Annette Østergaard Schultz
Annette Østergaard Schultz
The modernisation of Greenland, with particular emphasis on East Greenland, Denmark and Southern Jutland during the First World War, and the history of foster families from 1700 to 1900 are the central themes of senior researcher Annette Østergaard Schultz’s research.
Areas of expertise
Foster children and placements
Expertise in the circumstances of foster children, out-of-home placements and family life from the eighteenth to the nineteenth century, with perspectives on child welfare, care and the role of public authorities.
Crisis management
Expertise in the management of situations in both Denmark and Southern Jutland (Germany) during the First World War, including the consequences for the population and for social development.
The modernisation of Greenland
Perspectives on the modernisation of Greenland after 1950 and the changes it brought about for the population, particularly in East Greenland.
Contact information
Annette Østergaard Schultz
Archivist, Senior Researcher
Annette Østergaard Schultz responds to enquiries from researchers and journalists concerning her fields of research, research collaboration and media participation.
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Social conditions and agency
Southern Jutlanders and Danes under crisis management, 1914–1920
Annette Østergaard Schultz’s research has examined the social consequences of the First World War for the population of neutral Denmark and for Nordslesvig (Southern Jutland), the northernmost part of Germany at the time. A central focus of this research was the major labour disputes that unfolded in Denmark in the aftermath of the war.
Conditions and mortality among foster children in the nineteenth century
Drawing on comparative analyses based, among other sources, on censuses and parish registers, Annette Østergaard Schultz has provided a more nuanced understanding of mortality among foster children in relation both to children in general and to children of unmarried mothers. She has also examined children’s circumstances, roles and agency within foster families.
Tensions in East Greenland
Annette Østergaard Schultz’s research focuses on the distinctive circumstances of East Greenland in the 1950s, when the overarching plans of the Danish central administration and the Greenland Provincial Council came up against initiatives pursued by local East Greenlandic councils, particularly efforts to develop hunting-based livelihoods.
Current research
The project examines the period of decolonisation after 1945, focusing on Ittoqqortoormiit and the far-reaching social, economic and political changes that accompanied the modernisation of Greenland. In East Greenland in particular, this development took the form of a dual process of adaptation, in which the local community was expected to adapt both to West Greenlandic society and to Danish society.
Ittoqqortoormiit was established in 1925 as part of Denmark’s assertion of sovereignty in the area, when 70 people from Ammassalik were relocated approximately 800 kilometres northwards. The project examines how this distinctive history and the subsequent modernisation measures shaped the development of the local community and its scope for action.
A central theme is the relationship between local decision-making bodies and the frameworks established by central authorities. The study examines how the district council and, later, the municipal council operated, and the influence they exercised over the development of the local community.
Sources, methodology and local agency
The analysis is based primarily on registered case files from the Ministry for Greenland, including material from the Greenland Council and municipal authorities. By comparing decisions made at central level with local minutes, the study examines the interaction between state governance and local initiatives.
The project is informed by research on colonial relations and modernisation that foregrounds local actors, experiences and scope for action, rather than viewing the population solely as the object of political intervention. It also draws on theories of modernisation projects and the significance of local, practice-based knowledge.
East Greenlandic history and identity
The project seeks to contribute to a broader understanding of Greenland’s history by focusing on East Greenland, which has often been overshadowed by West Greenlandic experiences. The study explores local perspectives on integration, self-determination and societal development, providing insight into the conditions that shaped the population during a period of far-reaching change.
The aim is to complete a book manuscript in 2027, followed by publication in Danish and, potentially, Greenlandic.
Publications and activities
An overview of Annette Østergaard Schultz’s publications, academic activities, and research projects is available through the Pure Research Information System.
- Østergaard Schultz, A.(2007). I én og samme båd. Lokal og regional kriseforvaltning under 1. verdenskrig. Udgiverselskabet ved Landsarkivet for Nørrejylland.
- Schultz, Annette Østergaard (2002). ”Sociale forsikringer i Sønderjylland – administrativ brakmark eller nationalpolitisk slagmark?”, i Frandsen, Peter, m.fl. (red.), Harmonisering eller særordning. Sønderjylland som administrativ forsøgsmark efter Genforeningen 1920, Bd. 1 (s. 383-528). Historisk Samfund for Sønderjylland.
- Schultz, Annette Østergaard (1995). Arbejdsspærringen – fra de københavnske havnearbejderes dannelseshistorie. I Arbejderhistorie 1995 nr. 4. https://sfah.dk/assets/uploads/tidsskrift/Aargang-1995-1999/1995-4/annette-oestergaard-schultz_4_1995.pdf
- Schultz, Annette Østergaard (2017). Wartime and post-war societies (Denmark) i International Encyclopedia of the First World War. https://encyclopedia.1914-1918-online.net/article/wartime-and-post-war-societies-denmark/
- Schultz, Annette Østergaard (2015). Englemagersker – myte eller realitet? Om plejebørns dødelighed 1840-1900 i Mariager. I Arbejderhistorie 2015, I. https://doi.org/10.7146/arbejderhistorie.vi2.144483
- Schultz, Annette Østergaard (2017). Harald med trompeten. Gensidig påvirkning mellem generationer i 40 plejefamilier omkring 1900. I TEMP – tidsskrift for historie, Årg. 8, nr. 15. https://tidsskrift.dk/temp/article/view/103006/152058
- Schultz, Annette Østergaard (2021). Oplyst sundhedspolitik? Overdødelighed hos plejebørn fra Opfostringsstiftelsen 1770-1800. I Historisk Tidsskrift, Bind 121, hæfte 2. https://doi.org/10.7146/ht.v121i2.131048
- Schultz, Annette Østergaard (2023). Østgrønlandsk dissonans under moderniseringens første årti? Forholdet mellem udviklingen af erhverv og velfærdsydelser i Tunu i 1950’erne – og drivkræfterne bag. I TEMP – tidsskrift for historie. Årgang 14, nr. 27. https://tidsskrift.dk/temp/article/view/142323/185975
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