Inge Ambrosius

Danes in Argentina

The emigration of the family Ambrosius

Niels Ambrosius ' "Estancia Jutlandia" 1920

Dedicated to my father Svend Ambrosius, whose interest in history inspired me to become a historian, and whose large collection of material about the family made this work possible. I hope and think he would have been pleased with the result.

Content

Background:

Chapter 1 A small prolog Chapter 2 Denmark in the 19th century Chapter 3 Emigration, push and pull factors Chapter 4 From Bystrup to Tandil Chapter 5 Argentina Chapter 6 Hans Fugl and the first immigration Chapter 7 The arrival Chapter 8 The establishment Chapter 9 The second wave Chapter 10 A parallel society Chapter 11 The contact with Denmark Chapter 12 Integration in Argentina Chapter 13 The100th Anniversary Chapter 14 The present and the future Chapter 15 Conclusion

The end:

Map

The family around 1900

Literature

Background:

I have had a box of newspaper clippings, letters, pictures, books and other materials about Danish immigrants in Argentina for many years. A large part of my relatives are living in Argentina, and the material was assembled by my grandmother and my father. I have not had time to look at it, but when I went on early retirement as a high school teacher in history and geography, I got the time to look at the material. Among other things were the memories of my great-grandfather's younger brother, Niels Jensen Ambrosius: "Memories of my life and whereabouts in Argentina". They were written in 1951 when he was 84 years old. The reading made me curious, and his memories, along with the other materials, was used as a starting point for this presentation, where I will try to find answers to the following questions: Why was Argentina and not the United States the target of emigration in our family? How did the emigrants do? Do the Danish roots have any significance today?

Chapter 1: A small prolog

Today, most of the family is Argentinians. They are descendants of Niels and his younger brother Laust Jensen Ambrosius and six of their nephews and a niece who emigrated to Argentina at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. As first-generation immigrants, they maintained a close contact with the family in Denmark through letters, trips and visits to and from Denmark.

In 1935, my great-grandfather, Jens Jensen Ambrosius, applied for a tourist visa to Argentina on the following grounds:

"I intend..... To visit my two Brothers and four of my Sons living there." 1

At that time, it was not quite straightforward to get a visa. The reasoned application was to be sent to the consulate along with a clean criminal record and various medical certificates

1Quoted from Jens Ambrosius ' application from 1938

2

My great-grandmother was paralyzed in the last years of her life, and my great-grandfather looked after her at home, so it was only after her death that he made the first trip to Argentina. He travelled by ship when it was winter in Denmark, and my father always said that the

2Extracts from the application documents of 1935: Criminal record and medical certificates for Jens Ambrosius travelling in the wintertime along with the fact that Jens started importing and drinking Argentinian red wine, was the reason he became 91 years!

Freight and customs documents for 1 barrel of wine shipped to Jens Jensen (Ambrosius) from Buenos Aires in 19393

Jens Ambrosius stated in an interview on the occasion on his 90 birthday that it was perhaps the dependence of chewing tobacco, smoking a daily cigar and drinking mate that kept him going and alive. 4

3Papers from DFDS 29.08.1939 4The Honorary member of the Asado party fills 90 Years in the Morning. Viborg Stiftsgården Folkeblad on 8.5.1953

My great-grandfather's mate mug and Bombilla.

Mate is made on crushed leaves from the Yerba plant (a kind of hawthorn). The leaves are placed in a mug (Mateen) and poured with cold water, so that the leaves are bled up. The cold water is sucked up with the tube (the Bombilla), which is usually made of silver. Afterwards, the leaves are poured with hot (not boiling water). Hot water can be poured several times, and it is said that the later are the best. It's VERY bitter. I personally would rather believe in red wine and summer heat as a mean of getting a long life!

From my great-grandfather's passport from 1935, it appears that he made three journeys of six months ' duration to Argentina. In 1935/36, 1938/39 and in 1945/46. He had probably planned more but was prevented by the German occupation of Denmark from 1940-45. Jens Ambrosius was 83 when he made the last voyage from December 1945 to May 1946, where he attended his little brother Niels Ambrosius ' 80 birthdays. His Danish family thought he had become too old to travel by himself, and it was determined that my father should accompany him, but it was prevented by the Danish military, who prolonged his military service by appointing him sergeant. Instead, my great-grandfather was followed, as evidenced by this clip from a local newspaper, with his niece,

Niels Ambrosius ' daughter, who was married and lived in Denmark.5

However, my father later experienced Argentina, when my parents travelled there in 1988 in connection with the celebration of the 100 anniversary of Niels and Laust Ambrosius ' arrival in the country.

A lot has been written about the Danish emigrants to the USA in the period 1850-1920, but much less about the non-insignificant exodus to other countries, including Argentina. Over the years some 15,000 Danes immigrated to Argentina, far from the 300,000 that immigrated to the USA but still a bit.

As mentioned, apart from Niels and Laust Jensen Ambrosius a

5Aalborg Stiftsgazette den 11.01.1946 further six of their nephews and a niece emigrated, among them four of my great-grandfather's six sons. Only two stayed in Denmark, my grandfather Thorvald Ambrosius, who became a merchant in Balling in Salling, and Ole Ambrosius, who became owner of a hardware store in Mørke in Djursland. Some also went the other way, as Niels ' daughter Edeele (called Tita) Bru el, who meat her Danish husband during one of the family's visits to Denmark and moved to Hasseris near Aalborg in Jutland. This means that most of the family today is Argentinians, but still today there is some contact between the family in Denmark and the family in Argentina.

The contact was, of course, significantly greater earlier, both in the family but also in general between Denmark and Danish-Argentinians. The Danish emigrants lived concentrated and kept close together for many years, helping to maintain close contact with Denmark. Annual gatherings were held in Denmark, Asado celebrations, aka the Rebild celebrations on the 4th of July, where people related to Argentina met and ate grilled lamb (asado). My great-grandfather was one of the initiators of these gatherings, and he was later appointed honorary member of the Asado society. These gatherings were held to up in the 1960’s, and my grandmother and grandfather attended regularly, especially when they had a visit from Argentina.

.6

In 1996, the Danish newspaper Politiken in a large-set article could tell about "A jutlander in Argentina". The article is about the 88-year- old Hans Jensen and his wife Elda. Hans Jensen emigrated in November 1929 from Slagelse to Necochea 500 km south of Buenos Aires. His wife, Elda, is the "jutlander in Argentina". She was born in Argentina, her

6Skive Folkeblad on 9.07.1946 parents had emigrated from the Viborg region, but even though she has spent her entire life in Argentina, she speaks better Danish with clear Viborg accent, then Spanish. And the husband thinks of himself as Danish, despite almost 70 years in Argentina:

"I have never been an Argentine, because I feel Danish, and it has been almost being like Denmark to live here, because everyone around us was Danish, says Hans Jensen".7

Here you could talk about ghettoes and parallel societies, but today the Danish descendants are fully integrated, and although most are proud of their Danish roots, only few understand let alone speak Danish, but it has taken several generations!

7Anne M. Sørensen: En jyde in Argentina, Politiken 9.01.1996

Chapter 2: Denmark in the 19th century

The 19th century was the century of industrialization in Western Europe and the USA. Industrialization began in England at the end of the 18th century and spread over the next 100 years to large parts of Europe and the USA. This meant a dramatic change in demography and living conditions. The population grew exponentially due to the decreasing mortality. Large populations moved to the growing cities or emigrated to achieve better living conditions.

Denmark was also influenced by the development, although industrialization came relatively late. In order to start an industrialization process, a few basic factors must be present. It is:

Raw materials Labor Technology Capital Market

Denmark has none of the raw materials, such as iron and coal, that started the industrialization in the United Kingdom, so the development came later and was derived from industrialization and urbanization elsewhere. The high population growth and immigration to the cities in

the UK, meant an increased demand for food, and Denmark could contribute. The processing of food which takes off in the second half of the 19th century is an important factor in Danish industrialization. Dairies, abattoirs and an improved infrastructure with railways and harbors (like Esbjerg) are developing urbanization, but it is an urbanization scattered around provincial towns and the new railway station towns, and agriculture remains the most important industry, although shipbuilding, together with trade, also became important factors in development.

In the mid of the 19th century, Denmark was sparsely populated with about 35 people per km2. It had risen to 51 per km2 in 1880. It remained low compared to other Western European countries and much lower than today, where it is 119 and with a much higher degree of urbanization, but it nevertheless expresses a sharp increase in population, mainly due to a decreasing mortality rate, as shown by this figure: 8

8 The demographic transition in Denmark, from http://www.geografi.leholt.dk/hf-geografi-test- demografi.asp

It was primarily infant mortality that declined because the food supply became more stable while improving hygiene, for example through urban sanitation, reduced infectious diseases and epidemics. However, Denmark was still a poor country, where many suffered from malnutrition. It is seen, for example, by the middle height, which was significantly lower than today. In 1860, 20% of young men from Lolland- Falster at the military session were designated "undersized". I.E. They were less than 61 inches (158, 6 cm) and were discarded. It "only" applied for 10% of the young men from Copenhagen. Lolland-Falster, however, was a particularly poor area, with the proportion of landless farm workers and smallholders here being larger than in other parts of the country. And that meant something. In the 1870’s, a study of 14-year- old children in the country showed the following differences:

Girls Boys Height (cm) Weight (kg) Height (cm) Weight (kg) Farm children 148 42 146 4o Farmworker children 143 40 143 39 9

In general, the living conditions of industrial workers in the cities were better than for the large proportion of farm workers and smallholdings in the countryside, if they were healthy and had work, but also the more prosperous farm families were squeezed if the family were large. Only one son could inherit the farm, and he often came into debt to be able to change with the other siblings. And although school was compulsory in Denmark, the majority went out of school at the age of 14.

9Kristian Hvidt: Bd. 11 of Gyldendals and Politikens Danmarks historie 1990 p. 22

An academic education was expensive, and in the country the majority came out to serve, although an increasing number of farm children went to a folk high school (Højskole) at school for adults without exams, not a grammar school, and some went on and became teachers. There was a population surplus in the countryside, and although new areas, such as the heaths of West Jutland, were cultivated and lakes and bogs were watered down and included in the agricultural area, there was not enough land for everyone, and the work as a day tenant was hard and poorly paid and many went to the cities. But unemployment threatened in the cities, and many peasant boys dreamed of land, not of industrial work, and they therefore had a dream of a better life in a place where there was land for everybody who wanted it.

Chapter 3: Emigration, push and pull factors

Looking at migrations, one can divide the factors that make people move, into two main groups - push factors and pull factors. The push factors are the conditions that make people move, (pushing them away from the home region). The pull factors are the conditions that determine where they move to, (pulling them).

The push factors in Denmark at the end of the 19th century were the problems of lack of land, poverty and unemployment, as well as of a predominantly young population. (The older you are, the less likely you are to leave the home area unless there is a war or natural disaster.)

The pull factor was the desire for a better life elsewhere, and although most people initially searched for the cities, there was not enough work for everyone, and many, especially young men, were looking farther away to get a better life, and at this time it was possible for most migrants to find such a place, unlike today when many young poor people, especially from Africa, dream of a better life in Europe, but these economic migrants are unwanted to day. In the 19th century, some countries such as the USA even advertised for immigrants. USA was known as the land of freedom and opportunity to every child in Denmark. Christian Winther wrote a very popular book for children:

Frontpage of “Flugten til Amerika” (The Flight to America)

The book was a poem of the boy Peter, who gets angry at his mother, and therefore will flee to America with his slightly doubting little brother, which Peter gets persuaded by describing a fairytale country where raisins grow on the trees, and it rains with lemonade. It was first published in 1835 as part of the collection "Some Poems". It was released with Alfred Schmidt's famous illustrations in 1900 and has been reprinted countless times and it is still read to Danish children.10 At the same time, it was relatively easy to get to the USA. With steamships, the journey took about a week, and from 1880 Danish emigrants were able to travel with a Danish ship all the way from Copenhagen to New York, when the company Thingvalla started a route. Moreover, the high level of emigration to the USA from all over Europe meant that there was a great deal of competition among companies, which meant lower fares. There were several agents assembled in Nyhavn, Copenhagen, where people could walk in and buy a ticket as far as the railway was built. The agents also praised the living conditions in USA. For example, the shipping company Allen Lines ' agent in

10http://denstoredanske.dk/Kunst_og_kultur/Litteratur/Dansk_litteratur/Hovedv%C3%A6rker/Flugten_til_Amerika

Copenhagen distributed small books about Dakota titled "The New Gold Country in the west” in connection with the opening of South Dakota for cultivation in 1879.11 The pull factors to the USA are evident, and in total, about 300,000 Danes emigrated to the country in the period 1850-1920. Many did well and sent letters home, which in turn caused others to migrate. Of course, some never wrote back home, probably because the dream did not come true, but the bad stories drowned in the good ones.

But why did some choose other areas? Why, for example, did the brothers Ambrosius from the small town of Bystrup in Himmerland not go to the Midwest, but to Tandil and the Pampas in Argentina?

11About emigration and travel to USA. See, for example, Ole Sønnichsen: Rejsen til Amerika (The Journey to America), Gyldendal 2013

Chapter 4: From Bystrup to Tandil

The brothers Niels and Laust Ambrosius were born in Bystrup at Gedsted, where the family had a small farm. The family background was like most Danish families at this time, they had originally been tenants, but in connection with the major rural reforms at the end of the 18th century, they became farmers. Here we even know exactly when it happened, as it is evidenced in “Rinds Herreds ' Pantebog 1737-1800, fol. 248":

“Auctions- to Ambrosius Pedersen in Giørup on one of the reported in Giørup located peasant farms ….. former a part of Taarupgaard ...... Ørregaard on 20de October 1789 "12

The mentioned Ambrosius Pedersen was the grandfather of the brothers, and in the same unprinted material there is a printout of the change protocol from Rinds Herred with a very detailed settlement of the death of Ambrosius Pedersen in 1827. Ambrosius Pedersen left behind the widow, who was his second wife, nine children, a modest equipped farm, 2 horses, 2 steers, 4 cows, 3 calves, 23 sheep and 7 lambs, but no cash. The change was made so that the widow was entitled to live on the farm, paying inheritance to the children, while the adult sons of the first marriage were introduced as guardians of the children. (Women could not be guardians in 1827). There were many children, so the legacy was modest. Jens Ambrosius, Niels and Laust Jensen Ambrosius ' father, was the youngest son of the first marriage, and he inherited 36 Rd. (compared to the farm with the household was valued at well 635 Rd.).13

12Unprinted material (private). My underscores 13 “

Jens Ambrosius was born in 1800 but did not marry until 1852. According to his son Niels, he had originally been a collector of wool, and he had been wealthy in his youth, but he had lost 800 Rd., (more than the value of his mother’s farm!). What exactly happened that caused the loss is not apparent, but he had to abandon the commercial life and became a peasant on a small farm holding in connection with his marriage. His wife Maren Kirstine Pedersdatter was born in Bystrup in 1828, and together they had nine children, eight of whom became adults. Niels and Laust were born in 1866 and 1868 as 3. and 2. youngest of the flock, and they were 12 and 10 years when the father died in 1878, leaving the widow with three unconfirmed children, so it was a very poor home they grew up in.

Niels Jensen Ambrosius recorded his memories in 1951, describing his childhood as follows:

"My Parents ' Property was 1 Td. 1 Sk. 1 3/4 Album. The Deed is signed on May 30, 1851, and the Property is paid and signed by the Seller and Buyer and the Witnesses of the Marriage. That Document I have framed and hanging on the Wall; It is the only writing we have from our Father. Father had big Coffins with Clothes, richly provided with Silver buckles and Buttons, Cloths, Trousers and Shoes. The German Merchants got the Silver Buckles and Buttons. The Clothes were never worn out but were resewn to the boys."14

It is thus clear that the father had known better days and that the home was poor. Niels went on to describe how he and his brothers came out to serve at the age of 5 or 6.

“I started 6 years Old, but only Spring, Summer and Autumn, in Winter I was at home. 9 Years old I came to Taalstrup and rarely saw my Home or any of the Family...... Two times a Week I was in School - otherwise with my sheep. When I was in

14 Niels Ambrosius memories

11 years of Age, my Father died, and I was given my first Outfit."15

Life in the countryside was hard in the 19th century. The time after the death of the father was described in this way:

"When I was 14 Years old, The Widow of whom I served died.... The Property was sold. I got free, and my brother Jens (Three years older M. a) wanted to leave home……….. Jens had replaced an older Brother in our home -now I replaced Jens. "16

In May 1881, Jens had begun to work at a farm. This can be read in his bullet-book, which has been preserved.

15 “ 16 Niels Ambrosius’ memories

17

In the memories, Niels continued to describe how hard the work was at the small farm and how modest the dividend was. They could no longer afford horses or steers to the field work, only calves:

“They were changed every Year to get Money for the Taxes ".

17Excerpts from Jens Jensen Ambrosius ' Bullet book from 1880-1885 (private)

The older siblings had left home as soon as possible, and there was now only him, the mother and a little sister left, and Laust, who was out to serve. Niels would not stay, and then there was only Laust to take over at the farm, and at this point he was just 13 years old. In the end, the mother, who was in her early 50’s, sold the property and moved into a house in Ulbjerg, where her oldest son, Ambrosius Jensen Ambrosius, was a merchant.

There are, as far as I know, no pictures of the property in Bystrup or of the family from this period. In 1902, an "ancestor gallery” was created -a large picture with portraits of the whole family, both the Argentines and the Danish. In the middle was placed a portrait of the mother - Maren Kirstine. She had died in September 1901, but has evidently been photographed earlier, probably around1890, so she must have looked something like this when she left the small estate and moved into Ulbjerg.

Niels was pleased that the property was sold:

"Then I am free Again"

He wrote, even though he had to work hard for the food, first at a grocery store in Viborg later at his brother’s in Ulbjerg. He also worked in the moors, but could not make a living, in fact he was relieved when he came to the military session, and was taken as a soldier in 1886:

"It was the best Days I had lived."

And the diet must have been somewhat better, for he grew 4 inches (10 cm) during that year according to his own records. When he finished as a soldier, he was almost 21 years old, and he and the little brother

Laust wanted to leave Denmark.

"My Brother Laust and I had questioned about the Opportunities in North America, but we were warned and recommended Argentina, where the City of Tandil had 16,000 Danish - 300 is closer to what was. I sought Travel authorization and Recommendation from the 29th Company. Captain Scherling, I think it was, blamed me very much for the fact that I was going Abroad -"and You don't know anything about Argentina — there's quite unhealthy ". The Captain was a noble man and meant the best for me. "18

Niels and Laust were recommended Argentina, which they chose because they have been "warned" against North America. I have no records or letters from Laust or others in the family about this, only Niels’s memories, and there is no deepening of the statement. Who had warned them against America and exactly against what, and why and how they got recommended Argentina is not known. It appears from Niels's memoirs that the number of Danes in the country and in Tandil particular, they were told was greatly exaggerated, but in addition he only wrote that Laust had been in contact with the Argentine consul in Kolding, where they received passports, a recommendation in Spanish and advice on the journey from the consul’s wife. But in general, there was competition for young emigrants. As mentioned, the large companies that sailed to the USA, the agencies in Copenhagen, and the brochures told rosy about the possibilities. Jens had been in Copenhagen in the autumn of 1883, according to his bullet book, but there is no material suggesting that Niels or Laust had ever put their legs in Copenhagen, they must have heard about the USA and Argentina from other channels. Some travelled around Denmark and advertised for emigration, the Mormons

18Niels Ambrosius’ memories p. 2 are a known and early example. As early as in the 1850s, Mormons sent missionaries to Europe, and they placed a special effort in Denmark, on the recommendation of two Danish brothers who had been befriended to the Mormon leader Brigham Young, and who in 1851 had translated the "Book of Mormon” to Danish. The Mormon missionaries built a dense contact network throughout Denmark, where they baptized converts and arranged mass transports to Utah. They were so effective that well over 12,000 Danes emigrated to Utah between 1850 and 1900, an exceptionally large share compared to other European countries19.

What exactly caused the brothers to choose Argentina cannot be answered, but it is clear from the memories that at least later (in the 1890’s) there was (advertising) lectures on Argentina around Denmark:

"One Day We plowed, we got a Visit from Sofus Knudsen, my former Chef, and Pastor Dahl from Tandil - on this Visit many Topics were raised to Pastor Dahls later Lectures in various Parts of Denmark."20

And from other sources, when emigrants successfully visited the home region, several family members emigrated.

"In the year 1884 I made my first trip home to Denmark because I had promised my Mother in five Years to come back and tell her how it went out here ...... Now The journey went a second time (To Argentina), but this time it was not alone. After a Year, my Brother Kristian traveled to me and the year after my sister, Anna, whereas my youngest sister Martine did not think about travelling from Mother, but then she also had to inherit all after

19Kristian Hvidt: Gyldendal and Politikens Danmarks historie Volume 11 pp. 261 . 20Niels Ambrosius memoir. P. 6

Mother. "21

Later, Niels and Laust themselves inspired to emigration. A box from the Viborg Folkeblad on 13 December. November 1950, which my great-grandfather has cut and saved, says.

"A relatively large Exodus has taken place here from the Region to Argentina. Eight Young Men from Troestrup, Skals and surrounding Towns have been Accommodated by two families in Argentina, one as a blacksmith and seven as farmers."

It was titled: “50 Years ago – 1900”. I wonder if the two families in Argentina were Niels' and Laust's since my great-grandfather cut out the small box? It is no wonder that Niels and Laust were joined by several family members, they were successful and visited Denmark several times, but originally Laust took the initiative to choose Argentina, so presumably he has known or heard of some who had travelled there and what he heard was so positive that he contacted the consulate in Kolding, who then helped with the practicalities.

Argentina became the target and they were dedicated. They wanted to go, even though they had no money. The tickets were paid with a loan of DKK 400, which they got from their reluctant mother. The journey was by ship from Hamburg and it took a good 5 weeks to get there. They arrived in Tandil on the 11th of December 1888.

21 Memories written by Carl Jørgensen Anderberg from Nakskov

Painting of a boat on the way to Argentina. The Museum of Emigration in Hamburg.

Niels wrote in the memories that he could not remember what the boat was called, only that they sailed from Hamburg to Buenos Aires, and that the trip took 28 days. I have searched in both the Danish and the German database of emigrants, but without results, so I have not been able to identify which boat they actually travelled with, but at the Emigration Museum in Hamburg, several pictures of boats for Argentina are shown, and it must have been one as above. The German database has only registered emigrants travelling by boats with more than 25 passengers, but it was common for cargo ships to take passengers to some extent, and if Niels and Laust were with one of these, it may explain that I cannot find them in the register. Later, Niels travelled repeatedly from Argentina visiting Denmark e.g. with the steamship Magdalena:

22

From the "ancestors gallery": The brothers around the year 1900

22 Jens Jensen Ambrosius Scrapbook

Chapter 5: The country

Argentina was not the country filled with milk and honey, Niels and Laust had imagined, and there were not nearly the 16,000 Danes in the country, they had been told at home in Denmark, but they arrived in the summer and immediately got harvest work by a Danish farmer.

But how was the country? Geographically it was very different from Himmerland. They had left in November in the dark Danish autumn, and they arrived in Tandil in December, when it was high summer.

Hydro term figure for Buenos Aires

Tandil is 500 km south of Buenos Aires, so the average temperature is a little lower, but generally the figure is comprehensive for the climate, here are hot summers and mild winters, but there is a risk of frost and there are heavy rainfalls, especially in summer. There are large pastures, the pampas, where there traditionally were cattle in large flock’s aka the prairie in USA. The earth was suitable for cultivation maize and wheat, and the area were sparsely populated. It is largely flat, apart from Tandil Mountains, which are up to 450 m. There is today a large recreation area, with a statue of the first Danish immigrant to the area: Hans Fugl from Lolland.23

Argentina was part of the Spanish colonies in America. The Spanish had more difficulty in gaining a foothold on the east coast than on the west coast of South America, but in the second half of the 16th century they managed and in 1580, Buenos Aires were founded. The area was colonized, but was far away from the viceroy of Lima, and in 1776 the Spanish created the viceroy of La Plata, which included the present Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay and Bolivia, but the area continued to deviate from the colonies west of the Andes, as La Plata became a refuge for liberals fleeing Spain, and there was extensive trade with other countries. The central and southern parts of the area remained largely untouched by colonization.24

During the 18th century there was increased pressure and unrest in all American colonies, where the ideas of the French and American Revolution spread. In South America, unlike the colonists in North America, the colonists had recognized the indigenous population as human beings, and even though they were not treated equally, a certain extent of population mix had occurred, so it was a more united population that was behind the struggle for liberation from Spain. The liberation struggle was more "heroic" than in USA where national feeling

23http://rasmussentravel.dk/argentina-2/den-danske-pampa/tandil-2/ 24Arild Hvidtfeldt: Politikens verdenshistorie bd11 S. 100ff and the liberation struggle was built on a fight for free institutions and ideas, as expressed in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, while in South America it was based more on the actions of individuals.

The Argentine hero was Jose de San Martin, who had originally made a career in the Spanish army but, in 1811, returned to Argentina and built an army that fought against the Spanish in the south, while the troops of Simon Bolivar fought in the north. As one of the first, the new state Argentina abolished slavery in 1813. However, the following years were characterized by constitutional strife and power struggles, and for some years the country was divided into two states: Argentina and Buenos Aires, but in 1853 a genuine constitution was adopted. In 1859, Buenos Aires was forced to enter the federal state of Argentina, and the city became the government seat of the republic in 1860.25

The foundation of the republic seriously started immigration into the country. In 1800, around 400,000 lived in the area and it had risen to 8 million in 1914. From 1857 to 1938, approximately 3.5 million immigrated from Europe, of which 80% came from Spain, France and Italy; 16% from Eastern Europe and the Balkans and 4% from other areas, including Scandinavia.26 In the 1880s, emigration from Denmark to Argentina rose. According to the country's statistics, some 1500 Danes arrived in the country in the tenth year 1882-1891, including Niels and Laust.27

25Matti Blade: Politiken's verdenshistorie Bd. 15 pp. 68 . and Lars Bækhøj: Danske I Argentina (Danes in Argentina) p. 11-12 26Danske I Argentina. P. 12 27The figures are obtained from Danske i Argentina p. 92

Chapter 6: Hans Fugl and the first immigration

The Scandinavian immigration to Argentina was modest compared to the southern European which can be explained primarily by a historical, linguistic and cultural community with Latin America. This relationship did not exist for other immigrants, and competition with the USA as an immigrant country was, as already described, overwhelming. After all, some Danes chose to go to South America, largely because of Hans Fugl.

Hans Fugl was in many ways the typical emigrant: an adventurous, poor and single young man. He was born on January 24.th 1811 in Horslunde on Lolland, one of the poorest regions in Denmark, where the father was a wooden shoemaker and had a small houseman's place. There were many children and he came out to serve early and he was fortunate to get work as a coachman and servant at the Bishop of Maribo (the father of the poet Poul Martin Møller). The Bishop found out that Hans was intelligent, and arranged for his education, and in 1837 he graduated as the teacher. Hans Fugl received a couple of positions as a home teacher for the bourgeoisie and later as a teacher at the school in Stege, but the peasant son did not fit in. He felt he was not socially accepted by the bourgeoisie, and his diaries show that he often thought of emigrating.

As for Niels and Laust it was by chance he went to Argentina. Also

in the early emigration period, most northern Europeans emigrated to USA, but Hans Fugl apparently read some articles in Berlingske Tidende, highlighting the good opportunities for agriculture in the area south of Buenos Aires, and he was convinced that the opportunities were better in South America and, together with a local physician, he decided to emigrate to Argentina.

The small emigration group: Hans Fugl, the doctor with wife and two children and another young man, arrived on the 11. of November 1844 in Buenos Aires after an 11-week journey. They were not the first Danes in Argentina, although Hans Fugl became the most famous. For some years there had been a minor Danish representation in Buenos Aires, and the emigrants met a Danish doctor who helped them. Hans Fugl worked primarily with milk production in the area around the capital, but without great success, and in 1848 he headed south to Tandil, a small fortress where free land was distributed. After a few years he had a large farm and a mill, and it was a wealthy man who in 1858 returned to visit Stege and his home island of Lolland. Hans Fugl remained in Denmark for over a year, and when he started the trip back to Tandil in September 1859, he had married the somewhat younger Anna Dorthea, and besides her he was accompanied by 19 other emigrants from the local area. Mrs. Fugl was infected with smallpox on the first part of the journey, and the couple were left in Plymouth, and they did not arrive in Tandil until November 1859, long after the others from the travel company had arrived. In the following years, more Danes came to the area, especially from Møn and Lolland-Falster. 15 years after Fugl had returned to Tandil, the number of Danish immigrants had risen to around 200.

The main obstacle to development was the lack of transport opportunities due to the very bad roads. Passenger transport was on horseback, and cargo was transported with cart. From the 1860s, a diligence link was established between Tandil and Buenos Aires. Hans Fugl saw the possibility of The Hans Fugl family around 1880 increasing local cereal production by increasing flour production, flour was somewhat easier to transport than unprocessed grain, and he had built a water mill on his own soil. He became the local leader of the Danish colony due to his education, language skills and competence. He was also in the local city council. In addition, he served as a kind of "civilian" priest, claiming emergency baptism, buried dead, and civil marriage.

The Danish immigrants were Protestants, but there was no Protestant priest in the area, the nearest Protestant congregation was in Buenos Aires, and Hans Fugl was co-founder and leader of "La Sociedad Religiosa de Protestanto en el Tandil " (The Protestant Society of Tandil), established in 1870. From 1867 German and English Protestant priests came to the area, where they held worship services, infant baptism and church marriage, and in 1870 an area of the city's cemetery was reserved for Protestants. In 1877, the first Danish church in the country was established in the city

Hans Fugl and his wife had great social and economic success, but they experienced major personal sorrows, out of 8 children, six died and in 1875, Hans Fugl sold his properties and returned to Denmark, where he lived at Frederiksberg until his death in January 1900. However, his son Juan and daughter Valgerda returned to Argentina, and a statue has been erected in memory of him in Tandil, where he is known by his Spanish first name Juan.28

He was reminded in an obituary on the 8. of March 1900 in the Danish newspaper Tandil Journal:

"Fugl thus helped to sustain and bring together the Danish Society here. It is due to him that collective activities between the Danish from the start was kept alive. And at the same time Fugl worked for the wellbeing of others, he also

28The Information about Hans Fugl is from Danske i Argentina. p. 18ff. Marianne Hesselholt has dramatized his life in the novels "Fugl in Denmark" and "Fugl in Argentina"

worked on improvement and progress of this City in various Areas."29

29Quoted from Marianne Hesselholt: Fugl i Argentina p. 298

Chapter 7: The arrival

Although the number of Danes was somewhat lower than Niels and Laust had been told at home, they had an easier approach to the country than Hans Fugl and his companions. They arrived at a colony with several Danish institutions and traditions. Danish immigrants were surrounded by other Danes and they were widely assisted. As mentioned, the brothers, immediately were given work by a fellow Dane, although the helpfulness not reached to the salary. They quickly found out that they were being underpaid and they therefore left the following year.

Peter Larsen was really very nice, but a foolish Son caused us to leave after the 31th of December 1889, we travelled Because of the Salary Question. Most of the amount was outstanding, possibly because of a Lack of Money, for a Year or more, until we demanded our Money because we had to go through a period of Illness. We got the Money, but it was a former Employee who gave it to us. "30

The following years, the two brothers, both together and separately, had several places and not only at Danes. Niels emphasized a time at a couple of Basque immigrants who had rented land without any sense of agriculture:

"We were well treated at these Basques-and also learned some

30The memories of Niels Ambrosius P. 3

Spanish "31

"Peons" (farm workers) on the pampas at the beginning of the 20th century.32

The Danish immigrants like Niels and Laust, typically started working for some years as peons in primarily Danish "chacareros" or "estancieros" (tenants/owners of a small agricultural property - a chacra, or owners of a larger property - an estancia )33. The salary was modest, a few pesos (about three crowns) as well as food and lodging, but it was

31 Niels Ambrosius memories p. 4 32 Postcard (Private ownership) 33Danske i Argentina P. 92

significantly above what a farm worker could earn in Denmark at this time. 34 A peon should not be confused with a gaucho that was a cattle shepherd on horseback. The gauchos played a particular role in 18th and 19th century before agriculture and fencing of cattle became widespread; They were often mestizos. They typically wore a wide-shaded hat and poncho and used lasso and bola. The gauchos took part in the independence struggle against Spain, and in the present, they have become a symbol of freedom, individualism and originality, but in the 19th century, they often came in bloody conflicts with the peasants about the right to the land.

35 Argentinian gaucho approx. 1900

34From Land worker to Pesos Millionaire 35https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaucho

Chapter 8: The establishment

It was not easy to be an immigrant. They had been working hard in the old country, and they had to work hard in the new, no matter where they came from and no matter where they came to. Ole Sønnichsen writes about Danish immigrants in the USA:

“But most Danes did neither good nor particularly bad...... Often the first destination was not the terminal, because some attempts had to be made before the Danes found their place and their role in America. "36

It was no different in Argentina, and it is clear from the memories of Niels Ambrosius that the first years were hard. The memories were written when he was 84 and could look back on a successful life. This has of course colored his writing, and he may have exaggerated the starting tribulations, but the writing is private and it fits with other sources Things did not come by themselves, and some simply gave up and traveled home or disappeared, so the family never heard from them.

It appears from the memories that Niels was about to give up and go home, but the little brother Laust was more persistent and made him stay. It was Laust too who had been the driving force in the choice of Argentina. Niels writes in his memories that after the first months at Peter Larsen at Tandil, the brothers drew separately, and Niels got into problems but got help from his brother:

"After Harvesting I was set to build a Barn of Grass, which is wrapped

36 Rejsen til Amerika (The Journey to America) P. 40 in a Mixture of Soil and hangs over a wire...... We were two to do the Work, ...... When I finished the Building, I rode South where Laust worked. I borrowed a Horse from a Danish Farmer, visited Laust and rode back again. The following Day, a message was sent to him that I was seriously ill. We came with the Train to Tres Arroyes and into a Hotel, and a Doctor was called - it was Typhus - high Fever - I never doubted that it was Laust, whom I owed, that I came over this Sickness, which lasted 26 Days. I had a problem with the payment, it cost an average of $14.00 a Day for Hotel. Doctor and Medicine. We had Money (at Peter Larsen) .....But only got the money after I had recovered.. Laust goes back to his Place, where he too gets a little Game of Illness..... But Laust was enrolled in a Spanish Sickness fund, ……..and we started all over again. "37

However, they continued, despite sickness and no money, (yes, at least Niels did not even have to pay for a ticket home, as the whole salary from the first harvest went to pay the bill for the sick bed). The following years they worked together and separately, and after the 1892/93 harvest they were so well established that they could start up for themselves for the first time:

"After the Harvest we rented 100 hectares of Land, which the Basques had too much, so they did not get the Work done. Laust had not finished with the Harvest work, so I started building a House and digging a Well...... the Walls were of grass Turf...... Kitchen and Sleeping chamber, two small Windows and in the Kitchen one Window as well as Entrance Door, and finally an open Chimney, which also has its History, since it went on Fire."38

The land was rented, and after a few years they were terminated and had to move. This time to Necochea, where Niels built a new turf

37The Memoirs of Niels Ambrosius P. 4 38Do p. 5 house. It was here, that he in 1896 married Ane Kirstine Jensen, who was the sister of one of his friends, Søren Nielsen, who in 1895 had been in Denmark and had taken his sister with him back to Argentina. (The Danes stuck together!) Times are getting better. Niels describes, how he and Ane in 1897 move back to the Tres Arroyos region to take care of Laust ' "Chacra" while he was in Europe. Laust was now so well established he could afford to travel. Niels and Ane had their first child, and in 1898 they moved again. In Niels's own words:

"Again, I build a new primitive House where the Water drifted from the Wall……... These turf houses, which are not seen nowadays - with Friendship and Companionship - We were young…………-we are all waiting for the Opportunities "39

Laust had returned home and had married " a Girl from Lolland, Kragenæs”40 (Rasmine Jensen) and the wedding and the constant moving made Niels reflect:

"For the Women, Life was less easy. It is an unfortunate System to change the Camp all the time...... to built and to dig a Well to set Fences.....41

Finally, in 1899 the constant relocation ended for Niels and Ane, they got a real farmhouse:

"About 1900 I finished building the Property at Irene - a Farmhouse with a Roof, Windows and Doors done by Professionals. A House for the

39Niels Ambrosius Memories P. 8 40 Do 41 Do

People, a Forge and more. "42

Memories p. 9

Chapter 9: The second wave

The brothers had a hard start in Argentina, but at the turn of the century both were well established, which meant that they could afford to visit the family in the "Old Country". As mentioned earlier, according to Niels's memories Laust was in Europa in 1897, and later Niels wrote:

"(we) moved to Irene. The property we traveled from, I handed over to my brother-in-law, Rasmus Nielsen – The contract was for another two years. In May 1901, we traveled to Denmark, my wife, I and the two chil- dren. It was a cheap journey and we needed a rest. My mother did not know any of my family, and it was mi wife who came to care for my mother, who died a few months after our arrival. "43

Niels and the family were in Denmark for the first time since his emigration, and his wife and children met the Danish part of the family while living with and caring for his mother for a long time. Surely the brothers had now been paid back the 400 DKK they had borrowed for the tickets in 1888? The "Register of Danish emigrants to Argentina" shows that the Laust was also in Denmark at the beginning of the 1900s, with his wife and child he was registered as arriving in Argentina from Denmark on august the 31.1908. The name Ambrosius now appears quite frequently in the register. The brothers have set in motion a new wave of

43 Niels Ambrosius the memories P. 10 emigrants. Where it is unclear why it became Argentina, when Niels and Laust emigrated, there is no doubt about the motive of the successors. The success of the uncles was the inspiration.

Denmark around 1900 was a small insignificant country. Of over- seas colonies, only the West Indian as well as the North Atlantic Isles were left, and 1/3 of the mainland Jutland had been lost to Germany in the war in 1864. The country was a distinctly agricultural country where industrialisation and urbanization had started late and around the turn of the century some 62% of the population lived in the countryside, while 20% lived in the provincial towns and the rest, barely 500,000, in Copen- hagen. The population was increasing due to the sharply decreasing mor- tality, especially among children. This was due to better housing condi- tions, better hygiene and, not least, better nutrition. Although wages and working conditions were still poor, especially for smallfarmers and farm workers in the countryside, it was now rare for anyone to live constantly on or below the hunger line. The country had economic prosperity, but the wealth was not evenly distributed. There were deep social divisions between landlords, farmers, smallholders and farm workers. There were approximately 2000 estates, owning 15% of the land, about 70,000 farm farms that owned about 75% of the land, while the approx. 200,000 smallholders had only 10% of the land. In addition, there were a large number of landless farm workers. In the cities, the industry grew, but it could far from providing jobs to all those who wished to leave agricul- ture, and even when recruited, it was on precarious terms, although con- ditions had improved after the conclusion of the September settlement (the basis of "the Danish Model ") in 1899. There was no social security in

case of unemployment and disease, and many people still emigrated, es- pecially young men from the countryside.44.

Also, from the Ambrosius family, several young men emigrated, but not everyone in the new wave stayed in Argentina, at least one nephew returned to Denmark, for example. Thorvald Ambrosius, son of Niels and Laust's oldest brother, Ambrosius Jensen (A.J.) Ambrosius, who had a grocery store in Skals. According to P. 130 in the "Register of Danish emigrants to Argentina”, Thorvald Ambrosius moved to Buenos Aires in August 1905 at the age of 16. He is referred to as "farmer" in the regis- ter. But according to Nelly Ambrosius': "Familia Ambrosius. Dinamarca y Argentina "from 1985, he is part of the Danish branch of the family. In the same year in October, Thorvald’s cousin, the 18-year-old Kristian Am- brosius, who was a son of my great-grandfather Jens Jensen Ambrosius, traveled to Argentina, and two years after his younger brother, Jens fol- lowed. Kristian and Jens remained in Argentina and in addition to these two, further two of their younger brothers, Aage and Otto Ambrosius, emigrated permanently to Argentina.

Denmark was neutral during world war 1. Although the country did not participate in the war, it affected the living conditions of large sections of the population due to trade problems and lack of im- ports. At the same time, the war made it possible to find niches, where large sums of money could be quickly earned. "Gullasch barons" these newly rich were called, because some earned their money by selling canned meat of dubious quality to the German army. It was, however, on the stock exchange, the really big money was earned (and lost) during the war, where the number of small speculators increased explosively.45

44 Gyldendals og Politikens Danmarkshistorie Bd. 12 p. 11ff 45 “ Bd. 12 p. 242f

Also, the family Ambrosius had a "Gullash baron". In 1914, Jens Ambrosius had sold his small farm at Vammen and had moved to Møldrup, where he drove a small farm in the town's old dairy. Jens Am- brosius had apparently in- herited a certain trading tal- ent from his father, for dur- ing the war he drove trade in the acquisition and sale of revling (a wild plant from the heath). Due to the war it was not possible to import the normal materials to make brooms, but revling from the heath could be used as a substituted. A local man in Møldrup made car- toons of the locals collecting and as Jens Ambrosius stood for the purchases, his prop- erty was named: "The Stock Exchange".

46The Revling fairy tale in Møldrup. Top Jens Ambrosius ' property the "Stock Exchange"

The success was brief, and after the war things returned to normal, and the normal was a relatively poor country with few opportunities for social mobility. Jens Ambrosius now combined his farm with a small car

46 Jens Ambrosius Scrapbook business, and the youngest son started out as a bicycle dealer. Appar- ently, it did not do so well, because in 1920 Otto Ambrosius was the last to emigrate to Argentina.

In Argentina, all the brothers were farmers. I also know from Nelly Ambrosius's records that two more nephews and one niece emigrated, namely Karen Christiansen born in 1881, Jens Ambrosius Christiansen born in 1883 and Jørgen Ambrosius Christiansen born in 1888. They were all the children of Ane and Mads Christiansen. Ane was Niels and Laust's oldest sister. I have not been able to find the year for their emi- gration because I have not been able to find them in either the Danish or the German registers, but if they travelled with a cargo boat from Ham- burg, they are not in any register.

I do not have a preserved description from the family of the long journey to Argentina at the beginning of the 20th century, but description probably covers their experience of the trip:

"Norddeutscher Lloyds, or Lloyd North Alemania, as it was called on their offices and warehouse buildings in all the South American ports we visited, a passenger boat of 16,000 ton plowed its way through the Atlantic waves day in and day out under changing weather conditions...... There were concerts, balls and celebrations, bingo games and various other enter- tainment, and then of course "line baptism"...... when the solemn moment occurred when the bow burst "the string", the machine was put on "Slow Ahead"...... one of the large lifeboats were lowered and a storm ladder thrown over the side. All the passengers were assembled on the deck, as the King Neptune himself with his queen and his entire escort of barber, judge and sharp dishes...... rose over the rails...... to hold judgment on the presub- able who had dared to cross his "line".47

Whether Niels and Jens ' nephews and niece were also baptized by King Neptune when they passed the equator, I do not know, but the au- thor Mads Fuglsang went to Argentina to work and seek happiness in the same period as them, so it has been under the same conditions they had been traveling.

Argentina was never as popular as the United States for young Dan- ish emigrants, but it was a sizeable group that settled in the country. Ac- cording to Lars Bækhøj, the Danish Consulate in Buenos Aires twice counted the number of Danish in Argentina. In 1902, they reached a num- ber of 2034, of which 253 were living in Buenos Aires, 462 around Tandil, 681 around Tres Arroyos and 132 around Necochea, the rest scattered throughout the country. In 1923, they counted again, this time both Dan- ish immigrants and Danish descendants. Questionnaires were sent out to the regions where they were thought to be living, so they have hardly reached everyone. By comparing the responses to the country's own im- migration statistics, the consulate figured that there were well 10,000 Danish and descendants in the country, of which approx. 4,000 lived in the province of Buenos Aires and about 6,000 in the triangle around Tan- dil, Tres Arroyos and Necochea. Of the immigrants, more than half were younger men, where 2/3 were unmarried. Women and children each ac-

47 Mads Fuglsang: Fra Argentina to Storstrømsbroen p. 7

counted for approximately 1/4 and among the women only 1/3 were un- married.48 The women who immigrated were thus typically part of a fam- ily, and among the unmarried we know that many were to marry a for- mer immigrated Danish man. They were, if I may say so, family-brought together.

The census of 1923 also indicated occupations and how large areas the Danes owned. Bækhøj wrote that Danish immigrants and their de- scendants accounted for approximately 1.3% of the population in Argen- tina, but cultivated about 7% of the area.49However, this is not so strange, as Danish emigrants in the "large period of emigration" (1880 – 1914) would, as a general rule, want to become farmers. This was also the case in the USA, whereas emigrants from other countries, such as Italy often searched for cities to become industrial workers. What seriously distin- guished the Danish emigrants to Argentina from the Danes, who emi- grated to North America, was the way they maintained a connection with Denmark.

The new immigrants from the Ambrosius family went to the areas around Tres Arroyos and Necochea, where the uncles were already es- tablished. They came to work as farmers, and although there was now some more struggle for the land than when the uncles arrived, they man- aged to become self-employed farmers, mainly with extensive wheat breeding and cattle farms. It is easy to understand that the success of the uncles was an example. In 1912, Laust Ambrosius bought a property of 1200 hectares and built a large farm: "La Constancia" which he moved into with wife and the now 7 children. Niels built, despite problems with the marketing of products during World War I, seven (!) farms on his

48 Lars Bækhøj: Danske I Argentina pp. 132-133 49 Lars Bækhøj: “p 133 -134 own land in the period 1916 – 1921. All the farms were enclosed by newly planted trees, both fruit trees and ornamental trees. The enclo- sures alone amounted to 9 hectares. Niels writes with pride that between 3 and 4 million bricks, were used for these farms. One of the farms was "La Jutlandia", which the family moved into, it replaced the old turf house.50 Jutlandia was drawn after his wife's ideas and something of a palace, and it is mentioned in all descriptions of Niels Ambrosius, such as in this article in a Danish newspaper on the occasion of his 80 birthday in 1946: The headline says “From land worker to pesos millionaire”

Niels Ambrosius memories p. 14

Chapter 10: A parallel society

Hans Fugl came as a pioneer to an area where there were no countrymen, but the followers had an easier go. Other Danes could help in particular with the language barrier. Spanish is a difficult language for Danes, and the language has been the main reason the Danish emigrants "sought together". As early as 1870, work was done to create a Danish school and a Danish church in Tandil. Hans Fugl in 1875, managed to get an agreement with a Danish theological candidate, Oscar Meulengracht, who would work as a priest and schoolteacher. Ordination and paperwork pulled out, so the priest with family did not arrive in Tandil until 1876, after Hans Fugl had gone back to Denmark. Initially, school and church were in the priest's home, but the following year, the congregation of more than 100 adults had built a church inaugurated on April the 28, 1877.51 The continuing immigration from Denmark with the spread to Necochea and Tres Arroyos region did not mean an increased integration and use of local institutions. On the contrary it meant creation of an increasing number of Danish institutions throughout the area. From the 1890’s, the Danish priest in Tandil regularly took to the other areas and held worship once a month. In 1900, two Danish priests were hired and, shortly afterwards, one was permanent in Tres Arroyos, in the beginning lodging at Niels Ambrosius, who at that time lived in Oriente. In 1918, a Danish church was inaugurated in Necochea52. Parallel to the spread of the Danish churches, the Danish school spread. The school in Tandil offered lodging. It was private, parents had to pay, and it meant, that many only stayed there for a year or two. I 1916, a Danish school for

51 Lars Bækhøj. p. 135ff 52 Lars Bækhøj p. 150ff young people were established and it was extended to a ordinary children’s school in 1919. In 1926, there was built a school in Lumb, (between Tandil, Necochea and Tres Arroyos) and in 1930 there was one in Necochea. In addition, many children (also in the Ambrosius family) were taught Danish at home.53 From 1869, the Danish in Tandil organized annual gatherings, with bird shooting, dining and dancing. From 1900, the Danish immigrants in Tres Arroyos and Necochea also held summer meetings in November, December. In the first year, the meeting was in open air, later on Niels Ambrosius property or on Peter Haugaard’s (another’s owner of an estancia) property. They heard lecturers, sung Danish songs, dined and talked, but also took initiatives to gather the Danish immigrants. E.g. in 1906 it was decided to build a Danish hospital in Buenos Aires and they started a collection to fund it. However, it must be added, they never collected enough, and the hospital was abandoned. The same year it was decided to start a consumer cooperative (brugsforening). The beginning of the 20th century was a very active period for the Danish immigrants. Besides the schools, churches and cooperative, they founded a folk high school (højskole) (a school for adults without exams, not a grammar school), in 1917 in Cascallares. In 1909, a health insurance fund and a reading association were founded. The reading association served as a library. When the Danish priest went around to visit the families he brought books that could be exchanged.54 In addition to these institutions, there were others less formal, which helped to maintain Danish language and culture. In 1889, the first Danish newspaper: "Tandil tidende " was founded, (which brought the previously quoted obituary of Hans Fugl). It was a weekly magazine, and the first editor created in 1896 a bookshop with Danish books. Other publications to promote Danish and Nordic culture was "Dansk Skoleforening in Argentina” (the society for Danish schools in Argentina)

53 Lars Bækhøj p 162 Ff. 54 Niels Ambrosius Memories 9-12

and the magazine "Norden" (the North), published in Bahia Blanca.55 Many of the institutions functioned as social associations. Perhaps they went to church for religious reasons, but they lived scattered on the farms, and they met in the church. The same applied for the summer meetings, the high school association and reading association. They had obviously a cultural and informative purpose and content, but they had many other and just as important activities such as amateur teather gymnastics, dining and dancing.

56 Still in 1949, Danish newspapers were published in Argentina, although some of the boxes now were in Spanish. These clips from "Syd og Nord Sabado 6 de Agosto de 1949 "(sic) shows what was going on in the area:

55 Lars Bækhøj p. 179 56 Do p. 184

57

57 From the newspaper "South and North" Saturday D. 6-08-49

Chapter 11: The contact with Denmark

The large emigration from Denmark stopped with the outbreak World War 1, and it never really started again neither to Argentina nor to other places. From the Ambrosius family the last, Otto Ambrosius, emigrated in 1920. The period after the war were characterized by continued establishment in Argentina, but they maintained a stable contact with the family in Denmark through letters and visits. There were also some who reimmigrated in Denmark. My great-grandfather visited his sons and brothers four times. His brother Niels, who had become a widower in 1927, tried in the 1930s to get Jens to settle down permanently in Argentina, and offered him a house, but Jens refused. In an interview on the occasion of his 90 Years Birthday, Jens told of his relations with Argentina that he was very fond of. After WW2 he met with two others from the region, who also had been in Argentina, and they made the so-called Asados which have been held private around Viborg from the late 1930s, to an annual event for all with a relation to Argentina58 At the asados they grilled meat in Argentine tradition, drank red wine, coffee and mate . It was very exotic to the local journalists. It was a long time before barbequing became a passion in Denmark, they did not know mate and red wine were not a daily diet in Denmark, especially not when some of the men drank directly from a "Votta Pararino " (Horse skin bag):

58 Viborg Stifts Folkeblad May 1953

Jens Ambrosius naturally had a close relationship with Argentina, and it was reinforced by his travels to the country, but also his brothers maintained contact and traveled to Denmark on their older days. In 1930, both Niels and Laust were in Denmark where the met the five of their siblings still alive.

From left: Laust, P. J. (Peder (J)), Ane Marie, Jens, A.J. (Ambrosius (J)), Niels

This was Niels's last visit to Denmark. He did not come in connection with his daughter Edele’s (Tita) wedding in 1932, when she was married in Gentofte Church. The priest had been priest in Buenos Aires, and he had spoken at Niels’ wife's stretch, so he knew the family. 59 Tita moved to Hasseris by Aalborg with her husband, and this was so exotic, that the newspaper Aalborg Amtstidende in the 1930s brought a long interview with her. She told about the difference between Argentine and Danish agriculture. She was also asked:

"How is the position for Argentinian women in Society?

59 Niels Ambrosius Memories P. 20

We count ourselves as Danish and live by European custom, but it is not yet common in Argentina, for young women go out together on their own, they are preferably escorted by a Father or an Aunt. You also never see women as for Example Doctor, Dentist, Lawyer, etc. But the mindset has become more liberal and towards greater freedom. "

On the question of whether she missed Argentina:

I miss the sun a lot. We can also have cold winter over there, but there is so much sunshine through the winter. We don't have the short days like this. In return, we do not have the bright, Nordic summer nights. "60

I can understand the last! Niels had become a widower in 1927, and it is evident from his memories that it affected his mood and energy. He withdraws increasingly from work on the farms:

"This, that I'm going to drag me from the company, is due to some extent to the use of machines that I do not manage as well as self-binders and Horses, …..I withdraw as much as possible. The coldest months of the year Nelly (His unmarried daughter) and I seek milder regions, though winter is not very cold here. We visited other republics and the northern Provinces of Argentina…... "61

Later in 1947, he pulled out completely and shared his properties among the children. Heirs abroad were particularly taxed, but it was clarified by

60 Hvor høsten overstråler juletravlheden (Where the Harvest bustle overshadows the Christmas rush.) 61 Niels Ambrosius Memories P. 20

"My daughter, who is in Aalborg, made, to save this difference, a trip to Argentina – Per Aeroplan both ways – to confirm her rights. " 62

Tita with husband and children later chose to move permanently to Argentina, as can be read in this letter to Jens on the occasion of his 87th birthday in 1949.

” Already 2 Years ago I shared in 8 all I owned, none of them lacked anything, so it was barely I could get rid of my wealth, also my cows are sold, have back some few horses ….. The family from Aalborg lives at Irene……. Good Friday Nelly and I visited La Jutlandia, when our visit was reported, they had to send for Palle, (the son-in-law) Palle sad on his tractor. Absolutely the only person who could think of working on a Good Friday. "

The preserved letters to the family in Denmark provide a good insight in the daily life of the emigrants. Often the letters are accompanied by pictures. The children also wrote in Danish to Denmark, as here where my father's cousin Edith around 1930 wrote a little greeting to her small cousins in Balling on the back of a family photo.

62 Niels Ambrosius memories p. 21

The niece Tita (Edeele) send at some point a birthday greeting to her uncle Jens with a picture of his brothers and family. The picture is probably taken in September 1948 at the celebration of Laust’s 80 years birthday and his and Rasmines gold wedding, when Jens was unable to participate:

In general, the women were the most eager writers, in particular Jens’ daughter-in-law Christa Skou, who was married to his youngest son Otto. They were childless, so she might just have had more time. The preserved letters are muchly focused on Christmas and birthday letters. They describes the family's anniversaries, sorrows and joys, as in a birthday letter from September 1956 to my grandparents (Esther and Thorvald Ambrosius, Balling) from the niece Ely (my grandfather's oldest brother Kristian's daughter), where she tells, that her son Jørgen /Jorge has been confirmed, but also that her cousin Verner and his wife have lost their eldest son. It was before Facebook and other social medias, it was expensive to phone, so most information about the family's well-being was exchanged by post. Ely had been in Denmark and visited my grandparents, so she also asked to the neighbors and their daughter Ditte, and then I was mentioned:

” I now send greetings to everyone; I wonder if Inge is still the little one in the family?"

Actually, I was not, my cousin Lisbeth had been born in July! The Danish language was maintained, and the children have mostly Danish names – or names that could be made Danish, as Jorge, who was called Jørgen in the Danish letters. They also primarily married other Danish Argentinians, although some "strangers" came into the family. In 1949 Jens Ambrosius (the second oldest son of my great-grandfather) and his wife Ana’s youngest daughter got married. In a letter to her father-in-law Ana wrote about the wedding:

” Elsa is married and lives in Orense. There we have bought a lovely house for her. Her husband is Argentinian (sic) and works in an office."

And one of my grandfather's nieces, Emmy (Laust' youngest daughter), wrote to her uncle about the same wedding

"The daughter of Jens, Elsa, was married, they held a very quiet wedding, it is a very nice young man she has got. " (After all? M.a)

In the same letter Emmy told she had got a Danish governess for the children to teach them to read and write Danish. I think, this picture is from Elsa's wedding. It doesn't seem small by my standard, but it may have been a quiet wedding according to Argentine landowner tradition!

63

63 All quotes and letters are from private letters and pictures

Chapter 12: Integration in Argentina

The immigrants maintained their Danish language and culture to some extent, but the direct connection with Denmark became weaker. Already Niels and Laust changed their first names to the more Spanish sounding Nicolaus and Blas. Blas was actually a mistake, Laust would rather correspond to Lorenzo, but the name stuck, and as they became owners of large estancias they were known as Don Nicolaus and Don Blas. Niels writes in the end of his memories:

” My connection to Denmark has faded since 1930, when I was last at home ...... At this time, I have been in Argentina for 45 Years, so it is pretty reasonable that I have not been particularly concerned with life in Denmark”64

Although the connection faded, it did not disappear. He was honored with the Order of Dannebrog for his work to maintain Danish culture and all through his life he stuck to the Danish habits, he had from his youth, but in an Argentine manner. The Danish newspaper: "Danmarksposten” wrote an obituary at his death in the 1956:

"Despite the very significant prosperity Niels Ambrosius achieved, he

64 Niels Ambrosius Memories P. 20 remained a regular Danish peasant son. In the evening he often sat down with the farmworkers and sang the old, Danish songs...... In his last years Niels Ambrosius lived a quiet life in Tres Arroyos. He always rose early and made his first cup of maté. Afterwards, he often sat down in his living room with the Danish songbook and sang ” I alle de riger og lande" and other Danish songs for himself. "65

The Danish language faded, but it did not disappear. The Danish immigrants and their descendants continued to live mainly in the Triangle area, and although there hardly came any new emigrants from Denmark after 1930 the connection to the Danish institutions rose. Still in the middle of 1960s a new Danish school and kindergarten opened in Necochea, but the Danish connection became gradually memories and (a little old-fashioned) traditions and to a certain extent language, but not nationality. The first generations had direct family relations in Denmark, and they married other Danish Argentinians or “family-reunited” Danes from Denmark, but these direct relationships died out, and “others" came into the families. It is clear from Nelly Ambrosius’ family register. When someone married "Argentines" the names of the children were Spanish or names which are common both in Argentina and in Denmark (E.g. Maria Anna, Martin). Many probably as Ely used two versions of a name. The Spanish version in Argentina and the Danish, when they wrote to Denmark (or were together with other Danish Argentinians). The use of the Danish language of course faded out as more and more spoke Spanish at home, but in Argentina it did not mean, that the association with Denmark disappeared. It has been a source of wonder among Danish journalists and there has been written many articles about

65 Obituary of Niels Ambrosius 22.5.1956

"Danes in Argentina" (Headline in the Danish newspaper Weekendavisen in 1995). Common for the articles are the wonder and some admiration for these Argentinians who invite Danes on the lecture tour, know Denmark's history, admire the royal family, dance Danish traditional dances and sing along on the Danish national anthem "Der er et yndigt land". But time has meant integration, they still use Danish institutions, but the language is Spanish: In 1995 the Danish newspaper Politiken wrote:

” Although the oldest and their children mostly speak Danish, the grandchildren and great-grandchildren are increasingly integrated into the Argentine society and they no longer only teach in Danish in the Danish schools. It has been the same in the Swedish, German, Finnish and Italian immigrant communities, and together the descendants of immigrants may find a common identity in the young country to which the ancestors came as pioneers. "66

66 Anne M. Sørensen: En jyde I Argentina (a jutlander in Argentina)

Chapter 13: The 100’years anniversary

In December 1988, the Ambrosius family gathered to celebrate the 100 th anniversary for Niels and Laust Ambrosius arrival in Tandil. My father had for many years a dream of visiting the country and seeing his many cousins (some had he met on visit in Denmark). He did not go with his grandfather in 1945/46, but now it should be. On the 28 of November 1988 he travelled with my mother and his cousin Karen Margrethe Dalsgaard, (the granddaughter of Niels and Laust's little sister Ane Marie). She was an experienced Argentina traveler as it was her fifth visit to the country. The trip was long for my parents. They had never previously travelled further than Mallorca on charter holidays, but after 21 hours, on the 29 of November they arrived in Buenos Aires, where they were picked up by two family members. One, Stella Marie Buus (the daughter of my father's cousin) was their interpreter and guide in Buenos Aires, and she drove them later the 500 km south to Tres Arroyos. The tour mainly consisted of family visits and guided tours on the family properties. The properties were no longer as large as in days of Niels and Laust because in Argentina you share just by inheritance. However, they were still large according to Danish conditions. My impressed father writes in his notes:

"December the 5th on Jutlandia" The White Castle "which Niels Ambrosius had built. Now it is father's (Thorvald Ambrosius) cousin Hugo Ambrosius, who owns it. It is now a "small" farm of 1,223 hectares after it has been divided between 8 siblings. We were looking at the harvest work and there were houses all over. In the old days they were used for workers during the harvest. The mainhouse is very large. There are 30 closed rooms on the 1st. Floor. The family is now living in Tres Arroyos, so it is only used for accommodation" 67

They visited other family farms, which mainly have cattle production, as here on his cousin Edith’s (called Søster) "Estancia". It was a good 4000 hectares, with the emphasis on breeding bulls. There were about 2500 cattle, and they sold 500 bulls per year.

Søster's son Hugo shows around. By car!

Visit to Søsters Estancia

67 Unprinted notes. Svend Ambrosius

The tour was first and foremost a family reunion. On this picture my father is seen together with his cousin Edith (Søster), Ida (Verner’s wife) and his cousin Verner, but it was also an insight into the everyday life of Danish-Argentinians. And for this generation it is probably most accurate to write Danish- Argentinians. They were born in Argentina, and spoke of course Spanish, but they were all bilingual and fluent in Danish and kept Danish traditions, including Christmas traditions as seen in these pictures:

The food and wine are Argentinian, but the Christmas decoration is unmistakably Danish. The Christmas tree is complete with star and homemade Christmas hearts in red and white, the difference is the climate. It is 30 degrees Celsius.

The highlight of the trip came on the 10 of December: The Feast on the occasion on the 100 years anniversary of Niels and Laust Ambrosius’ arrival in Tandil. The day started with a service in the Danish-Lutheran Chapel in Tres Arroyos. The service was no longer in Danish, but they sung a Danish hymn, in this case B. S. Ingemans: "Dejlig er jorden”, (and this tradition still exists in the Danish churches).

After the service, there was procession to the graveyard, where flowers were laid on the graves of the immigrants.

My Father laid flowers on his uncle's grave.

In the evening there was a party in "Club Danese", attended by some 280 members of the Ambrosius family.

68

The party at the” Club Danese”

68 Private photos from the travel Nov. December 1988

My parents were very happy about the trip and told about the unity in the great family, and the marvelous that even among the 4. generation some spoke Danish. They noted a fluent but rather old-fashioned Danish were spoken and that some curious complications arose. For example, a hairbrush was called a scrub. My parents also emphasized that there was a great deal of interest in the Danish society and in general a great pride in the Danish roots. This pride was not seen as something negative, neither in Denmark nor in Argentina, nobody talked about parallel societies or thought of the family as less Argentinian because they tried to hold onto their Danish roots. Spanish was of course their daily language, and Argentina their homecountry. The descendants of the immigrants had become Argentinians of Danish descent.

Chapter 14: Present and future

The first- and second-generation of immigrants from Denmark kept together and spoke almost only Danish among themselves, they read Danish-languaged newspapers, went to Danish institutions, sent their children in Danish schools and married "each other". For some, especially the women on the farms, this meant that they did not learn to speak Spanish, it was not necessary.

"The well-functioning Danish society in Tandil meant that for the first many years the Danes did not need to speak Spanish at all. Among other things, there was a good dialogue between the Danes, they helped each other with the language. The paradox was that women did not need to get involved in the society at all. They were all full-time mothers on the farms and covered, among other things each other's social needs, through common social and cultural activities."69

But as I have described, this was in the past. The descendants of the immigrants have become Argentinians with Danish roots.

The Danish churches in Tandil, Tres Arroyos and Necochea still stand to this day and testify of a Danish past south of the capital of Argentina, and of

69 Mirna Ambrosius from P. 9 in https://danskestemmer.ku.dk/resultater/publikationer/En_snert_af_dansk_mellem_pampa_og_urskov _Nadia_Hansen.pdf a time when descendants of Danes still had a feeling of belonging to a Protestant church. Just as the churches symbolize that here are the Danish- minded, several Danish school buildings are still standing and testifying a Danish history. One of the buildings are still used as a school, 'Colegio Argentino Danés District Alta Mira ', but apart from the name, there is no longer much Danish here, all teaching today is in Spanish. The Danish descendants still meet in the Danish clubs, Although the language now mostly is Spanish.”70

The Danish language dies out, but part of the culture consists. I would think, however, that this will disappears too, why should young people maintain any relationship to Denmark? In Nadia Hansen's report: “Danske stemmer” (Danish Voices) From 2016 it is said:

“As already mentioned, the Danish congregations are still active, but just as it is difficult to get the Danish language passed on to the young generation, it is also difficult to bring this generation to church. Here formulated by one of “Danske stemmers" informants: "Those who become [involved in the congregation] are the elderly, the youth will not, yet they must have their children baptized, but then they will not come any more afterwards". Many informants say that young people are not interested in paying to keep it all going: "That was what happened to the school, unfortunately. And this happens with the clubs." Three informants say they are still active in the Danish club in Tres Arroyos, where there are card evenings and women's clubs, where women meet on the first Thursday of the month. The men meet to play the Spanish card

70 https://danskestemmer.ku.dk/resultater/publikationer/En_snert_af_dansk_mellem_pampa_og_urskov _Nadia_Hansen.pdF P. 22 game Truco. In addition, there are common card-game evenings for both sexes every other Thursday in the Danish club, where they play” Hjerter fri”. The Danish Christmas traditions are still being followed, yet in many places the food traditions, which in the past consisted of duck or goose, potatoes, sauce, red cabbage and “risalamande”, have been changed. The three informants mentioned above tell us, that last Christmas they did not lit the light on the tree at all because it was too hot. There are still Christmas tree, gifts, gnomes and “risalamande” with almond gifts."71

However, it is not so simple that the Danish "just" dies out, there are still several young people with an emotional attachment to Denmark. It became very clear when Queen Margrethe and Crown Prince Frederik were on an official visit to Argentina in March 2019, and in this context also visited the Triangle area. Seen from Denmark, it seemed like everyone with Danish roots went completely crazy! Before and during the visit, Danish journalists were in Argentina to find out how strong the attachment to Denmark were and to explain why it is still stronger there than, for example, in the United States. In this context, the difficult Spanish language and the settlement pattern are highlighted as a major difference from elsewhere. See e.g. 72. And the Danish journalists were very impressed by the fact that they found young people who spoke Danish. The Queen also expressed her joy about coming back to an area where she felt very welcome.

71 https://danskestemmer.ku.dk/resultater/publikationer/En_snert_af_dansk_mellem_pampa _og_urskov_Nadia_Hansen.pdF P. 28

72 http://nyheder.tv2.dk/udland/2018-12-25-i-mere-end-100-aar-har-der-boet-danskere-i-kolonier-i- argentina-tv-2-har-vaeret

” There was a party in the Argentine town of Tandil, when H.M. The Queen and HRH the Crown prince today came to visit.

Many of the city’s citizens are descendants of Danish emigrants who in the 19.th and 20.th century went to this area to build a new life. Today, several thousand Argentinians have Danish roots, and many have maintained a con- nection with Denmark through language, culture, religion and family ties.

As a young heir, the Queen visited Tandil during a long journey to Latin America back in 1966. Today the Queen revisited many of the same places."73

Crown prince Frederik and queen Margrethe

The Queen visits a Danish elder center in Argentina

73 https://www.facebook.com/detdanskekongehus/posts/879115812427001?comment_id=88019551898 5697&comment_tracking=%7B%22tn%22%3A%22R%22%7D

The aim of the visit was first and foremost to raise awareness on Danish products to increase Danish exports to Argentina, but how widespread the interest for the visit and for Denmark really was, is impossible to assess, and the result will also only emerge later. But there is still a little bit of Danish "out in the community", as shown in this menu, which advertises Danish dishes: (Apple cake, lemon fromage and trifli!)

74

Today, the largest Danish-Argentine society exists in Copotonas 60 km outside Buenos Aires, where there is a Danish-Argentinian school, but as with the churches the language is no longer Danish but Spanish75.

Thus there are still Danish institutions and some who try to maintain Danish culture more than 150 years after the first Danish immigrants came to Argentina (and 130 years after the brothers

74 https://danskestemmer.ku.dk/dansk-i-argentina/danskertrekanten/ 75 https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inmigraci%C3%B3n_danesa_en_Argentina

Ambrosius), but if Denmark and Argentina were to meet in a soccer match, I would believe that they would all cheer on Argentina, (they have in generally had the best team, although the Danish national soccer team just now is above Argentina’s on the FIFA's ranking list!)

Where the difficult Spanish language was an obstacle to the integration of Danish immigrants and a contributory factor to their unity, the language barrier now works in the opposite direction. Danish is a difficult and small language that cannot be used for much globally, so it requires an effort and a heartfelt desire to learn the language. However, there are other methods that can be used to maintain the emotional attachment to the Denmark, and here the digital medias offer great opportunities. It is easy to use the internet, and although Google Translate is not perfect, it can be used. And social medias like Facebook opens opportunities for a broad contact that didn't exist in the past. Flights have become much cheaper, and although not appropriate for the climate, it offers more opportunities to travel far. Argentina has thus become the destination of several Danish travel companies, mostly to Buenos Aires and to the Andes provinces, but also to the trianglearea, and my husband and I are planning a journey in the spring of 2020, where we will go in the footsteps of Niels and Laust.

Chapter 15: Conclusion

The members of the Ambrosius family who emigrated to Argentina were part of the big wave of emigrants from Europe, that culminated in the period 1880 – 1914. Industrialization and urbanization meant economic growth and technological progress. It resulted in better hygiene, safer food supply and better medical science and led to declining infant mortality. As the birth rate remained high, population growth increased exponentially. Population growth caused a large population surplus in the countryside and a lack of land and poor living conditions in general, meant that many were searching for the cities. Despite the industrialization, however, there was not work for everyone, and many looked to the ' New World ', and especially among Scandinavians, there was also a pronounced desire among the emigrants to get their own farm. The Midwest of the United States was the obvious option, but also Canada, Australia and, as described here, Argentina, were targets for emigrants.

Niels and Laust Ambrosius had been "warned" against the United States. I have not been able to find out who warned them and exactly against what, but I have no doubt that the informations they got about Tandil and Argentina- here lived more than 16,000 Danish, and there was good land available to those who would take hold -made the statement. They had only had a short time in school, and they spoke only Jysk, (a Danish dialect) so the information about the many Danes, who were primarily farmers, must have been a major factor. The fact that the number turned out to be fake, as Niels Ambrosius mentions in his memoirs, became irrelevant, for then they had arrived and could not return home. They had borrowed the money for the tickets from their mother, and they did not own a dime, and although there were not many Danes in the area, they did get help as they were immediately employed by a Danish farmer. The first years were tough, but for the brothers the dream came true, and after more than ten years they went on family visits to Denmark where they were living billboards for the emigration dream.

Niels and Laust's success led to the second wave of emigrants from the Ambrosius family. When they emigrated from 1900 to 1920, Denmark was still a poor country. Industrialization and urbanization were underway, but the process had started late, and the main industry continued to be agriculture, and wages and working conditions were miserable for tenants and land workers. Although the country's neutrality and the limited import opportunities during World War I, gave new trading opportunities to some as Jens Ambrosius, the country generally was poor and the economic and social inequality great. Denmark was a class community with low social mobility. Changes were slow but in 1933 the foundation stone of the Danish Welfare state was laid with the “Kanslergadeforliget”76, but it was only after World War II (and especially from the mid-1950s) that the Danish welfare state and equality thought came through. The push factors for Niels and Laust's successors were the same as for Niels and Laust: a desire for land and generally better opportunities.

76 Kanslergadeforliget. Until 1933, the reception of public help meant the loss of civil rights, however, it was possible to obtain assistance from municipal auxiliary funds without any loss of rights. In January 1933, the government of Th. Stauning (social democrat) concluded an economic settlement with Venstre (the liberal party), which was concluded in the Prime minister's apartment in Kanslergade. The compromise involved social reforms where the receipt of aid did not entail any loss of rights. See f Gyldendal and Politikens Danmarkshistorie Bd. 13 pp. 89 .

The pull factor was the success of the uncles. When the descendants arrived in Argentina in the beginning of the 20th century the region was significantly more developed than when the uncles arrived, so there were many more about the bid. In return, they came to a Danish colony, which served as a parallel Denmark with churches, schools, sickness funds, consumers cooperative (brugsforening) and folk high school (højskole). They did well speaking “jysk”, it was almost only the seasons that were different from "home". Emigrants from the Ambrosius family generally performed well, although not all of them became so rich and influential as Niels and Laust, and everything was not rosy red in in Argentina, as it can be read in this letter from Niels to the brother Jens in Denmark:

” About your boys I don't know anything, only..... have visited me, but they are probably well...... should be here in the city, it seems to be stupid, but the wife says it is to avoid that he is not working. "77

Niels sounds a little bitter in the letter, he has become old and has broken his hip, so he is ill-walking and maybe lonely despite the great family. Perhaps he also feels that the nephews should visit him more because he previously has helped some in the family financially.

There was close contact with Denmark as long as there were direct family ties, but over time the contact faded. After World War II, immigration from Denmark completely died out and the Danish colonies were "mixed" with others, so Spanish became the main language – also for the Ambrosius family, but even today they support a number of

77 Letter from Niels Ambrosius to Jens Ambrosius on 29.04.1949. I have omitted the names of the nephews

Danish institutions and traditions and seek out their Danish roots through e.g. social media. I have experienced this myself, as many from Argentina have read on my blog posts, even though I do not speak or write Spanish, so they have read the Danish or English version. The Danish roots therefore remain important. Not in the sense that they are Danes who happen to be living in Argentina, but as Argentinians, where the Danish culture and traditions have been involved in shaping them as part of their background and identity.

The end:

I would like to thank the many who have helped with materials, inspiration and ideas. Thanks for the many positive comments on my blog posts along the way, it has made the work fun and meaningful. I have now worked extensively with the brothers Ambrosius in about a year and I feel that I have come to know them, not at least Niels, personally, even though I have never met them. I am almost going to miss them, and I am looking forward to coming to Argentina and see the places where they lived.

Aabenraa 2019 Inge Ambrosius

Map of Argentina:

The "yellow" areas are the places where Danish immigrants primarily settled. In addition to the Triangle area in the southern part of the province of Buenos Aires, there were smaller Danish colonies in the provinces "Misiones" and " Rio Negro ", as well as a number lived in the capital Buenos Aires78

78 https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inmigraci%C3%B3n_danesa_en_Argentina

The family around 1900.

Those who emigrated are marked in italics

Jens Jensen Ambrosius. - Maren Kirstine Pedersdatter 02.12.1800-18.05.1878 03.04.1828-09.09.1901 Bystrup, Gjedsted parish Children: I I I I I I I Ambrosius Ane Kirstine Peder Jens Niels Laust AneMarie 13.04.1852 12.04.1854 23.09.1858 15.101860 09.05.1863 26.02.1866 30.09.1868 01.12.1872 24.10.1931 09.10.1896 05.07.1899 12.08.1937 24.09.1954 21.05. 1956 13.01.1953 19.10.1968

Married to: Marie Skov Mads J. Porskrog Mette Ras- Sørine Annekristine Rasmine Anton Chr. Christiansen mussen Nørskov Nielsen Jensen Dalsgaard 3 children 4 children 3 children 3 children 6 children 8 children 7 children 3 children

12 of Niels and Laust ' children married other immigrants, primarily of Danish descent. One became Danish married and moved to Denmark, one remained unmarried and one died as a child

7 children of Niels and Laust’ siblings immigrated: 3 of Ane and Mads Christiansen's 4 Children: Karen Jens Jørgen 03.10.1881 28.02.1883 10.06.1888 21.04.1956 13.09.1941 28.10. 1938

4 of Jens and Sørine Ambrosius 6 children: Kristian Jens Aage Otto 09.11.1887 08.12.1889 10.12.1893 12.08.1899 30.01.1967 13.03.1985 12.02.1955 27.08.1960

The emigrated married Danish-Argentinians and had a total of 29 children, all of whom stayed in Argentina79

79Information is from the book: Familia Ambrosius Dinamarca y Argentina, assembled by Nelly Ambrosius 1985

Literature: Unprinted Material: Ambrosius, Niels Jensen: Minder om mit liv og færden i Argentina, (memories written in 1951) Ambrosius, Svend: Dagbogsnotater fra rejse til Argentina (Diary notes from a travel to Argentina in November and December 1988) Anderberg, Carl Jørgensen: Erindringer (Memories, Carlos Ernesto Sa nchez ) Letters from Argentina to Jens Ambrosius, as well as to Esther and Thorvald Ambrosius in the period 1946-1956 Letters from Argentina to Elli and Svend Ambrosius in the period 1988-1998 Documents related to Jens Ambrosius in connection with applications for visas to Argentina Private Pictures 1900-1988 Scrapbook about Jens Jensen Ambrosius approx. 1900-1954 Slægten Ambrosius (The Genus Ambrosius, excerpted from the genealogy produced by Danish Genealogical Research, Fredericia on the basis on Steffen Ambrosius material, supplemented by an overview prepared by my father Svend Ambrosius)

Printed Material:

Newspaper notes About Argentina/Denmark, mainly the 1940s and 50s, including From the Danish paper "Syd og Nord" From the 6.08.1949 Newspaper notes about the family (Anniversaries, obituaries) Familia Ambrosius Dinamarca y Argentina. Nelly Ambrosius 1985 (genus 1800-1985) Aalborg Amtstidende: Fra Landarbejder til Pesos-Millionær, January 1946: (From landworker to Pesos Millionaire) Aalborg Amtstidende??): Hvor Høsttravlheden overskygger Juletravlheden (Where the Harvest overshadows the Christmas rush) http://jyllands-posten.dk/debat/ECE3540351/KRONIK-Det-danske-Argentina/ https://www.kristeligt-dagblad.dk/kirke-tro/en-sejlivet-dansk-koloni (churches belief, a Danish colony) Nationaltidende 22.09.1953: Jørgen Andersen-Rosendal: Hvor danske vinder lærte at svinge Saks og revolver (Where Danish women learned to swing scissors and revolver) Politiken den 9.01.1996: Anne M. Sørensen: En jyde i Argentin (a jutlander in Argentina) https://politiken.dk/debat/kroniken/art5480438/Vi-var-fremmede-i-Argentina (they were strangers in Argentina) http://rasmussentravel.dk/argentina-2/den-danske-pampa/tandil-2/ Viborg Stifts Folkeblad 08.05.1953: Asado-Festernes æresmedlem fylder 90 aar i Morgen. (The honorary member of the Asados takes is 90 years tomorrow) Weekendavisen 13.19.10 1995: Ulrik Høy: Danskere i Argentina (Danes in Argentina) file:///C:/Users/ambro/OneDrive/Dokumenter/Argentina/2018-12-25-i-mere-end-100-aar-har-der- boet-danskere-i-kolonier-i-argentina-tv-2-har-vaeret.html file:///C:/Users/ambro/OneDrive/Dokumenter/Argentina/2019-03-18-tantholdt-paa-den-anden- side-af-verden-her-synger-de-kim-larsen-og-spiser-forloren.html file:///C:/Users/ambro/OneDrive/Dokumenter/Argentina/dronningen-og-kronprinsen-paa- statsbesoeg-i-argentina-skal-oege-dansk-eksport.html

Books:

Bækhøj, Lars: Danske i Argentina, Det danske Forlag1948 Fuglsang, Mads: Fra Argentina til Storstrømsbroen, Gyldendal 1978 Gyldendals og Politikens Danmarkshistorie Bd. 11 and 12 Hesselholt, Marianne: Fugl in Argentina, en udvandrerkrønike, Roman, Ancethe 2007

Politikens verdenshistorie Bd. 11 and 15 Sønnichsen, Ole: Rejsen til America, Gyldendal 2014