DENMARK 2007- PROLOGUE

  Danish national fact-file

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DENMARK 2007 - Prologue:

Why Denmark? Well after the rigours of Sicily, we felt we had earned a more relaxed trip. With its reputation as a truly civilised country, Denmark seemed the appropriate venue for our Autumn 2007 trip. More importantly, it is a country largely unknown to travellers from UK, despite being a close European neighbour. As always therefore there is so much to learn about the history and culture of another country, which is of course the declared aim of our travelling life-style. So as usual with our ventures, we offer a snap-shot profile of Danish geography, economy, history, and culture as a prelude to the trip.

Click on map for route across Northern Europe

GEOGRAPHY, DEMOGRAPHICS and ECONOMY: the smallest of the 3 Scandinavian countries, Denmark covers an area of 43,560 square kms, and is surrounded by the Baltic Sea (Kattegat) and North Sea (Skagerrak), sharing a 68 km border with northern Germany. The Danish Archipelago with its 7,314 km long coastline is made up of the Jutland peninsula (Jylland) and 443 named islands; of these, 76 are inhabited the largest being Zealand (Sjælland) and Funen (Fyn). Nowhere in Denmark is farther than 50 kms from the coast. The island of Bornholm is located east of the country in the Baltic Sea. Many of the larger islands are connected by bridges; the Øresund Bridge connects Zealand with Sweden, the Storebælt Bridge connects Funen with Zealand, and the Lillebælt Bridge links Jutland with Funen. The main cities are the capital Copenhagen (on Zealand), Århus, Aalborg and Esbjerg (on Jutland) and Odense (on Funen). The country is flat with average height above sea level of only 31 metres; the highest natural point is Møllehøj at 170 metres. Denmark also includes two off-shore territories, Greenland and the Faroe Islands, granted home rule in 1979 and 1948 respectively.

Over 25% of Denmark's 5.45 million population lives in greater Copenhagen. Denmark's flourishing market economy features high-tech agriculture, up-to-date small-scale and corporate industry, extensive government welfare measures, comfortable living standards, a stable currency, and high dependence on foreign trade. Denmark is a net exporter of food and energy and has a comfortable balance of payments surplus. Unemployment is low at 3.8% and living standards are among the highest in the world; Danes enjoy an enviable standard of social welfare services and an average working week of 30.6 hours. Income tax however ranges from 45~59% with VAT on most goods at 25%. Denmark is home to many well known multi-national companies, eg Maersk (shipping), Lego (children's toys), Bang & Olufsen (hi-fi equipment), and pharmaceutical companies Lundbeck, Dako and Novo Nordisk.

Niels Bohr the renowned physicist (1885~1962) contributed significantly to scientific knowledge in the field of quantum mechanics and its application to nuclear phenomena, along with Rutherford, Heisenberg and Pauli. Bohr's model of atomic structure envisaged that electrons travel in discrete orbits around the atom's nucleus, with the chemical properties of an element being largely determined by the number of electrons in its outer orbit. Further studies on the periodic system of elements led to his being awarded the Nobel Prize in 1922. In 1943, Bohr escaped from occupied Denmark and worked on the Manhattan Project at Los Alamos. His awareness of the moral implications of atomic power prompted a belief that atomic secrets should be shared by the international scientific community. After the war Bohr returned to Copenhagen, and until his death continued to advocate the peaceful use of nuclear energy.

Carl Nielsen (1865~1931), the most important figure in Danish musical life in the 19/20th centuries, exerted great influence on later generations of Scandinavian composers. Born in Odense in Funen into a humble family, he rose to become a renowned musician, conductor and composer, admired in both his native Denmark and internationally. Nielson's compositions range across the full musical spectrum and include 6 symphonies, incidental music, opera, choral and chamber music, and works for the piano and organ. Webs to be published during the course of our Danish trip will include accompanying music by both Nielsen and his Norwegian near-contemporary Edvard Grieg.

Hans Christian Andersen (1805~75): son of a poor shoe-maker from Funen, he achieved national acclaim in his own lifetime, travelled the world as guest of the rich and famous, and was a prolific author of 43 plays, 11 novels, poetry, travelogues and autobiography. He is principally remembered however for his collection of 190 fairy tales, addressed to both adults and children, which include The Little Mermaid, The Emperor's New Clothes, The Princess and the Pea, The Ugly Duckling and The Snow Queen. Few storytellers are as well-known for their poignant observations on the frailty of human nature. Andersen's ability to empathise with the outcast, the unfortunate and hopeless makes his stories so compelling. The painful feeling of 'being different' is a recurrent motif in his work, and doubtless reflects Andersen's own sad and disturbed personality: an awkward gangly figure with gaunt features and prominent nose, he was a loner from childhood; innumerable crushes on both women and men were perpetually tragic, rarely reciprocated and drove him further into his shell of self-despair. His latent bisexuality has been the subject of much debate, and he was described by a biographer as a 'self-pitying and desperate man'. Despite all the public admiration, this abject loneliness continued throughout his life.

Karen Blixen (1885~1962), a Danish poet and novelist, is also known under her pen name Isak Dinesen. Blixen wrote works both in Danish and in English, but is best known for Out of Africa, an account of her life in Kenya developing a coffee plantation. After her failed marriage in 1925, Blixen's love affair with English aristocratic big game hunter Denys Finch Hatton forms the backdrop to Out of Africa which was immortalised as a film starring Meryl Streep and Robert Redford. Hatton used her home as a base for his safaris from 1926 to 1931. Hatton's death in 1931 and the failure of the coffee plantation forced the abandonment of her beloved farm and her permanent return to Denmark where she continued her writing. Her portrait now appears on the Danish 50 kroner bank note.

Jørn Utzon (1918~2008) was one of Denmark's most important 20th century architects, renowned for his expressive and nature-inspired designs. Utzon achieved international acclaim in 1957 unexpectedly winning the international competition with his visionary design for the new Sydney Opera house with its roof of 60m high concrete shells opening out towards the harbour like billowing sails. He resigned from the project before the project's completion, but the building's unique design made Utzon world-famous bringing commissions from around the world. In his native Denmark, Utzon has been responsible for a number of commercial and public building designs.

Prehistory: the earliest evidence of human habitation in Denmark are hunters' settlements dating from the end of the Ice Age around 12,000 BC. Organised farming communities began to appear around 4,000 BC as settlers cleared forests, cultivated crops and livestock, and buried their dead in megalithic tombs. Bronze smelting was introduced from trade contacts with southern Europe by 1,800 BC, with skilled artisans producing weapons, tools and finely crafted works of art such as the Sun Chariot recovered from a peat bog in Zealand and now displayed in Copenhagen's National Museum. Iron made its first appearance in 500 BC as the primary raw material for weapons and tools; conflicts between neighbouring communities increased as settlers plundered more territory. Present-day Denmark's linguistic and cultural roots date back to the late Iron Age with the migration south around 500 AD of the Danes, a tribe thought to have originated in Sweden; remarkably conserved human remains from this period have been found in peat bogs around Denmark.

The Vikings: at the end of the 8th century AD, seafaring warriors from Viken on the Oslo Fjord began raiding the settlements and wealthy monasteries around Britain and western Europe, sailing as far afield as Iceland, Greenland, and the Mediterranean, perhaps in quest for land-expansion to support an increasing population. The image of these adventurous opportunists as helmeted ruthless barbarians in longboats, wreaking havoc on defenceless peoples disregards the enduring influence which later colonising Norsemen had on trade, language and the political and cultural institutions of the countries and peoples with whom they had contact. By the mid 9th century, Danish Viking colonists controlled northwest England, the Danelaw being contained by the Saxon Alfred the Great. The Danish homelands were united in the late 9th century under the Norse chieftain Harthacnut, and the present Danish monarchy can be traced back to his son Gorm the Old. From evidence of a runic stone found at Jelling in Jutland, Christianity was introduced to Denmark by Gorm's son, Harold Bluetooth in 960 AD. By the early 11th century, the Danes controlled a sizeable empire around the North Sea, including England ruled by Canute, Normandy, Sweden and the Danish homeland. The last major Viking expedition took place in 1066, with Harold Hardrada's attempt to secure England for the Danes. His defeat at Stamford Bridge by the Saxons under Harold Godwinson (who ironically was himself defeated a few days later at Hasting by another Norse-descended conqueror, William) effectively marked the end of the Viking era.

Medieval period: Denmark's medieval history was plagued by internal strife, plots, counter-plots and assassinations involving rival nobles, wealthy landowners and corrupt church leaders. It was only with the accession of Valdemar I in 1157 that the country was again united and freed from factional strife. Denmark's  expansion under Valdemar's successors brought prosperity, and the first written laws were documented in the Jutland Code; power was centralised in the hands of the monarch, but in 1282 the nobility imposed Denmark's Magna Carta on Eric V, which decreed an annual assembly of the Council of nobles, institution of the first supreme court and no imprisonment without trial. In 1397 the shrewd Queen Margrethe I established the Kalmar Union uniting the kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, and creating a Scandinavian empire to counter the powerful German-based Hanseatic League which had dominated regional trade. In the trade wars which followed, Margrethe's successor, Erik VII imposed the Sound Toll on ships passing through the narrow Danish Straits, a source of revenue which would underpin Danish fortunes for the next 4 centuries. The Union continued on a stormy basis, until the Swedes withdrew from the alliance electing their own monarch in 1523. Norway however remained under Danish rule until 1814.

The Reformation: by the early 16th century, growing unease at the Catholic Church's dominance in Danish affairs and the power and wealth of bishops led to a groundswell of support for the emerging Lutheran Reformist movement. After a period of civil strife between King, nobility, Church and peasantry, Christian III consolidated the monarchy's power at his accession in 1536; as in England under Henry VIII, Catholic church and monastic lands and wealth were sequestered by the crown, and the Danish Lutheran Church established as the official state religion with the King as its head. With the royal treasury enriched by confiscated Church wealth the Danish monarchy emerged stronger than ever; the Reformation turned into a national revival.

Wars with Sweden, absolute monarchy and the Enlightenment: the 16~18th centuries were periods of growth and prosperity for Denmark, ruled by a succession of Kings Christian or Frederik. Foreign trade and exploration expanded and Copenhagen became the base of Europe's largest navy. Christian IV marked his 60 year reign with new town layouts adorned with many fine public buildings. The period was marred however by intensified power rivalry with neighbouring Sweden and a series of 6 wars which drained Denmark's resources, and under the 1658 Treaty of Roskilde Denmark lost all her Swedish territories. His successor, Frederik III saw the erosion of the nobility's power brought to completion: the Council was annulled and absolute power was vested in the now hereditary monarchy under a secret constitution, the Royal Law, which gave the king unrestrained authority and remained in force until the democratic constitution of 1848. Peaceful coexistence with Sweden and political stability during the 18th century gave Denmark the opportunity for economic and cultural renewal and set the stage for political and social change and land reform.

The Napoleonic Wars: by the turn of the 19th century, Denmark's foreign trade was flourishing but the country was again to become embroiled in international power struggles with the outbreak of the Napoleonic Wars. In 1800 Denmark signed an armed neutrality pact with Sweden, Prussia and Russia; Britain regarded this as an act of hostility and sent a naval expedition to attack Copenhagen, inflicting heavy damage on the Danish fleet and forcing withdrawal from the pact. By 1807 the British again bombarded Copenhagen and captured the Danish fleet, fearing that Denmark would side with Napoleon whose influence was increasing in the Baltic. Denmark finally joined the continental alliance against Britain who in response blockaded Denmark. With Napoleon's defeat in 1815, Sweden allied with Britain demanding that Denmark cede Norway to them.

The 19th and early 20th Centuries: the Napoleonic Wars had damaged Denmark's international standing and left her virtually bankrupt, but the 1830s brought a period of recovery and cultural, artistic and literary re-awakening. By 1848 the Danish monarchy's power was already under threat as revolution swept across Europe and at home rising expectations of a growing middle class and formation of political parties brought pressure for change. The Danish king Frederik VII signed a new democratic constitution which abolished absolute monarchy, established a 2-chamber parliament elected by popular vote and an independent judiciary, and guaranteed the rights of free speech, religion and assembly. Denmark moved overnight from autocracy to constitutional monarchy and the beginnings of parliamentary democracy. The Duchies of Schleswig and Holstein in southern Jutland, long under Danish rule, now began demanding the right of self-determination. Holstein which was linguistically and culturally German had already affiliated with the German Federation; Schleswig was divided nationally between those of Danish and German heritage. When the new constitution threatened to incorporate Schleswig as an integral part of Denmark, the German population allied with Holstein sparking a series of wars between the Danes and Germans. The outcome was a humiliating Danish defeat in 1864 and the ceding of the duchies. Denmark had once again lost almost a third of its total area and population becoming for the first time in its history an ethnically homogeneous country. In the wake of such loss, the Danes faced another period of regeneration: a conservative government oversaw a number of economic advances, increased industrialisation and land-reclamation. From the 1880s, left wing parties gained increasing numbers of parliamentary seats, and in 1901 formed a government which carried through major social reforms, extending the vote to women and introducing the welfare state. Denmark managed to remain neutral during WW1, and in 1920 northern Schleswig voted in a plebiscite for re-unification with Denmark re-adding 163,600 inhabitants and 3,984 square kms. The border with Germany was re-drawn as it remains today just north of Flensburg.

World War II occupation of Denmark: with the outbreak of WW2, Denmark tried unsuccessfully to remain neutral, but in April 1940 German forces invaded issuing an ultimatum that Copenhagen would be bombed if the Danes opposed. Military resistance was futile, and under protest the Danish government yielded in order to retain a degree of internal autonomy. As the war progressed, German demands intensified making it difficult for the government to maintain credibility with the Danish public which began systematic displays of antipathy to the occupiers. A Danish Resistance Movement developed into an underground army of 43,000 patriots led by the Freedom Council, and with supplies of arms and explosives from Britain, operated a sustained campaign of sabotage. Reprisals intensified and the Danish government reached the point where it could no longer yield to German demands and the Germans took outright control of the country. In October 1943 as the Germans prepared to round up Danish Jews for deportation, the Resistance managed to smuggle almost all of Denmark's 7,000 Jews by fishing boats to safety in neutral Sweden. After liberation by British troops in 1945, Denmark joined the UN, and breaking with its tradition of neutrality, joined NATO in 1947 in the face of Cold War threat from Soviet Russia. In domestic politics, post-war left wing governments introduced comprehensive social welfare programmes so that quality of life Denmark soon ranked among the world's highest.

The Constitution: the Kingdom of Denmark is a constitutional monarchy. The monarch as Head of State exercises executive authority through the Prime Minister and cabinet (appointed by the crown) and shares legislative powers conjointly with parliament, bills requiring royal assent. The single-chamber national legislature, the Folketing, has 179 members (see right) elected by proportional majority, with parliamentary elections held every 4 years. This political system has tended to produce centre-seeking coalition governments.

The Monarchy: the present monarch Margrethe II was proclaimed Queen in 1972 (see left). Denmark's constitution had been amended by referendum in 1953 to allow women to succeed to the throne since her father, Frederik IX had no male heirs. The monarchy is well regarded by Danes who see the royal family as a living manifestation of the country's history and traditions. Queen Margrethe plays an active part in public life, and is widely respected for her intellect, artistic abilities, and charitable work through sales of her paintings, book translations and illustrations. Members of the royal family enjoy the usual 'Hello Magazine' glamour in Denmark, with prime attention on Crown Prince Frederik, his recent marriage to Tasmanian-born Crown Princess Mary and birth of their baby son Christian. For more on the Danish monarchy visit:  The Unofficial Danish Royal Family web site  and the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Official Danish Royal Family web pages

Denmark and the EU: Denmark joined the European Community in 1973 along with UK, but the Danes have always remained ambivalent towards EU involvement in the country's affairs. A 1992 referendum rejected acceptance of the Maastricht Treaty (the blueprint for European political and monetary union) and a 'yes' vote was only secured in 1993 after Denmark was granted opt-out clauses. Again in 2000 a Danish referendum voted against adopting the Euro; in spite of government backing for the Euro and predictions of financial doom from popular rejection, the Danish economy has remained solid. Denmark and UK are the only EU states retaining their national currencies.

Current Danish politics: in 2001 the political climate in Denmark shifted from the centre-left which had dominated Danish affairs since WW2. A centre-right coalition government led by Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen (see right) was elected and immediately passed stringent anti-immigration laws, reflecting growing popular resentment against migrants and 2nd generation Danes. As well as taking a hostile position towards 'foreigners', the new government set about reducing government spending on such issues as environmental projects, overseas aid and the welfare state, but increasing the military budget. Despite anti-war demonstrations, Fogh Rasmussen supported the US invasion of Iraq by sending Danish troops. He was returned for a 2nd term in 2005.

DANISH CHARACTER, CULTURE, and SOCIETY : Danish society is based on a long tradition of social equality which has helped to maintain a sense of national identity in this territorially fragmented country. Doubtless we shall experience this culture of openness and welcoming sociability, even if expressed in their characteristically direct and to-the-point manner. Perhaps this is best expressed in the Danish concept of hygge (usually translated rather inadequately as cosy or snug) which implies a mixture of warm conviviality and intimacy: good company and a good meal can have hygge, as can a stylish house, a gathering at a café or family walk in the woods.    Click here for a better understanding of hygge. 

Aside however from this traditional perception of the Danish character (almost itself embodying hygge), contemporary Danish society reveals many a paradox: it's a socially progressive, liberal democracy with a cradle-to-grave social welfare system, but whose current government has passed some of the toughest immigration laws in Europe; with its liberal outlook, it was the first country in the world to legalise same-sex marriage, yet its xenophobic government has imposed draconian regulation on marriage between Danes and foreigners. We clearly have much to learn about the Danes and their current society - which after all is why we are going there.

So there we have it: that's the background and we are looking forward to learning much, meeting lots of interesting people, and most importantly experiencing for ourselves this indefinable sensation of hygge. One facet of Denmark not mentioned so far is that the Danes are one the world's largest per capita beer drinkers; this should help with our socialising: øl and skål will doubtless be frequently used words in our currently sparse Danish vocabulary. As usual we'll be publishing regular updates to our web site, with news and pictures of our travels. Add the site to your Favourites and stay watching. 

Sheila and Paul                                                                                 Published: Friday 27 July 2007

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