Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 8.djvu/311

 THE NORTH SLESWIC QUESTION 299

chism and even they have recently been abolished in a large number of schools utterly banished as a medium of instruction. All questions and answers must be given in German ; all conver- sation must be carried on in German 5 German are the lessons set the children for home preparation ; German the themes Ger- man praise of German deeds, German hymns to German heroes. And that to children whose parents understand no other lan- guage than Danish, and in whose homes not a word of any other was ever spoken !

Scarcely better have the churches fared. The clergy are an imported flock, trained in the German universities, utterly out of touch with the people to whose spiritual wants they are supposed to minister ; barely able to understand their language, mutilating it beyond recognition from their pulpits. Officially, Danish is yet the ecclesiastical language of the northernmost districts, where the pastor himself and his family, and the schoolmaster and his, are often the only German sympathizers found in the parish. If this German minority, however through the addition, say, of the personnel of a new local branch of the state railway encouraged by the authorities, grows sufficiently confident to get up a petition for the partial or complete replacement of Danish by German as the language of the church, it is always sure of a favorable hearing. In one instance, of a community in which only 2 per cent, of the population spoke German, upon the inspired petition of these 2 per cent., Danish was entirely excluded from the church. Wherever Prussian administrators have a chance to promote at the same time the interests of religion and patriotism, they are never found wanting.

As a result the prelate preaches to empty pews. The popu- lation, by tradition and training strongly religious, has been thrown upon its own resources for the satisfaction of its needs in that direction. Long lines of carriages Sunday after Sunday darken the highways leading to Denmark. But many of those who cannot travel the distance have banded together into free congregations, built their own meeting-houses, and appointed their own pastors. Though perfectly legal, this proceeding has always incurred the displeasure of the authorities, who throw all