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DENMARK’S STOLEN WORKERS’ LEGACY

DENMARK’S STOLEN WORKERS’ LEGACY
17. January 2025 ZLC Team
In Production

DENMARK’S DARK HISTORY

FROM SLAVERY TO INDUSTRIALIZATION

I often think about how Denmark became the country we know today. When I hear words like “gratitude” and how we should appreciate our place in society, I’m reminded of the dark chapters we rarely talk about. From the slaves who worked the sugar plantations in the Caribbean to my own father, who toiled in Danish factories as a guest worker – exploitation has always been part of the story.

When I was younger, I didn’t fully grasp what my father carried on his shoulders. But as I grew older, it became clear that his story wasn’t unique. Denmark has, for centuries, taken resources – both human and material – from others, often without acknowledging their contributions. The sugar that sweetened the tea and coffee of the Danes came from plantations where slaves worked themselves to death.

And it doesn’t stop there. Today, I look at Greenland and think: Have we really come that far? The resources may have changed – now it’s fish, minerals, and strategic locations – but the pattern remains the same. Those who give rarely receive anything in return.

THE GUEST WORKER’S SON

A PERSONAL PERSPECTIVE

My father’s hands built the factories that kept the industry alive. I can still remember his rough fingers, his tired eyes when he came home. He rarely spoke about work, but I could see he carried a weight heavier than just long hours. It was the weight of being a “foreigner,” even in a country he had devoted his life to.

When I reflect, I can’t help but wonder: Has anything really changed? Denmark has a history of exploiting resources and people for its own gain, and we, the children of guest workers, still live in the shadows of that past.

DENMARK’S RESPONSIBILITY: A REFLECTION

As the son of a guest worker whose story is intertwined with Denmark’s industrialization, I feel it’s time to address this legacy. If we can look back at slavery and sugar plantations with shame, why are we not willing to confront the modern versions of this exploitation? Greenland, guest workers, migrants – it’s the same story with new faces.

GRATITUDE, MY ASS

I’m tired of hearing about how we should be grateful. Gratitude should go both ways. If Denmark was built on the backs of slaves, guest workers, and resources from other countries, it’s not too much to expect a little respect and recognition. We shouldn’t only look forward but also back, to learn from the past.

A symbolic representation of Denmark's dark history, featuring the exploitation of guest workers and industrial labor linked to slavery and colonialism.

Further Reading:

By examining these stories, we can better understand how past and present intersect, and how systemic injustices continue to shape our societies.