The languages of Sønderjylland-Schleswig.

Photographs: Region Sønderjylland-Schleswig FB Page / Destination Sønderjylland FB Page

Text: Heather Storgaard

It is a well-known fact that Danes speak a high standard of English, but have you ever been to the south of Jutland and wondered why there's so much German? Or arrived across the German border and wondered why there's still Danish everywhere? It's not just for tourists—the multilingual nature of the region caters to a c. 15,000 strong German minority in Denmark and c. 50,000 members of the Danish minority in Germany.

The History

Following border changes in the late 19th century, the historic region of Slesvig was home to both Germans and Danes. After the First World War, locals were offered a referendum to make a final decision on the border. The result was a split: Northern Slesvig became part of Denmark, while Southern Schleswig remained German. The new border, which we still have today, saw German, North Frisian and Danish populations mixed with multi-lingual provisions across the region.

The flow of languages is a curious phenomenon, with change occurring as populations try to belong to the more practical or prestigious group. Following the First and then again, the Second World War, Germans keen to gain from their borderland position set about joining Danish clubs and associations. This led to them being dubbed 'Speck-dänen' or 'flæske-danskere', ‘Bacon Danes’ wanting access to extra food or goods despite having little or no Danish connection. In Flensburg, the central border city of the region, some also spoke the historic language of Petuh – a curious mix of Danish, including the Sønderjysk dialect and German, including both the standard variety and Plattdüütsch.

"Today Denmark and Germany have become a model of Cross-Border cooperation. Many people in the region live multi-lingual, international lives across Germany and Denmark with ease."

The countries today

Today Denmark and Germany have become a model of Cross-Border cooperation. Many people in the region live multi-lingual, international lives across Germany and Denmark with ease. I have several friends from either side of the border region, all of whom have very different relationships with their nationalities and languages. One friend is a German from Regensburg, a town south of the Viking-era Danewerk that marked the border for much of history. She went to kindergarten and school entirely in Danish, despite having no family connection to the country, and now lives in Denmark. "I've never really felt German", she told me over dinner recently, both of us speaking Danish. Another friend comes from the West Coast, far closer to Denmark, but speaks Frisian at home and chose to attend a German school rather than a Danish one. Every time I am here, I get a sense of more plurality and freedom than in the rest of Germany or Denmark, both countries with a generally high degree of conformity.

Let's talk about Immigration

Today, many Germans from far beyond Schleswig use the unique situation in the border region as an opportunity to move abroad without having to learn a foreign language immediately. German communities along the Jutlandic west coast have grown in recent decades, mixing with the long-standing German minority in the region. It's certainly a very different international experience to that in the rest of Denmark, with German schools and high schools and many services and associations functioning bilingually or with special provisions. Similarly, Danes struggling with the complicated family reunification system of their home country have settled down in Flensburg with their multi-national families, mixing with the Danish minority.

When I spent my summer holidays in Sønderjylland for the first time, I was annoyed when people answered my Danish with German. A friend we were travelling with told me that it was more complicated in the border region, where people's preferred language may not match their nationality. This was my first experience of the German minority. Since then, I've spoken Danish with Germans who think I'm a native or German with Jutes keen to practise. I have come to love the messy, ambiguous situation of language and nationality in this area. I edited this article in the Danish library in Flensburg, listening to Danish speakers who ranged from natives to beginner learners with thick German accents and felt very at home.