Den Danske Pioneer

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Den Danske Pioneer (The Danish Pioneer) is the oldest Danish-language newspaper published in the United States.

[edit] History

Den Danske Pioneer was founded in 1872 by Mark Hansen. The newspaper was published in Omaha, Nebraska, and 75 percent of its subscribers were Danish farmers. In 1893 the newspaper installed a press that was capable of printing 6,000 pages an hour. In 1903 the staff of Den Danske Pioneer numbered 16 and the newspaper moved into newly built offices in Omaha.

In 1958 the newspaper relocated to Elmwood Park, Illinois, where it was published until 1984. Queen Margrethe II of Denmark visited the newspaper's Elmwood Park facilities during her visit to the United States in 1976. In 1997 Queen Margrethe II made then-editor Chris Steffensen a Knight of the Order of Dannebrog to commemorate the newspaper's 125th anniversary. Today the newspaper is a unit of Bertelsen Publishing Co., based in Hoffman Estates, Illinois. Elsa Steffensen, wife of former editor Chris Steffensen, is publisher, and their daughter Linda Steffensen is editor.

Den Danske Pioneer is one of two remaining Danish-language newspapers in the United States. The other is Bien (Danish for "bee"), a weekly newspaper based in California.