Professor of History · University of Copenhagen
Karen
Vallgårda
A historian of emotions, families and childhood in modern Denmark, Europe and South Asia.
- History of emotions
- Political family history
- History of childhood
About
I am a professor of history specializing in the history of emotions, political family history, and the history of childhood in nineteenth- and twentieth-century Denmark, Europe and South Asia. My research explores the emotional cultures of family life, examining how power operates within intimate relationships and how these relationships both shape and reflect broader social transformations.
With India and Scandinavia as my primary geographical focuses, I develop comparative and global perspectives through extensive international collaboration, revealing connections and contrasts that challenge nationally bounded histories. Methodological innovation and conceptual development have been central to my research throughout my career.
I engage actively beyond the academy, advising public bodies on women’s history, contributing to exhibitions and events, working with the media, and participating in public debate.
Forthcoming · Oxford University Press
Divorce in Denmark
Emotional Echoes of Relational Rupture since the Nineteenth Century
A history of divorce in Denmark that follows the emotional echoes of relational rupture from the nineteenth century to the present.
Forthcoming March 2027
All publications
