Our history

The 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. Folmer Wisti, a Danish philologist, was the head of the formation and he named the insititute “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.

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.

The branch in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania opened in Riga on August 18 1990 by the Danish minister of Education, Bertel Haarder, just a year before all three Baltic countries regained their independence after more than 20 years under Soviet domination. It became the first international cultural institute located in the Soviet Union outside of Moscow. The underlying ambition was to show that Denmark supported the Baltic fight for independence and this was much more attainable as a self-governing institution than as a state institution. In the beginning we worked to create fruitful cooperation between Denmark and the Baltics by supporting popular interests such as citizenship and education. In this way, Denmark provided societal support to the Baltic states without expressing political opinions. Generally, the focus has always been to emphasise shared cultural values between Denmark and the Baltic countries, for example focusing on how to succeed as a small country, like Denmark and the Baltics all are,  in an increasingly globalised world.

Today the organization has Institutes in five different countries, including Brazil, China, Latvia, India, and Türkiye. The Head Office is in Copenhagen.