Darwinism in context
The reception, interpretation and communication of the theory of evolution in the first 50 years following the publication of Darwin’s Origin of Species were far from uniform seen in a global perspective. Darwinism was fit to shape specific local, regional and national contexts and was used to support a host of different scientific, political, cultural and social agendas.

At IES we have looked at the various Danish contexts where Darwinism was presented, discussed, negotiated and put to use initiating a wide range of research projects have been including academic fields such as history of science, intellectual history, cultural history, church history and literary studies.

Current projects
“Darwin and Danish Literature” (in progress)
“Forging an evolutionary icon: Danes and the Darwin Memorial” (in progress)
“Not just breast-feeding animals: Grundtvigian Protestant responses to Darwinism in Denmark, 1859-1914” (in progress)
“Danes Commemorating Darwin: Tribute and Ambivalence at the 1909 Anniversary” (in progress)
“Eugen Warming, Wilhelm Johannsen and Darwinism” (in progress).

PhD project
“Responses to evolution in Denmark 1860-1930".

Publications in English:
Casper Andersen & Hans Henrik Hjermitslev (2009), "Directing Public Interest: Danish Newspaper Science 1900-1903”, Centaurus 51(2):143-167.

Peter C. Kjærgaard, Niels Henrik Gregersen & Hans Henrik Hjermitslev (2008), " Darwinizing the Danes, 1859-1909 " in Eve-Marie Engels & Thomas F. Glick (eds.), The Reception of Charles Darwin in Europe , vol. 1, Continuum, London, 146-155.

Peter C. Kjærgaard (2008), "A small country in an international world of science" and "Popular science and public culture" in Helge Kragh, Peter C. Kjærgaard, Henry Nielsen & Kristian Hvidtfelt Nielsen, Science in Denmark: A Thousand-Year History , Aarhus University Press, Aarhus, 281-309 & 357-383.

Peter C. Kjærgaard & Niels Henrik Gregersen (2006), "Darwinism comes to Denmark: The early Danish reception of Charles Darwin's Origin of Species", Ideas in History 1:151-175.

Publications in Danish:
Stine Grumsen 2009, “Den stærkeste overleverer: Et studie af en litteraturhistorisk myte om darwinismen i Danmark”, Slagmark 54, pp. 119-130.