
Denmark's Constitution, also known as the Constitutional Act of the Kingdom of Denmark, was first ratified on 5 June 1849. This date ended an absolute monarchy and introduced democracy, and is celebrated annually as Constitution Day. The original constitution was amended and ratified again on 5 June 1953, and it is now considered the fifth oldest functional constitution in the world.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date | 5 June 1849 |
| Type | Democratic |
| Previous constitution | 1665 absolutist constitution |
| Number of sections | 100 |
| Current number of sections | 89 |
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What You'll Learn

Denmark's first democratic constitution was adopted in 1849
Denmark's first democratic constitution was adopted on 5 June 1849, replacing the 1665 absolutist constitution and ending an absolute monarchy. The constitution applies to all persons in Denmark, not just Danish citizens, and gives a number of fundamental rights to people in Denmark, including freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of association, and freedom of assembly. Denmark celebrates the adoption of the Constitution every year as Constitution Day (Danish: Grundlovsdag).
Denmark's Constitution is the fifth oldest functional constitution in the world. It lays out the basis of Denmark's government and explains the rights of citizens. The original constitution that was amended and ratified on 5 June 1953 contains 89 specific sections, whereas the original constitution had 100 sections.
Although aspects of the Magna Carta still exist in British law, the English Great Charter of English liberties granted under pressure by King John on 15 June 1215 is not a fully functional constitution. The oldest functional constitution in the world is the Constitution of the United States of America, which was ratified on 21 June 1788.
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It replaced the 1665 absolutist constitution
Denmark's first democratic constitution was adopted on 5 June 1849, replacing the 1665 absolutist constitution. This ended the absolute monarchy and introduced democracy. The constitution applies to all persons in Denmark, not just Danish citizens, and gives them fundamental rights, including freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of association, and freedom of assembly. The country celebrates the adoption of the constitution every year on 5 June, known as Constitution Day (Danish: Grundlovsdag).
The 1849 constitution was amended and ratified on 5 June 1953, reducing the number of sections from 100 to 89. Denmark's constitution is the fifth oldest functional constitution in the world.
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The constitution applies to all people in Denmark, not just citizens
Denmark's constitution was first ratified on 5 June 1849, replacing the 1665 absolutist constitution and ending absolute monarchy. The constitution applies to all people in Denmark, not just citizens, and gives a number of fundamental rights, including freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of association, and freedom of assembly. Denmark celebrates the adoption of the constitution every year on 5 June, known as Constitution Day.
The constitution is the fifth oldest functional constitution in the world, and the oldest is the Constitution of the United States of America, which was ratified on 21 June 1788. Denmark's constitution was significantly amended in 1953, reducing the number of sections from 100 to 89.
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It ended an absolute monarchy and introduced democracy
Denmark's Constitution was first ratified on 5 June 1849, replacing the 1665 absolutist constitution. It ended an absolute monarchy and introduced democracy, giving fundamental rights to people in Denmark, including freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of association, and freedom of assembly. These rights apply to all persons in Denmark, not just Danish citizens.
The Constitution of Denmark is also known as the Constitutional Act of the Kingdom of Denmark or the Constitutional Act of the Realm of Denmark (Danish: Danmarks Riges Grundlov). It is the fifth oldest functional constitution in the world and is celebrated annually on Constitution Day (Danish: Grundlovsdag).
The Constitution lays out the basis of Denmark's government and explains the rights of its citizens. It is the constitution of a country with a Parliamentary Constitutional Monarchy. The original constitution contained 100 sections, while the amended version ratified on 5 June 1953 contains 89 specific sections.
The adoption of the Constitution in 1849 was a significant event in Danish history, marking the end of absolute monarchy and the introduction of democracy. It gave Danish citizens freedoms and rights that they had not previously enjoyed, such as freedom of speech and religion. The Constitution also established the framework for Denmark's government and how it would function going forward.
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Denmark celebrates the adoption of the constitution on 5 June every year
Denmark celebrates the adoption of its constitution on 5 June every year as Constitution Day (Danish: Grundlovsdag). The first democratic constitution was ratified on 5 June 1849, ending an absolute monarchy and introducing democracy. The current constitution was ratified in 1953, and contains 89 sections, compared to the original 100.
The Constitutional Act of the Realm of Denmark (Danish: Danmarks Riges Grundlov), also known as the Constitutional Act of the Kingdom of Denmark, or simply the Constitution (Danish: Grundloven, Faroese: Grundlógin, Greenlandic: Tunngaviusumik inatsit), applies equally in the Realm of Denmark: Denmark proper, Greenland and the Faroe Islands. The constitution defines Denmark as a constitutional monarchy, governed through a parliamentary system. It also gives a number of fundamental rights to people in Denmark, including freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of association, and freedom of assembly. These rights apply to all persons in Denmark, not just Danish citizens.
Although Constitution Day is not a public holiday, there is a tradition for production and other private companies to either shut down for the whole day or for half a day. Families tend to gather together, and politically active individuals and workers' unions carry out political rallies and attend political events to listen to the views of their political representatives.
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Frequently asked questions
Denmark's constitution was first ratified on 5 June 1849.
Denmark celebrates the adoption of the Constitution every year on 5 June, known as Constitution Day (Danish: Grundlovsdag).
Denmark's constitution outlines a Parliamentary Constitutional Monarchy.

























