Nation building

Denmark lost the territory of Norway during the Napoleonic wars in 1814. Prior to that, Norway had been in union with Denmark from as far back as 1380 during which time Norway had retained many cultural and political aspects that were undoubtedly Norwegian, rather than Danish. However, Danish politics, culture and language dominated, arguably making Norway a ‘half-Danish nation’.

Listen to an interview with Director of Nuuk Art Museum Nivi Christensen and learn about two key Greenlandic artists and how they have informed her own work.

Norway had little means of governing itself in 1800 as it was part of the Danish realm and ruled from Denmark. This changed in 1807 when the outbreak of war made communication with Copenhagen difficult and a domestic governing body was appointed. Norway found that it was quite capable of ruling itself and, by 1814, the necessary institutions and expertise were in place for it to cope with independence from Denmark. This did not necessarily make ruling easy, however, because the state finances were in ruins and the country began a union with Sweden.

Listen to an overview of the history of Iceland in either English or Danish! / Lyt til en podcast om Islands historie på engelsk eller dansk!

The economic boom in Iceland in the early 2000s reflected how colonial memory can linger on and become mobilized. During this period, Iceland became internationally visible due to aggressive global investments, embodied for the most part by male businessmen frequently referred to as 'Vikings'. This economic expansion, or 'útrás' as it is called in Icelandic, focused strongly on Denmark, reflecting how Iceland‘s history under Danish rule was particularly salient.

Overshadowed by British and French Imperialism, the small-scale colonialism of some of the Nordic countries can all too easily be downplayed. From the 19th century, the self-image of the Nordic countries as a group of small, neutral nations has probably perpetuated this misconception. However, Denmark-Norway engaged in a variety of colonial activities throughout the world from the 17th century which still have legacies today. On a lesser scale compared to other colonial powers, its colonalism was characterised by different contexts - some of them brutal - in the Caribbean, West Africa, India and Greenland.

Christian IV (1577-1648), who ruled Denmark and its possessions from 1588-1648, is probably the most famous - and infamous - king in the history of Denmark. On the one hand, he is known as the longest reigning monarch, as the patron and creator of some of the country's most significant and spectacular buildings. On the other hand, he is also known as the king who definitively crushed Denmark's dreams of being a great power.

Christian II (1481-1559) ruled Denmark and Norway from 1513 to 1523 as well as Sweden for some of that time, from 1520 to 1521. In Sweden he has been remembered as the instigator of a bloody massacre, whereas in Denmark he has been lauded as a supporter of the poor against the aristocracy.

The Norwegian Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) was in power when the country was transformed into a wealthy society with modern welfare in the decade following the Second World War. However, the other parties supported major parts of the social democratic project as well. Reform-driven policy, planned modernisation and rapid economic growth were key issues for the Labour government and ensured strong, stable and continuous support for the party in the post-war years. In line with developments in the rest of north western Europe, the social democratic project aimed to combine economic planning and governance with political freedom and personal initiative.

The vision of a welfare community that provided the people with social security from ‘cradle to grave’ was largely realised in the period between 1945 and 1970. The development of a Norwegian welfare state was part of broader international commitments to meet the need for social security in a modern society – with roots dating back to the late nineteenth century.