On Tuesday, April 16, 2024, Harald Bluetooth's Guild conducted the first admission here in its 10th anniversary year. We inagurated 7 new members.

Photo: From the left: Jacob Stryhn (Guild Agency), Simon Sears (Nominator), Lis Tribler (Guild Agency), Manager Leif Stiholt, Anette Borg (Guild Agency), Architect Hans Scheving, Head of Preventative Service Gorm Martin Larsen, Civil engineer Morten Rasmussen, Principal of School Kenneth Willander, Kenneth Munck (Nominator), Naval Officer Leanne Wray, Australia, Birgitte Dinesen (Guild Agency), Jens Grønkjær (Guild Agency), Former Editor-in-chief Torben Dalby Larsen, Alderman Finn Berggren (Guild Agency), and Svend-Erik Kristensen (Guild Agency).

Photo: From the left Consul Simon Mears, Tanzania, CEO René Barington, Senior Partner Frederik Ahm Krag, Ambassador Tina Krce, Croatia, National Archivist Asbjørn Hellum, Director Jens Kristian Poulsen, Museum Manager Ruth Hedegaard, Director Søren Hansen, Ambassador Alan M Leventhal, USA, Sherry Leventhal, USA and principal Per Michael Johansen.

Photo: Deputy Mayor of Slagelse Municipality welcomes the new members at Kragerup Estate.

Photo: Estate owner Regitze Dinesen tells about Kragerup Estate.

Photo: From left Marianne Stentebjerg, Anders Gjesing, Alan Thagaard, Erik Lindsøe, Pernille Hartmann Labusz, Anders Kolding and Philip Maury.

Harald Bluetooth Guild can look back with great satisfaction on this summer's exchange project between Slagelse municipality and Waterford municipality in Ireland.

The exchange project has been a long time in the making, but in the spring the Guild succeeded in initiating a 5-year cooperation agreement with the great help of the Irish embassy in Copenhagen and the Danish embassy in Dublin.

In addition to Harald Bluetooth Guild, Slagelse Gymnasium, Slagelse-Antvorskov Rotary and Waterford Rotary have been involved in the process. The two latter Rotary clubs have been responsible for accommodation of the young high school students, while the program was organized by Trelleborg Museum and Harald Bluetooth Guild.

The lucky high school students who got the opportunity to learn about the respective countries' culture and Viking relations were Alexander Noort Hansen from Slagelse and Ben Aziri from Waterford.

The 18-year-old high school student Alexander Noort Hansen talks with great enthusiasm about his many experiences during his stay in Waterford. It is clear how much the great hospitality and attention from the local hosts has meant during Alexander's stay. I was introduced to places and official persons that I would never have had the opportunity to experience as an ordinary tourist, e.g. I met the mayor, says Alexander. Ireland's ambassador, Elizabet McCullough, has expressed thanks on social media for the cooperation with Slagelse Municipality and Harald Bluetooth Guild, and all parties look forward to the exchange of young people from Waterford and Slagelse Municipality in the coming years.

Photo: Ben Aziri in the middle with the Alderman, Finn Berggren and Museums director Anne Kristine Larsen in front of the Danish Parliament.

Billedtekst: From left: Stephen Sporrer, Ben Terence Leahy Aziri, Rachelle Keck, and James Keck.

Foto: Jens Grønkjær, scald

Billedtekst: From left: Stephen Sporrer, Ben Terence Leahy Aziri, Rachelle Keck, and James Keck.

Foto: Jens Grønkjær, scald

Wednesday May 31st 2023 the Guild inaugurated 11 new members

Among the new members were the Irish ambassador Ms. Elizabeth McCullough, and vice ambassador Ms. Emily Ghadimi. The embassy has been an active party in the creation of an exchange programme, where a young Dane is sent to Ireland for a week in June, and a young Irishman the other way. Before the recording, the ambassador was received at Slagelse Town Hall by Deputy Mayor Jane Dahl.

After the inauguration the Alderman Finn Berggren welcomed the 43 participants to the Annual Meeting, held in the beautiful settings of Kragerup Estate. After the recording, the company went on to Kragerup Estates, where Harald Blåtand's Guild has its Guild Room. Here another 32 members of the Guild came together to hold the annual Guild meeting, followed by dinner in the cozy Restaurant Blixen.

Before the dinner Ms. Anne-Christine Larsen, head of the Viking Museum at Trelleborg, spoke about the effort of the Danish Ring Castles to be recognized as UNESCO World Heritage.

Photo: The New Members. From left: Jørgen Klode, Michael Andersen, Lars Fischer Rasmussen, Brian Andersen, Carsten Fich-Olsen, Emily Ghadimi, Ejvind Sandal, Sven Ole Rosenkilde, Elizabeth McCullough, Vibeke Bagger og Peter Rasmussen.

Photo: Hasse Ferrold

The first inauguration of the year to Harald Bluetooth Guild was a memorable day for the new candidates as well as for the Board of Harald Bluetooth Guild.

There were 7 new members who were invited to join Harald Bluetooth Guild during a festive setting.

Among the new members was Ukrainian Ambassador Mikhailo Vydoinyk. The ambassadors wife, Kristina Vydoinyk, was also attending the celebrations. Jane Dahl, deputy mayor and chairman of the Business, Employment and Education Committee, participated as the municipality's representative in the Guild dinner at Kragerup Estate, where Birgitte Dinesen, member of the Guild Board, told about the history of Kragerup's history.

In his speech, Ambassador Mikhailo Vydoinyk referred to the close relations between Denmark and Ukraine and expressed his gratitude for the support that the Danes had shown since the war broke out.

The ambassador also used the opportunity to highlight how the history of the Vikings, Ukraine and not least Kiev were linked.

On behalf of the Guild Board, alderman Finn Berggren expressed his thanks and appreciation to the new members and emphasized that the year's first admission to Harald Bluetooth's Guild had been so inspiring that the Guild Board could look forward to this year's upcoming admissions with great expectations.

The new members and the Guild Board posing for the group photo on the main staircase at Kragerup Estate.

First row from the left: Birgitte Dinesen, Board member, Ambassador Mikhailo Vydoinyk, Finn Berggren, Board member, Arne Juul, Lars Grønkjær.

Second row from left: Claus Østergaard Olsen, Jane Dahl, Deputy Mayor, Henrik Sørensen, Jens Grønkjær, Board member, Michael Bach Rasmussen, Per Ankær.

Back row from left: Jacob Stryhn, Board member, Inge Grønvold, Guild member, Lis Tribler, Board member and Anette Borg, Board member.