Det fundne og det tabte: To nationer under Gud

Abstract

The found and the Lost: Two Nations under God. Kaj Munk and the question of Southern Jutland. The aim of this article is to present and discuss the view of Danish pastor, playwright, author, and resistance martyr Kaj Munk (1898-1944) regarding the reunion of Denmark and Southern Jutland in 1920. In Munk’s view Southern Jutland and the border to Germany is of central importance to the Danish national identity. The population remained culturally Danish under German rule. However, the reunion and the close relationship with Germany was challenged during the rise of the Third Reich, and eventually the occupation of Denmark. Kaj Munk’s nuanced reflections on the cohabitation of neighbouring countries reject demonization and nationalistic superiority thinking. In Munk’s understanding “fronts” and “bridges” are necessary in international cooperation. The front to protect intrinsic values and avoid appropriation, the bridges to bridge divides between the two nations under God. Munk is an example of a peaceful, acknowledging approach to international cohabitation, though with a strong sense of cultural consistency.

Keywords

• Kaj Munk, Genforeningen, Sønderjylland, Tyskland, nation