Scandinavian American. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1945-1958, 1945-11-01
THE SCANDINAVIAN AMERICAN
Niko|ai Frederick SEVERN GrundtviQ,
Danish Prophet of the North

instead of constructing the spirit
of the child to the demands OF a
rigid and unreal dogma.
After the military defeat of "a
when Denmark lost Schleswig to
Germany, the future for the little
kingdom seemed dark indeed The
land was not particularly favor
able for intensive agriculture and
an atmosphere of gloom was be-
ginning to settle over the people.
Fiery and indomitable, Grundtvig
led the fight against the spirit Of
pessimism which gripped the ma
ton. Denmark would survive and
grow prosperous he insisted.
He inaugurated a widespread
system of popular education, the
purpose of which was to reach the
most isolated farmers in Den
mark. In his Folk Schools the
farmer would learn how to think
and work for himself. The edu-
cation would be practical, fitting
the needs of the people 1T would
be of both great use and real
pleasure, he wrote, "if there
were well-managed farm con-
nected with the Folk High School
and if this were surrounded by
workshops of all kinds, where ev-
cry young man at the school could
see really efficient management
of his trade. Such acquaintance
with the many-sided practical &C.
tivities would be a necessary con-
dition of a real understanding of
Danish social life and national in
situations, subjects which should
not be taught through dull statis-
tics, but by a lively and intelli-
gent Dane who had Travelled all
over the country with his eyes
open, so that he had come to
know birds, animals and human
beings"
While books were to be used in
the Folk Schools they were not
to have the chief role. Books
said Grundtvig were merely "a
picture of life" What the Folk
Schools must seek was life itself
The Folk Schools, as planned by
Grundtvig, were places of joy, ra-
Their than dismal halls of abstract
academic studies. Singing, folk
crafts, national lore, all had their
places in the curriculum.
From 1870 to the present. the
Folk Schools have attracted to
their winter and summer courses
every third or fourth member of
the youth of the countryside.
These schools invested farm work
with dignity and enabled the for
mer to see the Importance of his
place in the national pattern. One
follower of Grundtvig once eX-
claimed to a farmer who had COM
planned that he could not get suf-
ficient hands to weed his turnips
and to milk his cows. rs that
really so? Can't you get anyone
to help you with the wedding, and
are your daughters unable to get
anyone to help them milk the
cows? Or do you mean to say
that you and your daughters are
above wedding the turnips and
milking the cows, and that you
put the work into the hands of
hired strangers? If so you
must alter your course. You must
not regard any kind of farm work
as mental work to be left to hired
hands. Take part in the work
yourself, and demonstrate to your
laborers that work enobles a
man."
Learn by doing" and do while
learning" were the rules of the
democratic Folk High Schools in
spired by Nikolai Grundtvig. vii
the Nazi invaders impede The
work of these schools Theil
preservation is viewed as being &
matter of deep concern to the Un'
tied States and to the world.