The Danebod Folk School opened in 1888 to provide an education in arts, culture and politics to the Danish population that had recently arrived in Lincoln County.
—–Editor: Britt Aamodt Producer: Britt Aamodt Editorial support: Emily Krumberger Mixing & mastering: Chris Harwood
Transcript
MN90 Intro: Welcome to MN90: Minnesota History in 90 Seconds.
Britt Aamodt: In 1885, a group of Danes settled land south of Tyler in Lincoln County, Minnesota. They were a religious group that had split off from the Danish National Church, and wanted to make a happy home for themselves in this new land. In fact, they were sometimes called the “Happy Danes” because they focused on the now and didn’t worry too much about the hereafter.
Still, they wanted a church. But their pastor convinced them to hold off and build a folk school first. Because to be a good community member was to be an educated one. The Danebod Folk School opened just three years later, in 1888. It provided an education in arts, culture and politics and drew in Danish-Americans from surrounding communities to keep their language and traditions alive.
The folk school closed during the Great Depression. It reemerged after World War II but as a camp. And every summer since 1947, the folk school has opened its doors for games, crafts and singing in Danish at the Danebod Family Camp.
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