</ref> Therefore control of the Danevirke, through which the Hærvejen ran, was of immense financial significance. Whoever controlled the gates of Danevirke also controlled the trade along the Hærvejen, giving them access to substantial wealth.