Norway, Iceland, the Faroe Islands, and Greenland were once part of a Danish empire. While Norway and Iceland established themselves as independent nation-states, the Faroe Islands and Greenland remain self-governing territories within the Kingdom of Denmark, with aspirations of becoming independent states. Today, Danish colonial history is being revisited, challenging the narrative of Denmark as a “benevolent colonial power.” This presentation discusses the relationships between Denmark and its overseas territories today.
Kirsten Thisted is an associate professor in the Department of Cross-Cultural and Regional Studies at the University of Copenhagen, and an adjunct professor in the Department of Culture, Language, and History at Ilisimatusarfik, University of Greenland. She is an expert on Greenlandic oral traditions and modern literature and has published extensively on postcolonial relations in the Scandinavian North Atlantic.
Part of our fall 2024 lecture series, "Legacies of Colonialism."
Sponsored by the Kennedy Center for International Studies and the Scandinavian Studies program.