Architecture of the Royal Danish Embassy
Glass, concrete, wood and stainless steelThe Danish Embassy is located in the southwestern part of the embassy site. It fits in directly and forms a continuation of the 15-metre high and 230-metre long copper band which encloses all of the Nordic Embassies.
The Danish Embassy was designed by the Danish architect team 3xN Architects. Their objective was to create a building that would meet the representative requirements of an embassy, would be vibrant and inviting, and would feature Danish design and technical expertise.
A glass-roofed atrium forms the heart of the embassy building. It is flanked by two different building wings, one of which is an organically formed structure, running parallel to the wave-like copper band. Thus, the wave form is also apparent in the atrium of the embassy. Elegant curved wooden lamellas add to the warm character of the organic form.
The second building wing opposite is an angular prism. A stairway runs up in a straight line along its long side. Several bridges cross the relatively narrow atrium, thus connecting the two parts of the building. A concrete rectangular unit extends up under the glass roof; it contains elevators and common rooms of the different departments. The tall, slender form of the concrete rectangle structure underscores the height of the atrium. Toward the common plaza of the Nordic Embassies, the building is almost completely covered with perforated stainless steel panels. These provide protection from the sun and appear amazingly transparent. They give the embassy a harmonious, unified appearance.
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Facts: Denmark
Flag The Danish flag is known as the Dannebrog. It is probably the oldest of the Nordic flag... > more The Danish flag is known as the Dannebrog. It is probably the oldest of the Nordic flags and has not been changed since it was first introduced. According to legend, the flag appeared in an apparition to the Danish King Valdemar II on the 15th of June 1219 during the battle of Reval (against the Estonians) and helped the king to victory.
An especially nice flag tradition is the birthday of Queen Margrethe II. Every year on the 16th of April thousands of people congregate in front of the Amalienborg Palace in Copenhagen to congratulate the Queen by waving small flags and pennants. The Queen then appears with her family on the balcony. However, flags are on display not only in Copenhagen, but throughout the entire country.
< less National Anthem Der er et yndigt land (I know a lovely land) is the title and first
line of the national anthem of Denmark. For royal celebrations, the
royal anthem Kong Kristian stod ved højen mast (King Christan stood by
the lofty mast) is played... > more Der er et yndigt land (I know a lovely land) is the title and first line of the national anthem of Denmark. For royal celebrations, the royal anthem Kong Kristian stod ved højen mast (King Christan stood by the lofty mast) is played.
The lyrics were written by Adam Oehlenschläger in 1819, the melody for it was composed by Hans Ernst Krøyer around 1835.
1. Der er et yndigt land,
Det står med brede bøge
Nær salten østerstrand;
Det bugter sig i bakke, dal,
Det hedder gamle Danmark
Og det er Frejas sal.
2. Der sad i fordums tid
De harniskklædte kæmper,
Udhvilede fra strid;
Så drog de frem til fjenders mén,
Nu hvile deres bene
Bag højens bavtasten.
3. Det land endnu er skønt,
Thi blå sig søen bælter,
Og løvet står så grønt;
Og ædle kvinder, skønne mø’r
Og mænd og raske svende
Bebo de danskes øer.
4. Hil drot og fædreland!
Hil hver en danneborger,
Som virker, hvad han kan!
Vort gamle Danmark skal bestå,
Så længe bøgen spejler
Sin top i bølgen blå.
< less Danish Language Danish received its form through interactions with other languages. Its
vocabulary reflects the material and cultural heritage of centuries.
Danish grammar is relatively easy for Germans to learn, but the
pronunciation is often difficult for non-Danes... > more Danish received its form through interactions with other languages. Its vocabulary reflects the material and cultural heritage of centuries. Danish grammar is relatively easy for Germans to learn, but the pronunciation is often difficult for non-Danes. It is particularly problematic to conclude how a word should be pronounced from the way it is written and vice versa. For example, vejr (weather), hver (whoever), værd (value) are pronounced identically.
Several thousand people living on the Faroe Islands speak Danish as their first language, and the other 45 000 Faroe Islanders have Danish as their second language. Danish was the second official language in Iceland until 1999, and it is one of the two official languages of Greenland (the other being Greenlandic). In addition, Danish is the native language of more than 10 000 people in Southern Schleswig in Germany; for even more people there it is the second language.
The Danish alphabet has three letters of its own: æ/Æ, ø/Ø and å/Å.
Mini language course in Danish:
Good day - god dag
Good evening - god aften
Hello - hej
Bye - hej hej
Thank you - tak
Excuse me - undskyld
< less National Day The Danes do not have a national day in the actual sense of the word.
The closest thing to a national day is Grundlovsdag... > more The Danes do not have a national day in the actual sense of the word. The closest thing to a national day is Grundlovsdag (Constitution Day) which commemorates the introduction of the Danish constitution on 5 June 1849 by Frederick VII. On Grundlovsdag democracy is celebrated, and schools, public buildings, businesses etc. are closed.
This date, besides the birthday of the Queen, has since been the national holiday in Denmark and marks the introduction of the constitutional monarchy and the abolishment of absolutism which had existed since 1660.
< less Christmas The name for Christmas in Danish is Jul... > more The name for Christmas in Danish is Jul.
Advent season
On the 1st of December the Kalenderlys (calendar candle) is lit. It is marked off by horizontal lines in 24 divisions for the 24 days until Christmas. The 1st of December is also the day on which children are allowed to open the first door of their Julekalender (Advent calendar). There is also an official Advent calendar as a programm on television, and as a supplement to it there are calendars to buy, the profits of which benefit projects in the third world.
It is customary for family and friends to gather together in a Julestue (Christmas room) to make Christmas crafts. Later there are treats like glögg (hot spiced wine with almonds and raisins) and æbleskiver (round apple pancakes).
In many companies and factories there is a Julefrokost (Christmas celebration) for all of the staff. Here people drink Juleøl, a beer that is only brewed for the Christmas season, and of course sing a lot, as is usual at celebrations in Denmark.
The last evening before Christmas Eve, the 23rd of December, is called Lillejuleaften (Little Christmas Eve). Here the family gathers together to make the last preparations.
Christmas Eve Christmas dinner, which takes place on the 24th in the evening traditionally consists of roast pork, roast duck or goose with braised red cabbage and caramelised potatoes as side dishes. For dessert there is risalamande (cold rice pudding) in which an almond has been hidden, served with hot cherry compote. The finder of the almond gets a small present.
On Christmas Eve people dance around the Christmas tree, sing Christmas carols and open presents.
The Danish Father Christmas or Santa Claus (Julemanden) lives in Greenland Kongsgården (royal court). With the help of his Nisser (elves), he makes Christmas presents for all of the children.
Christmas Holidays The first and second days of Christmas are spent in the circle of family and friends. There is a cold buffet, at which beer and schnaps are served. The influence of regional cuisine is noticeable, with dishes such as white and green cabbage as side dishes to different pork dishes.
< less Easter The name for Easter in Danish is påske. > more The name for Easter in Danish is påske.
Before Easter gained significance as a Christian holiday, the celebration of spring played a key role in Denmark. Then too, eggs were the symbol for new life (and for spring). They were given as presents and eaten. Around 1900 the custom of using eggs as decoration appeared. The insides of the eggs were blown out of the egg shells, and then they were dyed, painted or decorated with coloured paper and hung in the windows.
As the name indicates, Påskeliljer (Easter lilies or daffodils) are also part of the decoration, and people bring branches of flowering trees into their houses and hang painted Easter eggs on them.
The first holiday in Denmark is Skærtorsdag (Holy Thursday). A traditional dish served on this day is søbekål, a stew with nine different kinds of vegetables, which was served in former times as protection to ward off illness and evil.
Easter, like Christmas, is a family celebration, where people eat and drink a lot. The Easter meal not only consists of eggs and roast lamb, but also of different cold and warm dishes with a large selection of toppings for the smørrebrød (Danish open-faced sandwiches). Snaps (rye spirits) and påskebryg (Easter beer especially brewed for Easter) are served as beverages.
One of the most important Easter customs in Denmark is sending a gækkebrev. The first gækkebrev was supposedly written about 1800. It is a letter which people send to a dear friend or someone in the family a few weeks before Easter. Different patterns are cut into the letter stationery using scissors. A verse is written on the paper and the name of the sender is indicated with dots. A vintergæk (snow bell) is enclosed in the letter. If a person gets a gækkebrev, he or she has to find out who the sender is. If the person doesn’t find out who sent it, he or she is a gæk (a fool). If the person guesses who the sender is, the sender himself is the gæk. The gæk must then atone for this and has to give away a chocolate Easter egg.
< less Summer The traditional highlight of the summer season is the Danish Sankt Hans
Aften (St. John’s Eve) on the evening before the name day of St. John... > more The traditional highlight of the summer season is the Danish Sankt Hans Aften (St. John’s Eve) on the evening before the name day of St. John. After long, dark winter months, the Danes flock outdoors on the 23rd of June to celebrate the summer solstice and the long hours of sunlight with large bonfires and much singing. At the bål, the bonfires, the song written by the Danish poet Holger Drachmann in 1885 resounds throughout the country: “We love our country, but most of all we love it at Midsummer.” As is fitting for a folk festival, there is live music, games and fun for the young and young at heart, and sausage stalls and beer stands.
Sankt Hans bål (St. John’s bonfire) can be traced back to an ancient pagan custom to drive out evil spirits and witches. Originally it was celebrated during the summer solstice on the 21st of June. Today, a straw witch puppet – a symbol originally from Germany to drive out the dark powers – sits on top of most of the bonfires in Denmark. The so-called båltale or bonfire speeches are a highlight of the evening: In former times the bonfire speeches conjured up the force of the fire against evil; today the speakers use the opportunity to bring attention to topics large and small, and not seldom they comment ironically on political issues.
In addition to the large St. John’s bonfires, there are torchlight and lantern processions in many places in Denmark. Almost all of the St. John’s events take place next to water – on the endless beaches of the North and Baltic Seas, or alongside fjords and bays. Participation is free of charge and always an experience – for Danes and vacationers alike.
< less Sports The Danes have lost their hearts to ball sports. Football in particular
can look back on a long and proud tradition: The first football match
in Denmark... > more The Danes have lost their hearts to ball sports. Football in particular can look back on a long and proud tradition: The first football match in Denmark took place in 1879, and to this day football is the Danes’ preferred sport. However, handball has become a strong rival to football. The Danish women’s handball team has won the gold medal at every Olympics since the Olympic Games in 1996, and these successes have helped the discipline attain great popularity. Similar to citizens of other Nordic countries, Danes like to participate in sports associations or clubs. This not only applies to football and handball, but also to badminton, a sport that enjoys great popularity, particularly in Asia and Denmark. For that reason, the winners’ lists of important international tournaments are mainly made up of Danish and Asian names. Danish Union of Ball Sports: www.dbu.dk Danish Badminton Association: www.badminton.dk < less
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