The Husum Red Pied (German: ''Rotbuntes Husumer'') is a

rare breed In modern agriculture, a rare breed is a breed of poultry or livestock that has a very small breeding population, usually from a few hundred to a few thousand. Because of their small numbers, rare breeds may have a threatened conservation statu ...

domestic pig The pig (''Sus domesticus''), often called swine, hog, or domestic pig when distinguishing from other members of the genus '' Sus'', is an omnivorous, domesticated, even-toed, hoofed mammal. It is variously considered a subspecies of ''Sus ...

with the nickname Danish Protest pigGraham R. Duncanson: ''Veterinary Treatment of Pigs''
p. 3
(German: ''Husumer Protestschwein'' and Danish: ''Husum protestsvin'' or ''danske protestsvin''). It originates from

North Frisia North Frisia (; ; ) is the northernmost portion of Frisia, located in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany between the rivers Eider and Wiedau. It also includes the North Frisian Islands and Heligoland. The region is traditionally inhabited by the Nort ...

Southern Schleswig Southern Schleswig (german: Südschleswig or ', da, Sydslesvig; frr, Söödslaswik) is the southern half of the former Duchy of Schleswig in Germany on the Jutland Peninsula. The geographical area today covers the large area between the Eid ...

in the beginning of the 20th century, when Danes living in the area under

Prussian Prussia, , Old Prussian: ''Prūsa'' or ''Prūsija'' was a German state on the southeast coast of the Baltic Sea. It formed the German Empire under Prussian rule when it united the German states in 1871. It was ''de facto'' dissolved by an e ...

rule were prohibited from raising the

Danish flag The national flag of Denmark ( da, Dannebrog, ) is red with a white Nordic cross, which means that the cross extends to the edges of the flag and the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoist side. A banner with a white-on-red cross is ...

and displayed the Protest Pig instead. Due to its red color, its broad white vertical belt, and a trace of a white horizontal belt resembling the colors of the flag of Denmark, it was made a symbol of their cultural identity.

The breed grows to a height of about {{convert, 92, cm, 0, abbr=on and weighs up to 350 kg. It was probably created out of

Holstein Holstein (; nds, label=Northern Low Saxon, Holsteen; da, Holsten; Latin and historical en, Holsatia, italic=yes) is the region between the rivers Elbe and Eider. It is the southern half of Schleswig-Holstein, the northernmost state of German ...

ian and

Jutland Jutland ( da, Jylland ; german: Jütland ; ang, Ēota land ), known anciently as the Cimbric or Cimbrian Peninsula ( la, Cimbricus Chersonesus; da, den Kimbriske Halvø, links=no or ; german: Kimbrische Halbinsel, links=no), is a peninsula of ...

ian marsh pigs, the English

Tamworth pig The Tamworth, also known as Sandy Back and Tam, is a breed of domestic pig originating in its namesake Tamworth, Staffordshire, United Kingdom. It is among the oldest of pig breeds, but as with many older breeds of livestock, it is not well su ...

, and red variants of the Angeln Saddleback. It was recognized as a breed in 1954, but after a last birth in 1968, the breed was considered extinct. Only in 1984 were pigs fully corresponding to the descriptions of the breed seen again. Associations of breeders continue to breed it and to register existing pigs of this breed. Breeding populations exist in the Berlin Zoological Garden, the Hanover Zoo, the Tierpark Arche Warder near

Kiel Kiel () is the capital and most populous city in the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein, with a population of 246,243 (2021). Kiel lies approximately north of Hamburg. Due to its geographic location in the southeast of the Jutland ...

, in the

ZOOM Erlebniswelt Gelsenkirchen ZOOM Erlebniswelt Gelsenkirchen, founded on April 14, 1949, as "Ruhr-Zoo", is one of the most modern zoological gardens in Germany. It was founded on a heavily bomb, shelled area in Gelsenkirchen adjacent to a port on the Rhine–Herne Canal. It ...

, in Dalmsdorf (Mecklenburg), Hof Lütjensee, and on the Archehof Blumencron. The

Dortmund Zoo The Dortmund Zoo is the zoological garden of Dortmund, Germany. It is specialized in the keeping and breeding of South American species and is leading in the breeding of the giant anteater, the tamandua and the giant otter. The zoo is situated i ...

and the Tierpark Krüzen house small populations too. At the moment, around 140 specimens are alive worldwide. The German federal state of

Schleswig-Holstein Schleswig-Holstein (; da, Slesvig-Holsten; nds, Sleswig-Holsteen; frr, Slaswik-Holstiinj) is the northernmost of the 16 states of Germany, comprising most of the historical duchy of Holstein and the southern part of the former Duchy of Sc ...

supports preservation of the breed for its cultural value.

References

External links

Homepage of the breeders association (German)Hanover Zoo page on the Danish Protest Pig
Pig breeds originating in Germany Animal breeds on the GEH Red List