Going beyond methodological presentism: examples from a Copenhagen neighbourhood 1885–2010

Abstract

Denmark is an example of a country where the idea of historical ethnic homogeneity stands strong. This article challenges this historical presentism: the scholarly and societal tendency to understand social phenomena within a limited contemporary framework, neglecting possible effects and similarities embedded in and established through human history. This will be done via an historical and ethnographic study of the Copenhagen neighbourhood of Nørrebro. The article underlines the ethnic heterogeneity of Danish history and further shows how combining historical and ethnographic methods in studying a neighbourhood can grant us important insights into the changing incorporation of immigrant groups and the changing meanings of ‘the immigrant’.

Keywords:

• Methodological presentism
• methodological nationalism
• migration
• Copenhagen
• urbanity

Notes

1. Jenkins, Being Danish, 26–35.

2. Politiken, “Haarder: Danmark er en stamme”.

3. Statistisk Aarbog 1911, 15 The number includes people from the (at the time) colonies Iceland and the Danish West Indies.

4. Statistisk Aarbog for København og Frederiksberg 1919, 9.

5. Indvandrere i Danmark 2013.

6. Based on a calculation of data via the Statistics Denmark webpage www.dst.dk

7. Schmidt, Muslim i Danmark.

8. Schmidt, “Law and Identity”.

9. Berlingske Tidende.

10. Sane, Indvandring efter ca. 1800.

11. Willerslev, Den slesvigske, svenske og russiske indvandring til København 1850–1914; Willerslev, Den glemte indvandring; Sane, “Kriminalitet og fremmedangst”.

12. Margolinsky and Mayer, Ved 150-Aars-dagen for anordningen af 29. marts 1814; Lausten, Kirke og synagoge; Thing, De russiske jøder i København 1882–1943; Thing, “De russiske skræddere i København 1900–1920”.

13. Thunø, “Chinese Migration to Denmark”; Andreassen, Menneskeudstilling.

14. Østergaard, Indvandrere i Danmarks historie; Fenger-Grøn and Grøndahl, Flygtningenes Danmarkshistorie.

15. Schmidt, Nørrebros indvandringshistorie; Parby, “At blive”.

16. see e.g., Beck, Power in the Global Age; Wimmer and Schiller, “Methodological Nationalism and Beyond”.

17. Wimmer and Schiller, “Methodological Nationalism and Beyond,” 302.

18. Connerton, How Modernity Forgets.

19. Jensen, “Making room,” 187.

20. See also http://danmarkshistorien.dk/leksikon-og-kilder/vis/materiale/myte-sagde-dalgas-hvad-udad-tabes-skal-indad-vindes/?no_cache=1.

21. Jensen, 187–8.

22. Ibid.

23. Wren, “Cultural Racism”.

24. Stenius, “The good life is a life of conformity”.

25. Schiller and Cağlar, “Towards a Comparative Theory of Locality in Migration Studies”, Locating Migration.

26. Vertovec, “Super-diversity and its Implications”; Berg and Sigona, “Ethnography, Diversity and Urban Space”; Schmidt, “Space, Politics and Past-present Diversities”.

27. Vertovec, 1025.

28. In 1890, only 33 out of 964 immigrants to the six streets in Nørrebro (see note 3) came from Greenland, Iceland, the West Indies or the Faroe Islands.

29. Politiken, “Svenskere i København – en oversigt”.

30. The six streets are Wesselsgade, Baggesensgade, Birkegade, Blågårdsgade, Møllegade and Nørrebrogade.

31. Borgerskabsprotokoller.

32. Register til Kjøbenhavns Borgerrepræsentanters forhandlinger.

33. Sane, 1998.

34. Schmidt, Nørrebros indvandringshistorie.

35. Schmidt, Nørrebros indvandringshistorie.

36. Hansen, 1977.

37. Willerslev, Den glemte indvandring, 224.

38. Bloch, “Indvandringsboom, kontrol og diskrimination,” 149f.

39. Willerslev, Den glemte indvandring, 239.

40. Thing, De russiske jøder i København, 45ff.

41. Statistisk Aarbog for København og Frederiksberg 1920.

42. Politiken, “Svenskere i København – en oversigt”.

43. Nørrebro Folkeblad, “Skal vores kirker også besudles af tyske flygtninge?” 1945.

44. See erindringer.dk.

45. The Refugee Council, Flygtninge i Danmark 1945–1949; Lylloff, “Kan lægeløftet gradbøjes?”.

46. Schmidt, Nørrebros indvandringshistorie; Bak, “Indtil de vender hjem”.

47. Statistics Denmark, Statistisk Årbog 1965; Statistisk Årbog 1973.

48. Schmidt, Nørrebros indvandringshistorie.

49. Ibid.

50. Schmidt, “Law and Idenity”.

51. Schmidt, Nørrebros indvandringshistorie.

52. Schmidt, “Space, Politics and Past-present Diversities”; Rytter and Holm Pedersen, Islam og muslimer i Danmark .

53. Schmidt, “Space, Politics and Past-present Diversities”.

54. Schmidt, “Let’s Get Together”.

55. Municipality of Copenhagen, Integrationspolitiken 2011–214, 6.

56. Ibid., 6.

57. Municipality of Copenhagen, Integrationspolitiken 2011–214.

58. Municipality of Copenhagen, Integrationspolitiken 2011–214, 6.

59. Ibid.,10.

60. Ibid.,11.