4 Questions for Erik Kühl on the Bonn-Copenhagen Declaration
Dear Erik, the Bonn-Copenhagen Declarations are celebrating their 70th anniversary this month. We are excited that you are taking the time to answer a few questions for us.
Why did minority politics become so crucial in 1950?
Minority politics suddenly became a central focus in the course of the 50s due to the oustanding situation in the Danish-German border region. Since the end of WW2, the status of South Schleswig had once again become a topic for debate; many members of the Danish minority saw an opportunity to finally revise the border southwards, and with the establishment of the SSW in 1948, there was now an organised effort to do so. As the geopolitical constellation in Europe became increasingly clear during the 1950s, it became increasingly clear for larger actors such as the USA and Great Britain that West Germany had to be integrated into NATO. For this to happen, a solution had to find place for the situation between Denmark and Germany.
What factors had significant influence on the situation?
The central influential factor for the start of Danish-German talks were definitely the security situation in Europe; NATO had been established in 1949 with the goal of consolidating the Western democracies under an American-led security bloc, which could effectively fight off any potential invasion of the Soviet Union. Denmark, as a founding member of NATO and with a crucial position in the Baltic ocean, played an important role in this alliance. At the same time, the Soviet Union had consolidated its control over most of Eastern and large parts of central Europe; this was a central reason for trying to get West Germany into the NATO alliance, so that a united front could be established against the USSR. This meant the German-Danish conflict had to be solved, as not solving it could risk alienating Denmark or preventing West Germany from integrating into NATO.
Beyond the security aspect, we can also see a resurgence in Danish irredentism among the minority after WW2, as well as a massive surge in membership in the Danish minority likely fuelling these irredentist sentiments; in 1920, the Danish minority counted ca. 10.000 members. Immediately after 1945, that number had sprung up to more than 100.000. This meant the status of the Danish-German border region became increasingly important.
Who signed the Bonn-Copenhagen declarations?
There wasn't really a signing of any declaration in the traditional sense; the Copenhagen-Bonn declarations are not a treaty between 2 nations with signatories, they are in fact 2 unilateral declarations made by the Danish and West German governments on the background of bilateral negotiations. These declarations were made as a result of bilateral negotiations between Denmark and West Germany. These declarations were announced together by the Danish prime minister H.C. Hansen and the German chancellor Konrad Adenauer after a meeting in Bonn on the 29th of march, 1955.
What do the Bonn-Copenhagen declarations establish?
The Copenhagen-Bonn declarations are not legally binding bilaterally, however they are unilaterally binding. What they do establish are a certain series of commitments made by both national governments towards their respective minorities. Among these, the 5% hurdle was removed for the SSW, so that they could be represented in the parliament of Schleswig-Holstein without requiring at least 5% of the vote. German schools in Denmark got the legal right to exams, a German gymnasium was established in Aabenraa, and the Danish gymnasium in Flensburg had its final exams recognised by the German government.
Beyond these establishments, the declarations also reaffirmed the right to free self-identification; this means that the status of minority was not built on any ethnic basis, but rather on the free association of the individual with the minority. This meant that people with no previous connection to any of the 2 national minorities had the right to join minority organisations and out their kids in minority schools, and members of the minority also had the right to leave the minority should they wish to do so.
More information about Erik Kühl and the Cluster Minority Issues in the Denmark-Germany Border Region.
