5 Reasons NOT to Mess With Denmark

5 Reasons NOT to Mess With Denmark
#Denmark #Danmark #Dansk

In this video we discuss five events from Danish history and culture that will make you realize that you should NOT mess with Denmark.

These examples are a fun look at Denmark's past and how the Danish people have overcome obstacles. Obama famously stated that "Denmark always punches above its weight" and these examples show you exactly how.

Some of these examples come from wars with Sweden and Prussia throughout Danish history and others are more recent. You'll enjoy this walk through Denmark's history to get a better idea of why you should never mess with the Danes.

We talk about things like the Danish protest pig and how Denmark saved their Jewish population in World War II. We discuss secrets buried beneath the Carlsberg factory in Copenhagen and how the Oresund Bridge saves Swedes from a beating (yeah, seriously!) - and a lot more. We hope you enjoy this video!

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[FinnishLapphund]

I've heard that another unusual thing with the Jewish evacuation to Sweden, was that almost everyone who eventually chose to return, came back and found their homes as they left them. Unlike some other countries where people who returned found their homes robbed, and/or that other people had moved in.

[WitchyGeek]

And also, even the Jews taken by the Nazis weren't all screwed. The Danish officials and the Danish Red Cross kept a strict eye on them. They sent care packages with clothes, food, and medicine while ensuring they were never transported from Theresienstadt, even though it was a waystation to the death camps. Then, at the end of the war, the Danish government cooperated with the Swedish Red Cross to bring all Nordic prisoners, amongst them the Danish Jews, back safely from the concentration camps on a swarm of white buses. If you google White Buses or Folke Bernadotte (a Swedish count in charge of the operation) you can read more about it. In all only 51 Danish Jews perished in the Shoah, mostly elderly and babies, meaning more than 99% of Danish Jews survived the Nazis.
Denmark is listed by the Yad Vashem as one of the Righteous Among Nations, an honour bestowed on people who did something extraordinary to help the Jews during the Shoah. Only a handful of Danes are actually named on the list because the resistance movement insisted on being named only as a collective since it was a collective effort. Besides, most Danes couldn't be verifiably named anyway, since no names were given in the process so that the Jews wouldn't be able to endanger their helpers should they be caught.
The fishermen took some fairly steep fees for doing the crossing but spontaneous collections were made among the resistance, the general population, the officials, and even the King of Denmark, to help cover those fees so the Jews could get out safely. Those who indebted themselves or had to sell all their heirlooms etc to raise the money for the trip were later compensated by the Danish government by a law passed that also meant that they received compensation for the property etc. they'd lost so they could re-establish themselves when they came back. A lot of Jewish children were left behind because they were too young and many fishermen didn't dare bring them in case the boat was stopped and the crying of a child would expose the dangerous cargo. So they were fostered by Danish couples and taken well care of until their parents could return for them. I read an account of a young woman who had to flee a few days after giving birth and being forced to leave her baby with a Danish couple.
All in all, it's a pretty amazing story and something that actually makes me very proud to be a Dane. A lot of people, both then and now, are very disparaging about Denmark's surrender on the 9th of April 1945, Churchill even going so far as to call Denmark Hitler's pet canary, but it's exactly what enabled us to keep more than 99% of our Jews safe, as the *only* country invaded by Hitler, and also meant that the Danish population as a whole made it through WWII fairly safe. It also enabled us to give the Allied forces some of the best intel possible, something Churchill also admitted. Putting up a real fight that day would only have resulted in heavy casualties, we'd still have been occupied and we most likely would not have been in a situation to do what we ended up doing for our Jewish neighbours and friends.
If you're interested in a bit of popular culture about this story Lars Lilholt has written a beautiful song called Bådene sejler over Øresund (the boats are sailing over Øresund) with music by Jascha Richter. There's actually a really good version available on YouTube with DR Underholdningsorkestret as backing. There are also several movies and books about it. One of the more curious is a movie called The Only Way, which stars Danish classic actors such as Helle Virkner, Ebbe Rode, Ove Sprogøe, Benny Hansen, Bjørn Watt-Boolsen, Jens Okking, Jørn Buckhøj, and Claus Ryskjær, many of those actors also starring in Matador, the quintessential Danish TV show where this subject is also touched on briefly (and a show I *highly* recommend, btw, available for free on DR's website). The big surprise on the cast list, though, and the reason this movie is in English, is a 19-year-old Jane Seymour. It's a pretty good movie, actually, and also available in full length on YouTube. It's quite a strange experience to hear those very distinct and easily recognisable voices speaking English, though. Strange but nice.

[madsvindknudsen]

Great video. I would love to see your takes on parts of the danish entertainment industri, like comedy and music.

[AndersAndersendark]

My grandpa was part of the resistance in rødekro.

[lawrencefox]

Weren't Dane's most dominant Vikings and those who would colonize, Anglia in England, Normandy in France, Kievan Ruse in Russia and many more.

[mattiasfaldt]

my friend's father was one of those who helped them escape on his little fishing boat like many other people from southen Sweden

[MazzOfMazzeroo]

"11th SPETEMBER 1943" that's a great typo :D .... sorry, couldn't help myself. Great video as usual, guys!

[CONEHEADDK]

"Funny" that I've read more stories about that time under this video, than I have heard irl during my life in Denmark. Huuge thumbs up to those, who did the right things back then. Next time(?) things won't go so well, of reasons that I won't share or answer questions about here, but the most well informed will understand. Sad.

[cattila]

I remember my grandad (R.I.P) telling me a story from WWII where the Danish Brewery Tuborg would show of propaganda right in the face of the Germans occupying Denmark. The popaganda would read "De grønne er her nu men de røde kommer snart", or in English the greens are here now but soon the red will come. This was referring to the standard Tuborg beer being contained in a green bottle with the the coming of a new beer being a dark beer called Tuborg red. This was a fun way of way to shove it in the face of the Germans that soon the Russians would come, and since the Germans did not understand Danish they never caught on to the spiteful remark.

[ingermariejakobsen]

Still can’t get remoulade on my fries at McDonalds, though.

[JKR_CS]

well danes never backs down from a fight either

[NorthernPanzer]

As we are one of the oldest countries in Europe. We have the oldest flag, fell from the sky against Latvia in 1274. We have ruled England, Norway, Sweden, Greenland, Iceland, Faroe Islands. We had wall built from western coast of aka the North See to the east coast & the Eastern Sea of Denmark. The wall was built in the Viking period & had 1 entrance.. With the reputation of a notorious barbaric population, with mandatory learning to fight from the age of 7-8, Dannevirke which the wall was named, never was defeated.
Today Dannevirke lies in Germany, because of a defeat to 36.000 preussian/German soldiers, who used the hard winter with the frozen water, that the Germans could just walk over the ice only 10.000 Danish soldiers.
Most funny is, I found out my great grand- father, was a part of the preussian army who defeated Denmark. He took a Danish officers daughter got married to her. They stayed in Denmark since & I'm named after my great grandfather : Carl Stephan Spatzek.
Half Viking blood & half eastern genes. A powerfull combination I have concluded. We are proud Europeans, compared to Sweden or Germany who have NO pride of being born in their fatherland. Chefers from Denmark

[alburu]

Also Danes were fully supporting Nazis until Germany was loosing the war, we call this "Traitor"" ...but anyway...Danes are good people !

[mekomono]

Why didn't you talk about our military?

[kimmikke_]

Danes used to be tough and hard and conquer the world, but nowadays only hyggeing under blanket.. ;)

[JustinSane]

1 Reason Not to mess with Denmark = I'm living there.

[magnushansen]

The 1 one is not really true. Yes it is a old law. But it's not legal, it is overruled by violation law. And therefore if a swedish person goes over the frozen water today. And a Dane beat him with er stick. The Dane will be charged for crimes

[stinealbrechtsen]

I'm deeply impressed w your knowledge of danish history. I hope you have as much fun researching for it as I have watching this. Thank you 🙏 for loving my country.

[tineditmarunnerup]

The Danish culture people on the German side of the border also decided to air their duvets on the hedges on 5th June (Danish Constitution day). The duvets happened to be woven in stripes - white and red.

[skambim]

i had no idea i could legally beat swedes walking across the ice. thank you for informing me off this wonderful privilege of mine.... i will put it to good use😂😂😂