The town of Padborg (population 4500), right by the German border, is the site of Frøslevlejren, an internment camp opened near the end of WWII following negotiations with Germany to keep Danish POWs in Denmark (despite this agreement, 1600 Danish patriots were deported to concentration camps in Germany). During its nine months in operation, Frøslev held 12,000 prisoners.
Frøslevlejrens Museum tells fascinating stories of the Danish Resistance movement and daily prison life at Frøslev.
If you’ve visited other German-run wartime camps, you’re in for a surprise here. A shining light in the German POW camps, Frøslev had ample food, no torture and no executions (prisoners were even allowed one visitor per month). The only real horror was the threat of deportation across the border. Interestingly, when the war ended, the camp’s name was changed and the new inmates were suspected Nazi collaborators.
Frøslevlejren is on the northwestern outskirts of Padborg, 1km west of the E45 (take exit 76). Bus 110 connects Sønderborg with Padborg, but there are no buses to the museum – you’ll need to walk or take a taxi the 4km from Padborg.