Researchers examine the consequences of the Ukraine war for the Nordic Region
The war in Ukraine has challenged the idea of Denmark and the Nordic countries as a peaceful corner of the world where war is confined to history books. The conflict has come close to home and has already reshaped security policies. But what can we learn from history as we navigate a new world order, and what impact does it have on our sense of identity? These are the key questions in this year’s research project at the Nordic Humanities Centre.
What specific changes in Danish society indicate the return of geopolitics?
‘I think our perception of living in peaceful times has changed significantly. There’s a growing tension in our society, a military buildup, and with Sweden and Finland joining NATO, new alliance patterns have emerged,’ says Ramus Mariager. He also highlights Europe’s shift away from dependence on Russian fossil fuels as a concrete example of the changes triggered by the war in Ukraine.
”There’s a growing tension in our society, a military buildup, and with Sweden and Finland joining NATO, new alliance patterns have emerged.
We must not be naive
In 2024, Rasmus Mariager was nominated for Jyllands-Posten’s Non-Fiction Award for his book Sjælekampen (‘The Battle for Souls’), which explores how the Cold War left its mark on the daily lives of Danes. Security concerns in a turbulent time were also addressed in Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen’s New Year’s speech. She warned that Russia is not the only threat, pointing to North Korea and China’s support for Putin:
‘We must not be naive. Even if Putin signs a peace agreement with Ukraine, we shouldn’t assume that he’ll be satisfied and stop there. Because Putin doesn’t want peace – he wants a Europe on Russian terms.’
The uglier sides of history
Rasmus Glenthøj, an expert in 19th-century wars, security policy and nationalism, sees parallels between today’s geopolitical landscape and the multipolar world of the 1800s, when great powers treated smaller states as they saw fit. Denmark, for example, found itself caught between powerful nations in the defeat of 1864.
‘It makes sense now to look at the uglier sides of history, take them seriously and learn from them. Back then, a Scandinavian union between Denmark, Norway and Sweden was seen as a way to achieve enough strength to survive in a dangerous world. What went wrong? Why did it fail? These are questions worth considering today.’
The research team working on this year’s theme consists of scholars from a wide range of humanities disciplines. Their expertise spans Eastern European and American history, the history of photography, Danish artists behind the Iron Curtain, Soviet foreign policy, and design and architecture. This breadth provides opportunities to explore this year’s theme from many angles.
”It makes sense now to look at the uglier sides of history, take them seriously and learn from them.
A broad academic scope
‘We’ll learn a lot from each other. At the same time, we’ll invite people from outside the centre to share their experiences and perspectives. We’ll also publish joint articles and organise debates around major current events, with Denmark’s upcoming EU presidency in the autumn being an obvious occasion,’ says Rasmus Glenthøj.
About the project
This year's team at the Nordic Humanities Center:
There are a total of eight fellows affiliated with the center, coming from both the University of Southern Denmark and the University of Copenhagen.
- Rasmus Mariager, Professor of History at KU (co-PI)
- Rasmus Glenthøj, Associate Professor of History at SDU (co-PI)
- Malene Breunig, Associate Professor of Danish at SDU
- Niels Bjerre-Poulsen, Associate Professor of American Studies at SDU
- Mette Sandbye, Professor of Photography Studies at KU
- Tea Sindbæk Andersen, Associate Professor of East European Studies at KU
- Kristian Handberg, Postdoc, Art History at KU
- Jon Reinhardt-Larsen, Postdoc, Historian at SDU
‘As researchers, our role isn’t to take political positions or recommend directions for society. However, we want our research to be relevant. Our group includes people with extensive knowledge and networks in arts and culture, and I look forward to seeing where this broad academic scope will take us,’ says Rasmus Mariager.
All upcoming Nordic Humanities Centre events will be announced on the centre’s website and LinkedIn channel.