The parish of Obbekær Sogn came into existence following 1864
There was a customs office at Obbekær-Harreby, and a number of officials from the Border Gendarmerie and the customs service are buried in the graveyard.
The parish of Obbekær Sogn came into existence following 1864, when it was separated from Fole Sogn, which became German. The reason for this being that the Obbekær district belonged to the Kingdom of Denmark, while the rest of Fole Sogn mostly belonged to the Duchies.
However, Obbekær’s parishioners still had to use Fole Kirke. It was not until 1884 - 1885, that Obbekær received its own church, designed by Architect L. A. Winstrup.
There was a customs office at Obbekær-Harreby, and a number of officials from the Border Gendarmerie and the customs service are buried in the graveyard.
The white painted cast iron cross is a notable testimony to the cross-border conflict. Sigvard Frederik Christian Hense (1812-1895) was born in Copenhagen. Yet, while he wanted to become an artist, he became a farmer and tax collector in Hygumskov. When the Schleswig-Holsteinians began to collect taxes, he refused to pay to the German Emperor. He was sentenced to jail, and the Germans auctioned off his property.
He bought a burial plot in Obbekær, because he wanted to be buried in Danish soil. When he died, the coffin was decked with the Danish National flag, Dannebrog, as it crossed the national border, and an orchestra accompanied him to his grave.
