Daily Life in Denmark in the 19th Century

Authors

Sofie Krogh Nielsen

Keywords

Danish lifestyle, urbanization, employment, politics, Danish society

Abstract

The 19th century entailed a lot of change in Denmark. For instance, industrialization broke through and changed the landscape, society, and conditions of life; the 1849 Constitution abolished absolute monarchy so that the political scene was changed. The 19th century was also the century where nationalism started to blossom and the idea of one nation with one people and one language developed. Moreover, Denmark was reduced from a great power to a small state with the loss of Norway in 1814 and the duchies of Slesvig, Holstein, and Lauenburg in 1864. Finally, it was also a century of emigration, especially to the U.S. All these changes affected daily life in Denmark in the 19th century. The aim of this article is to give an idea of the kind of life Danish immigrants left when they came to the U.S., by exploring themes such as urbanization, employment and basis for living, social services, food, political rights, women's rights, and the lives of children in 19th century Danish society.

Recommended Citation

Nielsen, Sofie Krogh (2014) "Daily Life in Denmark in the 19th Century," The Bridge: Vol. 37: No. 1, Article 7.
Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/thebridge/vol37/iss1/7