Anne Engelst Nørgaard

Anne Engelst Nørgaard is an Associate Professor and Deputy Head of Research at the Department of Historical and Classical Studies, Faculty of Humanities, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU). She joined NTNU in 2019 after postdoctoral positions at Leiden University and Aarhus University, with previous visiting fellowships at Bielefeld Graduate School. Her academic focus centers on 19th-century Scandinavian and European political history, particularly examining political culture, democratic development, and communication patterns.

Research Focus: Her work investigates political participation through conceptual history frameworks, specializing in:

• Peasant movements and their impact on democratization in Denmark (1830-1870)
• Evolution of political language during constitutional transitions
• Comparative Scandinavian political development
• Petition cultures as tools for marginalized groups

She currently leads a major research project (2024-2028) on Petitions and Petitioning in the Nascent Democracy: Norway 1790-1910, funded by the Research Council of Norway, examining disenfranchised groups' political engagement. Additionally, she contributes to the Academy of Finland project Political Representation – Tensions between Parliament and the People as Visiting Professor at University of Jyväskylä (2023).

Academic Output: Her publications consistently explore democratization processes in 19th-century Scandinavia, with recurring themes of conceptual history, peasant activism, and political communication. Recent work examines petition systems as mechanisms for political inclusion and the rhetorical strategies of non-elite actors during democratic transitions. Her scholarship bridges social history with political theory, analyzing how marginalized groups shaped emerging democratic institutions.

Teaching & Mentoring: She teaches courses including Introduction to History after 1750, Cultural and Social History, Nationalism/Imperialism/Democratization, and Research Methods. She actively mentors students developing research papers and theses.