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DENMARK 2007- PROLOGUE |
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Great Danes |
Danish history |
Danish politics, society and culture |
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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.
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
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. Great Danes in Science, Music, Literature and Design: in spite of Denmark's limited size, a number of Danes have achieved world-wide fame in the fields of physics, music, literature, design and architecture.
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. 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.
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
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
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
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. CONTEMPORARY DANISH LIFE and POLITICS: to maximise the learning potential of our trips, we always try to gain at least some understanding of contemporary issues which our host-nation is facing.
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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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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: 
