Dutch

Today, the influence of the Dutch can be seen at the Shrovetide Feast, at the Harvest Service in Store Magleby Church and on other festive occasions. Amager folk costumes and traditions can also be studied at the Amager Museum.

The Danish King Christian II invited Dutch families to Amager in 1521, and they settled in Store Magleby. They were assigned the entire parish - except Dragør - and took over the existing farms freely.

It is uncertain why they were invited, and how they were received, but in subsequent generations they developed the specialized Amager farming and turned Amager into one large kitchen garden. The products were marketed in the capital, where Copenhagen's Amagertorv was their marketplace.

The Dutch immigrants were given special privileges. They got full use and ownership of land as well as farms. They were exempt from any kind of tax against paying an annual tax to the king.

They were permitted to set up Schout rule - self-government according to the Dutch model. It included local and internal government as well as judicial and ecclesiastical matters.

It was not until 1811 that after 300 years they renounced their language. Gradually it had come to be used only for church and school and had become a special blend of the original Dutch and the priests’ Low German.

It was probably also influenced by the Danish language, which they had to learn in order to manage in the Copenhagen marketplace.

In 1821 the old Schout Rule and the associated privileges were also abolished

Today, the influence of the Dutch can be seen at the Shrovetide Feast, at the Harvest Service in Store Magleby Church and on other festive occasions. Amager folk costumes and traditions can also be studied at the Amager Museum.

The Dutch names also live on in the best of ways – today in Dragør and Store Magleby you will meet many locals named Theis, Dirch and Crilles for the boys, and Leise, Marchen, Grith and Neel for the girls.