
This is an excerpt from the original, very interesting, article ‘Brief History of Origins of Bat and Ball Games & Baseball in Denmark‘ by Rod Moore
Bat and ball games such as “Rundbold” and “Langbold” have been played in Denmark for centuries, although early dated origins are unknown. […] Baseball itself, as played in the Americas, has had a tumultuous and periodic presence in Denmark. There are no written reports about baseball in Denmark until 1923. […] the presence of baseball in Denmark in the first decades of the 20th century was mainly noted when the US Navy docked in Copenhagen and US servicemen on leave played baseball in the huge park in central Copenhagen called “Fælledparken” (Community Park). […] the first known unorganized games were played by Danes at school yards, by Boy’s and Girl Scout organizations at camps, the Danish State Juvenile Home and the United Private Schools of Copenhagen with the name “Soft Baseball” […] So in the 20’s and 30’s, besides US Navy visits that prompted baseball games, the hybrid form of baseball softball was played in schools and privately without any central organization. Sadly, with the advent of World War II, the game all but died out. […] The 50’s and 60’s again saw a rise in school “Soft Baseball”, even with formation of school clubs for competition, but it nearly died out again in the late 60’s […] But out of these school activities grew the makings of a modern baseball-softball movement in Denmark. In 1973, a travelling teacher from the USA, Vagn Thonesen, gave a course in baseball for sports teachers in the Copenhagen suburb of Gentofte. Several schools began playing baseball in their outdoor gym classes. Students at Munkegaardsskole primary school wished, however, to also play baseball in their leisure time. Three teachers from Thonesens course founded the first true baseball club in Denmark in October 1974, the Gentofte Munks. The club Asahi (Rising Sun) was also founded by Japanese immigrants in 1975 and for many years exclusively played baseball against personnel from Japan Airlines and the US Embassy (a team later called the “Knights”). Hørsholm from northern Copenhagen organized a baseball-softball club in 1977 and is the oldest club still actively playing the sport. The Danish Baseball Softball Federation was formed on June 13, 1978 when the first official matches were also played among the first three Danish clubs, the Munks, Hørsholm and Lynge, another Copenhagen suburb. Asahi changed its name to Copenhagen Fighters and included Danes and also joined. The first official Danish Baseball Championship League, the Baseball Dansk Mesterskab (DM), was played in October, 1979. The Hørsholm Comets won over Gentofte Munks. In 1980, the first Danish national baseball team played in the North European Cup in Stockholm, Sweden and another was played in Antwerp, Belgium in 1982. From 1982-84, Denmark also participated in the European Cup for team champions. After 1983 the baseball DM-tournament in baseball ceased to exist, as Danish clubs instead preferred to play fastpitch softball. Only in 1992 was the Baseball DM again revived and a baseball national team also participated again in European Championship tournaments. In 2008, Danish Baseball Softball Federation was split into Danish Baseball Federation and Danish Softball Federation, leaving no Olympic funding for baseball. At the time of writing 2023 the senior Danish Championship league (DM) is comprised of 4 west division teams and 4 east division teams, the first time ever that there have been enough teams to provide geographic divisions. The current combined numbers of Danish baseball and softball federation members is nearly 1000, down from a high of 2000 members in 1992. But the Danish Baseball Federation is still growing. Here’s a list of all the Clubs currently [January 2022] member of The Danish Baseball Federation:
Jutland:
Århus Baseball Softball Klub
Herning Baseball og Softball Klub
Randers Baseball Softball Klub
Vejle Baseball Club
Funen:
Odense Wolves Baseball Club
Zealand:
Lyngby Jokers Baseball and Softball Club
Copenhagen Baseball Club
Read more: Baseball.dk