<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">L O W L A N D S - L - 06 November 2007 - Volume 05
</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Song Contest: <a href="http://lowlands-l.net/contest/">lowlands-l.net/contest/</a> (- 31 Dec. 2007)</span>
<br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">=========================================================================</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">From: </span><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" class="HcCDpe"><span class="EP8xU" style="color: rgb(91, 16, 148);">
Heiko Evermann</span> <span class="lDACoc"><<a href="mailto:privat@evermann.de">privat@evermann.de</a>></span></span><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Subject: </span><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" class="HcCDpe">LL-L "Language politics" 2007.11.10 (08) [E/German]<br><br></span><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
Leve Lowlanners</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">> It was just a matter of civil servants in London ruling that if signs</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">> were to be changed to bilingual English and Welsh, then an application</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
> would have to be made for each sign individually. So Welsh language</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">> activists started doing exactly that. In the end it would seem that it
</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">> was easier to just put up all new signs as bilingual than put up a new</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">> sign in English only to have to go back and change it after it was</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
> spotted by a Welsh speaker.</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">That is a good idea. Perhaps we should do the same here in Germany.</span>
<br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Hi Ron,</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">> Heiko, I have a possibly sensative question about the thing with the Danish</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
> community. If you don't have the answer(s), perhaps you could ask Heinrich</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">> Thies.</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Languages are always sensitive.</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">></span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">> I have a bit of a problem with the concept "Danish area." Yes, the by far</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
> highest concentration of ethnic Danes of the state live in the north,</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">> namely in Schleswig, the closer to the border the higher the concentration.
</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">I was referring to the area that has a Danish minority.</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">> (Remember that, technically speaking, Schleswig-Holstein is Southern</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">> Jutland and that many Danes think of it that way, though</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
> *Sønderjylland/Synnejylland * "Southern Jutland" is now an administrative</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">> area within today's Denmark, and pretty much all Danes think of Schleswig
</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">> on today's German side of the border as *Sønderslesig/Synneslesvig*</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">> "Southern Schleswig," as opposed to *Nordslesvig</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
> *"Northern Schleswig" on today's Danish side of the border.)</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
> As may be known to many of our Lowlanders, pretty much all of today's</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">> German state of Schleswig-Holstein was Danish territory for quite some
</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">> time, all the way down to the northern bank of the Elbe Rivers. In fact,</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">> some communities that have meanwhile been integrated into the city state</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
> Hamburg (e.g. Altona) used to be under the Danish crown as well. For this</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">> reason, there are many place names all over the state whose names have
</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">> Danish equivalents as well (even Hamburg = Hamborg, which was just outside</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">> Denmark then).</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
Well, the Wikipedia says in </span><a style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" href="http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/J" target="_blank">http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/J</a><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
ütland</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">that only the danish part of this peninsula is referred to as Jütland. I have</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">only heard "Southern Jutland" with reference to Schlewig, not with reference</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
to Holstein. The english wikipedia sees things a little bit different:</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><a style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jutland" target="_blank">
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jutland</a><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"> "Holstein has never been part of Jutland</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
proper, but is geographically situated on the Jutland Peninsula. The</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">peninsula is also called the Cimbrian Peninsula, Jutland-Holstein or
</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Jutland-Schleswig-Holstein. "</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Anyway, the old Sprachgrenze (language border) is " Eider – Treene –</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
Eckernförde." This had also been the political border for quite some time. An</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">example is the border of the "Heiliges Römische Reich Deutscher Nation" from
</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">1648 as depicted in</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><a style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" href="http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bild:Holy_Roman_Empire_1648.png" target="_blank">
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bild:Holy_Roman_Empire_1648.png</a><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">The language border changed over time and moved northwards. I once saw maps
</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">about this, but I do not remember where.</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">To my knowledge Holstein has never been part of Denmark. See</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><a style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holstein" target="_blank">
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holstein</a><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">"It was from 1111–1474 a County of the Holy Roman Empire, although later
</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">occupied by Denmark during the TBDL war in the early years of the 13th</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">century[clarify], and thereafter became an Imperial (reichsunmittelbar) Duchy</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
until the dissolution of the Empire in 1806. In 1460 Holstein became</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">inherited, along with the Danish Duchy of Schleswig, by the King of Denmark,
</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">who necessarily, and whose heirs, ruled the two territories as Dukes (and not</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">as kings).</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">..</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">From 1815 to 1864 the Duchy of Holstein was part of the German Confederation,</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
though still in personal union with Denmark (the King of Denmark being also</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Duke of Holstein). "</span>
<br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">That means the king of Denmark happened to be the Duke of Holstein and ruled
</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">both his kingdom Denmark and his duchy Holstein in personal union.</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">The story then continued with</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><a style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" href="http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deutsch-D" target="_blank">
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deutsch-D</a><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">änischer_Krieg</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">"Nach dem ersten Schleswig-Holsteinischen Krieg behielt die dänische Krone</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
zwar die Hoheit über Schleswig, Holstein und Lauenburg, verpflichtete sich</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">aber, die Herzogtümer als selbständige Einheiten innerhalb des Gesamtstaates
</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">zu behandeln. Zudem sollte nach dem Londoner Protokoll von 1852 Schleswig</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">verfassungsmäßig nicht enger an Dänemark gebunden werden als Holstein und</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
Lauenburg.</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Die dänische Novemberverfassung von 1863 bezog jedoch Schleswig vertragswidrig</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">mit in den dänischen Kernstaat ein. Dies wurde aus dänischer Sicht notwendig,</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
um den Staat handlungsfähig zu halten."</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">The attempt of Denmark to integrate Schleswig (!) completely into the Danish
</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">state then led to the military intervention by Prussia and Austria that led</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">to German rule over Schleswig, Holstein and Lauenburg.</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">> I have a bit of a problem with the concept "Danish area," since this sounds</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
> a bit like a "homeland" in the old South African context.</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">There may be better ways in English to express what I meant.
</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">> While there are</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">> areal concentrations, I know that Danish Germans live all over the state,</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
> especially in the larger towns and cities and of course in and around the</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">> capital Kiel, since ethnic Danes participate in pretty much everything like
</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">> everyone else, and it's their state as well -- the *whole* state. This is</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">> similar to speakers of Low Saxons, while even within its "homeland"</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
> Northern Friesland the Frisian community is now sparse and mostly rural,</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">> and there are few actual communities of North Frisian speakers outside,
</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">> with the exception of Kiel maybe.</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
Let us just have a look at an official danish site:</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><a style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" href="http://www.gkflensborg.um.dk/de/menu/Infos/Minderheit/Grenzziehung/" target="_blank">
http://www.gkflensborg.um.dk/de/menu/Infos/Minderheit/Grenzziehung/</a><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">This comes from the Danish general consulate in Flensborg:
</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">"Nach Beendigung des Krieges in 1864 mußte Dänemark beim Frieden in Wien die
</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Herzogtümer Schleswig, Holstein und Lauenburg an die deutschen Siegermächte</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">abtreten. Während die beiden letztgenannten rein deutsch waren, war der</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
überwiegende Teil der Bevölkerung im nördlichen und mittleren Teil von</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Schleswig dänischgesinnt. "</span>
<br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">So there is no historic Danish minority in Holstein, not even the Danes claim
</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">otherwise. Of course there are Danes who moved to other places. I knew a girl</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">of our church some 20 years ago whose father was Danish, they were living in</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
Elmshorn (Hostein). But that does not lead to a "Danish minority" in</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Elmshorn, at least not in the sense national minorities in the borderland are
</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">usually defined.</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">> Below is a list of color-coded examples.</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
> Lübeck Lübeck ? Lybæk</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">That one is nice. It does not come from -bek (Bach), but from a slavic name</span>
<br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">"Liubice". But if the Danes like to write Lybæk, they are free to do so, but</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">my guess is that they will never get it on the city road signs of Lübeck as</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
it as never was an area with a Danish minority. It did not even belong to the</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">duchy of Holstein as it was a "freie Reichsstadt" of the German Reich.
</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Kind regards,</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<font style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" color="#888888"><br>Heiko</font><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
----------</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><font style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" size="2"><font style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" color="#888888">
<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">From: R. F. Hahn <<a href="mailto:sassisch@yahoo.com" target="_blank">sassisch@yahoo.com</a>><br>Subject: Language politics<br><br>Hi, Heiko!<br><br>Thanks for your response.<br><br>
We may be splitting hairs here. My point is that with certain minorities territorial allocation does not sit well with me. Like ethnic Germans in Schleswig-Holstein, Danes live in both rural and urban settings and as such they are spread out, albeit most concentrated near today's border. Danish is not classified as a "regional language," as far as I know. Official publications from Schleswig-Holstein on the state level include Danish versions, but North Frisian ones only marginally (probably due to the small number and regional confinement of its speakers).
<br><br>True, Denmark treats the German minority similarly, confining its official presence to Northern Schleswig. I know that German Danes have moved to other parts as well and still speak German. Two wrongs don't make a right.
<br><br>So for diplomatic reasons, the King of Denmark was officially the <u>Duke</u> of Holstein, but he was the same person and was not a German citizen. Yes, technically he ruled as a vassal of the German Realm (</span>
</font></font><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">"som hertug af Holsten var den danske konge vasal under det tyske rige</span><font style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" size="2"><font style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" color="#888888">
<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">"), but ...<br><br>I know that a few of my ancestors in Holstein were born Danish citizens. Look at all the Danish and Danish-derived surnames in Holstein. Pick out the history of various places now in and around Hamburg and find reference to Danish rule. If you read Glikl Hameln's autobiography you get real-life accounts of 17th- and 18th-century Hamburg Jews periodically seeking shelter from pogroms in next-door Altona under the protection of the Danish crown, and I have read historical accounts and stories in which citizens of Ahrensburg (right outside Hamburg) had to travel to Copenhagen to present petitions to the king. Some of the best historical records from and about the area are now in Copenhagen archives. If that is not a case of Danish rule I don't know what is, though I'm using the word "rule" somewhat loosely.
<br><br>Altona:<br><br></span></font></font><div style="margin-left: 40px; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Altona var indtil <a href="http://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/1864" title="1864">1864</a> en af det <a href="http://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danske_Monarki" title="Danske Monarki">
danske monarkis</a> vigtigste havnebyer. Monarkiets første <a href="http://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jernbane" title="Jernbane">jernbane</a>, Altona-<a href="http://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiel" title="Kiel">Kiel</a> (<i><a href="http://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Altona-Kieler_Eisenbahn-Gesellschaft" title="Altona-Kieler Eisenbahn-Gesellschaft">
Christian VIII. Østersø Jernbane</a></i>), åbnedes i <a href="http://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/1844" title="1844">1844</a>. Tabet af Altona nødvendiggjorde bygningen af <a href="http://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esbjerg_Havn" title="Esbjerg Havn">
Esbjerg Havn</a>. <br>[<a href="http://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Altona">http://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Altona</a>]<br><p>Nach dem Aussterben der schauenburgischen Linie Pinneberg-Holstein (1640) fällt Altona an das <a href="http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herzogtum_Holstein" title="Herzogtum Holstein">
Herzogtum Holstein</a>
und damit an den jeweiligen dänischen König. Dieser ist in
Personalunion König von Dänemark und Herzog von Holstein und somit
Lehnsnehmer des Kaisers des <a href="http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heiliges_R%C3%B6misches_Reich_Deutscher_Nation" title="Heiliges Römisches Reich Deutscher Nation">Heiligen Römischen Reiches Deutscher Nation</a>.
Daher ist Altona zwar bis 1806 deutsch und bis 1864 holsteinisch, steht
aber unter dänischer Verwaltung mit allen sich daraus ergebenden
Angleichungen z. B. des geltenden <a href="http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recht" title="Recht">Rechts</a> und der <a href="http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/W%C3%A4hrung" title="Währung">Währung</a>.</p>
<p>Am 23. August 1664 verleiht der dänische König <a href="http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friedrich_III._%28D%C3%A4nemark_und_Norwegen%29" title="Friedrich III. (Dänemark und Norwegen)">Friedrich III.</a> Altona die <a href="http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stadtrecht" title="Stadtrecht">
Stadtrechte</a>; dieses <a href="http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Privileg" title="Privileg">Privileg</a> umfasst unter anderem Zoll-, Stapel- und Gewerbefreiheiten sowie <a href="http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gericht" title="Gericht">
Gerichtshoheit</a>. 1683 wird eine städtische Lateinschule gegründet, die 1738 zum Gymnasium erweitert wird, das unter dem Namen <a href="http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christianeum" title="Christianeum">Christianeum</a>
heute noch besteht. Seit Mitte des 18. Jahrhunderts werden hier auch
zahlreiche Schüler aus Altonas jüdischen Familien aufgenommen. Mit rund
12.000 Einwohnern 1710 und rund 24.000 Einwohnern 1803 ist Altona nach
Kopenhagen die zweitgrößte Stadt innerhalb des dänischen Gesamtstaates,
zu dem neben dem Königreich Dänemark auch die Herzogtümer Schleswig und
Holstein, das Königreich Norwegen sowie Island, Grönland und die
Faröer-Inseln gehören. Außerhalb des Königreiches Dänemark ist Altona
damit sogar die größte Stadt im dänischen Gesamtstaat.<br>[<a href="http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamburg-Altona">http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamburg-Altona</a>]</p><p>In <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1664" title="1664">
1664</a> it [Altona] received city rights from Danish King <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederik_III_of_Denmark" title="Frederik III of Denmark">Frederik III</a>. Until <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1864" title="1864">
1864</a> Altona was one of the Danish monarchy's most important harbour towns. Denmark's first railroad from Altona to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiel" title="Kiel">Kiel</a>, the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_VIII_of_Denmark" title="Christian VIII of Denmark">
Christian VIII</a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baltic_Sea" title="Baltic Sea">Baltic Sea</a> Rail Line (<i>Christian VIII. Østersø Jernbane</i>), was opened in 1844.<br>In <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1867" title="1867">
1867</a> it became part of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prussia" title="Prussia">Prussia</a>.<br>[<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Altona%2C_Hamburg">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Altona%2C_Hamburg</a>]<br></p>
</div><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Ahrensburg:</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><div style="margin-left: 40px; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
Mit der <a href="http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/S%C3%A4kularisation" title="Säkularisation">Säkularisation</a> auf Grund der <a href="http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reformation" title="Reformation">Reformation</a> wurde der König von
<a href="http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/D%C3%A4nemark" title="Dänemark">Dänemark</a> Eigentümer des Gebiets. Er belohnte seinen Feldherrn <a href="http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Rantzau" title="Daniel Rantzau">Daniel Rantzau
</a> 1567 mit der Herrschaft über diese Dörfer. Sein Bruder und Erbe <a href="http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Rantzau" title="Peter Rantzau">Peter Rantzau</a> baute um 1595 den <a href="http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renaissance" title="Renaissance">
Renaissance</a>-Herrensitz in Form einer <a href="http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schloss_Ahrensburg" title="Schloss Ahrensburg">Wasserburg</a>
und die Schlosskirche, heute die Wahrzeichen der Stadt. Vorbildlich war
die Angliederung von "Gottesbuden" (Wohnungen für alte und mittellose
Menschen) an die Kirche.<br>[<a href="http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ahrensburg">http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ahrensburg</a>]<br><br></div><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Denmark aptly calls the historical periods of Danish "presence" in the region
</span><i style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">personalunion</i><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"> (personal union).</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">So, I'm partly playing </span><i style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">djævelens advokaten</i><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"> on behalf of our Danish neighbors and compatriots with whose history Schleswig-Holstein's history is inextricably entwined and who have left noticeable layers of heritage throughout the state. Had it not been for Austrian interference (yes!), we might still be speaking about a part of Denmark (which would probably entail extinction of Low Saxon and Frisian in those parts, since Denmark seems to have a knack for that). In fact, Danish-ruled Northern Schleswig and German-ruled Schleswig-Holstein are a type of overlap of Denmark and Germany. Now that relations have improved and Europe is supposedly growing together, I think it's time to celebrate this rather than to play intricate diplomatic word games. It would be nice if especially Southern Jutish, Low Saxon and North Frisian would be prominently featured as common heritage in this rather than only Danish and German in the way of country-to-country business as usual.
</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">And </span><i style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
advokaten</i><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"> still holds that from a geographical point of view Holstein </span><i style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">is</i><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
a part of the Jutland Peninsula. Allens annere is diplomaatschen Tüünkraam. Süh so!</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
Of course this doesn't mean we aren't on the same page. We just turn the pages somewhat differently. ;-)</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Hold Dy styv (un hold eynluden un tweyluden uutenanner)! ;-)</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
Reinhard/Ron</span></i><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">***</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">"Livet skal forstaas baglæns,
men leves forlæns."</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">(Life must be understood backwards but must be lived forwards.)</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"> Søren Aabye Kierkegaard (1813–1855)</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">