Faroese Language Conflict

The Faroese language conflict is a phase in the history of the Faroe Islands in the first half of the 20th century (approx. 1908 to 1938). It was the political and cultural argument between the requirements of the Faroese language in general use, and the Danish language as the official language of the Faroe Islands.

At the beginning of the 20th century the position was as follows:

The language of the church, public education, the government, and the law was Danish. But Faroese was the language of the people; the orthography of Faroese had been set out by Venceslaus Hammershaimb in the middle of the 19th century, and the language had aroused Faroese nationalism since the Jólafundurin ('the Christmas Meeting') of 1888.

The conflict was chiefly not a struggle between the Faroese people and the Danes, but rather among the Faroese people themselves, and the positions were evolving with time.