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The largest minority group in Denmark is Germans. Denmark was once a major European power. The border between Denmark and Germany has thus varied over time. It was largely settled with the Danish War (1864) engineeerd by Chancellor Otto von Bismarck. One of the results of the War that the Danish Princess who married the Prince of Wales became an influential anti-German voice in a Britain that still saw France as their great enemy. Another consequence was that there ws a German minority in Denmark and a Danish minority in Germany. There was also a small Jewish minority which the courageous Danish people managed to save during World war II. Since World War II Muslims from various Middle-Eastern countries have immigrated to Denmark, attracted by the traditionally tolerant Danish society.
The largest minority group in Denmark is Germans. Denmark was once a major European power. The border between Denmark and Germany has thus varied over time. It was largely settled with the Danish War (1864) engineeerd by Chancellor Otto von Bismarck. One of the results of the War that the Danish Princess who married the Prince of Wales became an influential anti-German voice in a Britain that still saw France as their great enemy. Another consequence was that there was a German minority in southern Denmark and a Danish minority in across the border in northern Germany. Here is a boy photographed about 1905 from Haderslev, Denmark (figure 1).
But we believe that he is a German boy. Haderslev (Hadersleben) is near the German border. Still today there is a German minority living in Haderslev and there is a German school. A German reader found this picture in a bundle with lots of German pictures from northern Germany area (near Denmark). She believes that they belonged together. When this picture was taking in 1905 Haderslev belonged to Germany (since the Prussian-Danish war). The official name was Hadersleben. The territory became Danish again in 1919 after a referendum imppsed by the Versailles Treaty. The population voted to return to Denmark. We have archived a family album about a German girl living in Apenrade, another town retuned to Denmark.
These towns became German once more after the German World War II invasion (1940). And then were returned to Denmark after Germany's defeat (1945). The German-speaking minority was granted its own schools with German as language of instruction only after the West-German government gave the same rights to the Danes south of the border, who also have their own
schools, newspapers, libraries and organisations. It is interesting to note that in many cases it is difficult to know who is German and who is Danish, because many people have family names like Jensen or Hansen. It seems to be a matter of choice. Of course, the German speakers are Danish citizens, while the Danes in Germany are German subjects. They all are bi-lingual. Famous Germans from this area were Hjalmar Horace Greeley Schacht, Hitler's financial wizard, who later turned against the Führer, and the expressionist painter Emil Nolde, who's real name was Hansen, but who was born in the village of Nolde near Apenrade (Abenra). His paintings were declared "degenerate" by the NAZIs and he was put under house arrest during the war, although he was a super "Arian".
The Jutland Peninsula was beyond the boundaries of the Roman Empire and thus there was no known Jewish settlement during the classical era. Nor during the ealy medieval Viking era do we know of any Jews in Denmark. Medieval Danish art does depict Jews. They can easily be identified wearing pointed hats. This appears to be part of a generalized Christian vision of Jews. There is no documented evidence any Jews actually residing in in medieval Denmark. The Danish Kingdom was an early convert to Protestantism (1536). Jews at that time were specifically prohibited from entering Denmark. King Christian IV invited Jews to settle in Denmark (1622). This resulted in the first documented settlement of Jews in Denmark. Christian IV founded Glückstadt on the river Elbe in what is now Schleswig-Holstein. At the time he permitted a Jewish merchant, Albert Dionis, to live in the city. The specific dispensation for Dionis was gradually expanded and Jews in Glückstadt werec eventially granted protection. This involved more than living in the city, but the right to hold religious services (albeit privately) and to establish a cemetery. Albert Dionis managed to gain considerable status in Christian's court by loaning money to the king. Subsequently another Jew of Sephardic origins, Gabriel Gomez, also attined status in court and convinced Frederik III to grantb a general dispensation for Sephardic Jews to reside in Denmark to engage in trade. Although this was limited to Sephardim, a number of Ashkenazim were eventully granted letters of safe passage and eventually settled in Denmark. . Danish Jews during the 19th century achieved civil, economic, and political equality. Denmark had a small Jewish population of about 7,500 at the onset of World War II. The NAZIs estimated even less. The entry for Denmark at the Wannsee Convention was only 5,600. Denmark's small Jewish population, unlike Jews in many other European countries, was throughly assismilated. Many Danish Jews were Christianized. Even so after the NAZI invasion and occupation, NAZI authorities targeted Dutch Jews as part of the Holocaust. The small Danish Jewish community was not widely known outside of Denmark itself. It was the Danes' heroic rescue of their Jews that brought the community to world attention.
Since World War II Muslims from various Middle-Eastern countries have immigrated to Denmark, attracted by the traditionally tolerant Danish society. Complaints from Danish Muslims eventually spirled into the 2006 cartoon controversy which caused a violent reaction in the Muslim world. Interesting because Arab newspapers commonly carry racist cartoons that could easily have appeared in NAZI newspapers.
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Figure 1.-- Here is a boy photographed about 1905 from Haderslev, Denmark.
But we believe that he is a German boy. Haderslev (Hadersleben) is near the German border. Still today there is a German minority living in Haderslev and there is a German school. A German reader found this picture in a bundle with lots of German pictures from northern Germany area (near Denmark). She believes that they belonged together. Image courtesy of the BP collection.