Folkehøjskolernes Forening i Danmark

Folkehøjskolernes Forening i Danmark (FFD), also known as Højskolerne, is a Danish interest organisation that represents the country's folk high schools. It was founded on 1 September 1891 at a meeting of heads and teachers of folk high schools and agricultural schools, with its articles of association approved on 3 April 1892. The original purpose was to foster cooperation between Danish folk high schools and agricultural schools, as popular enlightenment and agricultural development were then seen as two sides of the same cause. Membership was open to current and former heads and teachers and their spouses. Among the initiators were headmaster Alfred Povlsen and Peter Andresen of Ryslinge Højskole; Povlsen was elected the first chairman and held the post for 32 years. Initially the association dealt only with relations among the schools, but it gradually became a link between the schools, the Folketing and administrative authorities, and has since acted as an active negotiating partner and common representative in many areas. In 1962 the association's statutory purpose was extended to include the schools' employees and the safeguarding of their interests. In 1970 caretakers, secretaries and board members also gained access to membership. FFD has never been a trade union in the legal sense and therefore has not had bargaining rights on behalf of employees in matters of pay and employment. From its founding in 1891 until 1970 the association was named Foreningen for Højskoler og Landbrugsskoler. As agricultural schools developed into purely vocational schools, they left the community, and the name was changed to Foreningen for Folkehøjskoler i Danmark (FFD). In 1979 FFD established an office with a full-time consultant who served as secretary to the board, adviser to members and participant in negotiations with the Ministry of Education. From 1980 FFD's office was located in Vartov in Copenhagen together with Højskolernes Sekretariat (HS), which had been created in 1950. Until 2000 FFD functioned as a membership association safeguarding the interests of the high schools, while HS was a school association that provided information about folk high schools. HS and FFD merged in 2000 due to growth in tasks. In connection with this, the organisation changed its name to Folkehøjskolernes Forening i Danmark, retaining the abbreviation FFD. The new organisation moved to rented premises at Nytorv 7 in Copenhagen, where Højskolernes Hus was established. In the same period the association gained a new graphic identity with Højskolerne as the sender in external communication. Højskolernes Hus houses, in addition to the association's secretariat, Frirummet, Dansk Folkeoplysnings Samråd, Højskolehistorisk Forening and Skoleindkøb. About half of the employees in Folkehøjskolernes Forening are paid from project funds from various foundations or public coffers, meaning that new initiatives continually arise while others cease. The association has published materials about and for its members since its founding. In addition, Forlaget Højskolerne, owned by FFD, publishes the Højskolesangbogen, which constitutes a significant source of income for the association's work for the Danish folk high schools, as well as books on, for example, the history of ideas of the high schools and dannelse seen from a high school perspective. In 2025, when Minister for Culture Jakob Engel-Schmidt announced that the folk high schools had received the most votes in the public hearing on which Danish traditions, crafts and customs should be represented on UNESCO's cultural heritage list, it was FFD's chair Lisbeth Trinskjær who accepted the honour.

Folkehøjskolernes Forening i Danmark (FFD) was founded on 1 September 1891 at a meeting for heads and teachers at folk high schools and agricultural schools. Its articles of association were approved on 3 April 1892. The purpose was to foster cooperation between Danish folk high schools and agricultural schools, as popular enlightenment and agricultural development were then regarded as two sides of the same cause. The association admitted current and former heads and teachers with spouses as members. Among the initiators were headmaster Alfred Povlsen and Peter Andresen from Ryslinge Højskole. Povlsen was elected the first chairman and held the post for 32 years. Originally the association dealt only with the schools' mutual relations. It gradually also became a link between the schools, the Folketing and the administrative authorities, and has since functioned as an active negotiating partner and common representative in many different areas. In 1962 the association's statutory purpose was extended to also include the schools' employees and the safeguarding of their interests. In 1970 caretakers, secretaries and board members also gained access to membership. FFD has never been a trade union in the legal sense and has therefore not had bargaining rights on behalf of employees in matters of pay and employment. From its founding in 1891 until 1970 the association was named Foreningen for Højskoler og Landbrugsskoler. When the agricultural schools developed into purely vocational schools, they left the community, and the name was changed to Foreningen for Folkehøjskoler i Danmark (FFD). In 1979 FFD established an office with a full-time consultant who served as secretary to the board, adviser to members and participant in negotiations with the Ministry of Education. From 1980 FFD's office was located in Vartov in Copenhagen together with Højskolernes Sekretariat (HS), which had been created in 1950. Until 2000 FFD functioned as a membership association safeguarding the interests of the high schools, while HS was a school association that informed about folk high schools. HS and FFD merged in 2000 due to growth in tasks. In connection with this, the organisation changed its name to Folkehøjskolernes Forening i Danmark, retaining the abbreviation FFD. The new organisation moved to rented premises at Nytorv 7 in Copenhagen, where Højskolernes Hus was established. In the same period the association gained a new graphic identity with Højskolerne as the sender in external communication. Højskolernes Hus houses, in addition to the association's secretariat, Frirummet, Dansk Folkeoplysnings Samråd, Højskolehistorisk Forening and Skoleindkøb. About half of the employees in Folkehøjskolernes Forening are paid from project funds from various foundations or public coffers, meaning that new initiatives continually arise while others cease. The association has published materials about and for its members since its founding. In addition, Forlaget Højskolerne, owned by FFD, publishes the Højskolesangbogen, which constitutes a significant source of income for the association's work for the Danish folk high schools, as well as books on, for example, the history of ideas of the high schools and dannelse seen from a high school perspective. In 2025, when Minister for Culture Jakob Engel-Schmidt announced that the folk high schools had received the most votes in the public hearing on which Danish traditions, crafts and customs should be represented on UNESCO's cultural heritage list, it was FFD's chair Lisbeth Trinskjær who accepted the honour.

• Founded at a meeting for heads and teachers at folk high schools and agricultural schools.

• Articles of association approved.

• Alfred Povlsen serves as first chairman.

• Statutory purpose extended to include the schools' employees and their interests.

• Caretakers, secretaries and board members gain access to membership; agricultural schools leave the community; name changed to Foreningen for Folkehøjskoler i Danmark (FFD).

• FFD establishes an office with a full-time consultant.

• FFD's office located in Vartov, Copenhagen, together with Højskolernes Sekretariat (HS).

• HS and FFD merge; organisation renamed Folkehøjskolernes Forening i Danmark; moves to Nytorv 7, Copenhagen, establishing Højskolernes Hus.

• Lisbeth Trinskjær becomes chair.

• FFD chair Lisbeth Trinskjær accepts the honour when folk high schools receive the most votes in the public hearing on Danish traditions for UNESCO's cultural heritage list.

Interest organisation and common representative for Danish folk high schools, acting as a link between schools, parliament and authorities.

• Højskolesangbogen

  Songbook published by Forlaget Højskolerne, a significant source of income for FFD.

• Books on folk high school history and dannelse

  Published by Forlaget Højskolerne.

1. 1Alle folkehøjskolers forening - FFDffd.dk
2. 2Folkehøjskolernes forening i Danmark - Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3Folkehøjskolernes Forening i Danmark - Wikipediada.wikipedia.org