The Danmark is a 253 foot full-rigged ship built and launched in 1932 in Lolland, Denmark. Commissioned in June 1933 she was constructed for use as a sail training ship. Her complement is 19 crew and 80 or more cadets.

For six years she carried out her duties for Denmark until 1939. When war broke out that year she was attending the World Trade Fair in New York and was ordered by her management not to return to Europe due to the threat of German submarines in the Atlantic. She was laid up in Jacksonville, Florida until the United States entered the war in December 1941. When America entered the war Captain Knud L. Hansen, who commanded the Danmark, immediately offered the ship to the United States Government to be used by them in any capacity they thought fit, an offer which was welcomed and accepted at once. She was allotted to the US Coast Guard as a training vessel and went into service under the command of Commander MacGowan of the USCG, but with her own captain as sailing master and her officers and staff continuing their normal duties. While under the American flag her complement was about 100 cadets. During her time at the USCG Academy in New London, Ct. she trained more than 5000 Coast Guard cadets. Her performance was so appreciated by the USCG that they decided to carry on sail training after the war with the German war prize barque Horst Wessel which they renamed Eagle.

After returning to Denmark on Nov. 13 1945 she resumed her peace time duties the following year. She operated a very regular annual routine until 1990. She ran two five-month training cruises a year, one for apprentices (midshipmen) and the other to teach basic seamanship. She has had mixed trainee crews since 1983. After a major refit in 1990 her training program was reduced to only one cruise a year teaching basic seamanship.

The Danmark usually takes part in the trans-Atlantic Tall Ship Races such as the one in 1976 celebrating the US Bicentennial. During this celebration she was placed at the head of the parade of ships, first behind the host ship Eagle, in honor of her service under the American flag during the war. She attended the 1986 New York Op Sail as well as the Columbus trans-Atlantic Regatta. To celebrate the new millenium she will take part in Op Sail 2000 and will attend events such as Sail Boston.