Course Syllabus

Royalty in the Land of Equality

Semester & Location:	Fall 2024 - DIS Copenhagen
Type & Credits:	Elective Course - 3 credits
Major Disciplines:	History, Sociology
Prerequisite(s):	None
Faculty Members:	Steffen Løvkjær (current students please use the Canvas Inbox)
Time & Place:	Tuesdays & Fridays 08:30-09:50 in V10-A33

Instructor

Steffen Løvkjær. Cand.mag. History and History of Art (University of Copenhagen and Sorbonne, Paris, France). Attached to The Danish Royal Collection at Rosenborg and Chr. VIII’s Palace at Amalienborg as Assistant Curator since 1998. With DIS since 2011.

Office Hours: Tuesday and Friday before class or by appointment.

Course Content

In this class we will discuss how the royal family of Denmark has had a large impact on the history, architecture, urban planning and art world of the country. A comparative study of other European royal families will be included as well as a look into American “royal” families, such as the Kennedys and Obamas.

How do Americans and other nations perceive the Danish royal family? Why is it that people seem to need these figures in society? How come that a slightly anachronistic institution seems to work frictionless in an unchallenged balance with a nation of today? What is the role of the media and how do the royal family act with the press? Is there a future to a monarchy as an institution in the years to come?

Several visits to royal castles, collections and monuments in and outside Copenhagen will be included, as well as visits to various museums.

Learning Objectives

The course will provide students with an in-depth understanding and knowledge of the conception of a monarchy with the Danish one in focus. The students will understand how the monarchical tradition is the spine in quite a few of the nations in the Old World and thus how that way of rule is the key to the understanding of Europe and its differences.

At the end of the course, students will be able to:

• Identify and distinguish the nature of the Danish monarchy by themes, styles and influences
• Demonstrate an understanding of Danish society due to its history as a kingdom
• Understand the meaning of the Old World
• Recognize the importance of iconography and architecture as symbolic instruments of power
• Discuss to what extent the monarchy is synonymous with the identity of the nation

Course Context

The Danish monarchy is the oldest in the world and the royal family enjoys and is surrounded by a profound respect and devotion from its subjects, the Danish population.

The course will start with an introduction to the idea of a monarchy and how Denmark as a nation was founded around 1200 years ago with a King in front as the symbol of military power and political leadership and later on sociological supremacy.

We will discuss the development of the monarchy and see how that way of rule gradually becomes synonymous with the identity of the country. Royal architecture and art industry will be studied and discussed and parallels will be made with other European royal dynasties. References and a discussion of American “royalty” such as political dynasties as the Kennedys will form part of putting into perspective the apparent need of a population of a father family.

And we will discover how this, in a way, anachronistic institution is still pertinent in the 21st century.

Several scholastic approaches to the topic will be observed: historical, socio-cultural and art historical among others. We work cross culturally so you are sure to find angles that stimulate and inspire you disregarding your academic background

Evaluation

For an explanation of the assignments, expectations and grading, see below.

Assignment	Percent
Engagement	20%
Test	15%
Picture Analysis	20%
Interview Assignment	15%
Synopsis	5%
Final Written Assignment	25%

Engagement

Attendance, active participation in class discussions, field studies, being prepared for class by doing the reading and preparing questions and observations, and individual student presentations (not mandatory).

Test

Timeline test. Please see Assignments for further prior to Class 8. The test will give the student an opportunity to demonstrate acquired knowledge and to reflect on readings and class discussions.

Picture Analysis

4-6 p. picture analysis to be submitted on Canvas in Class 12. All students are presented with same picture for writing an analysis based on the students knowledge and observations of the sitter and the elements and symbols on the painting.

Interview Assignment

Each student interviews two Danes on their views on the Danish monarchy. Students are given 2 questions and formulate 2 on their own and ask these 4 questions based on class discussion and present their work, Class 17. 0,5 p. per answer. The work is handed in in class after discussion.

Synopsis

1 p. synopsis on final paper topic, Class 22.

Final Written Assignment

8-10 p. final paper on The Future of the Monarchy, with focus on the Danish.

There will be writing assignments where you will be assessed by your analysis, overall view, conclusions and support of your ideas and thesis. If you are unclear as to what I require – or what is rewarded – please ask.

A fine paper does not exclusively depend on the demonstration of raw knowledge, but also knowing how to present that knowledge. Form is important and in order to write a successful paper the following requirements should be considered:

• The writing is clear and well structured. Spelling of (foreign) names, concepts etc. There is adequate referencing of materials used through foot notes. The use of foot notes lives up to the requirement of the MLA Handbook (DIS Library) or are at least internally consistent.
• You are allowed to refer to Wikipedia for factual information (dates, names, basic timeline etc), however, Wikipedia will have to be used critically and the bulk of your information must come from "real" literature and/or sources.
• Your assignment needs a title indicating what the paper is about.
• There is a clear statement of purpose; what exactly it is that you want to research. Often, this will be formulated as an implicit "why" or "how", or in terms of "reasons for" or "consequences of". Examples (from other fields) could be "The impact of baroque planning on the design of Washington, D. C." or "Consequences of the terrorist attacks on the tourism in New York following September 11."
• There is a logical link between the topic and your thesis statement and what you analyze and the conclusion you draw. The topics/facts/features must be relevant to the topic and the thesis statement and balance between description and analysis must be obtained.

These requirements are normal for academic writing so I am not imposing extra burdens on you.

If you are in need of structural help with an essay please contact the DIS Library. For more info see:

https://disabroad.org/copenhagen/student-resource/academic-resources/library-resources/

Students must complete all course work in order to receive a passing grade.

Field Studies

The classroom will occasionally grow and Copenhagen with its streets and monuments will embrace us. Half-day trips to palaces and churches. Field studies are mandatory.

Expectations

Students are expected to have read the materials for each class and actively participate in discussions. Students should come prepared to class with questions and points for discussion. Please see above and further below for engagement.

Approach to Teaching

I am enthusiastic about royal history, its origin and nature and I bring this enthusiasm to my teaching.  Power point, DVD and YouTube will be used as well as Copenhagen, monuments, parks and palaces to constitute aids to the teaching. I will start out with some background lectures.

Since I take a cultural/historical approach to royalty, there will be some lectures with exposure of ideas to identify the history and iconography of a monarchy and its royal family. But for the most part, the class will be based on analysis of texts, visits, videos, student presentations and discussion.

In order to obtain a relaxed and pleasant atmosphere for everyone, engagement is indeed expected. Teaching, discussions and field studies will be academic, but in an unstuffy un-academic atmosphere. As I find the topic of the course interesting the teaching is to be too. I expect you to help me in that matter and my ambition is to create a classroom culture where it is safe to ask.

A Word About Grades

I realize that grades are important to you, but try not to let your anxiety about grades prevent you from taking intellectual risks and stay numb without asking about the reading and what we discuss. I do not grade to reward you, but neither to punish you and my grade is to give you my honest assessment of your academic performance. Please be aware that unlike the U.S. the academic system in Denmark grades from down and up.

Practical Matters/Classroom Policies

Students are expected to be on time to class, being in the classroom or for a field study. If students miss multiple classes, it will affect their engagement grade. Allowances, of course, will be made in case of illness but missing too many classes without cause may result in the student being referred to Director of Teaching & Learning and/or Director of Student Affairs.

Laptops and cell phones may be used for note-taking. Please wait until the break or time before and after class, to check email, Facebook, Twitter etc. and check and send text messages. If surfing the internet or text messaging becomes a problem, laptops and cell phones will be banned from class.

Readings

All course readings can be found in the course compendium and on Canvas. Please note that daily assignments refer to the paging in the article/s and not to the syllabus paging.

Excerpt of the reading list:

Kristiansen, Peter: Christian IV, King of Denmark and Norway
Skira Editore 2012

Krog, Ole Willumsen: A King's Feast
Copenhagen: The Royal Exhibition Fund, 1991

Horbury, David: An End and a Beginning: The Greek Monarchy 1960 - 1964
Rosvall Royal Books, No. 1, 2007

Lerche, Anna; Mandal, Marcus: A Royal Family
Egmont Lademann A/S, 2003

Prince Michael of Greece: Introduction
Peerage Books, 1983

Skovgaard, Joakim A.: A KIng's Architecture
Hazell Watson & Viney, 1973

Snodin, Michael; Llewellyn, Nigel; Norman, Joanna: Baroque 1620 - 1800: Style in the Age of Magnificence
V & A Publishing, 2009

Troy, Gil: JFK: Celebrity-in-Chief or Commander-in-Chief?
Johns Hopkins University Press, 1998

Academic Regulations  

Please make sure to read the Academic Regulations on the DIS website. There you will find regulations on: 

• Course Enrollment and Grading  
• Academic Expectations and Honor Code 

 

DIS - Study Abroad in Scandinavia - www.DISabroad.org