Danish History for the Citizenship Test: Key Events You Must Know

Danish History for the Citizenship Test: Key Events You Must Know

History accounts for roughly 10-15 of the 35 main questions on the citizenship test. Below are the key events and periods, organized chronologically.

The Viking Age (ca. 750-1050)

The Viking Age was a defining period for Scandinavian history. Danish Vikings were traders, settlers, and warriors who traveled across Europe and beyond.

Key Events

• ca. 750 - The Viking Age begins
• ca. 800-850 - Missionary Ansgar builds the first churches in Hedeby and Ribe
• ca. 965 - Harald Bluetooth converts to Christianity and raises the Jelling Stone
• ca. 1050 - The Viking Age ends

What to Remember

• The Jelling Stone is called "Denmark's birth certificate" - it marks the Christianization of Denmark
• Harald Bluetooth united Denmark under one king
• The Bluetooth wireless technology is named after Harald Bluetooth (the logo is his runic initials)

Explore the Viking Age in detail

The Middle Ages (ca. 1050-1500)

Key Events

• 1167 - Bishop Absalon founds Copenhagen
• 1219 - According to legend, the Danish flag (Dannebrog) falls from the sky during battle
• 1241 - Jyske Lov (Jutlandic Law) is issued - "With law shall a land be built"
• 1348-1350 - The Black Death kills a large portion of the population
• 1397 - The Kalmar Union unites Denmark, Norway, and Sweden

What to Remember

• The Kalmar Union lasted from 1397 to 1523
• Queen Margrethe I was the architect behind the union
• Jyske Lov's motto remains iconic in Danish legal tradition

Learn about the year 1397

The Reformation (1536)

Key Events

• 1523 - The Kalmar Union dissolves
• 1536 - The Reformation: Denmark becomes Protestant (Lutheran)

What to Remember

• Christian III carried out the Reformation
• The Catholic Church lost all power and property
• The Evangelical-Lutheran Church became the state church (still the Folkekirken today)

Learn about the year 1536

Absolutism (1660-1849)

Key Events

• 1660 - Absolutism is introduced - the king gains absolute power
• 1665 - The Royal Law (Kongeloven) codifies the king's absolute authority
• 1721 - Hans Egede begins missionary work in Greenland
• 1733 - Stavnsbaand (serfdom bonds) introduced, binding peasants to estates
• 1788 - Stavnsbaand abolished - a major agricultural reform
• 1807 - The British bombard Copenhagen during the Napoleonic Wars
• 1814 - Denmark loses Norway to Sweden at the Treaty of Kiel
• 1814 - The first school law establishes compulsory education

What to Remember

• Absolutism lasted from 1660 to 1849 - nearly 200 years
• The loss of Norway in 1814 was a national catastrophe
• The abolition of Stavnsbaand in 1788 was a crucial reform for peasant freedom

Learn about the year 1660 | Learn about the year 1814

The Constitution and Democracy (1849-1920)

Key Events

• June 5, 1849 - The first Danish Constitution is signed by Frederik VII
• 1864 - Denmark loses Schleswig-Holstein to Prussia and Austria (Dybboel)
• 1899 - The September Agreement - the "Labor Market Constitution"
• 1901 - Parliamentarism is introduced (Systemskiftet)
• 1915 - Women's suffrage - women and servants gain the right to vote
• 1920 - The Reunification - Southern Jutland (Sonderjylland) returns to Denmark

What to Remember

• June 5 is Grundlovsdag (Constitution Day), still celebrated today
• 1864 was a national trauma - Denmark lost about 40% of its territory
• Denmark was among the first countries in the world to grant women's suffrage

Learn about the year 1849 | Learn about the year 1864

World War II: The German Occupation (1940-1945)

Key Events

• April 9, 1940 - Germany occupies Denmark
• 1940-1943 - The cooperation policy (samarbejdspolitikken)
• August 29, 1943 - The government resigns, ending cooperation
• October 1943 - Approximately 7,000 Danish Jews are rescued by boat to Sweden
• May 5, 1945 - Denmark is liberated

What to Remember

• The rescue of Danish Jews is one of the most remarkable events of WWII
• May 5 is still celebrated with candles in windows
• After liberation, Denmark joined the UN (1945)

Learn about the year 1940 | Learn about the year 1943

Modern Denmark (1945-Present)

Key Events

• 1945 - Denmark joins the United Nations (UN)
• 1949 - Denmark co-founds NATO
• 1953 - New Constitution: female succession, Landsting abolished, Greenland integrated
• 1972 - Margrethe II becomes Queen
• 1973 - Denmark joins the EEC (now EU)
• 1992 - Denmark votes no to the Maastricht Treaty; wins the European Football Championship
• 2000 - Denmark votes no to adopting the euro
• 2022 - Denmark abolishes its EU defense opt-out
• 2024 - Frederik X becomes King after Margrethe II abdicates

What to Remember

• Denmark has had 4 EU-related referendums - understand the Danish EU opt-outs
• The Constitution of 1953 is the current one
• King Frederik X became monarch on January 14, 2024

Learn about the year 1953 | Learn about the year 1973

Quick Reference: Key Dates to Memorize

Study Strategy

1. Learn the periods chronologically first
2. Then focus on key dates and events within each period
3. Understand the connections between events (e.g., 1864 loss led to 1920 reunification)
4. Test yourself with practice questions on Borgerklar

Start practicing now

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For detailed information on each period, visit our history hub.