The Danish History:

The first kingdom

People are said to have lived in Denmark as early as the Stone Age. The first ancestors of today's Danes came to Jutland from what is now southern Sweden in the 6th century, where they mixed with or displaced other Germanic tribes living there.

The first isolated kingdoms emerged, which were united for the first time under Gorm the Old (Danish: Gorm den Gamle) in the 10th century. Gorm owed his nickname to the old age he was said to have reached for the time.

After Gorm the Old, Harald Bluetooth, Gorm's son, came to the throne. He was baptized around 960 and the kingdom was Christianized.

Up until the 10th century, all sailors from Sweden, Norway and Denmark were called “Vikings”.

At that time, up until the 11th century, they were greatly feared - they waged wars, founded colonies, traded and plundered. They conquered large parts of Norway, southern Jutland and the British Isles, and Denmark became a rich country. The Viking Age ended around 1066.

Denmark is surrounded by sea on all four sides: to the west the North Sea, with the mudflats near Esbjerg, to the north the Skagerrak, to the east the Kattegat with the Öre Sund and to the south the Baltic South Sea.

14th - 16th century – The Kalmar Union

The Kalmar Union united the kingdoms of Sweden, Denmark and Norway into one kingdom. The alliance lasted from 1397 to 1523 and was initially ruled by Denmark's then ruler, Margarethe I. However, disputes with Sweden were significant until the 17th century, as the countries fought for dominance of Scandinavia, and eventually Sweden gained independence and left the alliance.

Of course, the Reformation also played a major role, and Denmark became Protestant around 1536 during the Reformation.

17th century - 20th century

The dispute with Sweden over supremacy in the Baltic region continued. Sweden ultimately won the battle and Denmark had to cede about a third of its territory. After the Great Northern War (1700 - 1720),

in which Sweden did not lose its dominance, a more peaceful period followed.

During the Napoleonic period in Europe, Denmark initially remained neutral, but later decided to side with France. As a result, Denmark had to cede Norway and Heligoland after France's defeat.

Under Frederik VII, Denmark changed from an absolutist monarchy to a constitutional monarchy in 1848. From then on, the king was bound by a constitution. This was a significant change in Denmark's history.

During the German-Danish War (1864), Denmark under Christian IX lost Holstein, Schleswig and Lauenburg. During World War I (1914-1918), Denmark remained neutral, but was nevertheless occupied by the Germans afterwards. In 1945, Denmark became a member of the UN and in 1973 the country joined the European Economic Community.

Denmark today

Margarethe II has been Queen of Denmark since 1972, her son is Crown Prince Frederik. Denmark is part of the European Union, but has retained the Danish krone as its currency instead of the euro. According to various studies, the country's inhabitants are among the happiest people in the world and Denmark is still one of the most popular travel destinations for Germans.

( NPT Norway Pro Travel)