The research centre focuses on the 19th century and seeks to strengthen the cross-disciplinary study of this century by exploring themes such as democratisation, identity, freedom, peoples, monarchy, the nation-state, social mobilisation, technology, globalisation, uses of history, political ideologies etc.

The researchers affiliated with the centre can improve our understanding of contemporary social and cultural conflict zones by offering new insights into the art, literature, culture, religion and politics of the past.

The research centre was established in 2016. The centre facilitates two networks: The Danish Nineteenth-Century Research Network and the Nordic Nineteenth-Century Research Network. The centre also collaborates with international centres for nineteenth-century studies.

The research centre is also home to a research programme under the School of Communication and Culture at Aarhus University.

The Centre for Nineteenth-Century Studies, the two research networks and the research programme focus on research into and communication about the 19th century, as well as making the 19th century relevant for the 21st century.

We regard the 1800s as an important century – the foundation for the creation of cultural, political and social identities today. And our overall objective is to strengthen the cross-disciplinary study of the epoch from a contemporary perspective. The affiliated researchers consider the 19th century from different perspectives using different methods, and their cross-disciplinary exchanges seek to come up with new ground-breaking perspectives on the 19th century.

Cross-disciplinary exchanges in the form of meetings, seminars and conferences aim to generate new collaborations in Denmark and abroad, resulting in publications, public debates and museum exhibitions.