2020 our family celebrated life with the birth of our daughter Adiana and death.
This year I lost my father. Not from COVID. I've never felt such pain everyday thinking about "what if's". 
Anyone who knew my dad knew Hans Fluger was a great head of the secretariat of the European movement in the 90s, inspiration, boss,  linguist, friend, historian, conversationalist,  cook, baker, hifi builder, guitar amplifier builder,  musician, saxophonist, clarinetist,  music critic, computer builder, computer wizz, husband, father in law, grandfather and most of all father.
My dad is the reason I'm a musician, occupational therapist, husband and father  today. Love you and miss you dad. 

Hans Fluger 1942-2020

We, Eva and Morten, were part of the commune Klon in Copenhagen, Denmark from 1971 to 1974. Hans and Katherine moved in at that time. In the common dining room, we had a large oval table that provided space for 12 adults and 8 children at the common dinners. The first memories of being with Hans were when he made us lift this massive table by everyone using our smallest fingers, the little finger. In the following years he inspired us around international history and we got to know more about the United States. He also helped build speakers which was one of his main interests during that period. And we borrowed his Citroën Dyane one summer. Later we became Citroën enthusiasts and are still active there. I did not really manage to get in close contact with him after he moved away from Denmark. But I will always remember the many cozy and close moments we had together in the commune Klon.
Photo: A close moment between Hans and his daughter Anna back in time in Klon.

Morbror Hans was a  lovely, fun uncle in my childhood; I remeber well the years the three of you spent in Denmark, Adam’s birthday parties with magnificent cakes, the good ship Stumpede Dorethy af Ovre Dråby - and even my daughter Lea, who was tiny then, remembers your visit to Vienna as great fun. We are thinking of you!

Losing Hans is a real blow. In a way, we were like brothers, at ease in each other’s company, intuitively understanding each other’s thoughts, instantly getting each other’s jokes, able to finish each other’s sentences. Already I have books, films, music, politics I want to share with Hans, but, no, he’s no longer there. No one to replace him. Whole aspects of my curiosity for and understanding of life which no one else can really get. That love for Denmark and Danish and Danishness. That ironic distance to it all. That 60’s quality to his being, the intuition that love is the self evident force that moves the universe. The deep appreciation of the nature of fun, the natural gifts of the true clown, his matchless wit, his unerring perspicacity, his unabashed intellectualism and respect for the things of the mind. His respect for and understanding of technology. The wide range of his reading. His insight into the movement of history and the passing of time. His dedication to the cause of Social Democracy, as the only rational way to run a society in a way which reconciles freedom with social responsibility. His gift for just being with you and silently communicating his appreciation of your company. His sometimes absurd irascibility and cantankerousness, a cover for his  sensitivity and vulnerability. It was from his Austrian father, Norbert, that he inherited that whole Mitteleuropa quality of his. His natural relationship to German as a medium of culture. Then, of course, there was his fantastic command of English, born of his voracious reading. We first met in Brussels in the autumn of 1975. We took to each other almost instantly. We would hang out together like kids, listening to 70’s music full blast on his latest hifi setup. Hans, I will miss you. It was a privilege to know you and I am so proud that you were my friend. All my love for ever. Alex

The discussions with Hans during the time in the Dalsager cabinet in the European Commission were extremely important to me. 
Over the years I had many pleasant visits to the homes of Sandra and Hans in Uccle, Gentofte, La Hulpe and Ashburn. 
We played a lot of saxophone together at my place in Rixensart or in Hans’ house, and we listened to our great master, the President Lester Young.
Sometimes we did not agree, in particular on Balkan history and policy (my wife Petia is Bulgarian).
I thoroughly miss the inspiring conversations and playing music with Hans. 
My sincerest condolences to Sandra and Adam.

We met Hans and Sandra through our sons, Jerry jr. (aka Ben) and Adam, when they were in 2nd grade at Rygaards School. Later our familes - the two boys plus daughter Ali (not to mention three dogs and a bird) - became good friends. We greatly enjoyed each other's company, and also helped each other, in emergencies, or  as the occasion arose.

We celebrated all the important holidays together, both Danish and American: Fastelavn, Easter (where we  hid Easter eggs for the kids), Halloween (where my husband, Jerry, dressed as a skeleton, leapt out and accosted the kids, and Hans rose out of a "coffin" in the kitchen making scary noises), Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years. Once we all took a two week holiday in the Austrian mountains .

Hans was fun to be with, charming and passionate, though things could get tense if we disagreed, or if  he felt one of us had made a mundane remark! Hans was bright, erudite, opinionated, charismatic, with a sharp tongue and a commanding presence. Once we argued for hours about whether electricity or the Internet had influenced peoples' lives more. Hans argued the former, we the latter. None of us would give.

Never have I known someone so witty in both English and Danish, switching effortlessly between the two languges, to find the exact turn of phrase he wanted. Jerry and I learned colorful Danish phrases like "Det er feset ind på lystavlen" (roughly translatable as "OK already, I get it") and "Skal jeg bøje det ud i neonlyset" ("Must I spell it out in CAPITAL LETTERS (you idiot)"

Hans was a true Renaissance man, and spoke four languages fluently. His personality spanned and integrated Denmark, Austria and the U.S. He was kind, engaging, unpredictable and extremely generous.

In the U.S. we continued to meet, fx in their kitchen (picture). But we were growing older. Serious illness struck. Sandra and Adam were indefatiguable in supporting Hans in every way.

Hans was a wonderful friend and we loved him and miss him.

Lee Davis

My favorite boss a dear friend. Great sense of humor. We worked and laughed a lot. Missed it ever since he left Dansk Metal. Hans will forever stay in my heart. Lots of love to the family from his favorite secretary😉

Hans and I had a lot in common from our backgrounds. I was born in California, raised in the Far East, went to university in the U.S. and moved to Denmark. Hans was raised in Denmark, but later moved to Belgium and the U.S. I witnessed the ravages of war in Singapore and Japan. Hans' father experienced the terrifying rise of fascism in his country and was forced to flee to Denmark in the 1930s in the wake of the Dollfuss affair. I had to adjust to the strange ways of the Danes, Hans in the U.S. had to adjust to the strange ways of the Americans. So we understood each other on some fundamental level - though not entirely. 

Only Sandra really understood him! They had a  close, rich and loving marriage.

Hans and I had long discussions about history, particularly Danish history, and Danish and European politics. Hans was a realist, a cynic, a pessimist, hugely knowledgeable, and powerful at convincing others of his point of view. We often engaged in heated debates... after which we might get a bit huffy. Sandra and Lee typically intervened as ameliorators. But I loved his disgruntled view of the world,

I always learned something new from our discussions. Hans was often surprising  in what he said, a lateral thinker, catching me off guard. And then, with a withering look but a glint in his eye, he made his point! Only occasionally did I get the better of him...

When it came to the crunch, Hans was also deeply generous and kind to his family and friends. 

He played the saxophone with great skill. He passionately tinkered with electronics and rigged up a first-rate hi-fi sound system at home.

After Hans and Sandra moved away, we continued to meet. The last excursion the four of us made was to Fort Washington, about two years ago (picture). By this time Hans had done his research on American history, and we regaled each other with tales of American and British derring do in the War of 1812.

I miss him terribly.

Jerry Davis



It’s a long time ago now but I still remember hanging out at the house in Gentofte. We were kids, playing with the dogs, maybe a movie (VCR!) or playing around we always found something to do. There were gold fish in the pond. Sometimes we had cheesecake.
And the adults would disappear into the living room to hear loud music 🎶 jazz or classic, laugh away, the laughs louder than the music, or just listen. Sometimes Hans would play the sax. His passion for music was so strong. 
My love to your family.

Hans, or Klim, as he was known in the family, was my brother for many years.

Hans was a delight, mischievous, uncle who showed my family in the DC area how to have fun with every gathering he attended. He will be greatly missed.

Dear Sandra and family.  I got to know Hans when he was chairman and I was the head of the secretariat of the European movement in the 90s.  We maintained contact for all the years thereafter.  Also when he moved to Virginia.  Every time I was in DC, of ​​course, I visited him, most recently in November 2019. Hans was one of the most knowledgeable and musical people I have ever met.  He therefore taught me a lot about life and I will never forget his advice and deeds.
 Not to mention our many discussions 😊 He made a big difference, especially to me.  Rest in peace, you great European

Hans was always a sweet, funny and understanding grown-up, to a small boy in a 70’s hippie commune.
He will be missed, even though we rarely saw each other !
Here’s a picture from back then !
❤️❤️❤️
From the little boy with glasses


Dear Sandra and family - Receive  our deepest condolences - Our fond memories, of a dear old friend who was a wise, warm and sincere guide in the important years of our life remain with us,  and it was such a pleasure seeing you all in our home in Denmark. 
With lots of love
Nina Crone & Soeren Danielsen

OBITUARIO

Hans Clemens Fluger

30 enero, 1942 – 2 diciembre, 2020

Demaine Funeral Home – Fairfax

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