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The Rise and Fall of Danish Encyclopedias, 1891–2017

Simonsen, Maria LU (2021) In New Directions in Book History p.287-322
Abstract

Stories of successful works have often dominated the history of Scandinavian encyclopedias. This is understandable given the rich encyclopedia tradition that characterizes the Scandinavian book market. Among the publications within this tradition, one encyclopedia stands out in particular. By being in print for more than sixty years, Salmonsens Konversationsleksikon had a special impact on the development of the genre in both Denmark and Norway. From 1891 to the second half of the 1950s, the influential family company J.H. Schultz published various editions of the encyclopedia. For years, it was considered one of the most important knowledge forums for the well-educated in the Scandinavian countries. Scattered among histories of great... (More)

Stories of successful works have often dominated the history of Scandinavian encyclopedias. This is understandable given the rich encyclopedia tradition that characterizes the Scandinavian book market. Among the publications within this tradition, one encyclopedia stands out in particular. By being in print for more than sixty years, Salmonsens Konversationsleksikon had a special impact on the development of the genre in both Denmark and Norway. From 1891 to the second half of the 1950s, the influential family company J.H. Schultz published various editions of the encyclopedia. For years, it was considered one of the most important knowledge forums for the well-educated in the Scandinavian countries. Scattered among histories of great publications, we also find another and often overlooked storyline, namely the history of the unsuccessful or the incomplete—the stranded encyclopedia. In this chapter, Maria Simonsen explores a number of stranded Danish encyclopedias—printed as well as digital—and thereby gives new insights into the long history of the Danish encyclopedia tradition. Throughout her study, Simonsen argues that regardless of time and space, and no matter what media you publish in—print or digital—there are some obstacles and challenges for the encyclopedic genre that are universal.

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Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
publishing date
type
Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Den Store Danske Encyklopædi, Den Store Salmonsen, Denmark, F.H. Schultz, Gyldendal, History of encyclopedism, J.H. Schultz, Nineteenth century, Online encyclopedias, Salmonsens konversationsleksikon, Scandinavian encyclopedias, Twentieth century, Unfinished encyclopedic projects
host publication
Stranded Encyclopedias, 1700–2000 : Exploring Unfinished, Unpublished, Unsuccessful Encyclopedic Project - Exploring Unfinished, Unpublished, Unsuccessful Encyclopedic Project
series title
New Directions in Book History
pages
36 pages
publisher
Palgrave Macmillan
external identifiers
  • scopus:85106743487
ISSN
2634-6117
2634-6125
DOI
10.1007/978-3-030-64300-3_10
language
English
LU publication?
no
additional info
Publisher Copyright: © 2021, The Author(s).
id
3744ffe2-eeef-457a-bfd1-d83fdc1c8440
date added to LUP
2024-09-25 19:39:33
date last changed
2025-04-04 13:53:17
@inbook{3744ffe2-eeef-457a-bfd1-d83fdc1c8440,
  abstract     = {{<p>Stories of successful works have often dominated the history of Scandinavian encyclopedias. This is understandable given the rich encyclopedia tradition that characterizes the Scandinavian book market. Among the publications within this tradition, one encyclopedia stands out in particular. By being in print for more than sixty years, Salmonsens Konversationsleksikon had a special impact on the development of the genre in both Denmark and Norway. From 1891 to the second half of the 1950s, the influential family company J.H. Schultz published various editions of the encyclopedia. For years, it was considered one of the most important knowledge forums for the well-educated in the Scandinavian countries. Scattered among histories of great publications, we also find another and often overlooked storyline, namely the history of the unsuccessful or the incomplete—the stranded encyclopedia. In this chapter, Maria Simonsen explores a number of stranded Danish encyclopedias—printed as well as digital—and thereby gives new insights into the long history of the Danish encyclopedia tradition. Throughout her study, Simonsen argues that regardless of time and space, and no matter what media you publish in—print or digital—there are some obstacles and challenges for the encyclopedic genre that are universal.</p>}},
  author       = {{Simonsen, Maria}},
  booktitle    = {{Stranded Encyclopedias, 1700–2000 : Exploring Unfinished, Unpublished, Unsuccessful Encyclopedic Project}},
  issn         = {{2634-6117}},
  keywords     = {{Den Store Danske Encyklopædi; Den Store Salmonsen; Denmark; F.H. Schultz; Gyldendal; History of encyclopedism; J.H. Schultz; Nineteenth century; Online encyclopedias; Salmonsens konversationsleksikon; Scandinavian encyclopedias; Twentieth century; Unfinished encyclopedic projects}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  pages        = {{287--322}},
  publisher    = {{Palgrave Macmillan}},
  series       = {{New Directions in Book History}},
  title        = {{The Rise and Fall of Danish Encyclopedias, 1891–2017}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-64300-3_10}},
  doi          = {{10.1007/978-3-030-64300-3_10}},
  year         = {{2021}},
}