Danish people
This article is about Danes as an ethnic group. For information about residents or nationals of Denmark, see demographics of Denmark. For other uses, see Dane.A minority of approx. 50,000 Danes live in
Southern Schleswig in
Germany, a former Danish territory, forming around 10% of the local population. In Denmark, the latter group is often referred to as
De danske syd for grænsen (literally: the Danes south of the (Danish-German) border) or
sydslesvigere (South Schleswigers).
Det danske folk (
The Danish nation) as a concept, played an important role in
19th century ethnic nationalism and refers to self-identification rather than a legal status. Use of the term is most often restricted to a historical context; the historic German-Danish struggle regarding the status of the
Duchy of
Schleswig vis-à-vis a Danish
nation-state. It describes people of Danish
nationality, both in
Denmark and elsewhere. Most importantly, ethnic Danes in both
Denmark proper and the former Danish
Duchy of
Schleswig. Excluded from this definition are people from the formerly
Norwegian Faroe Islands and
Greenland as well as members of the German minority as well as members of other ethnic minorities.
The term should not be confused with the legal concept of
nationality,
Danske statsborgere (
Danish nationals) i.e. individuals holding Danish citizenship.
*
List of Danes*
Danish Americans
