The Danish Minority - Contradictions in Paradise

A comment by Birger Jørgensen

Speckdänen

It seems, that the "Speckdänen" still exists :-)

In the years after world war I ended, there was a shortage of food in Germany, and Denmark initiated a huge food aid program to the Danish minority in German. Since the aid was only given to people belonging to the Danish minority, a lot of people suddenly discovered, that in their heart they were Danes.

These newborn Danes were giving the nickname "Speckdänen", which is a composite word of "fat meat" and "Danes".

There is however another mechanism, which could account for the loose definition of nationality that you see in this area.

Historically Schleswig-Holstein never belonged to neither Denmark nor Germany. It was largely independent and ruled by a duke. Even today some people feel that their true nationality is rooted in the multicultural duchy Schleswig-Holstein.

 I myself know of Danes, living at the Danish side of the border, who send their children to German kindergartens and schools. They want their children to become multi cultural. And since the children get the Danish language and culture at home, they can supplement it with the German language and culture in the kindergarten or school.

The newspaper for the Danish minority - Flensborg Avis - actually advertise themselves as being the only dual language newspaper in this border region. They very seldom translate the articles: Some are in German and not in Danish and others are in Danish and not in German. So if you can only read in one of the languages, you only get half a newspaper!

It is considered an asset to be multi cultural.

I must stress, that this is the opinion of en outsider. I have lived all my life in Copenhagen, but have decided to move to Sønderjylland, because I find this part of Denmark the most exiting. The reason for this is the multicultural aspect. Sønderjylland is much more internationally oriented than the capital Copenhagen, which I think is quite unusual.