Culture for Sale in Solvang, California: A Little Bit of Denmark, Disney, or Something Else?

Authors

Hanne Pico Larsen

Keywords

cultural landscape, immigration culture, architecture

Abstract

Danish educators coming from a Danish settlement in the Midwest founded Solvang in 1911. During the first 20 years or so, Solvang looked like an average Pacific Coast American town - but underneath lurked Danish, Grundtvigian values and philosophy. Little by little, the picture changed. After World War II, many original buildings representing these Danish values, such as a Folk High School and an assembly hall, even if not particularly Danish looking, were demolished in order to provide space for new "Danish-style" buildings in the commercial center of town. A Danish-style architecture was introduced and since then, the town became "hyper-Danish" in form and "typically American" in content.

Recommended Citation

Larsen, Hanne Pico (2006) "Culture for Sale in Solvang, California: A Little Bit of Denmark, Disney, or Something Else?," The Bridge: Vol. 29: No. 2, Article 22.
Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/thebridge/vol29/iss2/22