Historian’s Corner
Working in Denmark in Days Gone By
by Donna Christensen Thomas, National DSS Historian Do you remember what it was like to get and woman obtains employment she goes to a pohave your first job, perhaps as a teenager. Our lice station and gets a book which testifies to her Danish ancestors had a system and expectations good character, and in which is entered the name for that process. A former intern for the Museum of the woman into whose service she enters. of Danish America, Jesper Jacobsen, described Without this book of character a servant cannot the process as follows: secure employment. This book she gives to her "Following confirmation [affirming one's new mistress; In return she gets a key to the front baptismal pledge as a Christian], only a few lucky door of the house. The servant enjoys absolute young people had additional schooling or were independence. Should she desire to leave the able to find apprenticeships. The vast majority service, she is required to give her mistress two were given a Skudsmaalsbog, or Employment weeks' notice. When she left she received her Character Reference Book in which all future book, and reports off at the police station. Should employment was to be recorded, and left home several weeks or months elapse before she again to work, often as farm hands and domestic sersecures employment she is requir3ed to give an vants. Without proof of confirmation one could account of herself, and tell where she has been at not find work and would have to beg for a living, the police station." which was illegal." You may find an example of a If you are pursuing family history research, Skudsmaalsbog for Thyra Jensen (Danish Emkeep in mind that if a person was fourteen years ployment Character Reference Book) (Nyborg, of age or older and not found living with their Denmark): 1880. Card Stock. Title page printed family of origin, you may find them living with a with date of 1880, but handwritten references neighboring family in the area and designated as within all date from 1908 to 1918. Unpublished a servant in the household. Sometimes they did personal booklet with place of publication/use so at much earlier ages if the family particularly taken from the Nyborg Police Station rubberneeded the income and others' were able to supstamp (1918) noted within - and not from the ply it, perhaps stacking firewood, carrying water, publishers location. Quarter black cloth with washing clothes and cooking. The rural children brown paper over stiff card, sewn binding with typically attended school every other day, so they string bound wax seal sewn through text block, had time and were taught to help with the work narrow 16mo (5-7/8 inches tall), pp. [1]-48, pag- in the family as young children and trained fures 1-6 with printed text, 7-10 with manuscript ther with each successive employer. references, rest are blank. Volume with light wear, some toning, occasional spotting and a few Congratulations to our light creases. Very Good. it is priced at $150. Centenarians Imagine your female fore-sister" perhaps CELEBRATING one hundred or more years ago. An article found YOU! Today we honor and treasure in my hometown Audubon, Iowa, newspaper your life and wish you a very about one hundred years ago further enlightened Happy Birthday! the process in an article entitled "The Rigid System in Denmark": August "In Denmark few housewives have trouble Edith Andersen • August 29, 1921 • 100 years with their servants. A system has been perfectold • Lodge #163, Joined April 9, 1995 3ed which guarantees a housewife honest and good servants, as well as independence and fair treatment to those employed. When a young 7
Danish Sisterhood News, August 2021
