I have spent the last two Wednesdays at the Byarkivet (Town Archive) in Køge sorting through stacks of files and boxes about my Danish ancestry.  My mother’s father’s parents were both of Danish descent and some of my ancestors lived in Køge, where I am now living with my host family.  Two weeks ago I made my first trip to the Byarkivet  armed with nothing more than a list of names and birthdays and overwhelmed with anticipation of what I might discover about my family’s past.  I was instantly greeted by two employees whose faces lit up the moment I told them that I am an American looking for answers about my Danish ancestry.  They were able to find my great-great-grandfather in their card catalogue, which led them to an envelope of old photographs and a few newspaper clippings.  One of the newspaper clippings included my great-great-grandfather’s address here in Køge.  They told me that they had more information in storage and that they would gladly retrieve it for me if I was willing to come back.  So this past Wednesday I returned.  There were more photographs and newspaper clippings and there were boxes of information from my great-grandmother’s school.  I was able to skim the newspaper articles and pick out enough words to get an overall idea, and one of the employees kindly translated the articles that I deemed important.  When I finished at the Byarkivet I visited my great-great-grandfather’s home and my great-grandmother’s school.  Each is about a ten minute bike ride from my house.  I’ll admit that I got a bit emotional and sentimental, but I was overcome by what a unique opportunity it is for me to be living in Køge 84 years after my great-grandmother immigrated to the United States.

this is me sorting through the information at the Byarkivet

(Also my other two great-great-grandparents were born in Kolding and Ødense, two of the towns that I visited on my trip to Funen and Jutland.)

I spent Saturday in the city with my friends and at night we went to Tivoli, a large amusement park in the center of Copenhagen.  Tivoli is offering free admission to students during the month of September, so I wanted to visit before the deal expires.  We didn’t go on any of the rides, but there was still plenty to see within the park.  I’m planning to go back during the Christmas season to go on the rides and to see Tivoli’s famous Christmas lights.

Tivoli

I have been learning about the Danish welfare state in my Danish Language & Culture class, and I find it truly fascinating.  Danes pay exorbitant taxes (up to sixty percent income tax!) but are eligible for exceptional programs and benefits in return.  For example, Danes are eligible for free health care, unemployment benefits of DKK 11,000 (about  2,000 USD) per month for up to two years, and DKK 16,000 (about 2,900 USD) per child per year (though this has recently been capped at a maximum of DKK 30,000 per family per year).  The welfare state is strained because of the aging Danish population and an influx of immigrants who rely on (but don’t necessarily contribute to) the welfare state, and the situation is not going to get better in the foreseeable future.  (I, too, am eligible for some of these benefits, such as free health care, since I am registered with a CPR number.  But the unlikelihood of me having to take advantage of the system and the amount of money that I am pouring into their economy alleviates my guilt.)  The vast majority of Danes approve of the welfare state, but cuts are being made and with great impact to those who rely on the system.

The welfare state is based on two Danish cultural and societal principles.  The first is trust.  Danes trust that everyone will contribute (through taxes) to the welfare state and that each will benefit from it in times of need, making the system “fair” in the end.  (A shocking symbol of Danish trust: it is not uncommon for Danish mothers to leave their young children in a pram (stroller) outside of a store while shopping.  I see it all the time and no one seems to think anything of it.)

The second principle is equality.  Denmark is a collective society, and it is not acceptable behavior to flaunt your good fortune or to behave in a way that indicates that you think that you are better than anyone else.  Taxes and pay scales ensure that there is not a wide economic gap among Danes.  It is nearly impossible to become rich (above averagely so) in Denmark.  Also, people are not given extra opportunities as a result of their talents.  For example, intelligent Danish children are not separated from the rest of the class to ensure that they are being challenged; instead, Danish children of all academic abilities learn to cooperate together.  This is in stark contrast to the United States.  Where the US is about striving to be the best, Denmark is about being on par with the rest of society.  The very essence of the American Dream contradicts Danish societal principles.

And finally – two notes about Danes and homes:

1. Home Renovations – Danes love to renovate (and talk about renovating) their homes.  My host family is currently redoing the master bath and painting planks for the roof.  They also have big plans for their garden.  My friends who are living with host families say that their host families like to talk about their plans for their homes, too.  Second to the weather, this seems to be a good conversation topic when meeting Danes.

2. Home Exchange – Remember the movie The Holiday, where Kate Winslet and Cameron Diaz exchange homes for the holidays via an internet home exchange site?  People actually do that!  My host family has done it a few times, most recently trading homes with a family from France for a four week vacation this past summer.  I actually laughed out loud when they told me this, so they showed me the website to prove that it is legitimate.  For a small annual fee you can register with the site, and members contact one another through their profiles and set up home exchanges.  Sounds like a pretty convenient and cost effective way to travel!

bye for now!

Allie