King’s visit reignites debate over Bornholm’s liberation date

Danish King Frederik X will visit Bornholm on Tuesday to mark the 80th anniversary of the Soviet withdrawal from the island in 1946, but the event has revived a long-standing dispute over when the island was truly liberated, reports DR.

While Denmark officially celebrates its liberation from Nazi occupation on May 5, 1945, Bornholm’s experience differed. Just days after Germany’s surrender, Soviet forces bombed the towns of Rønne and Nexø on May 7–8, 1945, killing 10 civilians and wounding 23. Soviet troops then occupied the island for nearly 11 months, only departing on April 5, 1946.

The king’s visit includes the rededication of a memorial stone for the bombing victims, now relocated to a central square in Rønne. However, some locals question why the monarchy is marking the 1945 date rather than the 1946 withdrawal. Tommy Kaas, editor of Bornholms Tidende, noted that most islanders consider April 5, 1946—the day the last Soviet soldiers left—as their true liberation day.

Jakob Seerup, curator at Bornholm Museum, told DR that the island’s liberation only came in 1946, but he welcomed the royal visit as recognition of Bornholm’s unique history. The king will also tour the island’s Defense Museum and the Svenskehusene—wooden houses gifted by Sweden to replace those destroyed in the bombings.