On the other hand, they wanted to help mark the 100th anniversary of a peaceful demarcation in 1920.
The celebration of the 100th anniversary of South Jutland’s reunification with Denmark culminates when the Queen, Crown Prince Frederik and Prince Christian visit the border country on Sunday 13 June – a year later than planned due to the corona.
* The Danish minority
Consists of about 50,000 people in South Schleswig.
The minority is the term for the Danish-minded ethnic group living in the northern part of the German state of Schleswig-Holstein, also called South Schleswig, which extends from the Danish-German border to the Eider River / Kiel Canal.
Most have German passports and at the same time stick to the Danish language and culture with Danish crèches, kindergartens, schools, libraries and churches. In addition, the Danish daily newspaper Flensborg Avis and the Danish-minded political party, Sydslesvigsk Vælgerforening (SSW).
Some have Danish as their mother tongue. Others learn it first in kindergarten and school because one of the parents or both mother and father have a German background.
There are about 700,000 people living in South Schleswig. The minority thus makes up about seven percent of the population in the area.
The Folketing’s South Schleswig committee supports the Danish minority with approximately DKK 500 million a year.
* The German minority
Consists of about 15,000 German-minded people in Southern Jutland. That equates to about six percent of the population in the area.
The minority also calls Southern Jutland North Schleswig (Nordschleswig) with reference to the demarcation in 1920, where Schleswig was divided.
Most have Danish passports and at the same time stick to the German language and culture with German crèches, kindergartens, schools, libraries and congregations. In addition, the newspaper Der Nordschleswiger and the political party Schleswigsk Parti.
The minority perceives themselves as German North Schleswigs, ie as Danish citizens with a German identity.
It is parallel to the Danish minority in South Schleswig, who perceive themselves as German citizens with a Danish mindset.
The German minority is the only recognized national minority in Denmark.
* 300 minorities in Europe
According to the European Union of European Nationalities (Fuen), about one in seven Europeans belong to a national minority.
There are over 300 European minorities in Europe, and there are more than 60 regional or minority languages spoken by around 40 million Europeans.
Sources: Genforeningen2020.dk, graenseforeningen.dk, danmarkshistorien.dk, historiekanon.dk.
Source: The Nordic Page