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NEWS

Grade requirements leap as record number of new students are accepted at nation’s universities

NEWS

A threat to social security Labour leaders say Amin Skov’s deal with an independent union will lead to the downfall of the social welfare system

Beating the hosts past the post

NEWS

Heading into the weekend, most of Denmark’s best medal chances see them pitted against the Brits Concern about not having enough to eat – not eating too much – is the real cause of obesity, claims one scientist

The ride of a lifetime One British family is on a quest to cycle from Denmark to Britain in order to raise money for charity and honour their deceased daughter

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Danish design, now made in Poland KEVIN MCGWIN

CULTURE

Job losses in the furniture industry continue as maker of classic designs announces plans to stop production in the home market

he company that makes some of Denmark’s most recognisable – and expensive – chairs is moving the last vestiges of its production to Poland, continuing a trend of massive job losses in one of the country’s biggest export industries. Allerød-based Fritz Hansen already produces iconic Danish-designed chairs such as the Egg and the Swan in Poland, but the 140 year-old company announced on Monday that it would stop making stackable chairs

at its plant in the Zealand town of Vassingerød. Fritz Hansen will retain about a dozen workers who will be responsible for assembling components produced at its Polish factory, but the company said it made the decision to move its remaining production after concluding that it would be more cost-effective to open a new plant in Poland than upgrade the Vassingerød facility. “In a global market where the competition is tough, it is hard to overlook that there were so many benefits of moving production to Poland”, Jacob Holm, Fritz Hansen’s managing director, said. According to Holm, the company had managed to put off the move for a number of years, but the final decision came after it had concluded that there were no longer any productivity gains to be made in Denmark.

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“We reached the point where our employees couldn’t work any harder,” Holm told financial daily Børsen. Holm added that “terrible” conditions for doing business in Denmark, combined with lower wages in Poland, meant the decision was inevitable. “Factors such as costs and taxes were an enormous. They were what made the decision for us.” The move, according to Holm, does not mean the company’s products will be produced under worse working conditions or would be of a lower quality. “Ten years ago, it would have worried us, but today it’s not a problem in terms of what the consumer will experience,” he told Børsen. Danish furniture holds a vaunted place among design aficionados, but that status has not been enough to prevent the industry from shedding half of its work-

force in Denmark over the past 15 years. In 1993, furniture makers employed 23,000 people in Denmark. Today the number is 11,000, and 4,000 of those job losses have come since 2008. “Companies are moving their labour intensive production out of Denmark and employment opportunities in the industry are grim. Wages are too high and productivity is too low,” Keld Korsager, of Møbel+Interiør, a furniture makers’ interest group, said in 2011 in conjunction with the release of a report about the industry. Holm said, however, that even though Danish design is now being produced abroad, it did not mean consumers would associate them any less with Denmark. “Fritz Hansen still needs to give its seal of approval that the craftsmanship is up to standard.”

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Week in review

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3 - 9 August 2012 scanpix/ Torkil Adsersen

Sweaty santas

THE WEEK’S MOST READ STORIES AT CPHPOST.DK Green card a red light for ambitious immigrants Report: Cartoon paedophilia not harmless The grass is not always greener Mother and daughter murdered while escaping to new life Political leaders call Obama “assassin” for use of drones

FROM OUR ARCHIVES TEN YEARS AGO. Outbreak of Newcastle Disease in Jutland costs farmers millions of kroner as whole populations of young poultry are put down. FIVE YEARS AGO. Mission accomplished? The Danish troops arrive home from Iraq with mixed feelings.

A Canadian Santa Claus, Peter Boxall, and a Swedish ‘Jultomten’ attending the annual World Santa Congress last week seek relief in the shade at Copenhagen Zoo. The pair were part of a group of holiday characters calling on the zoo to visit its herd of reindeer

eliminating the 40,000 kroner threshold for payment of the full capital gains tax rate. Currently, capital gains under that amount are taxed at a lower rate, and according to the party the change would balance out the 210 million kroner lost by maintaining the universal child payment.

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Dane abroad

Nikolaj Hübbe, the artistic director of the Royal Ballet, has been awarded the ‘International Dane of the Year’ award by expat society Danes Worldwide. Hübbe is the fourth recipient of the award, which is given to a Dane who “has made an extraordinary and visible effort to promote Denmark abroad”. According to the organi-

President and Publisher Ejvind Sandal Chief Executive Jesper Nymark Editor-in-Chief Kevin McGwin Managing Editor Ben Hamilton News Editor Justin Cremer Journalists Peter Stanners, Ray Weaver & Christian Wenande

sation, Hübbe received the award for his “international experience, which is spiced with a historical curiosity”. Hübbe embarked on a 16-year career as a solo dancer with the New York City Ballet in 1992. In 2008 he returned to Denmark. Danes Worldwide estimates that some 200,000 Danish citizens currently live abroad.

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After entering into a tax reform with the government at the end of June, opposition party Venstre is seeking to renegotiate a part of the deal that would have cut the universal quarterly child benefit for families earning over 760,000 kroner. Calling the move “unfair”, the party instead proposes

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Child benefit

ONE YEAR AGO. Some 3,000 out of 7,500 minks escape from a fur farm near Assens. All but 100 are retrieved or put down.

Killing cut

As Danish audiences await the start of the third season of ‘The Killing’ (Forbrydelsen) in September, low ratings have led to US station AMC dropping its adaptation of the TV hit after two seasons. While it drew 2.7 million viewers per episode during its first season, the figures had fallen to 1.4 mil-

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lion by the end of the second season. Danish media experts said the viewer exodus may be related to the drawn-out nature of the series. Due to manuscript changes, the murderer was not revealed until the end of the second season, and not the end of the first season as in the original.

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News

The Copenhagen Post cphpost.dk

3 - 9 August 2012

Day of reckoning for student hopefuls scanpix/ Marie Hald

Peter Stanners Record numbers of students applied to university and college this year, though thousands didn’t have the grades to get into any of their preferred programmes

ens of thousands of apprehensive applicants discovered last Monday whether they will be starting at university or vocational college this autumn. A majority can rest easy – of the 80,000 that applied for further education this year, a record 60,437 were accepted – a six percent increase on 2011. However, 18,000 will have to delay their educational ambitions by another year, either because their grades were not high enough or because they weren’t sufficiently qualified for the programme they applied for. The record number of further education applicants has meant that the minimum marks required for acceptance to some programmes has skyrocketed. There were 52 courses this year needing an average of at least nine (out of a possible 12) this year, compared to 29 programmes in 2009. The most difficult programme to be accepted into this year was molecu-

Thousands will miss out on those heady first days at uni

lar biomedicine at the University of Copenhagen, which required an 11.7 average, up from 9.8 in 2009 – only 55 of the 351 applicants made the grade. The entry requirements for medicine at the University of Copenhagen also increased significantly from 10.3 in 2009 to 10.9 this year, with 563 of the 2,609 applicants receiving letters of acceptance. Several causes were given for the increase in entry requirements, including the change of the grading

system from a 13-point system to a 12-point system. Students applying no more than two years after finishing gymnasium can also multiply their average by 1.08 as an incentive to get young people to complete their studies sooner, which was also given as a reason for the rising entry requirements. The increasing numbers of students fits with the government’s goal of having 60 percent of school leavers complete a further education programme

by 2020. Further education is not limited to academic pursuits at university, however, and also includes vocational programmes and job training. But many have criticised the government’s plans. Among them is the Danish students’ union, DSF, which is concerned that the increasing numbers of students will only weaken the standard of education. “The status at universities today is that they are coming close to breaking the law in terms of relevance and quality because not enough of the programmes are research-based,” Torben Holm, DSF’s chairman, told the Ritzau news bureau. “I think the government needs to slow the increase in places and rather focus on the content of the courses.” The government has also been criticised for pursuing its plan at a time of record unemployment among graduates. But the education minister, Morten Østergaard (Radikale), argued in Politiken newspaper that higher levels of education will only benefit Denmark. “The raising of educational levels is considered by many opinion-shapers as leading to over-education because unemployment is high and graduates are being hired in positions different to what they traditionally have been,”

Østergaard wrote. “This is a misconstrual of the facts.” Østergaard added that unemployment among Danes who have completed further education is lower than it is for unskilled Danes and those who only completed secondary school. “The solution to unemployment among new graduates is not to educate fewer, but to better equip them for work and to also use them to create the conditions for creating jobs that will create further jobs.” Some 18,000 applicants missed out on starting further education this year because their grades were not good enough, leading the education spokesperson for the far-left Enhedslisten, Rosa Lund, to urge the government to create more places for prospective students. Her demand was immediately turned down by Ramsus Prehn (Socialdemokraterne). “It would be hard to accept more students when we are already stretched as it is,” Prehn told Politiken. “Educational institutions also have to be able set a minimum standard for acceptance.” Only 26 percent of the 27,889 applicants to the University of Copenhagen, or 7,286 applicants, were accepted this year.

Peter Stanners A rocket launched by an amateur organisation reached supersonic speeds but broke up at an altitude of about six kilometres

rocket launched last week on Friday by Copenhagen Suborbitals broke up and fell back to the Baltic Sea shortly after lift-off. The six-metre, two-stage rocket called Smaragd was beset by problems before launch, including the ominous presence of an unauthorised boat near the floating launch pad, 15 kilometres off the east coast of Bornholm. After a two-hour delay and one false start, the rocket finally launched at about 1pm, reaching an estimated top speed of 1,650 kilometres per hour and an altitude of about 690 metres.

The nose cone containing much launches this summer – one of which of the electronics was destroyed during will involve a 1.8 metre space capsule the ascent, however, meaning that a fi- called ‘Tycho Deep Space’. Copenhagen Suborbitals is a privatenal verification of its maximum altitude ly sponsored company hoping to one day was lost. send humans into space. Last “I can’t say how year it successfully launched high the rocket reached the 9.5-metre Heat-1X Tybut my guess is about cho Brahe 2.8 kilometres six kilometres,” Peter into the sky. The rocket’s Madsen, of Copenhatarget altitude, however, was gen Suborbitals, wrote I can’t say how high 15 kilometres. in his blog on the web- the rocket reached In 2010, the same rocket site of weekly science failed to launch. publication Ingeniøren. but my guess is Subor“Judging by the rocket’s about six kilometres, bitals“AtweCopenhagen don’t believe that direction and the moamateurs can’t be driven by tor’s pressure, it should have followed the calculations we made interest and passion to do things,” Madsen wrote on his blog shortly before takebeforehand.” In an interview with Ingeniøren, off. “If it hasn’t happened yet, it’s simply Madsen said creating a nose cone out of a because people haven’t had the will to more robust material would be the focus prioritise highly enough their hobby of their attention before further planned with rockets.”

scanpix/ OLSEN JESPER

Third time still not a charm for rocketeers

Smaragd being launched ahead of its quick descent

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4 news Union struggling to define future Christian Wenande

he year was 1984. Kim Larsen had just released ‘Midt om Natten’, Niels Kay Jerne was awarded a Nobel prize and Preben Elkjær blasted a penalty over the bar against Spain in the European Championship semifinal. And then there was Per Brandt. A bus driver, Brandt singlehandedly brought public transport in Zealand to a complete standstill by refusing to join the SiD labour union (now 3F). The union subsequently organised a massive blockade that prevented one million people getting to work. And when Brandt still refused to buckle, the union turned up the pressure and finally got him sacked. Nearly 30 years later and Denmark has a new Per Brandt. His name is Amin Skov. But this time the unions are on the back foot. Skov, the owner of Restaurant Vejlegården, has faced union pressure that one politician called “Mafia tactics”, including no rubbish removal, threats against a local newspaper for publishing his advertisements, and picketing in front of his eatery. The reason for the dispute is that Skov signed a collective bargaining agreement with the independent trade union Krifa, instead of 3F. 3F is within its rights to organise strikes and blockades, and in this case it says its actions are meant to protect the ideals of a labour model that traces its roots back to 1899, when widespread strikes ended with a truce between workers and employers and an understanding that each had rights and obligations in labour issues. They also agreed that stable labour relations was a key to economic progress. But even though both parties still agree to those basic prin-

3 - 9 August 2012

African state threatens journalist with legal action Sine Vadstrup Brooker

One restaurant’s struggle against the labour establishment could herald a change to the Danish welfare labour model

scanpix/ Camilla Rønde

The Copenhagen Post cphpost.dk

Mads Brügger being appointed a Liberian diplomat by its former foreign minister, Toga Mcintosh

Peter Stanners

Restaurant owner Amin Skov, a threat to 3F, an example to reformers

ciples, it was almost three decades ago that Brandt stood up to the union, and 3F may have the spirit of the age against it in the Vejlegården conflict. The membership of 3F and unions in general is falling as the number of blue collar jobs declines. That has left the public image of unions in the balance as people increasingly become averse to the idea of being coerced into becoming a member of a union. “A story about a person is much easier to tell than one about the labour movement,” Henning Tjørnehøj, from the union advisory board Fagbevægelsens Forskningsråd, told Information newspaper. “Amin Skov has already won the media battle, and it’s difficult for the unions to win public support when the media constantly portrays the issue as a drama that pits the little guy versus the big bad union.” And while the drama unfolding between 3F and Skov may seem to be a simple labour conflict, nothing could be further from the truth. The dispute represents the clash between the freedom of organisation and the methods that brought about a labour market model that works on the ideal of industry-wide collective bargaining agreements.

But according to political scientist Søren Hviid Pedersen the system of one-size-fits-all labour agreements is out-dated and doesn’t adequately embody the current labour environment in Denmark. “The socialist union movement still clings to the worst delusion of Marxism: the idea of class struggle. Employees and employers do not have competing interests, they have a joint interest in creating prosperity and labour in the nation they live in,” Pedersen wrote in Berlingske newspaper. But Keld Holm, a former Konservative MP, argued that while the Danish welfare model may be obsolete, it is certainly preferable to the jungle that would ensue if the labour market were to become unregulated. “The Danish model’s founding principles are about the right to organise and demand acceptable wage and work conditions, including the right to strike to obtain such conditions,” Holm responded in Berlingske. “On the other hand, it is also the right of the employer to manage employees and distribute work, as well as using lockouts in times of strife.” The Danish labour model may be heavily praised in other countries, but one catch-22 of the current system is that Dan-

ish jobs continue to be outsourced because businesses simply can’t afford to pay the high wages that unions have been able to secure through the years. And on top of that, the unions may have had the public’s support in the ‘80s when blue collar jobs were still plentiful, but this time, union tactics have led to a dramatic shift. Restaurant Vejlegården’s bookings are up by 15 percent since the drama began. Meanwhile, a poll shows 60 percent of voters are in favour of outlawing blockades as a union weapon. And with public support for labour unions flagging, critical politicians have started to go for the jugular. “We need to modernise the Danish model,” Ulla Tørnæs (Venstre) told Jyllands-Posten newspaper. “Otherwise it will lose legitimacy and will not survive the 21st century, because Danes will no longer accept being forced into becoming a member of an organisation that they don’t wish to join.” So even though 3F may well be within its rights to carry out its crusade against Amin Skov, with the public and politicians against it, it’s not hard to imagine that this may be another instance where winning the strike winds up costing its members dearly in the end.

The Liberian government has announced that it is suing Mads Brügger for buying a diplomatic passport that he used to expose institutional corruption in central Africa

ournalist Mads Brügger got away with tricking his way into North Korea under the guise he was leading a troupe of performers in order to shoot his critically acclaimed documentary, ‘The Red Chapel’, about the secretive state. But his venture to the Central African Republic (CAR) has not gone unnoticed by the Liberian government which is now launching legal action against him for buying a Liberian diplomatic passport. Brügger used the passport, which was purchased illegally through corrupt officials, to enter the CAR under the false premise of setting up a matchstick factory, though his actual goal was to track down so-called ‘blood diamonds’. The subsequent documentary, ‘The Ambassador’, released last year, exposed widespread corruption in west and central Africa. In announcing it was launching criminal proceedings against Brügger, the Liberian government called his actions “not only immoral but also criminal and offensive to the government and people of Liberia”.

“The Government of Liberia has learned, with grave consternation, of a film documentary in which Danish journalist Mads Johan Brugger Cortzen [as he named himself in the documentary] presents himself as a Liberian diplomat with the title of consul general and ambassadorat-large accredited to the Central African Republic (CAR),” an official press release stated. “Mr Cortzen admits that he fraudulently purchased a Liberian diplomatic position and passport for US$150,000.00 through a network that allegedly advertises and unauthorisingly [sic] sells diplomatic positions of struggling countries, including Liberia, via the World Wide Web.” Brügger, who now runs upstart radio station Radio24syv, is currently in New Zealand promoting ‘The Ambassador’ and told Politiken newspaper that he found the situation peculiar. “If a journalist from Liberia had exposed that it was possible to bribe the Danish foreign minister and fool the country’s leading corporate lawyer, it would be strange if the Danish state then chose to start legal proceedings against the Liberian journalist,” Brügger said, adding that he had no intention of going to Liberia to defend himself. “Legal practice and the prison service in Liberia both leave much to be desired. It’s a country where the president’s son is the chairman of the national oil commission even though he knows nothing about oil.”

Online this week Observers recalled

Three members of the cabinet have proposed that Denmark do more to attract foreign students and take a greater share of the international education market. Outlining their plan last week, the science, innovation and higher education minister, the children and education minister, and the trade and investment minister said Denmark’s vocational training programmes at university colleges were the sector of the economy most likely to offer growth, though it would require increasing the number of programmes offered in English. According to their estimates, the value of the international education market is $2.2 trillion a year – almost ten times Denmark’s gross domestic product. The ministers

Police on Funen believe a 38-yearold mother of two and her six-year-old daughter found dead inside their home in the village of Otterup were murdered by the woman’s boyfriend in a desperate attempt to prevent them from starting a new life. The 38-year-old man, who was not the father of the woman’s children, is suspected of shooting and killing the two last week on Thursday before turning the gun on himself. An autopsy revealed that all three victims were killed by the same type of weapon. The boyfriend was a hunter and had legal access to certain types of firearms. The woman and her boyfriend were reportedly splitting up. The woman, neighbours said, had found a flat and was in the process

UN’s decision to cut the total number of observers in Syria by half will result in five of the ten Danish members of the team being sent home. Those involved have not had much mobility recently due to the security situation in Syria. Lieutenant Colonel Jens Lønborg, the Army chief of operations, told the media that security restrictions had made it hard for the team to be as active as they had been at the start of the mission. As of June 30, 278 unarmed UN observers were working with 81 international and 40 local civilian auxiliaries. The UN said the restructuring is part of a plan to get more Syrians involved in the mission.

stressed, however, that they were not proposing that all programmes be taught in English, but rather the creation of parallel programmes: “English is becoming the dominant language for university education, but our university colleges are lagging behind. International students lift the quality of schools so I think they will find a solution.”

scanpix/ Martin Sylvest Andersen

Family tragedy colourbox

Exporting education

of removing her belongings from the home. At the time of the incident, the woman was loading a trailer parked outside the home with a final load of possessions, sources said. Police suspect that the finality of the breakup caused the man to snap.

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The Copenhagen Post cphpost.dk

3 - 9 August 2012

Danish doctor is claiming that obesity cannot be solely blamed on over-eating and laziness. Professor Thorkild IA Sørensen, the head of the Danish Obesity Research Centre, has been studying obesity for the past 17 years and now plans to investigate the link between social insecurity and obesity. “If you examine the scientific literature carefully and look at people’s diets and how active they are, you can’t see that either has an influence on the development of obesity,” Sørensen told Information newspaper. “There are no numbers that show that obesity is caused by eating too much and exercising too little.” While it has long been understood that a range of factors affect a person’s risk of becoming obese, such as genetic predisposition and social status, Sørensen’s theory is that obesity is a reaction to social or psychological insecurity. “Social inequality seems to be the crucial element. The worse your social standing, the more insecure you are about

The opening of a temporary asylum centre in Vollsmose has been met with mixed feelings

City homes for Asylum seekers on the agenda peter stanners Overweight, but is she insecure as well?

your future. You can therefore make the link between food insecurity and obesity. In the US, obesity is closely linked to living in conditions that lead to food insecurity.” Sørensen pointed to Oxford University researchers Stanley Ulijaszek and Avner Offer, who also claim obesity can be tied to public policy. Their research, he said, links welfare cuts in the US in the 1970s and in the UK in the 1980s to a rise in obesity in both countries. “The cause of obesity could be that many people live with insecurity, which their body interprets as doubt about the future availability of energy,” Sørensen said, adding that the stigma of being obese only makes the problem worse. “It creates a vicious circle because it

makes people more insecure and that stimulates more obesity.” Sørensen hopes that his new research project will enable them to discover how different forms of psychological and social insecurity stimulate the body to produce fat tissue. “A challenge will be to discover how to block or slow the process from insecurity to obesity.” The government drew international attention when it introduced a fat tax after assuming power last September, and then proposed a tax on sugar as well. While the state highlights the health benefits of the tax, many argued that they were simply a soft target for a government that needed to raise revenue.

Similar plans to open a temporary centre in the Odense suburb of Vollsmose are criticised by one of its city councillors

sylum seekers will be able to live in Copenhagen for the first time if the city’s deputy mayor for integration, Anna Mee Allerslev (Radikale), gets her way. Speaking to Politiken newspaper, Allerslev said she wants to establish a ‘reception house’ where asylum seekers can live for the first month in the country and where they can receive language classes and work. Allerslev is a critic of the current system in which asylum seekers often live for years at asylum centres that are generally located in the countryside.

Political leaders call Obama an “assassin” for his use of drones ray weaver Former immigration minister Søren Pind calls the US president “worse than Bush” for allowing remote attacks against enemies

anish politicians are levelling unprecedented criticism at the US president, Barack Obama, for his use of remote-controlled attack drones in Pakistan, Somalia and Yemen. Rasmus Helveg Petersen, the Radikale foreign policy spokesperson, told Politiken newspaper that Obama’s actions mirror those of the terrorists he professes to be fighting against. “It’s terrible,” said Petersen. “The United States has no right to carry out these types of executions of suspected political adversaries. It contravenes international law.” Petersen added that executing political adversaries within

“Both the conditions and the uncertain times at the Danish centres are completely unacceptable,” she wrote in a comment to Politiken. Allerslev named Ørestad, Ny Carlsberg and Nordhavn as potential locations for the new welcome home, which she expects could house about 360 asylum seekers. There is broad support for a government proposal to allow asylum seekers to live and work outside asylum centres after six months in the country. However, only asylum seekers that promise to cooperate with their repatriation will be covered by the law change, which is a condition that has been criticised by asylum activists. Denmark’s asylum population is currently growing due to a halt on forced repatriations to countries currently in conflict, such as Somalia and Syria.

another country’s borders was of Obama’s involvement in some tantamount to terrorism. 261 drone raids against suspectThe comments came after ed terrorists in Pakistan alone. Søren Pind, of During his the opposition eight years in ofparty Venstre, in fice, President an interview with George W Bush the magazine Ræapproved a total son, likened the The United of just 45 drone drone attacks to States has no attacks. “assassination”. Critics of “I criticised right to carry drone operations George Bush for out these types say that the US allowing torture is killing its opduring his presi- of executions of ponents without dency,” Pind told process, while suspected political due Politiken. “But at the same time what he [Obama] adversaries. It putting civilians is doing is much at risk. worse and vio- contravenes Some 1,000 lates the principles international law. civilians have been of the Western killed by drone world.” attacks so far, acRepresentatives from the far- cording to the Bureau of Invesleft Enhedslisten joined in bash- tigative Journalism in London, ing the US president and said it The US Embassy was unawould raise the issue with parlia- vailable for a response to the ment’s foreign policy committee. criticism. The attack drone issue has The foreign minister, Villy arisen following the disclosure Søvndal (Socialistisk Folkepar-

ti), was reluctant to wade into the fray. “I am not prepared to comment further than saying that we do not use drones ourselves and that international rules must be adhered to,” said Søvndal Ole Wæver, who teaches political science at the University of Copenhagen, said that drone attacks exist in a kind of legal vacuum, but added that the criticism should be viewed as marking a new chapter in Denmark’s relationship with the US. “There has been until now broad political agreement that we stood shoulder to shoulder with the US, but people are slowly realising that the world order is changing,” Wæver told Politiken. Wæver added that many in Demark feel that Obama has not lived up to their expectations. “A lot of Danes have felt themselves allied with Obama, but that is not a permanent show of support. He has used up his goodwill account.”

scanpix/MANDEL NGAN

It’s not the food you eat but worrying about where your next meal will come from that triggers obesity, claims a Danish researcher

colourbox

Peter stanners

colourbox

Social insecurity causes obesity, scientist claims

The face of an assassin?

As a result, the Immigration Service announced the need to open temporary centres across the country, such as in an empty apartment block in the Vollsmose suburb of Odense which will house 200 asylum seekers. Vollsmose is known nationally for being a ‘ghetto’ with high unemployment and a large immigrant population. While Peter Rahbæk Juel (Socialdemokraterne), an Odense City Councillor, told Fyens Stiftstidende that, it was “completely wrong to place an asylum centre here”, the city’s mayor, Anker Boye (Socialdemokraterne), thought the contrary. “We should contribute to solving this problem,” Boye wrote in Politiken. “The solution should be co-ordinated with our other integration programmes where possible.”

SPORTS

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3 - 9 August 2012

Renewed Rivalry

For centuries, Britain and Denmark have been the best of buddies, but the next four days see them fight it out in not one, but five Olympic events

SCANPIX/ SØREN BIDSTRUP

BEN HAMILTON

on the seas could sink the hosts in the drink

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HE UK and Denmark have always enjoyed a special bond. It started with some good old-fashioned Danish raping and pillaging, and then the Brits returned favour nearly a thousand years later with a firebombing or two. Britain liberated Denmark at the end of the Second World War, and then Danish pornography liberated soon-to-be swinging London in the 1960s. There have been notable unions (notorious philanderer Edward VII, Roger Moore, Helle Thorning Schmidt and Susannah off Trinny & Susannah) and friendships, mostly built on antiEU sentiment. So it is perhaps alarming to note at the time of going to press, with both countries desperately hoping to get off the bottom ring of the medal table, that some of their best chances over the remainder of the first week of the Olympics see the two nations pitted against each other. Five cast-iron opportunities present themselves, but who will show the steelier resolve: the rapist pornographer or the rapacious philanderer? Rebecca Adlington vs Lotte Friis Women’s 800-metre freestyle Friday August 3; 20:45

next at 5/2 (Bet 365). The only other competitor who has a chance is 15-yearold American swimmer Kathleen Ledecky (9/1). Adlington is not counting her chickens. “The 800m is going to be a battle,” she told the British media. And there have been a few homefront distractions. Caustic Scottish comic Frankie Boyle after her double gold in the 2008 Olympics said he thought Adlington “looks like someone who’s looking at themselves in the back of a spoon”, and he has been up to his old tricks again, questioning whether Adlington “will have an unfair advantage in the swimming by possessing a dolphin’s face”. But with the rest of her country cheering her on, Adlington will be a hard nut to crack. Ben Ainslie vs Jonas Høgh-Christensen Finn Sailing Class: medal race Sunday August 5; 15:00 They will have to start referring to Jonas Høegh-Christensen as ‘Luke Skywalker’ if he wins the Finn sailing class in the waters off Weymouth in southern England. The force so far has clearly been on the side of the 31-year-old Dane, who heading into races seven and eight on Thursday had an imposing total of just seven (thanks to three firsts, two seconds and a seventh – the worst score is dis-

carded), leading British sailing legend Ben Ainslie (two seconds, a third, a fourth, a sixth and a 12th), who is chasing a fourth straight gold medal in the sport, by ten points Willing on Høegh-Christensen’s bid to derail Ainslie’s empire from afar is 84-year-old compatriot Paul Elvstrøm (Yoda), the most successful Olympic sailor ever, who won four straight sailing golds from 1948-60. While Ainslie needs to win gold to match Elvstrøm’s haul, his record will surpass Elvstrøm’s as he will have won four golds at five Olympics, while Elvstrøm competed in eight, including one in 1988 aged 60! “I think he was on a hotline to Paul Elvstrøm today,” Ainslie told British press agency PA following the first day of sailing on Sunday. To win Ainslie will be praying Høegh-Christensen posts two bad performances in his final five outings. Without them, it is difficult to see how Ainslie will catch him – particularly given his precarious standing following his 12th-placed finish on Monday. The medal race, which is contested by the top ten and carries double points, was introduced this century following allegations of ‘piracy’ in previous Olympics. In 2000, Ainslie memorably secured gold by deliberately blocking his main rival, Brazilian sailor Robert Scheidt, to finish 22nd. It was sweet revenge for identical tactics employed by Scheidt

to edge Ainslie out into silver in 1996. It is a game plan that Høegh-Christensen, should he continue his form, might very well consider on Sunday. UK vs Denmark Men’s Lightweight men’s fours Thursday August 2; 11:00 The Brits are even money favourites to take this title, but that won’t stop the Danish public believing in their ‘Guld Firen’, who after scraping their way through the heat, won their semi-final on Tuesday to reignite their challenge. In a time nearly four seconds slower than the UK in the other semi, Denmark eased home ahead of South Africa and Australia. Nevertheless, most bookmakers believe the Aussies, the reigning world champions after beating the UK into third last September in Slovenia, are the main threat, rating them 7/2 ahead of Denmark at 4/1. The Brits, perhaps more than anyone, will be wise to the threat posed by the Danish crew. They might even call it the Stephen Redgrave factor, as their sport has a habit of producing stories of heroism and endeavour rarely seen in others. In the form of their veteran Eskild Ebbesen, the Danes have the X Factor that might see them home. The 40-year-old is bidding to win his fourth lightweights fours gold medal, following triumphs in 1996, 2004 and 2008. Ebbesen likes his crews to come out

fast and stay there. Their inauspicious start in the heat, followed by their improved performance in the semi, suggests they will probably peak in the final. It promises to be a fascinating clash of oars. UK vs Denmark Men’s Lightweight Double Sculls Saturday August 4; 10:40 Neither Denmark (Mads Rasmussen and Rasmus Quist) or the UK’s reigning Olympic champions (Mark Hunter and Zac Purchase) are the favourites to win the men’s lightweight double sculls – New Zealand, at 9/4, are – but both will go close. Rasmussen and Quist will be hoping to better the bronze they won in 2008 and their fourth place in 2004. They have twice won the World Championships, hold the fastest time this year, and clocked the fastest time in the heats. The semies are on Thursday morning. UK vs Denmark Women’s Lightweight Double Sculls Saturday August 4; 11:00 Shortly after Rasmussen and Quist’s bid for gold, Danish duo Anne Lolk Thomsen and Juliane Rasmussen will stroke off in their bid to upset the odds. As things stand, they are 12/1 third favourites, behind the UK (2s) and China (5s).

OLYMPIC NEWS AND BRIEFS Silver for Golding

Not Maze’s day

Fisching for a medal

Feel the pain, Spain

Woz that a game or what?

Robin Hood in disguise

TOP MARKSMAN Anders Golding brought home the first medal for Denmark on Wednesday – a silver in the men’s skeet shooting. The Danish shooter only missed one target in the final round, but a perfect round by Vincent Hancock of USA meant that the carpenter from north Jutland had to settle for second place with a score that would have won the 2008 gold.

TABLE TENNIS player Michael Maze lost a heartbreaking quarter-final to Dimitri Ovtcharov of Germany in seven tough sets 8 -11, 10-12, 11-1, 11-9, 11-9, 6-11, 9-11 on Tuesday. Maze led 8-6 in the final set before some unforced errorscost him dearly. Maze did get some kind of revenge later when he ripped down the trousers of the German during a media interview.

JOACHIM FISCHER Nielsen and Christinna Pedersen on Wednesday overcame a Thai pair 21-15, 21-13 in the badminton mixed doubles quarter-finals. The Danish pair will face stiff competition, though, in the form of the number one seeds, the Chinese pair who easily beat the other Danish pair, Thomas Laybourn and Kamilla Rytter Juhl, in the last eight.

THE MEN’S handball team can’t seem to win a game without intense drama at the end. And true to form, Michael Knudsen scored the game-winning goal in the final seconds of a 24-23 victory over Spain on Tuesday. Heroic performances by reserve keeper Marcus Cleverly and the unstoppable Mikkel Hansen saw the Danes home.

DENMARK’S TENNIS darling, Caroline Wozniacki, was involved in a tremendous match against her Belgian counterpart, Yanina Wickmayer, in the second round on Monday. The deciding set included a marathon 30-minute game, which Woz eventually won to beat the tenacious Belgian 6-4, 3-6, 6-3. Daniela Hantuchukova of Slovakia is up next in the final 16.

CARINA ROSENVINGE Christiansen is one win away from the women’s individual archery quarter-finals after dispatching two foes, an Australian 7-3 and a South Korean 6-4, in confident style. Mariana Avitia of Italy awaits her in the next round. Maja Jager, however, is out of the tournament after losing a heartbreaking tie-breaker to her German opponent.

SCANPIX/WILLIAM WEST I

Friday’s keenly anticipated showdown sees race favourite, current world record holder and aqua darling of the host nation, Rebecca Adlington, lock horns with Danish stronghouse Lotte Friis. There was little to divide them in the 400-metre freestyle on Sunday, with Adlington edging out Friis by 0.97 seconds to take the bronze. Their last significant meeting over 800 metres was at the 2011 World Aquatics Championships in which Adlington was triumphant, but only by 0.69 seconds, finishing in 8:17.51, over three seconds outside her WR of 8:14.10. The bookmakers agree that it is a two-seahorse race with Adlington favourite at 4/9 (Ladbroke’s) and Friis

If it’s true and Rebecca Adlington (left) does look like somebody seen in the backend of a spoon, is Lotte Friis (right) stirring trouble with her impression of a teapot?

community

The Copenhagen Post cphpost.dk

3 - 9 August 2012

Family on course to bring home the bacon Francisco Perez

Team Farrell, led by eldest son Nathaniel, have reached the halfway point of their charity cycling tour across northern Europe.

ast week on Wednesday, the Farrell family started their 1,500 kilometre cycling journey from Copenhagen to Warrington, their hometown in northern England. This singular adventure, called ‘Bringing Home the Bacon’, was the brainchild of Nathaniel (‘Tan’) Farrell, a Copenhagen resident since 2009. Tan saw the ride as an opportunity to raise £10,000 for Epilepsy Action, a British charity raising awareness of the neurological disorder. But, noble as the goal was, it was an almost secondary motivation. What truly pushed him was the chance to pay a resounding tribute to his late sister, Felicity (‘Fliss’) Farrell, who died in 2008 at the age of 15 following a nocturnal epileptic seizure. Her memory is ever-present in the family’s voyage Tan, 30, involved his entire family in the project. His father, Kevin, 54, has been his biggest supporter and cycled significant distances so far, impressing his entire family. Tan’s Danish girlfriend, Regitze, also joined in, both as part of the support crew and as an occasional cyclist. She has im-

Tan Farrell is leading the tour to raise awareness of epilesy, which claimed the life of his sister, Felicity, aged just 15

pressed her male counterparts by acting as a pace-setter, reaching speeds of 30kph. But her role is not limited to biking. Regitze’s German ability – coupled with being able to speak English – has been of great help to her group. It even earned her the nickname ‘C3PO’ – the translation droid of ‘Star Wars’ fame. Also participating are Tan’s younger brothers, Sebastian, 28, the family’s PR chief and daily blogger, and Alex, 26. Along with Kevin’s girlfriend, Marion, they have been following their cycling relatives in a distinctive, British, white LDV van, nicknamed ‘Matilda’ – in memory of Felicity Farrell’s favourite movie.

Since the start of their journey, the Farrells have seen three countries and no less than seven cities. They have encountered several difficulties and problems. Among them, the weather: from the scorching heat – nearing 35° on the first leg of their journey – to the torrential rains near Hamburg, or the exhausting winds on the road to Arnhem. They have overcome mechanical problems – several punctures – and the difficulties of the unknown, foreign roadways the numerous construction works in Germany, along with the family’s admitted lack of familiarity with the roads, made it difficult for them to progress on their way to the Netherlands. As

a consequence, several episodes kilometres, the group enjoyed of communicaa well-deserved tion breakdown day off. – some of which Speaking to included the cythe Copenhagen clists getting lost There are long Post, Tan revealed or sometimes takhe did not recall ing long detours periods of which part of the ride. – occurred. “There are long I don’t remember Despite the periods of which anguish, the frus- much. I just sit down I don’t remember tration and the I just sit in the bike and go much. difficulties of down in the bike living closely to- on, trying not to and go on, trying gether as a family not to think about for such a long think about the the distance.” period, the group distance Tan also adheld on. And, on mitted to being Tuesday, they reached the city sometimes “overwhelmed” by of Arnhem, in the eastern Neth- the sheer distance he still has to erlands. After riding over 750 go through to achieve his goal.

But the man has a technique: “I try to break [the course] into parts, and I tell myself things like: ‘Let’s finish these ten miles and see how I feel’, and then I go on.” The tempting option of throwing in the towel is always present. Tan almost gave in once, near Lingen. “Everybody has the option of the van, but I don’t. I have to cycle all the way,” he explained. He hung on until Lingen, through sheer willpower. Perhaps this might pull him all the way to Warrington. Follow along with the Farrells at cphpost.dk, where we’re publishing daily updates about the family’s progress.

Reader comments Green card a red light for ambitious immigrants People use the fact that they are immigrants as an excuse. No-one wants to admit they failed, or that they are not good enough. It is easy to throw the discrimination card on the table so as to remove yourself from any responsibility. So you have a Master’s degree? So you have work experience? Maybe despite that, you are still not the best candidate. What excuse do people use in their own countries when they fail to get the job? Pc11 by website It is quite simple and perhaps even understandable. In these tough economic times Danish managers close ranks with their fellow Danes. They keep the Danish citizens on staff and get rid of the foreigners. Danish DNA trumps any education, especially where any sort of career advancement is concerned. Danes often try to force foreigners into speaking Danish on a professional level, even in companies that claim their corporate language is English, holding meetings in Danish, despite the obvious presence of non-Danish speakers. The foreigner’s job performance is then

affected due to lack of information, which then gives Danish managers the excuse they need to let the foreigner go based upon “poor job performance”. It is a vicious circle and it is very real. Tom by website Stop this scheme (better called scam) if you are unwilling to accommodate developing countries’ citizens respectfully. The moment I mention that I am a green card holder, public services, especially the kommune, treat me as though I am an illegal alien. The authorities first advertise misleading information, and when things go wrong they start blaming the green card holder. NY by website The grass is not always greener Danish society is wonderful if you can get on the boat, otherwise you more or less have to swim on your own. My advice is to seek out people from your own part of the world who are already ‘integrated’ into Danish society; Danes that have lived in your country or people who have one Danish parent and another who is from your country. In other places it can be very useful or

merely pleasant. In Denmark it is survival 101 and your only bridge to socialising with the Danes. Loroferoz by website In my opinion, the Danish Government should make it enforceable by law to position the green card holders in their respective professions − at least in an internship position for at least three months − in various government organisations and private companies. This would be a good opportunity for green card holders to integrate themselves into Danish culture and society, as well as familiarise themselves with the Danish working style. After the internship period is over, Danish companies would have the choice of whether or not to hire these capable professionals. That way, no green card holder could complain if they could not compete or prove themselves capable for the job. Rameshkstha by website Possible circumcision sparks religious backlash

ban

It is sad that thousands of years of practicing genital mutilation has rendered us blind to the fact that cutting off parts of the human

body of helpless babies is wrong, immoral, unethical and should be illegal. I am circumcised. I have learned about the anatomy and functions of the foreskin, and I resent the fact that this important part of my genitals was cut off when I was 8 days old, when I couldn’t speak, just scream. Eran Sadeh by website What about the people who smoke in front of their child, or worse, while pregnant? So many parents do things far more harmful to their children than circumcision. Where are the protesters against this? Besides, no-one wants to look like a farm animal. If circumcision is barbaric, have you ever seen a circumcised barbarian? Wake up people! Let us be! Traveladam by website Of course the corollary is that if you accept male infant circumcision on religious grounds, then you must also accept female infant circumcision under the same categorical imperative. Despite the debatable health benefits (which include lower incidence of HPV transmission from circumcised sex partners) what we are really talking about here is ratify-

ing hundreds of years of religious and cultural hokus-pokus. And surely there are more convincing arguments in favor of societal prejudice against the ignorant orthodoxy of Jews and Muslims (and Christians) than merely the happenstance of what they believe God tells them to do to an infant’s penis. SNCO by website Report: cartoon paedophilia harmless One report isn’t definitive. Cartoons, like video games, desensitise us to what’s wrong. Buzzy Sørensen by Facebook Of course, consumption of pornography causes the consumer to want to try it out. In saying that, if a link hasn’t been established (yet) then all we can do is take the moral route. Child pornography, whether it’s in cartoon form or not, is wrong. So why doesn’t the Danish government ban it?! Banning it is hardly likely to create a social outcry. Who cares about freedom of speech and expression in this instance? Nebsy by website Report: most people are able

to distinguish between real life and fiction. Abz Crispin by Facebook Surely any allusion to any form of paedophilia is distasteful and offensive to those who have suffered such abuse? Or is my opinion an abuse of the rights of free speech? Which in this context seem more important?! Neil Everett by Facebook There are no children or minors involved in these depictions. The crime is merely in the head of adults we dislike, that we can dislike as much as we wish. Thought crime isn’t real crime by any stretch if there’s freedom of conscience. Many, for example, think and say that God is a pernicious delusion and all instances of prophesy were either madness or intentional deception. Some people cannot imagine a more horrendous crime than this denial. It would make as much sense, which is none by the way, to ban any depiction of animals being tortured or killed on grounds of animal cruelty. Or to ban violent video games on grounds of murder and/or human rights violations that happen in-game. Loroferoz by website

BUSINESS

THE COPENHAGEN POST CPHPOST.DK

3 - 9 August 2012

Good deals for first-time homebuyers COLOURBOX

COLOURBOX

In Denmark, the two go hand in hand

Financial crisis toughest on unskilled workers RAY WEAVER

The number of unemployed Danes having little or no education has nearly doubled since the financial crisis began

HE FINANCIAL crisis has swung a brutal scythe through the entire economy over the past five years, but it has been particularly hard on those without an education or job training. The number of untrained, unemployed Danes has risen significantly since 2007, according to new statistics from both Eurostat and Danmarks Statistik. During the first quarter of 2007, 6.9 percent of the Danes listed as unskilled were unemployed. This year, that number has nearly doubled to 13 percent, far above the national unemployment average of 8.2 percent reported by the EU, which uses a different method of calculation than Danmarks Statistik. According to its numbers, the national

Go ahead, you can afford it!

RAY WEAVER

unemployment rate is just over Trade union 3F, which repsix percent. resents unskilled workers, said “Unskilled workers have there were plenty of Danes lookclearly been hit hardest by the ing for unskilled work, but the crisis,” Lars Andersen, the head jobs have to come with a deof Arbejdernes Erhvervsråd, an cent salary and benefits. Morten economic policy Dahlberg, the institute, told pubchairman of 3F’s lic broadcaster DR. Frederikshavn of“The higher your fice, said that if emeducation, the better Unskilled workers ployers make jobs your chances are of they will have clearly been attractive, finding a job.” get applicants. The high level hit hardest by the Meanwhile, of unemployment Danmarks Statistik among Danes comes crisis said there were curat a time when emrently eight times ployers looking for unskilled la- more unskilled workers seeking bour are forced to hire foreigners. employment than there were Employers say the jobs go to the jobs for them to fill. foreigners because the nation’s Although national unemsocial benefits are so good it does ployment figures for cleaners not pay for Danes to take low- and factory workers are still well paid, unskilled positions. below the EU average, the EuThe latest numbers reveal that rostat data show that the crisis foreigners fill fully 80 percent of has hit unskilled Danes harder all jobs in the hotel, restaurant than similar groups in Sweden, and catering industries and 30 the Netherlands, France and percent in the cleaning sector. Finland. Unemployment among Half of the jobs at plant nurseries unskilled Germans has actually are filled by workers coming from dropped from 17.8 percent to outside the country. 12.7 percent since 2007.

BUSINESS NEWS AND BRIEFS Black August rising, stock analysts predict CONCERNS ABOUT the collapse of the Eurozone, combined with the stock market’s solid gains during the first half of the year, have analysts recommending that investors prepare for a possible course correction later this year. “If I were a private investor and had done well in the first half, I think I’d sell and wait until September. The risk of a Black August is not insignificant,” said Chris-

Lundbeck facing fine

tian Tegllund Blaabjerg, FIH Erhvervsbank. Others suggest a more moderate course of action. While some profit-taking may be in order, analysts point out that bonds, the main alternative to stocks, have historically low interest rates right now, and suggest sticking with the market, but ensuring that investors holdings are sufficiently diverse to withstand a course correction.

THE EUROPEAN Commission could fine Lundbeck up to 1.5 billion kroner after complaints that it had entered into agreements with generic drug makers to prevent them from selling copies of its best-selling products. Lundbeck is alleged to have compensated the companies for not marketing products based on the anti-depressant citalopram, which lost its EU patent this year.

Housing-related costs and interest rates are down and income is up, making home owning more affordable than ever – especially for those living in the Zealand region

HE PROPERTY meltdown and low interest rates have combined to put first-time homebuyers in their best position ever to take the leap into ownership. “Good news about the housing market has been a long time coming, but there are many positives for first-time buyers,” John Madsen, the chief economist at

Nykredit, told Jyllands-Posten newspaper. Since the housing market peaked in 2007, the average amount first-time buyers spend on mortgage, water, heat, electricity and insurance – known as the housing burden – has fallen by 4,100 kroner, while their after-tax monthly income has increased by 3,800 kroner over the same period. A family purchasing a home in today’s market uses about 35 percent of its net income on housing costs, down from a high of 47 percent during the peak in 2007. Buyers of homes in Zealand have seen the biggest improvements. There, according to Madsen, the housing burden has fallen by a third.

The calculations are based on a family of two adults and two children buying a home with a fixed-rate mortgage. Madsen warned that although the numbers are good news for first-time buyers, they are not a panacea for a troubled housing market still facing a glut of homes and thousands of people whose home values are worth less than the amount they owe on them. Jens Lunde of Copenhagen Business School said he expects prices to continue to fall, so familes need not take the leap into home ownership until they are ready. “There is nothing to suggest that we have reached a turning point,” said Lunde.

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10 LIFESTYLE: SUMMER SPORT THE COPENHAGEN POST CPHPOST.DK

3 - 9 August 2012

A plan for all seasons JONATHAN SYDENHAM

UTUMN APPROACHES with its fabulous russets and golds. Yes, many find the indoors more attractive, but more and more Danes are sticking to their outdoor exercise activities. Mud, mud, glorious mud In autumn, there’s nothing Danes like better than running in an event that ‘tastes of bird’ (an authentic look and feel, preferably with lots of mud) such as the Eremitageløb in the Deer Park north of the capital or the Marselisborgløb in Denmark’s ‘city of smiles’, Aarhus. And more mud can be found on the cross country trail, where DGI (Danish and Sports Associations) running clubs organise open fixtures that you don’t need a club membership to enjoy. Take part in a few and you may well find yourself joining a local club – one of the best ways to meet the Danes and get seriously integrated.

of dads escaping from the wife and kids at weekends, mountain biking in Denmark has become a serious family affair. The biggest club in Denmark organises a kids cup series in the Copenhagen area, and more and more of those errant dads are now to be seen with mum and junior in the woods, either on their own or with club groups working up an appetite for the Sunday kaffebord. If mum isn’t with them, she is probably at the local triathlon or adventure race. Danish

mums like mud too (see www.dgi.dk/ udover/paakanten.aspx). The biathlon for bruisers On 22 September in Feddet, near Præstø, an hour south of Copenhagen (with a good Sat Nav), you’ll find this running/mountain bike biathlon, which is being put together to kick off the lead-up to the 2013 DGI jamboree in Esbjerg. Events down south are wellorganised with an informal, laid-back approach, cheap no-frills entry fees and

Cross country, discovering it The cross country circuit is a great place to meet the Danes. The events are small and friendly. If you live in one of the cities, you won’t be more than an hour or so from a cross country event, and you’ll see nooks and crannies of the Danish countryside you never suspected. The courses may be muddy, but the distances are forgiving, well-suited to anyone who has joined a running club beginners programme following a bit of overindulgence over the summer holigans. You’ll find Løb med DGI schemes for beginners all over the country, or if you want to get in shape for the corporate DHL jamborees, why not get your employer to sign you all up for the dedicated in-house training schemes run by DGI Medarbejdermotion (www. medarbejdermotion.dgi.dk)?

Caroline Cain

Naturopathic Nutritionist & Reflexologist

Natural health and detox specialist guiding and motivating you to create optimal, lasting health. tel: 50 19 76 06 www.carolinecain.dk

a guaranteed mud quotient (www.dgi. dk/forening/storstroemmen.aspx). Parkrun for the public Every Saturday, Parkrun takes place across the country (three venues in Copenhagen, plus Hillerød, Aarhus, Vejen, Esbjerg, Nibe) at 9am. Danish runners of all ages gather for this free 5 km race, after which the results and photos are posted on the website. It is suitable for any ability, including beginners who walk and r u n

t h e course, a n d m a n y families take part: the only rule being that kids may only run with a smile. You register just once and then take your personal barcode along whenever you want to race. At most venues you’ll also meet visitors from abroad – particularly from the UK, where Parkrun is huge (www.parkrun.dk).

For four weeks at a time, four times a year, our aim is to give you all the seasonal lifestyle advice you need to thrive in the areas of gardening, health, food and sport. When should you plant your petunias, when does the birch pollen season normally start, which week do the homegrown strawberries take over the supermarket, and which outdoor sports can you play in the snow? All the answers are here in ‘A plan for all seasons’.

Sport Garden

DHL: everyone should try it once

King of the mountains Once regarded as the purview

Jonathan Sydenham, originally from the UK, enjoyed getting muddy on the rugby pitches in his youth, which might explain why he today enjoys cross country running. He is a sports consultant at the DGI (the Danish Gymnastic and Sports Association), an umbrella group for around 5,000 local associations, which massively vary in size, from the dozens to the thousands.

Halmtorvet 19 • The Bosch building • DK-1700 Copenhagen V Tlf: +45 33 31 20 00 • hej@biomio.dk • www.biomio.dk

Halmtorvet 19 • The Bosch building • DK-1700 Copenhagen V 19 • The Bosch building • DK-1700 Copenhagen V Tlf: +45 33 31 20Halmtorvet 00 • hej@biomio.dk • www.biomio.dk Tlf: +45 33 31 20 00 • hej@biomio.dk • www.biomio.dk

Put together your own team of five runners, each of whom must complete the 5km course, passing the baton onto the next team member upon crossing the line. Over 100,000 competitors took part in the DHL Stafetten last year, celebrating before and after their leg with their colleagues from work. If you have signed up, but have not yet started training, DGI medarbejdermotion runs sessions for company employees, or you can try one of the many Løb Med DGI schemes across the country. The races are in Odense (Engen-Fruens Bøge, 14-16 August) Copenhagen (Fælledparken, 2731 August), Aarhus (Mindeparken, 2123 August) and Aalborg (Kildeparken 29-30 August).

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Is now the time to join the euro, or to run like hell?

Warrior Jesus from How Christianity borrowed Jesus Norse mythology and branded the to woo as a tough guy in order pagan Vikings

HISTORY | 19

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27 AuGust 2012

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new National coach Morten Olsen’s job in the contract will keep him Cup. until after the 2014 World

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economy A new budget to ‘kickstart’ the

Danes abolished, saving some 525,000 mobile and of students. Moreover, stuwith business laptops (VK) govern- the number vious Venstre-Konservative no longer pay administrative phones 3,000 kroner per year. major points: dents will Master’s students look forment. Here are a few of the Not everyone, however, can the state’s fees, and prospective course tuitions Families: VK limited and junk (bør- will have prerequisite ward to a cash infusion. Smokers monthly child support handouts fam- paid. The government will also fund higher on their per food lovers will be taxed necheck) to 35,000 kroner corporations state-supported internship abolished, 1,500 more vices, while international plans SRSF ily. That limit has now been higher tax bills. families will get positions. creation: will also see and meaning that many Infrastructure and job by closing a number of AN YOU HAVE your cake ts. The government will be in- to raise revenue wisdom larger child benefi Some 17.5 billion kroner going back nearly 20 years eat it too? Conventional fertility treatments and infrastructure tax loopholes corporations budg- will also pay for vested over two years in that allowed international says no, but with their first as a new rail line between power, voluntary sterilisations. to escape paying corporate Folkeparti projects, such et plan since the shift of a project to in Denmark Welfare: VK and Dansk on page 15). Copenhagen and Ringsted, erosion taxes (see more specialised welfare prothe new Socialdemokraterne-Radikale motorway, in the introduced (DF) Holbæk increases the coalition All told, the spending cash benefits widen Socialistisk Folkeparti (SRSF) grammes that reduced the efforts along Jutland’s west as big as the minister Those programmes protection renovations to public hous- new budget are not appear to be giving it a shot. the new for new immigrants. coast, and economy and interior, Margrethe Many of the elements of eliminated and going Helle Thorning- of the to be re- have now been would like. She noted that state ing. Prime minister ‘kickstart’ Vestager (R), budget – which is expected all residents in need of the deficit for 2012, Schmidt has said that these ursday – will forward leased in its entirety on Th will receive the same welfare projects will create 20,000 new jobs VK under-reported to spend more. But a time when support Construc- making it imprudent increase state spending at Danish e finants. Th EU’s benefi the But 2012-2013. meet increased. research: from Denmark will still the budget deficit has despite Higher education and predicts 10,000. come from recial responsibility benchmarks, one billion tion Association where the money would The unpopular ‘mulUniversities will get an extra Tax break:meeting deficit, she added. costs as- a personal years to cover mained a mystery. Organise by VK will be the larger items kroner over two timedia tax’ introduced increase A number of the new budget a predicted and sit inin on a class. by the pre- sociated with full-time MBA at CBS reinstate spending cuts made The one-year general management hip, and real-world experience. entrepreneurs focuses on leadership, can giveprogram MBA diverse and hear how the ally Organise a personal meeting internation

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JOiN us 27 AuGust Copenhagen is a vibrant center of cultural events and experiences with a broad range of music, art and sport activities to choose from. Joining a club or any leisure activity is often the basis of a rich social life in Copenhagen, and provides excellent opportunities for meeting both Danes and fellow expats. Copenhagen Expat Fair gives you the chance to talk to a wide range of clubs and associations from the Greater Copenhagen Area.

Pia Allerslev, Copenhagen’s Mayor of Culture and Leisure, will make an official welcome speech at 4pm. After the welcome speech, the world famous “City Hall Pancakes” will be served. Throughout the fair you will be able to enjoy entertainment such as dance shows, kids and adults performing, and clubs demonstrating the activities they offer. We hope you will be inspired!

Please enter through the main entrance facing Rådhuspladsen (City Hall Square) Register at: http://www.kk.dk/cphinternational

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Say “Hej” to tHe DaniSH Language A djusting to life in Copenhagen can be

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English speakers lament that nothing is spoken

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like it is read, random letters are sometimes left

through and can help them navigate textbooks

ing experience can find it here, but so can those

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Københavns Sprogcenter gives students these

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with the authors, so they understand and are

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Regional | Zealand

Summer in Denmark: 3 - 9 August 2012

OUR PICK!

With children: make your way to Lolland and Falster and visit the Knuthenbord Safari Park. Without children: enjoy a tranquil day filled with history and contemplation at Roskilde Cathedral.

Enjoy the spaces that urban planners imagined would be good for city-crowded souls. By car, visit Jægerspris Palace, west and slightly north of Copenhagen. First built in the 1300s, it’s a historic property, currently a hunting lodge with access to gardens and woods. Spend another day in Roskilde proper, where you can explore the cathedral inside and out. After experiencing the ambiance of Danish history, royalty and religion, make your way to the Viking Ship Museum. There, you can learn why these ships were found at the bottom of the fjord, how they were built and maybe set sail on an authentic ship. Weekenders will enjoy travelling to Lolland and Falster, where you can commune with nature or enjoy small villages, the seaside and sandy beaches. While you’re there, be sure to visit the Middelaldercentret in Nykøbing on Falster and the popular Knuthenborg Safari Park. Children – if not their parents – will also love the water park at Lalandia.

For fine, romantic dining on your way down or back from the Lolland and Falster area, make a date at Limone Restaurant Italiano in Køge, where the atmosphere will relax you and the food and wine will be a special event. In Nykøbing, enjoy classy meat-andpotato entrées at Brasseri & Café Hvid. In Roskilde, several restaurants stand out. We like Gourmethuset Store Børs for delicious meals with all the fixings, as well as a brasserie menu and homebrewed specialty beer. For more creative fare in Roskilde, try Raadhuskælderen, located just a few steps away from the cathedral; it serves the season’s best ingredients in creative combinations at reasonable prices. The Italian restaurant GustoGiusto also warrants a mention: carefully selected ingredients, a true Italian menu and a pleasant dining atmosphere make this restaurant – and Roskilde itself – a great place to end the day. We recommend checking websites before heading out in order to find out what’s new and whether reservations are required.

A great way to spend time in the Lolland and Falster area is by staying at one of the many local campgrounds. Offering spaces for tents as well as caravans, it’s often also possible to rent wooden and tent-like micro-cabins. This is an experience worth having, if only to get a sense of how many Danes tend to spend their long summer holidays. Nakskov Fjord Camping offers its own sandy beach, access to local nature preservations, an in-ground pool and clean, fully equipped efficiency huts at reasonable prices. Similarly, Løkken Klint offers three levels of huts for rent as well as tent camping, and it organises activities for children and families alike. For those who want a hotel experience, Oreby Mølle, located in Sakskøbing on Lolland, offers a manor-house experience with comfortable, spacious, romantic accommodations and locally knowledgeable staff. Summerhouses near the beach or in natural settings are also available on the two major islands.

Eat

Stay

OUR PICK!

It has to be renting a micro-cabin at any of the quality camping facilities – to get a oncein-a-lifetime, closer-to-nature, truly Danish holiday experience.

OUR PICK!

Get the real deal: fine Italian food at Gusto Giusto after a pleasant day spent in Roskilde.

Summer in Denmark: 3 - 9 August 2012

Beyond Copenhagen Think Zealand doesn’t have much to offer besides Denmark’s largest city? If so, you’d be missing out By Jennifer Weitz-Clancy Poulsen

ERHAPS THE BEST place to start a journey to Zealand would be Roskilde, a former national capital before power shifted to Copenhagen and important for understanding Denmark’s development. Situated on the fjord of the same name, Roskilde offers visitors cultural and historic venues, as well as delightful views and opportunities to sail on ships reminiscent of those used by the Vikings 800 years ago. Known to have been settled at least 1,000 years ago, Roskilde was named the capital of Denmark in about the year 960 by King Harald Blue Tooth. Upon his death in 985-986, the king was buried in a wooden church he had built earlier in Roskilde – and not inside or under the now infamous twin-spired Domkirke, or cathedral – a practice that continues for the royal family today. The current brick cathedral, built between 1060 and 1080, was the first Gothic building in Denmark. Still offering regular religious services, Roskilde Cathedral is recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Due west of Roskilde lies Isefjorden, a larger and deeper fjord

that was created during Denmark’s last ice age. In its centre is the small, inhabited island of Orø, which serves the region as a vacation and tourist destination; it’s connected to the rest of Zealand by ferry. With dramatic and beautiful views, these fjords are home to shipping and shopping villages that have historically served to collect tariffs from incoming ships and transport agricultural goods throughout northern Europe. Further south and along the eastern coast of Zealand are lower-lying areas that have also played a significant role in agriculture and trade over the centuries. Nykøbing, on the island of Falster, is known to have existed as far back as the 13th century, built around a castle that housed the ruling families of both Danish and German royalty. Well-situated for protection against attacks, it became a trading center in the medieval era and thrived until hard times hit Denmark in the 1700s; the castle was then sold and later demolished, although parts of it were preserved and used in other structures. With the construction of a bridge in 1930 connecting Falster with Zealand – as well as the 295-metre Frederik IX Bridge over the Guldborgsund, connecting Falster to the island of Lolland – the area became a favorite spot for city-dwellers to build modest summerhouses. Both islands have attracted the attention of naturalists, leading large areas of land and sea to be identified as particularly attractive for the wildlife found here. Among them are Nakskov Fjord on western Lolland, an area rich with gardens, mills and maritime history; Gedser Odde, the southernmost point in Denmark; and an area known as Smålandsfarvandet on the northern bay side of Lolland. It’s great for bird watching and gaining access to the smaller islands of Askø, Lillø, Fejø, Femø, Rågø, Skalø og Vejrø.

Regional | Zealand

Zealand Unlike well-tended Funen and the wide-open spaces of Jutland, Zealand is a more chaotic, haphazard collection of towns and villages, farms and factories that offers visitors a wide range of experiences – from coastal summerhouse developments and island artists’ colonies to the busy market towns of Roskilde and Køge as well as quiet, natural getaways. Most parts of the region can be reached from Copenhagen in about an hour by car, but because it is one of the most densely populated parts of the country, the area is also easily accessed by local and regional trains, as well as by bus. Distances between attractions tend to be reasonable, and there are numerous marked and unmarked cycle routes in the region, making traveling by bike a reason for visiting in and of itself.

Zealand

NEXT WEEK: SCANIA

Island Hopping | Møn

Stay

Summer in Denmark: 3 - 9 August 2012

Eat

 throughout Denmark and date back some 700 years. One of the best churches to see these frescoes is Fanefjord Church at the western end of the island. The reason these frescoes look so fresh and vibrant is that they were covered over with whitewash for many centuries and only rediscovered in the 1930s, when they were restored. They mostly depict religious scenes, as well as interesting little vignettes from Møn village life in times past. Another place well worth a visit on Møn is Liselund. This historic stately home/castle looks like something out of a fairy tale. It’s not far from Møns Klint and is open daily to visitors as well as people wishing to stay overnight. Within the beautiful grounds, you’ll find plenty of romantic buildings, including a Chinese tea room and a Norwegian log house – the whole place exudes the romance of a long-lost golden age. The main castle itself has been transformed into a hotel, which has a nice restaurant and café. But apart from the main attractions, Møn is simply a lovely place to spend a few days – or even a single one if you’re pressed for time. It is small enough to drive from one end to the other in less than an hour, even if you stop at some of the many small art galleries, workshops and cafés along the way. It’s also a place to take long walks on the beach, discover cosy little villages (tip – Nyord, in the far north and accessed by way of a bridge, is probably one of the most charming ‘olde worlde’ villages aywhere in Denmark) and just relax. Møn’s residents are used to lots of visitors, so most things are written in English and German as well as Danish. Go there and see for yourself!

Møn has several attractive seaside campsites, as well as one near the cliffs (campingmoensklint.dk). A highly recommended guesthouse is Tohøjgaard (‘Two Barrow Farm’), situated in a very peaceful location by the sea. Each room has its own individual style. Visit tohojgaard.com for more information.

Getting there Møn is easily accessible by car with two bridges linking the island to both Zealand and Falster. To get there by train, head to nearby Vordingborg and take local bus number 660R to Stege.

OUR PICK!

Because of the number of international visitors Møn gets, dining options are varied and impressive. Stege tends to have the best places – check out the Gourmet Gaarden, which serves high-end cuisine. Just as good is the nearby David’s, which serves modern Nordic cuisine in a convivial atmosphere.

If sheer luxury and romance is your thing, it is impossible to beat staying at the fairy-

OUR PICK!

Bryghuset, Stege. A micro-brewery, restaurant and bookquiet cobbled square that is a sun trap in the summer.

800kr per night (liselundslot.dk).

shop rolled into one, this lovely hostelry is situated in a

tale castle of Liselund. Rooms start at

Møns Klint lies at the east of the island, and you can drop in at the GeoCenter while you are there (moensklint.dk). You should also check out the ceiling frescoes of the various churches dotted around the island, and also climb a burial mound or two.

OUR PICK!

Pay a visit to the picturesque little village Nyord in the far north of the island. Here, you can stroll around with an ice cream while admiring the thatched houses, or just stop for lunch.

Guesthouse overlooking the Baltic Sea Get away for a few days and enjoy a relaxing weekend at our lovely B&B. Book your room as well as breakfast and a two course dinner. We look forward to seeing you! TOHØJGAARD Rytsebækvej 17, Hjelm 4780 Stege tlf. 2639 5067 www.tohoejgaard.com 7

Summer in Denmark: 3 - 9 August 2012

Island Hopping | Møn

Where all the artists go when they want to get away from it all Møn may have been colonised by artists, but historians, geologists, food lovers and just about anyone looking for a great getaway are more than welcome there, too By Jason Heppenstall

OT MUCH MORE than an hour’s drive to the south of Copenhagen, you can find one of Denmark’s most picturesque islands. Møn, pronounced a bit like ‘moon’, lies just off the southern coast of Zealand, yet it can seem like a million miles away ... One of the larger islands of the Southern Denmark Archipelago, Møn is famed for its white chalk cliffs, called Møns Klint, which run for seven kilometres along the eastern edge of the island; it’s said they are eroding at a rate of up to 40 centimetres a year. The cliffs are crowned with beech forests, and numerous trails run through them and down to the beach. You can reach the beach via some wooden steps; once there, you it’s fun to search among the rocks for fossils, which are surprisingly easy to find. Back at the top, after you’ve hauled yourself up the several hundred steps, treat yourself to a coffee and a bit of lunch at the visitors’ centre. Then take a look inside the GeoCenter, which tells the story of how Denmark was formed, geologically speaking, and features 3-D films made by National Geographic. It’s well worth a visit, especially if you have kids in tow. There’s also an excellent natural playground outside that will keep the little ones amused while you finish your coffee. The island’s largest town is Stege (pronounced ‘stee’), a busy little market town with plenty of good cafés and restaurants situated right next to the water. This is the location of one of my favourite cafés in all of Denmark – the Bryghuset café and restaurant – which has not only a micro-brewery making some of the nicest ale you will ever taste, but also has walls lined with thousands of second-hand books in many languages; you can either buy or swap these treasures. The café is situated in the idyllic Luffes Gård cobbled courtyard, which also offers art galleries, an ice-cream parlour and a vintner. This is a great place to while away a couple of hours on a sunny day, although it is generally quite packed during the summer.

If you are Danish and have been longing for a more bohemian existence, you might have heard the siren call of Møn. How else can one explain the fact that almost everyone who lives there seems to be a painter, sculptor or writer? In recent years, the island has gained enough traction on the international scene to attract some big names to its annual literature festival, which the Japanese writer Haruki Murakami attended in 2010. The landscape of Møn is quietly spectacular. It’s one that contains gently undulating fields, small forests and long pebbly beaches that fringe wide, open spaces. Nowhere are you far from the sea, and at times it can feel as if you are in a watery world of your own – a sort of parallel universe of thatched cottages and ancient burial mounds, where the only sounds come from the gentle breeze and the ever-present song of the skylark. It’s a world inhabited by resplendent pheasants that strut regally around the fields and lolloping hares that stand silhouetted against the skyline at dusk.

Møn Møn is a medium-sized island lying off the southern coast of Zealand; it is accessible by car. Famed for its chalky white cliffs, called Møns Klint, the island is steeped in history going back some 4,000 years. Here, you can visit numerous passage graves and barrow mounds from the Neolithic era, and even delve into pre-history at the state-of-the-art GeoCenter. The island is dotted with quaint villages comprised of thatched cottages, and due to the influx of overseas visitors, there are a number of excellent restaurants and cafés catering to foreign tastes. The main town of Stege is a picturesque market town situated beside the deep blue sea, and it has a relaxed and family-friendly atmosphere. No trip to Møn would be complete without a visit to some of its churches, where you can see amazingly well-preserved ceiling frescoes dating from the Middle Ages.

If you spend any amount of time on Møn, you can begin to feel the history of the island beneath your feet. People have inhabited this island for thousands of years, and the evidence from ancient times is everywhere you look in the form of burial mounds – there are 173 on this small island. Some are just nondescript dots on the landscape, while others are larger and crowned by trees. One of the most famous of these is Kong Asgers Høj (King Asger’s Mound), which was constructed around 4,000 years ago and contains a 10-metre long tunnel that you can enter. If you plan on visiting, make sure to bring a torch because it is pitch-dark inside!

Møn

But if 4,000 years of history sounds like a bit too far back in time, Møn has plenty of more recent and no less interesting history to offer. A visit to Møn would not be complete without gazing up at some of the frescoes that cover the local church ceilings. These works of art are renowned 

NEXT WEEK: SCANIA

•

Events

Summer in Denmark: 3 - 9 August 2012

Your click to Copenhagen area museums & experiences

For Families

WHO ARE THE DANES - AMBER, GOLD AND VIKINGS With a selection of particularly fine and unique artefacts, this guided tour takes you through the many different periods of Danish pre-history, from the Stone Age to the Vikings. Free – but please sign up at the Information Desk to attend. The guided tour takes place on Tue Aug 7 at 11:00.

VÆRKBOKSEN VÆRKboksen is the J. F. Willumsen Museum’s three-dimensional, interactive toolkit for families interested in exploring art. VÆRKboksen is stocked with activities and other art items to provide inspiration and entertainment for the whole family, and because it’s mounted on wheels, it’s easy to take around the museum and use to learn more about the works on display. J. F. Willumsen Musuem Jenriksvej 4

The National Museum

Frederiksund

Ny Vestergade 10

jfwillumsensmuseum.dk

Copenhagen K natmus.dk

SPIDERS They are beautiful, creative and alive – spiders. With its new exhibition, the Natural History Museum shows that these arachnids have much more to offer than fear and fright. So throw aside your prejudices and misconceptions to enjoy the beauty of the beast at an exhibition in which nature and art merged together. Natural History Musuem – Zoological Museum Universitetsparken 15 Copenhagen Ø zoology.smn.ku.dk

Exhibitions Illumination – tracing Bosch

•

GUIDED TOURS AT THE DANISH JEWISH MUSEUM Get the inside story behind Daniel Libeskind’s design for the museum housing 400 years of Jewish history in Denmark. The tour offers highlights from the museum’s permanent collection, ‘Space and Spaciousness’. Tours available Fri Aug 3, Sun Aug 5 and Wed Aug 8, at 14:00. Danish Jewish Museum Proviantspassagen 6 Copenhagen K jewmus.dk

and Bruegel It may seem like a set-up for forensic detective work, but it’s actually an exhibition about four Dutch paintings from the 16th century. Over the course of two years, an international team of experts has examined the four paintings. The paintings look almost exactly identical – and yet they are different. How are they connected? If, indeed, there is any connection between them at all?

Søndermarken

smk.dk

Modern Glass Art

Copenhagen K

Cisternerne – Museum of

Sølvgade 48-50

Merete Barker, Viera Collaro and Margrete Sørensen. Here, they created art in dialogue with the venue itself. In the gigantic underground columned hall – which used to accommodate a reservoir that supplied water to the city of Copenhagen – the three artists have each installed one large work of art that relates to the specific space, and in itself creates space.

National Gallery

Frederiksberg Just before dawn Cisternerne (the cisterns) below Frederiksberg’s Søndermarken park is the site for a meeting between the artists

cisternerne.dk Thorvaldsen’s Jesus and all the copies You can find Thorvaldsen’s

ists to exhibit new works in its Baroque Garden this summer. You can see playing sculptures and live sheep as the artists challenge history to present the art forms of the future.

holtegaard.org

Nørregade 8

Holte

of Our Lady

Attemosevej 170

Cathedral Museum – Church

Gl Holtegaard

Jesus in any size and in just about every material imaginable. Or at least copies of them, anyway. This exhibition tells the story of how the statue came to be one of the world’s most copied pieces of art.

Copenhagen K koebenhavnsdomkirke.dk

Secret garden, contemporary art in the Baroque Garden What happens when new Danish art is displayed in a historical garden? Gl Holtegaard invited nine Danish artists and groups of art-

Europe meets the world Europe is constantly changing and in constant dialogue with the world around it. Focusing on nine themes in European history, this exhibition tells the story of how Europe has interacted with other cultures over the past 2,500 years – from ancient Greece to the modern-day challenges of globalisation. The National Museum Ny Vestergade 7 Copenhagen K natmus.dk

The

Circus Museum ON LOAN

op uly h J ks in r o ay 0 W s nd 2.3 u rc y Su 1-1 i C er 1 Ev

www cirkusmuseum.dk .

Hovedporten 6 ● Hvidovre ● Sun-Thursday 11-15

Masterpieces from Skagens Museum

4 May - 3 September 2012 SCULPTURE • ARCHITECTUR • PAINTINGS

www.hirschsprung.dk

BERTEL THORVALDSENS PLADS 2, COPENHAGEN K OPEN TUESDAY-SUNDAY 10-17 WWW.THORVALDSENSMUSEUM.DK

Open daily 11 AM - 5 PM Closed Mondays

Summer in Denmark: 3 - 9 August 2012

Your click to Copenhagen area museums & experiences Photo: Martin Ballund

Royal Copenhagen ...

My museum where I experience art

Photo: Anne Mie Dreves

Djuna Barnes, 34, DJ, musical consultant and author

“ Follow in the steps of the royals during a tour of the city’s museums, palaces and galleries By Asløg Andersen

ISIT THE ROYAL sites of Copenhagen on a tour that takes you through centuries of colourful stories. The city’s museums, palaces and galleries all conjure up images of the luxury and brutality of a long-lost royal era, while they provide insight into the lives of today’s royals. Fanfare for the king At the Museum of National History at Frederiksborg Palace in Hillerød, you can visit the birthplace of King Christian IV, who years later transformed the palace into a Renaissance masterpiece unparalleled in Denmark at the time. In the outer courtyard, the trumpeting gods of the Neptune Fountain were meant to draw the world’s attention to Denmark and its ambitious king. The ornately decorated palace church is one of the museum’s centrepieces. This was the coronation site of nearly all of Denmark’s monarchs – in this grand ceremony, the king crowned himself as a symbol that he answered only to God. Coronations were celebrated in the richly adorned great hall.

Five centuries of kings and queens Prior to 1859, Frederiksborg Palace was a royal residence and the site of royal ceremonies. A devastating fire, however, changed all of that. But thanks to a donation by J. C. Jacobsen – of Carlsberg brewery fame – the palace would become the country’s leading museum of national history. In 1878, the palace opened as a museum, and today it offers a glimpse of five centuries of the nation’s history. The walls of the palace are decked with portraits of regal kings and their queens, and the room’s furnishings provide a look at the fashions of the period. The museum’s portrait collection includes modern royals – including Queen Margrethe and Crown Princess Mary. After finishing your tour inside the castle, enjoy the angular Baroque garden that dates back to the 1720s or the more natural Romantic-era garden from the 19th century. Tapestries and thrones in the house of parliament Looking to get close to the modern trappings of royal power? Visit the house of parliament at Christiansborg Palace, a former royal residence that is still used by the queen on ceremonial occasions. The palace has an exciting history to share as well: the underground ruins reveal the 800-year-old history of Slotsholmen island. The current place, built in 1928, stands on the ruins of two previous castles.

By going to a museum, we choose culture and history over ‘Paradise Hotel’ and McDonald’s. That’s when the cultivated side of us takes over. I like art that pushes the limit, and I remember that the National Gallery once invited artists Tal R and Jonathan Meese to show there. They exemplified everything that you aren’t allowed to do in art. It was at once a kiss on the cheek and a kiss with the tongue. Penises and vaginas, animal bones, fingernails, hair, excrement. It was corporal, and at the same time you were repulsed by it, you were also drawn to it. I like art that is explicit, and an art form like graphics doesn’t appeal to me. “The Workers’ Museum is just the thing for a dedicated Communist like myself. You can call red flags anachronistic if you want, but it all gets put into perspective when you visit a museum like this and see the gains unions have made. In the post-war time during the 1950s, the focus was on the family and its all-encompassing fear of the unknown. Dad worked. Mom stayed at home. Everything was as it should be. Anything else was subject to ridicule because it wasn’t traditional family life, and its narrow focus on material wealth and a middle-class existence – complete with two kids, a house and a little garden. What a horrible way to live. There’s a tendency to romanticise the ’50s. I love ‘Mad Men’, but all the men are well-dressed and they go to cocktail bars. The Workers’ Museum is proof that there was another reality. You get a snapshot of the welfare state and a study in heterosexuality. “We need places like that so we don’t wind up equating the ’50s with ‘Mad Men’ or rely on Wikipedia for our understanding of history. We live in a period where people write their own version of history. Museums give a tactile, complex and emotional experience, and it’s important that they continue to provide us with a good reconstruction of the past – and also that there’s someone who can serve good æbleskiver and chips.” By Marie Louise Tüxen

In the ornate royal apartments, you’ll find the great hall with room for 400 dinner guests; the walls are hung with the tapestries given to the queen on her 50th birthday. Have a peek inside the queen’s library and the throne room, which contains the thrones rescued from the previous Christiansborg during the 1884 fire. On your tour, remember to look up every now and again to catch a glimpse of the palace’s chandeliers. Princely palace If you’ve had enough of palaces, head to the National Museum, which is primarily housed in the palace where King Christian V lived before he ascended the throne. Dating from the 1740s, much of the building’s Rococo interior has been preserved. Among the original rooms is the great hall and its lavishly decorated ceiling, once the site of royal celebrations. The royal family was always centrally seated under the red canopy.

Summer in Denmark: 3 - 9 August 2012

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Summer in Denmark: 3 - 9 August 2012

Neighbourhood safari | Christianshavn

Where everyone is welcome By Elise Beacom

F THERE’S one district in Copenhagen worthy of being called charming, it’s Christianshavn. This neighbourhood sits prettily on an artificial island built by King Christian IV. Positioned over Knippel Bridge, Christianshavn is located east of the inner city between Amager and central Copenhagen. Designed in the image of Amsterdam, the canal that cuts through the district was traditionally used as a passage for trade, and it is still adorned with beautiful wooden ships – their masts towering high above the water. And what was once a working-class neighbourhood, filled with watering holes for sailors and merchants, is now one of the city’s trendiest and most expensive areas to live. Although some residue of its nautical history remains, many of the booming blue-collar joints of days gone by have been replaced by stylish bars and eateries. A stroll along the canals nowadays will reveal Michelin-star restaurants and an eclectic collection of candlelit schnapps bars that smell of old spice. And the area’s inhabitants similarly reflect the diverse surroundings – from hippies living in makeshift houses in Christiania to highflyers who dine at the world’s finest restaurant Noma before following the cobblestones home to their comfortable waterfront apartments. There is a place for everyone in Christianshavn.

Hellerup

Nørrebro

Østerbro

Frederiksberg Christianshavn Vesterbro

DO There is a lot to do in Christianshavn, whether it’s exploring the quaint cobblestone streets and canals or navigating through the haze of Christiania. A bunch of hippies moved into the ‘free town’ in the early 1970s, erecting lopsided self-made houses. Now, the area is famed for its communal atmosphere. Nearby on Sankt Annæ Gade is Vor Frelsers church – a 400-step climb up the outside of the spire offers a panoramic view of the city. Equally impressive is the Opera House on the waterfront at Holmen – an old naval area. Designed by architect Henning Larsen and built in 2005 with guidance from leading acoustics experts, the Opera House offers an awesome sensory experience. Another architecturally striking structure is the Royal Library’s modern extension – the Black Diamond. When the sun hits the polished black-granite exterior, it reflects the shimmering water. Or view it all from the water itself: Christianhavn’s Boats for Hire rents out four-person dinghies. OUR PICK!

AFTER DARK Christiania is as vibrant during the day as it is at night. Its big live-music venue Loppen is the place to see some of Copenhagen’s up-and-coming and underground bands. This small, rustic venue attracts a broad range of musical acts and concertgoers. Summertime is also perfect for lazy days and balmy nights at the beach. To get that beach vibe without leaving the city, Halvandet is cool place to hang out, complete with a beach bar, beach-volleyball court and a beach-football field. Off the sand, Café Wilder on Wildersgade is a popular place for anyone, from artists to corporate types. And if you want a break from Copenhagen, Eiffel Bar, also on Wildersgade, feels like a slice of Paris from the 1930s – sans the can-can girls. It’s somewhat ironic that this Parisian-style bar, decorated with countless mini replicas of the Eiffel Tower, is located in Christianshavn – a place often nicknamed ‘Little Amsterdam’.

OUR PICK!

Christiania. This place really sticks it to the establishment.

Eiffel Bar. For a trip to 1930s Paris – and cheap beer – try this cute little bar. Sacré bleu! (Wildersgade 58)

EAT If you’re suffering from a bout of the munchies, try Morgenstedet in the middle of Christiania. The café’s chefs are volunteers who serve up organic vegetarian cuisine in a cosy, casual setting. For a meatier meal, the burgers a t Luna’s Diner are good – their delicious breakfast burger is great for soothing a hangover. Bastionen + Løven on Christianshavns Voldgade is set in a beautiful spot, right on the shores of Christianshavn’s lakes. It serves classic Danish dishes for lunch and dinner, and the weekend brunch is also worth a try. Another spot with a view, Restaurant Kanalen serves up flavourful Danish food with a French twist. Sweet Treat, on Sankt Annæ Gade, is a buzzing little coffee joint with a chic interior, decent coffee and colourful macarons. And book a few months ahead for a memorable dining experience at Noma. Named the world’s best restaurant for three years running, it dishes up unique ‘New Nordic’ fare – and includes anything from dirt-crusted carrots to live ants.

OUR PICK!

Restaurant Kanalen. The picturesque location of this charming restaurant makes the meal taste even better (Wilders Plads 2)

SHOP Christianshavn isn’t quite as bustling as some of Copenhagen’s other shopping districts, but that’s not to say you can’t find some quaint shops scattered around the neighbourhood. Ceramic Studio and Shop on Wilders Plads sells and showcases the works of two talented local ceramicists. For a pleasant afternoon browse, try Pang Christianshavn on Sankt Annæ Gade. Appropriately named (‘pang’ is Danish for boldly coloured), this shop carries clothes and furniture in every shade and hue. Or wander through Christiania to find some interesting knick-knacks, jewellery, clothing and paraphernalia. While you’re in the area, Christiania Cykler has a great range of wheels, including bikes painted in hippie patterns and colours.

OUR PICK!

Pang Christianshavn. Celebrate summer with fashion, homewares and furniture in every colour (Sankt Annæ Gade 31)

NEXT WEEK: HELLERUP

Summer in Denmark: 3 - 9 August 2012

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