Danish Protest Pig

This pig with a reddish-brown coat and a prominent white stripe might not look very remarkable, but during the late 19th century, it became a symbol of protest among Danish farmers.

For a long, long time, the duchies of Schleswig and Holstein were at the heart of a long-standing dispute. These areas were caught between Denmark and the German-speaking world, and neither states could decide who should rule the two regions. Schleswig was historically tied to Denmark, while Holstein was part of the German-speaking Holy Roman Empire. Over time, both regions ended up being ruled together, even though they technically belonged to different countries.

In 1460, the estates of Schleswig and Holstein, through the Treaty of Ribe, declared that the two duchies should remain "forever together, undivided," though they would retain separate allegiances—Schleswig to Denmark and Holstein to the Empire.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, Denmark tried several times to integrate Schleswig more fully, provoking tensions with German states. After the Napoleonic Wars, Holstein officially became part of the German Confederation, further straining relations with Denmark, which still controlled both Schleswig and Holstein.

By the 19th century, growing nationalism led to sharper divisions between those who identified as Danish and those who saw themselves as German. This escalating conflict culminated in the First Schleswig War (1848–1851) and later the Second Schleswig War (1864), in which Denmark suffered major defeats at Dybbøl and Als. The war ended with the Treaty of Vienna (1864), in which Denmark ceded Schleswig, Holstein, and Lauenburg to Prussia and Austria.

Prussia swiftly took control of Danish territories and imposed a series of strict laws aimed at suppressing Danish identity, including a ban on displaying the Danish flag.

According to legend, in response to these restrictions, Danish separatist farmers began selectively breeding pigs using breeds such as the Angeln Saddleback and the Tamworth. Their goal was to create an animal that subtly resembled their beloved flag—a red coat with a white vertical stripe. While they were unable to replicate the horizontal stripe, they succeeded in producing a distinctive breed that became a symbol of quiet defiance. Culturally Danish communities began celebrating this pig as the "Danish Protest Pig," or Husumer Protestschwein.

In 1954, the breed was officially recognized under the name Husum Red Pied, or Husumer Rotbunte. The last known appearance of a sow with piglets at an agricultural show was in Rendsburg in 1968, after which the breed was believed to have gone extinct.

However, in 1984, red-colored pigs matching the Husum Red Pied’s characteristics reappeared in Berlin. Today, fewer than 60 of these rare animals survive, primarily in zoos.