diff --git a/dmp-frontend/src/app/app.component.ts b/dmp-frontend/src/app/app.component.ts
index e514f7614..8eb8b023f 100644
--- a/dmp-frontend/src/app/app.component.ts
+++ b/dmp-frontend/src/app/app.component.ts
@@ -224,9 +224,9 @@ export class AppComponent implements OnInit, AfterViewInit {
 	// }
 
 	initializeServices() {
-		this.translate.setDefaultLang('en');
+		this.translate.setDefaultLang(this.configurationService.defaultLanguage || 'en');
 		this.authentication.current() && this.authentication.current().culture ? this.cultureService.cultureSelected(this.authentication.current().culture) : this.cultureService.cultureSelected(this.configurationService.defaultCulture);
-		this.authentication.current() && this.authentication.current().language ? this.language.changeLanguage(this.authentication.current().language) : this.language.changeLanguage('en');
+		this.authentication.current() && this.authentication.current().language ? this.language.changeLanguage(this.authentication.current().language) : (this.configurationService.defaultLanguage || 'en');
 	}
 
 	toggleNavbar(event) {
diff --git a/dmp-frontend/src/app/core/services/configuration/configuration.service.ts b/dmp-frontend/src/app/core/services/configuration/configuration.service.ts
index 6602ccfa1..9b92ad064 100644
--- a/dmp-frontend/src/app/core/services/configuration/configuration.service.ts
+++ b/dmp-frontend/src/app/core/services/configuration/configuration.service.ts
@@ -36,6 +36,11 @@ export class ConfigurationService extends BaseComponent {
 		return this._defaultCulture;
 	}
 
+	private _defaultLanguage: string;
+	get defaultLanguage(): string {
+		return this._defaultLanguage;
+	}
+
 	private _loginProviders: LoginProviders;
 	get loginProviders(): LoginProviders {
 		return this._loginProviders;
@@ -126,6 +131,7 @@ export class ConfigurationService extends BaseComponent {
 		this._app = config.App;
 		this._helpService = HelpService.parseValue(config.HelpService);
 		this._defaultCulture = config.defaultCulture;
+		this._defaultLanguage = config.defaultLanguage;
 		this._loginProviders = LoginProviders.parseValue(config.loginProviders);
 		this._logging = Logging.parseValue(config.logging);
 		this._lockInterval = config.lockInterval;
diff --git a/dmp-frontend/src/app/core/services/language/language.service.ts b/dmp-frontend/src/app/core/services/language/language.service.ts
index ad69aeebc..b37a36b20 100644
--- a/dmp-frontend/src/app/core/services/language/language.service.ts
+++ b/dmp-frontend/src/app/core/services/language/language.service.ts
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ const availableLanguages: any[] = require('../../../../assets/resources/language
 
 @Injectable()
 export class LanguageService {
-	private currentLanguage: string = 'en';
+	private currentLanguage: string;
 	private languageUrl : string;
 
 	constructor(
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ export class LanguageService {
 		private configurationService: ConfigurationService
 	) {
 		this.languageUrl = `${configurationService.server}language`;
+		this.currentLanguage = this.configurationService.defaultLanguage || 'en';
 	}
 
 	public changeLanguage(lang: string) {
diff --git a/dmp-frontend/src/app/ui/navbar/navbar.component.ts b/dmp-frontend/src/app/ui/navbar/navbar.component.ts
index aeccb0abb..8b1185d4e 100644
--- a/dmp-frontend/src/app/ui/navbar/navbar.component.ts
+++ b/dmp-frontend/src/app/ui/navbar/navbar.component.ts
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ import { Principal } from '@app/core/model/auth/principal';
 import { MatomoService } from '@app/core/services/matomo/matomo-service';
 import { HttpClient } from '@angular/common/http';
 import { SideNavService } from '@app/core/services/sidenav/side-nav.sevice';
+import { ConfigurationService } from '@app/core/services/configuration/configuration.service';
 
 const availableLanguages: any[] = require('../../../assets/resources/language.json');
 
@@ -38,7 +39,7 @@ export class NavbarComponent extends BaseComponent implements OnInit {
 	languages = availableLanguages;
 	language = this.languages[0];
 	currentRoute: string;
-	selectedLanguage = 'en';
+	selectedLanguage: string;
 	private user: UserListingModel;
 	@Output() sidebarToggled: EventEmitter<any> = new EventEmitter();
 	@ViewChild(MatMenuTrigger) trigger: MatMenuTrigger;
@@ -53,11 +54,13 @@ export class NavbarComponent extends BaseComponent implements OnInit {
 		public userService: UserService,
 		private httpClient: HttpClient,
 		private matomoService: MatomoService,
-		private sidenavService: SideNavService
+		private sidenavService: SideNavService,
+		private configurationService: ConfigurationService
 	) {
 		super();
 		this.location = location;
 		this.sidebarVisible = false;
+		this.selectedLanguage = this.configurationService.defaultLanguage || 'en';
 	}
 
 	ngOnInit() {
diff --git a/dmp-frontend/src/assets/config/config.json b/dmp-frontend/src/assets/config/config.json
index e37401e1e..7b0bbad3d 100644
--- a/dmp-frontend/src/assets/config/config.json
+++ b/dmp-frontend/src/assets/config/config.json
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 		"Url": "localhost:5000/"
 	},
 	"defaultCulture": "en-US",
+	"defaultLanguage": "en",
 	"loginProviders": {
 		"enabled": [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8],
 		"facebookConfiguration": { "clientId": "" },