Malaga celebrates 400 centuries of ties with Denmark

The Danish ambassador to Spain, Michael Braad, was joined by the mayor of Malaga, Francisco de la Torre, councillor for external affairs, Mar Torre and Danish consul Marisa Moreno to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the Danish consulate for Malaga, Seville, Cadiz and Huelva on Friday last week.

The event, which took place at Malaga city hall, brought together mayors from across the province, regional representatives and business leaders from both countries to mark the milestone. In his speech, the mayor of Malaga highlighted the importance of the “historical link between Denmark and Malaga as well as the whole of Andalucía”.

The Danish consulate, which is the oldest documented in Spain, symbolises the beginning of commercial and cultural relations that started in the 17th century and which today looks to the future in which Andalucía plays a fundamental role for Danish companies.

During his speech, Michael Braad highlighted the impact that four centuries of bilateral relations have had on the economic and cultural sphere and how the relationship between Denmark and Malaga is a living example of how diplomacy and trade can create ties that last for centuries.

The ambassador also presented Malaga’s current Danish consul, Marisa Moreno, with Denmark’s distinguished Order of the Dannebrog for her work.

The event also provided the setting for the presentation of a book by Susan Kristen describing 400 years of consular relations between Denmark and Andalucía.

Spain is home to the largest community of Danes living abroad. There are more than 10,000 Danes resident in Malaga province including the Costa del Sol and in 2022 more than 1.3 million Danish people visited Spain, a remarkable figure for a country of 5.8 million inhabitants.