The Churches: The Dynamics of Religious Reform in Northern Europe, 1780-1920

Church, State and Reform in Denmark

Church, State and Reform in Denmark 229 Church, State and Reform in Denmark Jes Fabricius Møller The Church Remarkably little happened to the fundamental structure of the Danish church1 between 1780 and 1920. The church carried out crucial reforms only towards the end of the period, in response to extensive social change. Around 1780 the Danish church was not an independent organisation; in fact, it was barely an organisation at all since it functioned virtually as part of the absolutist Danish state. For example, the Danish church had no synod. The bishop of Sealand, who resided in Copenhagen, acted as primus inter pares whenever the church had to be represented externally, but did so only to a limited extent. Because the absolutist state defined itself as a Christian state, and thus as a defender of the true faith, it is impossible in this period to distinguish precisely between state and church.2 The king of Denmark was the head of the church. Hence the minister was a public servant. In the nineteenth-century kingdom of Denmark the right to appoint a parson (jus vocandi) belonged in principle to the king, although in the duchies of Schleswig and Holstein a local patron or parish sometimes possessed it. In some cases, local authorities, typically the local lord of the manor, exerted a significant measure of influence through the right to propose a candidate for the post. From its formation in the early twelfth century until the Local Government Reform (Kommunalreformen) of 1970 the parish remained the fundamental administrative unit not just of the church, but of Danish society. Following a minor reorgani2 Severinsen, Folkekirkens Ejendoms-Historie, 110. 1 The best introductions to Danish ecclesiastical history of the long nineteenth century are Koch, Den danske kirkes historie, and Lindhardt, Den danske kirkes historie. Jes Fabricius Møller 230 4 Appel, “Literacy in Seventeenth Century Denmark ”. 3 Bergsøe, Den danske Stats Statistik, I, 446 and IV, 59. Lauenborg, which between 1815 and 1864 was ruled by the king of Denmark, comprised 28 parishes and 31,996 people. sation of the church structure in 1806, the kingdom was divided into eight dioceses; the duchies each had one diocese called a Generalsuperintendentur. A minister could serve several parishes in a so-called pastorat, a benefice. The kingdom possessed 1,008 benefices and 1,758 parishes, Schleswig 209 benefices and 227 parishes, and Holstein 137 benefices and 139 parishes. According to the census of 1801-1803, the kingdom of Denmark had a population of 925,680, Schleswig 276,339, and Holstein 602,087.3 These figurescanonlygiveanideaofthesizeofanaverageparish,butaministerwasexpected to know every parishioner personally. The Minister Apart from attending to clerical duties, church services and religious ceremonies, the minister performed civil duties on behalf of the state, except for law enforcement. One essential duty was registering the population by entering births (christenings), marriages, and deaths (funerals) into the church register. The minister also fulfilled the essential task of taking the census, necessary for taxation purposes and the military draft. On behalf of the government he supervised poor relief, medical issues such as smallpox vaccination and midwifery, and the levy of troops. The minister furthermore read official announcements from the pulpit, and reported to the central authorities on matters ranging from historical relics to population figures. He not only confirmed the young people but also watched over their further prospects in life. Confirmation had been compulsory since 1736 and without a certificate of confirmation youths were barred from apprenticeships, jobs and marriage. Studies indicate that literacy was high in rural areas as early as the seventeenth century.4 Reading material consisted mainly of devotional literature. Not surprisingly , then, the high levels of literacy in the rural population was mainly thanks to the church. Similarly, teaching at school was based on the catechism. The local teacher was typically also the parish clerk (degn), while tithes were used in part to pay for the schools. Later, after primary education had been regulated by central law in 1814, the minister took on the influential role of school superintendent. Some ministers even established schools for the education of teachers, the so-called præstegårdsseminarier (vicarage seminaries). Thus there existed a tradition of decentralised teacher training outside the universities. The minister would normally be the only university graduate in the parish. Since the Reformation, it had been the main task of the University of Copenhagen, the only university in the kingdom of Denmark, to educate future clergymen . The German speaking ministers of...