ABSTRACT
Denmark’s classical heritage has historically competed with Nordic or even entirely national notions of identity, often in complex ways. This chapter demonstrates that how the imagined geography has been embedded and even naturalised in distinctive ways within the educational and heritage sectors. The Theophilius Hansen brothers illustrate well how the international networks of the elite were essential in the diffusion of classicism as a strong symbolic language of an imagined geography across Europe. The accompanying text spells out the long-term significance of the site for European identity. Models from classical antiquity–not least the ideology of Roman imperialism–became powerful instruments in the administration of European colonies around the world, legitimising practices such as slavery and racism. The broader European conception of civilisation as building on classical heritage was completely embedded in Danish education and culture by the turn of the eighteenth century. The chapter also presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book.
