The typical American tourist doesn't ask those questions. They're more concerned with US relations with the VI. Most people look at the VI as "the Caribbean" instead of an island with a unique history and culture. The Danes probably have a greater interest in the questions you proposed.

Hello Steen,
As a matter of fact, I will be visiting your city this month. I am excited to see Copenhagen all dressed for Christmas. My daughter is finishing up a semester of study abroad in Copenhagen and just loves it (except the current weather). She will be showing us around the city she has fallen in love with.
I have read much of the Danish plantation culture that existed in the West Indies and I enjoy seeing the buildings and ruins of that time. I find the history that is there for us to explore while visiting a tropical paradise to be fascinating. Perhaps if it were somewhere else I would not have the interest that I have while on St John. 😉 I find it fascinating that the people of a country like Denmark were so driven to explore and expand their horizons. That the Danish flag was planted so many places in the world is an extraordinary feat.

Hello, we are looking forward to read your book when time is ready, sound's very interesting. I would like to learn more about it, great idea.

We are glad you liked the Virgin Islands, there are many places to see and discover. We own a little piece of paradise in St Thomas, were there is a marina and it is very easy to get to St John and other islands.

We are from Argentina but live in NY. We enjoy learning from different cultures and we are very lucky to have Danish friends, my wife is a Realtor and she has clients from Denmark. Lately, she helped the Danish General Consul to relocate in NY... we find your culture fascinating.

If we can help you in any way, let us know.

fabio g.
www.sapphire-delmar.com

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zP9j15mQmuQ

Hi toes in the sand

We'll look forward to you visit in Copenhagen - bring lots of warm clothing! Temperatures are very low and its snowing allmost every day.

If I can be of any assistance during your stay please let me know. My phonenumber in Denmark are 6171 3100 if you want to call me while you are here.

Yours
Steen Tommerup

Hi sapphiredelmar

Thanks for your kind offer. It's quite possible, that help will be needed as I'm not familiar with publishing in the US(VI). I've only been publishing in Denmark and business here is different I believe. But what I'm good at, is doing the research and write.

When the time comes (hopefully not far from now) I'll need a 'native speaker' to read and comment on the manuscript.

If you'll like to know more about my ideas, I can write you on PM or email.

Yours
Steen Tommerup

Hej Mr. Tommerup!

Unfortunately I haven't lived in the VI long enough to receive many questions from tourists. I do, however, remember being a tourist here and because of my close friends from DK (kolding) I was interested in the Danish History behind some of the buildings and noticed A LOT of Danish names around, but I wasn't sure if they were Danish or French or what. I am told there used to be a lot more Danish cultural influence, but not as much now. Are you planning to come back to the Islands for more oral history? My friend says it's "traels" there...I have no idea what it means..any chance you could translate that for me?

Remember that these islands were inhabited by many other cultures too which dilutes and melds them all together. I think that's another interesting part of Island history. I don't know a lot of history, but I would be very interested in reading your book when it's finished! Will it also be in English?

import duties

Hej 😀

Sure I can translate 'traels' for you. The saying has its origin in eastern Jutland - some 35 miles north of Kolding. So you might say that it comes from Kolding too. The saying is known all over Denmark and are best translated to: a thing or a state of things wich are dull/bad/embassing/annnoying - all in a combination. A 'traels' thing would make you give up or loose initiative.

Note: the saying are very much used in a sarcastic or ironical way to say: "Ohh, all right. This is just the most dull assignment I'll ever had, but I'll do it anyway."

I would wery much like to come back for oral history. But writers in Denmark are not as rich as we wouldt like to be, and traveling are quite expensive. So it'll have to wait a while. But I'm sure planning on doing the oral history too, when the time (money) comes.

The book will be in english only.

Yours

The end of my post looks like it's signed import duties! Ooops! I meant to do more research on it, but I think there's something within the import duties that the USVI adopted from Denmark. Does anyone else know anything about that? After I thought about it, I decided it wasn't really relevant to your basic idea, so I meant to delete that part.

-Tara (not import duties) 😀

PS. Thank you for the translation!

Hi Tara

You're right.

When Denmark sold the islands to the US they assigned an agreement on taxation and import duties. Thats why the islands still are tax free and thats probably why there's so many jewelry stores and stores with electronic equipment.

You might be right about this not being part of the book as it took place in 1917. The most interesting years are 1700-1848. More accurate from 1754 to 1807. That's when Denmark made the most of the islands. And that's when buildings and the sugar indstri was established and 'made the islands and Copenhagen'.

🙂

Although no longer in print, a fascinating book which would probably interest you (I was finally able to locate a well-used copy on the internet several years ago) is entitled, "The Virgin Islands of the United States of America" written by Luther K. Zabriskie and published by the Putnam Press in 1918. It provides a wealth of information about life in the Virgin Islands under Danish rule.

My interest in the history of the islands was piqued when I worked for The West Indian Company Limited on St Thomas in the mid 1980s through the mid 90s. At that time it was owned by The East Asiatic Company in DK (Det Ostasiatiske Kompagni) and my boss, the late Hans F.P. Jahn, was the company President and the Danish Consul General for the US Virgin Islands. Curious about monthly billings for the maintenance of the old Danish cemetery on St Thomas I finally went there. One thing led to another. I started spending a lot of time there (when Mr. Jahn was in Denmark for a month during the summers) and, armed with a machete, uncovered and subsequently cleaned old tombstones and then created a basic computer database documenting the inscriptions and locations of the burial sites there.

The project grew and grew, Mr. Jahn was as excited as I about this rather long-forgotten historical site, and thus was created the Danish Cemetery Restoration Fund which expanded through grants and donations to include the two Danish cemeteries on St Croix. Today this beautiful old cemetery provides a plethora of information just through the grave inscriptions alone and is a wonderful place to visit, towered over and shaded by ancient mahogany trees and with benches upon which to sit and rest and absorb its essence. What was once just a tangled mess where people would toss garbage is now an immaculate testimony to the rich history of the islands.

As much as I have stories to tell about my almost three decades of living here in the Virgin islands, the "cemetery days" rarely come up in general conversation (not exactly a major topic of conversation in most circles!) but, whatever my eventual little obituary might note, my work in that cemetery was a true labor of love and pretty much surpasses anything I've accomplished. Good luck with the articles!

PS: The Danish Cemetery Restoration Fund is still thriving and the present Consul for Denmark produced a very nice coffee table book which I believe is still available.