Young Conservatives (Denmark)
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Young Conservatives of Denmark Konservativ Ungdom |
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| Chairman | Andreas Sebastian Weidinger |
| Headquarters | Allégade 24 A 2000 Frederiksberg |
| Ideology | Liberal conservatism, Social conservatism, National conservatism |
| Global affiliation | International Young Democrat Union (IYDU) |
| European affiliation | European Young Conservatives (EYC) |
| Nordic affiliation | Nordic Young Conservative Union (NUU) |
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| www |
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Young Conservatives Denmark (Danish: Konservativ Ungdom, abbreviated KU) is the youth wing of the Conservative People's Party of Denmark, and the oldest political youth organization in the world. KU is considered an institution in Danish youth politics and often seen as a rebellious and ideological watchdog of the mother-party. Internationally KU is very well represented and active in various elections throughout the year.
Founded by Carl F. Herman von Rosen on December 8, 1904, more than a decade before its mother party, KU is the oldest youth political organisation in Denmark, and the oldest remaining youth political organisation in the world.
Following its formation KU grew quickly as an organisation and many local branches throughout Denmark sprung up. Later prominent party members were chairmen of KU in this period, most notably John Christmas Møller, a historic figure in Danish politics, exiled in England during the Second World War, and celebrated as one of the reasons why Denmark was counted among the allied forces after World War II, despite of its collaboration with Germany. KU is most famous for three periods history - the massive growth during the 1930s, the resistance fight during World War II, and the ideological awakening of the 1980s.
In the early 1930s KU experienced a major increase in membership and peaked at more than 30,000 members under the leadership of chairman Jack G. Westergaard. KU became somewhat of an institution by being the first non-leftist organization to use 'modern campaign methods', such as posters, pamphlets, marches, demonstrations and gatherings. Hosting open air meetings with thousands of participants, demonstrating in the parks of Copenhagen, and flying over Copenhagen in propeller airplanes with conservative air leaflets became the trademark of the organization. One such incidence, when Copenhagen was plastered with thousands of campaign posters in a single night - is this day commemorated in the official KU song.
Like other youth organisations of the era, KU also took a critical stance towards democracy in the early 1930s, and the ability of democracy to handle the economical and societal crisis that the West was facing. Parts of KU wanted to replace parliamentarism with a corporative system, and found symbolic inspiration in fascist Italy and Germany. This reflected itself in the green uniforms and leather straps members of KU wore and the formation of 'Stormtropperne', a security patrol designed to protect open air speakers from violent assaults by socialists. The German Sturmabteilung was the inspiration. This more unfortunate period of KU history is something the organization still struggles with, even though the KU-organization in Aarhus continue to keep a banner from this period on display.
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Wikipedia