Over a few generations starting in the mid-1800s, millions of Scandinavians left their homes to seek new lives across the Atlantic. Why did they do it? Where did they go? And what did the people who stayed behind think about it all?
136 Steam, Steel and Bacon
2026-06-19 | 34 min.
Scandinavia had always been a poor, agrarian region on the margins of European civilization. But within a few decades in the late 1800s, things happened fast. Industrialization hit Denmark, Norway and Sweden like a tidal wave, changing the Scandinavian economy and society forever.
135 The Great Plot Twist
2026-06-05 | 32 min.
For as long as anyone could remember, Scandinavian peasants had lived and farmed together in tightly knit village communities. But in the 1800s, sweeping land reforms not only revolutionized agriculture, but reshaped Scandinavian society completely.
134 The Father-in-Law of Europe
2026-05-22 | 31 min.
Christian IX was born far from the Danish throne, but was eventually placed on it. The timing of his elevation was unfortunate, and his struggles didn’t end just because the war of 1864 did. He spent most of his long reign fighting against Danish politicians–and the times.
133 Ill-Fated Rematch
2026-05-08 | 35 min.
The war between Denmark and the duchies hadn’t solved the question of who should govern Slesvig. Tension between Danes and Germans kept growing, and too many people on both sides started to think that only another war could settle the issue.
A chronological journey through the history of Scandinavia from the last ice age to the dawn of the space age. Geographically, we cover the five modern Nordic countries of Denmark, Norway, Iceland, Sweden and Finland—as well as a few other bits and pieces here and there where it‘s relevant.
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