South Schleswig Memories: War, Danish Identity and Faith in Life

Lecture by Hans Christian Davidsen on the fates of South Schleswig Danes during World War II.

Danish-minded South Schleswig men reluctantly wore Wehrmacht uniforms from 1939 to 1945. Refusing meant risking expulsion from South Schleswig - military service was the price of keeping the right to their homeland. Some experienced something almost surreal when, as convinced Danes but German citizens, they participated in the occupation of Denmark on April 9, 1940. Others returned from the Eastern Front deeply marked by their experiences.

Davidsen, cultural editor at Flensborg Avis, has revisited South Schleswig memoir literature and paints a picture that holds more than stark war accounts - the joy of Danish culture, hope, and vitality are part of the story.

He is a journalist, lecturer, and author with a particular focus on the border region and the Danish-German minority. For many years he has worked with South Jutland and South Schleswig history, culture, and identity.