At designe danskhed: Forestillinger om nationen på danske pengesedler
To design Danishness: performances of the nation on Danish banknotes In this article, I analyse four different banknote-design competitions that were hosted by Denmark’s National Bank (Nationalbanken) between 1908 and 2007. The proposals for new banknotes have evoked different narratives about...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | Danish |
| Published: |
Dansk Historisk Fællesråd & Foreningen Danmarks Folkeminder
2013-05-01
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| Series: | Kulturstudier |
| Online Access: | https://tidsskrift.dk/fn/article/view/8143 |
| _version_ | 1818520696331960320 |
|---|---|
| author | Anders Ravn Sørensen |
| author_facet | Anders Ravn Sørensen |
| author_sort | Anders Ravn Sørensen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | To design Danishness: performances of the nation on Danish banknotes
In this article, I analyse four different banknote-design competitions that were hosted by Denmark’s National Bank (Nationalbanken) between 1908 and 2007. The proposals for new banknotes have evoked different narratives about the national community, and I describe how these proposals were characterised by two opposing trends: one style alluded to a romantic national narrative by using ancient relics, barrows and classical landscapes to highlight a common history of origin; the other included more popular and commonplace motifs, such as foodstuff, industry and leisure activities. Historically, Nationalbanken has struggled to balance these different trends while preserving the notes’ legitimacy, and it has endeavoured to make the notes reflect contemporary Danish values. However, as the design processes unfolded over 100 years, the bank’s governors seemed to reconsider such ideas and, despite being given different suggestions, they have always chosen the most conservative iconography. I suggest that decision-makers within the bank have been reluctant to innovate banknote designs and make the notes reflect contemporary values, out of fear that such motives might jeopardise the trustworthiness of Danish paper currency. In maintaining this attitude, Nationalbanken has ultimately reinforced a romanticist narrative about the Danish nation. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-11T01:40:58Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d6d0af8c803a4ebab21145b0f878b7d7 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1904-5352 |
| language | Danish |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-11T01:40:58Z |
| publishDate | 2013-05-01 |
| publisher | Dansk Historisk Fællesråd & Foreningen Danmarks Folkeminder |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Kulturstudier |
| spelling | doaj.art-d6d0af8c803a4ebab21145b0f878b7d72022-12-22T01:25:03ZdanDansk Historisk Fællesråd & Foreningen Danmarks FolkeminderKulturstudier1904-53522013-05-014111814210.7146/ks.v4i1.81437000At designe danskhed: Forestillinger om nationen på danske pengesedlerAnders Ravn SørensenTo design Danishness: performances of the nation on Danish banknotes In this article, I analyse four different banknote-design competitions that were hosted by Denmark’s National Bank (Nationalbanken) between 1908 and 2007. The proposals for new banknotes have evoked different narratives about the national community, and I describe how these proposals were characterised by two opposing trends: one style alluded to a romantic national narrative by using ancient relics, barrows and classical landscapes to highlight a common history of origin; the other included more popular and commonplace motifs, such as foodstuff, industry and leisure activities. Historically, Nationalbanken has struggled to balance these different trends while preserving the notes’ legitimacy, and it has endeavoured to make the notes reflect contemporary Danish values. However, as the design processes unfolded over 100 years, the bank’s governors seemed to reconsider such ideas and, despite being given different suggestions, they have always chosen the most conservative iconography. I suggest that decision-makers within the bank have been reluctant to innovate banknote designs and make the notes reflect contemporary values, out of fear that such motives might jeopardise the trustworthiness of Danish paper currency. In maintaining this attitude, Nationalbanken has ultimately reinforced a romanticist narrative about the Danish nation.https://tidsskrift.dk/fn/article/view/8143 |
| spellingShingle | Anders Ravn Sørensen At designe danskhed: Forestillinger om nationen på danske pengesedler Kulturstudier |
| title | At designe danskhed: Forestillinger om nationen på danske pengesedler |
| title_full | At designe danskhed: Forestillinger om nationen på danske pengesedler |
| title_fullStr | At designe danskhed: Forestillinger om nationen på danske pengesedler |
| title_full_unstemmed | At designe danskhed: Forestillinger om nationen på danske pengesedler |
| title_short | At designe danskhed: Forestillinger om nationen på danske pengesedler |
| title_sort | at designe danskhed forestillinger om nationen pa danske pengesedler |
| url | https://tidsskrift.dk/fn/article/view/8143 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT andersravnsørensen atdesignedanskhedforestillingeromnationenpadanskepengesedler |