Ungdomshøjskolen opened in 1895 on the initiative of Otto Rosenstand who was the minister of Vester Vedsted. The school offered Danish-minded young people an education and for refugees a hiding place. The large coat of arms on the gable turned directly to the south and the lost land.
In 1888, Germany banned all teaching in Danish. As a result, the parents sent their children to independent boarding schools for lower secondary students (i.e. efterskoler) situated north of the Kongeå River Border at the end of their compulsory schooling. Amongst these was Vester Vedsted Efterskole, which opened in 1895 on the initiative of the local minister, Otto Rosenstand.
The Danish national arms adorn the gable, and during WWI, 1914-1918, the school acted as a reception centre for Danish-minded individuals fleeing from German military duty. Following a successful flight, Dannebrog, the Danish flag, would be raised in the garden as a signal to relatives south of the border.
Following the Reunification in 1920, student numbers dropped, with the school facing the threat of closure in 1927. Otto Rosenstand bought the school and sold it on to Olav Kjems, who continued as school principal. While the school closed in 1947, the premises continued as a holiday colony and hostel.
Jens Kristian la Cour Madsen bought the premises in 1961, and in 1965 he opened a youth folk high school (i.e. ungdomshøjskole) for 16 – 20 year-olds. The school has been called Ungdomshøjskolen ved Ribe since 1968.
Border stone no. 2, which originally stood by Spækbro and Grænsegrøften (the Border Ditch), is situated in the school’s garden.