Denmark is failing to educate its citizens about the German national minority, according to a new EU report. This lack of knowledge is limiting the minority's opportunities for full participation in society. I read the Council of Europe's findings with a familiar sense of frustration, recognizing a pattern where cultural understanding is overlooked.
For Astrid Möller, a young teacher in South Jutland, this failure has daily consequences. "When I go to Copenhagen and mention my school, people ask if I'm an exchange teacher from Germany," she says. "They don't know we are Danks with a German identity, a community that has been here for generations."
A new report from the Council of Europe’s Committee of Experts on regional and minority languages delivers a stark verdict. The majority of Danes do not know enough about their German minority neighbors.
The committee states Denmark is failing its duty to spread knowledge in this area. This has direct consequences for the minority's ability to participate properly in society.
A Question of Visibility and Support
Rune Christiansen, Denmark's representative on the committee, connects knowledge directly to support. "Awareness of the minority is a prerequisite for being willing to support it as a minority," he says. Without this foundational understanding, political and social support remains fragile.
The German minority's umbrella organization, Bund Deutscher Nordschleswiger, agrees with the report's conclusions. Harro Hallmann, the group's communications chief, points to a glaring lack of visibility in Danish education.
It is not enough, he argues, for Danish students to simply learn the German language and major historical events like the 1920 reunification. The living, contemporary culture of the 15,000-strong minority is absent from the curriculum.
A Century-Old Community at a Crossroads
The national minorities on both sides of the Danish-German border have existed since the 1920 plebiscite brought South Jutland into Denmark. The German minority in North Schleswig cultivates a distinct German culture and identity within the Danish kingdom.
This is not a new immigrant community but one with centuries of roots. Their cultural heritage in South Jutland stretches back hundreds of years. Yet, their story remains a footnote in the national narrative taught in schools.
The committee identifies a core structural problem in the Danish education system. It is not mandatory for primary schools or upper secondary education to teach about the German minority's history or language context.
This leaves the topic to the discretion of individual teachers and schools. In a crowded curriculum, discretionary topics often get sidelined.
The Education Gap and Its Consequences
From my perspective covering Danish social policy, this reflects a broader tension. Denmark promotes integration for new arrivals but sometimes neglects the integration of long-established minorities into the national consciousness. The welfare system is strong on material support but can be weak on cultural recognition.
When a minority's existence is not common knowledge, it faces unnecessary hurdles. These range from casual misunderstandings to difficulties in accessing tailored public services. The minority must constantly explain its basic right to be there.
Culture Minister Jakob Engel-Schmidt states he is "working on initiatives that can strengthen the minority's conditions." The Ministry has acknowledged the report and its recommendations.
Concrete action, however, is awaited. The committee's report suggests the solution lies within the Danish school system. It calls for structured, mandatory inclusion of the minority's history and contemporary role.
Expert Analysis: Beyond Language Lessons
Harro Hallmann's critique is particularly insightful. He draws a crucial distinction between learning about Germany and learning about the German minority in Denmark. These are two fundamentally different subjects.
The first is a foreign language and international studies topic. The second is a lesson in national diversity, co-existence, and regional history. Conflating them erases the minority's unique experience.
Rune Christiansen's point about support is backed by social science. Studies in integration consistently show that familiarity reduces prejudice. It builds the social trust necessary for minority communities to thrive without fear of assimilation.
For the German minority, the goal is not separation but secure recognition within the Danish state. Their institutions, including schools and kindergartens, are part of the Danish societal fabric. They contribute to the region's economy and cultural life.
A Look to the Future
The report places a mirror before Danish society. It questions how well we know our own country. In a region focused on integration policy for new citizens, this is a lesson in integrating history.
The path forward requires curriculum reform. It needs a commitment from the Ministry of Children and Education to embed this knowledge. Teacher training programs must also include this aspect of Danish society.
Local municipalities in South Jutland often have closer daily cooperation with minority institutions. Scaling this understanding to a national level is the challenge. National media and cultural institutions have a role to play in increasing visibility.
As a journalist, I see this as a test of Denmark's holistic approach to social cohesion. True integration policy must be inclusive of all communities, old and new. The German minority's century-long presence is a testament to successful co-existence, but its story shouldn't be a secret.
Will Denmark update its national story to include all its chapters? The answer will define the minority's opportunities for the next century. The Council of Europe's report is not just a critique. It is an invitation to build a more complete understanding of what Denmark is today.