Denmark has a bright cultural and intellectual legacy. One famous Dane was Neils Bohr, who taught the world about atomic structure. Modern day Danish inventors include Bjarne Stroustrup and Anders Hejlsberg, who work with computer language, such as C++, Turbo Pascal, and Delphi.

Danes are thought to have a civilized lifestyle. Danish literature, music and especially arts and crafts are in a unique class and distinct from those produced in other Nordic countries.

Danish literature

Danish literature is believed to be over one thousand years old. Initially, around the 11th, century literature was limited to poetic verse.

During the sixteenth century writers such as Christiern Pedersen created some very interesting texts including a translation of early Danish history using the writings of Saxo Grammaticus, which were authored in the twelfth century. The most important text from Pedersen was a translation of the New Testament of the Bible into Danish. Because of his role in writing the first Danish Bible, Pedersen gained fame as the “Father of Danish literature”.

Pedersen published several other texts in the times when printing presses had yet to be invented.

Other internationally renowned writers from Denmark include:
o    Hans Christian Andersen, who is very well known for his fairy tales,
o    Ludvig Holdberg, a famous playwrite,
o    Soren Kierkegaard, known for his philosophical writings,
o    Henrik Pontoppidan who received the Noble Prize for Literature in 1917, and
o    Kristen Thorup, received the Pegasus award in 1980.

Karen Blixen, Peter Hoeg, Herman Bang, Benny Andersen, Jens Baggesen, Suzanne Brogger and Vita Andersen are all also well-known Danish writers.  

Danish artwork

Danish artwork, mostly done in silver and porcelain, and including home furnishings and ceramics, is globally recognized for being very detailed and uniquely designed. Some of the world’s most famous artists and designers are from Denmark,including Georg Jensen, Hans Jorgen Wegner and Arne Jacobsen.

Danish Music

Jazz is one of the most popular genres of music in Denmark. This explains why, from the year 1960 onwards, several Jazz musicians from around the world and mostly from the United States made Denmark their home. In later years, Denmark was known as an International Jazz Capital among Jazz musicians and music lovers. The Copenhagen Jazz festival is one of the world’s most recognized Jazz events.

Some famous Jazz composers and musicians are Dexter Gordon, Ben Webster, Thad Jones, Per Nogard and Hans Abrahamsen.

In addition to Jazz, Pop and Rock are also popular in modern Denmark. There are some festivals, such as Skagen and Tonder, which showcase some types of Danish folk music.