History

Danish Cultural Institute was founded in 1940 at the initiative of a group of 34 outstanding Danish personalities from the world of culture, business, education and science. The Institute emanated as a counter-reaction to the dominating political environment in Europe in the 1930s and is based on the beliefs that collaboration, mutual understanding and cultural dialogue are of outmost importance and can arise from cultural engagement and exchange.

 

In the beginning founder Folmer Wisti named the institute ‘The Danish Society’. The aim was – the same as today – to encourage international understanding through exchange of cultural values, ideas and experiences and also to inform the world about Denmark. The first international branches were established in Poland and the UK in 1947 and in 1989 the name was changed to the Danish Cultural Institute.

 

From the very beginning, the organization has prioritized to be locally present at various international locations.

 

Today the organization has branches in 7 different cities, wherefrom we cover 18 countries, including Belarus, Belgium, Brazil, China, Denmark, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Germany, India, Japan, Holland, Luxembourg, Poland, Russia, South Korea, Turkey and Ukraine. Head Office is in Copenhagen.