Youth Sports – DUI-LEG and VIRKE

A department of De Unges Idræt – D.U.I. later DUI-Leg og Virke in Skive was established in 1932 as a counterpart to, among others. FDF and was active until around 2006. For a while it was the largest in Denmark.

Skive chapter founded March 16, 1932

“We call for the establishment of a social democratic children’s organization D.U.I here in Skive. Everywhere you look there are various attempts to draw working-class children into bourgeois children’s organizations. This must be prevented.

Working-class children must be brought into our own organizations for education in the spirit of the working class.
We invite all interested parties to a meeting about this on Friday, March 20 in Hotel Royal’s main hall, where D.U.I.’s national secretary Ernst Drosthede will speak.
For D.S.U.: Edvin Dose, Henry Poulsen, Skive

For Socialdemokratisk Forening and Arbejdernes Fællesorganisation:
Kristian Nielsen, Skive
Carl Jensen, Skive
Woldhardt Madsen, Skive
With soc. greetings”

This was the invitation to help form a Skive branch of the nationwide D.U.I. (De Unges Idræt).

At the meeting, DUI’s national secretary Ernst Drosthede explained DUI’s purpose and activities and it was decided that a branch should be established in Skive. Porter Peter Olsen was elected chairman, typographer N.J. Jacobsen, driver Martin Pedersen, typographer Henry Poulsen and Mrs. journalist Kümmel.

The founding meeting was held in the Lodge on Nørre Alle on March 16, 1932. Children and parents attended with great support. Ernst Drosthede talked about D.U.I, where the main emphasis was on camps, outdoor activities and sports. In winter, there were stamp meetings, knot tying, photomontage, leaf saw work, singing and small lectures. 50 children were enrolled right from the start.

DUI songbooks, shirts and badge pins were purchased, as well as instruments with a view to later establishing an orchestra. DUI was given a regular column in Skive Socialdemokrat, where information about events could be posted and notices could be read in a cabinet set up in Torvegade. In the beginning, the meetings had to be held in different places, including borrowing rooms at Sabroe’s orphanage. From Oct. 1932, the city council made rooms available at Skivehus school (later Nordre Skole – now VUC).

At the first general meeting, the board of directors was replaced – after the great start-up work, new forces were needed. Porter Peter Olsen continued, but the rest were replaced by Margrethe Hansen from Sabroe Children’s Home (later a very active leader in DUI), Harrits, plumber Sørensen and joiner Sørensen-Klim. The board decided to stop shopping at Bernhard Fogh in Nørregades Varehus, as he was the leader of the scout movement in Skive. Instead, they shopped at C. Møller instead.

The association’s work and growth through the 30s and 40s

In 1933, DUI had 200 children as members and 110 passive adult members. In 1937, 250 children were enrolled and a brass band had been started.

At the general meeting in 1933, the chairman announced that due to the political situation in Germany, the Danish government had issued a uniform ban for all political associations. The uniform ban applied to people over the age of 16. It was also stated that D.U.I. was officially detached from the Social Democratic Party, so that the organization outwardly appeared as a non-political children’s organization.
This meant that D.U.I. members could keep the blue shirt and red scarf – D.U.I.’s uniform.

DUI was given access to a playing field in Brårup, and later also Nordre Skole’s sports grounds. They organized a Fur camp and a camp next to a school for the unemployed (now Pinenhus) at Sallingsund. Typographer Thorvald Larsen replaced porter Peter Olsen after an election and was replaced again in 1934 by brushmaker Ejnar Probansky, just as other board members were replaced. In 1935, it was brushmaker Frederik Kühl who took over as chairman. Frederik Kühl had been an active leader in DUI Randers. In 1938, after criticism of his leadership style, Kühl was replaced by carpenter Ejnar Andersen.

In 1934, DUI and DSU were given access to the top floor of “Stalden”. “Stalden” was an old, now demolished building in connection with Nordre Skole. A youth center was set up here.

in 1936, the land for a vacation home – which had long been desired – was purchased. The site was located by Grønningøre Beach in a beautiful natural setting. Architect Rasmussen, Krabbesholm, drew up the plans for the home. During the war, the house next door was acquired. In 1954, electricity was installed.

In 1939, the board consisted of the later mayor Woldhardt Madsen, school inspector Kjems, teacher Wiinberg, director Valdemar Johansen, joiner Ejner Andersen, joiner Alfred Jensen, Sigfred Sørensen, janitor Christian Christensen, Kristian Søndergaard, blacksmith Karl Pedersen, printer Liebetrau Hansen, typographer Peder Bjerregaard, Duval Klim, Marie Andersen, Marie Jensen, Holger Jensen
and Bertel Andersen.

In the first year of the occupation, D.U.I. had 333 members. Despite the restrictions, the police granted an exemption to hold an 8-day camp at Grønningøre from July 8-15. This camp was attended by 80 falcons, so both holiday homes and tents had to be used. Work during the war was plagued by blackouts, shortages of goods and local problems because the Germans took over the school. It was difficult to make trips because the bikes and especially the tires were very worn out. During the war, DUI Skive became the country’s largest branch with between 400 and 500 members, and they needed to be activated, so they limped their way through.

Decline after the war

After the war, Skive DUI remained the country’s largest branch with 429 members. There was a lot of camp activity, but also activities to raise money for the dwindling coffers. The Skive branch was so large that it was difficult to manage. In 1949, a branch of D.U.I. was established in Brårup.

In 1948, the chairman, former mayor Valdemar Johansen, died, and at the funeral, D.U.I. girls scattered flowers
in front of the funeral train. His successor in office was the town’s mayor, Woldhardt Madsen, who was elected on June 15, 1948.

Over the years, the orchestra had different leaders. From 1953, it became difficult to find a new leader and, in general, it became harder to find leaders and the level of activity fell. At the holiday camp in Grønningøre, the house next door was sold and the money was used to buy DSU’s share of the camp house. The house was in need of maintenance, and to raise money, they started renting it out.

Eigil Christensen describes in his article about DUI in Skivebogen 1995 that a 25th anniversary party was held in 1957, after which the DUI Skive branch slowly crumbled due to lack of support.

Restart in 1974

In 1963, an attempt was made to get the chapter going again. Meetings were called, but there wasn’t much of a turnout. Help was then sought from the National Association, and on November 27, 1963, it was agreed that the Skive branch’s administration would be transferred to the Northwest Jutland branch. The branch would try to take new initiatives, but it did not succeed.

It wasn’t until 1974 that something happened again. Helene Thøgersen had moved from Nykøbing Mors to Skive. At the urging of
National Association by Erik Nielsen, Knud Erik and Helene Thøgersen set about recreating D.U.I., which in the meantime had been restructured and had changed its name to D.U.I – Leg og Virke.

A lot of groundwork was done with meetings for interested children and adults. These meetings were attended by up to 100 participants. A founding general meeting was called in March 1975. Very few people attended the general meeting in 1975, which was very disappointing as the club now had 100 children as members. However, a board of directors was elected, consisting of Ole
Nielsen, Niels Jørgen Villadsen, Hans Jørgen Thøgersen, Jette Kiraly, Knud Erik Thøgersen and Helene Thøgersen.

In the first few years, activities got going, but there was a shortage of premises and at the general meeting in 1981, it was a bitter Helene Thøgersen who gave her report: “For various reasons, it was difficult to get leaders… We feel a clear fatigue that we haven’t been given our own premises, and this with a social democratic mayor and an almost majority in the city council. We work in a neighborhood where there are big problems for children and many low-income families live. It’s pretty disappointing.”

However, the work continued with sports activities, camps, folk dancing, table tennis, first aid, theater/puppet theater, hockey and Christmas parties. DUI games and activities participated in Children’s Aid parades and performed at the Social Democratic Party’s pensioner party.

In the mid-90s, Solvejg Lund took over the activities, and in 1994 a property was purchased on Brårupvej. The branch in Skive closed around 2006. The nearest branches are now Nykøbing Mors and Struer.

The Grønningøre cabin

The cabin is still run by the Support Association for Grønningøre D.U.I. Leg og Virke and is advertised on DUI’s website.

D.U.I. / DUI-LEG og VIRKE in Denmark historically and today

“De Unges Idræt” (D.U.I) was founded in the Workers’ Assembly Building in Rømersgade, Copenhagen (now the Workers’ Museum) in November 1905 as an alternative to FDF. 18-year-old Louis Florin had been a leader in Frivilligt Drenge Forbund (FDF), which had been started in 1903. He believed that the FDF did a good job for the boys from the working-class homes in Copenhagen, but as an ardent young socialist, he was opposed to the Christian and, in his opinion, militaristic character that the FDF sought to instill in the boys. The journalist, social democratic member of parliament A. C. Meyer was the initiator.

The following year, an attempt was made to form a girls’ association, but failed, and in 1915 it was decided that DUI would admit girls. The emphasis was on gymnastics, wrestling, athletics, swimming and ball games, as well as nature walks and orchestral music. The aim was to teach children discipline and respect for themselves and others. In 1926, it was decided that DUI should be part of the labor movement. The uniform was changed from white sailor shirts to blue blouses with red scarves. Until 1937, there was close cooperation with the labor movement, especially social democratic youth. Due to the war and restrictions on political youth associations, cooperation with the Social Democrats ceased. This was followed by a long period until 1974, when broader educational interests led to the abandonment of conscious socialist education.

At the end of the sixties, a reform was implemented in DUI. The uniform was abolished, the name was changed to DUI-LEG and VIRKE with 4 dancing children as a symbol instead of the falcon. After the national meeting in 1974, there was again a closer connection to the Social Democratic Party. After this, DUI-LEG and VIRKE began to get involved in the debate on children and family policy on a national level – to a much greater extent than before.

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