Poul Nørlund

Poul Nørlund (born November 4, 1888 in Slagelse ; died May 26, 1951 in Hellebæk ) was a Danish historian , cultural and art historian, and medieval archaeologist . From 1938 to 1951 he was director of the Danish National Museum .

Life

Poul Nørlund was the son of the pharmacist Alfred Christian Nørlund (1850-1925) and his wife Emma Ottine Sophie, née Holm (1862-1926). After graduating from Sorø Akademi , he studied at the University of Copenhagen from 1906 and passed his master's degree in history in 1912 . With the thesis "Det romerske slavesamfund under afvikling, en analyze af underklassens retskår i oldtidens slutning" on the Roman slave society at the end of antiquity 1920 he was a PhD . But his interests were widely distributed during their studies and Nørlund one of the founding members of the 1911 launched Danske Sprog- og Litteraturselskab ( "Danish Language and Literature Society"). From 1913 to 1919 he published the memoirs of Philippe de Commynes , which were translated by Hans Mogensen (1524–1595) .

From 1912 Nørlund was associated with the Danish National Museum and after a study trip to Vienna in 1913/14 he became sub-inspector of the historical department in 1917. In 1933 he became an inspector and from 1938 until his death he was director of the museum. In 1921 he was entrusted with the management of the archaeological expedition, which was aimed at investigating the Norse settlement of Herjólfsnes on Greenland and which produced well-preserved items of clothing from the Viking Age on a large scale . Nørlund continued these excavations in the following years, u. a. supported by Johan Petersen and in 1926 became a member of the newly created Commission for the Scientific Study of Greenland. In the same year he completely excavated the Greenlandic bishopric Garðar , and in 1932 the southern Greenlandic Brattahlíð with the oldest church in Greenland from the time of Erik the Red . His most important archaeological investigations include the excavation of the Viking castle Trelleborg near Slagelse from 1934 to 1942.

Another focus of research was the art history of Scandinavia in the Middle Ages, such as the altarpieces from the time of Waldemar the Great or the Romanesque frescoes in Denmark. He also edited the illuminated Greek and Latin manuscripts of Danish collections with Ellen Jørgensen . He also turned his research interests into traditional costumes and clothing from antiquity to the Middle Ages .

Honors and memberships (selection)

Poul Nørlund was a member of numerous foreign and Danish academies and scientific associations, including:

He was Dannebrogsmand and commander of the Dannebrog Order . The University of Oslo awarded him an honorary doctorate in 1938 .

Publications (selection)

A bibliography of the writings of Poul Nørlund is available from: Nana Nørlund: Poul Nørlunds bibliografi. In: Aarbøger for nordisk Oldkyndighed og Historie. 1951, pp. 10-21.

with Ellen Jørgensen et al. (Ed.): Greek and Latin Illuminated Manuscripts, X-XIII Centuries, in Danish Collections. Aage Marcus, Copenhagen 1921.
Gyldne Altre. Jysk metal art from Valdemarstiden. H. Koppels, Copenhagen 1926.
with Mogens Clemmensen : Ringsted kirke. H. Koppels, Copenhagen 1927.
De gamle Nordbobygder ved Verdens end. Skildringer from Grønlands Middelalder. GEC Gad, Copenhagen 1934.
Danish Churches. The Churches of Soro County. GEC Gad, Copenhagen 1940.
with Johannes Brøndsted : Seks Tværsnit af Danmarks Historie. Gyldendal, Copenhagen 1941.
with Egmont Lind: Danmarks romanske kalkmalerier. AF Høst og Søn, Copenhagen 1944.
Trelleborg. Gyldendal, Copenhagen 1948.

literature

Georg Galster: Poul Nørlund. In: Aarbøger for nordisk Oldkyndighed og Historie. 1951, pp. 5-10.

Web links

Poul Nørlund in Dansk biografisk leksikon (Danish)
Grave of Poul Nørlund

personal data
SURNAME	Nørlund, Poul
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	Danish historian, cultural and art historian and medieval archaeologist
DATE OF BIRTH	November 4, 1888
PLACE OF BIRTH	Slagelse
DATE OF DEATH	May 26, 1951
Place of death	Hellebæk