Roads not taken: The Ends of History and the Politics of Inevitability in Norway and Denmark

Abstract

In this keynote address, I examine the conflict between history as an ideal and history as a reality by discussing how the grand national master narratives in Norway and Denmark were created and how they have shaped our perception of the past. The main emphasis will be on Norwegian history, but Denmark will provide a comparative perspective to see similarities, differences and connections and to avoid methodological nationalism. I argue that politics and ideology have played a crucial role in both Norwegian and Danish historiography, and that this has influenced the understanding both of history and politics in these two countries. My interpretation will be anti-deterministic, and the futures past will be taken seriously.