Restoring Danish Heritage on the Banks of the Hooghly

The forgotten Danish trading town of Serampore

The Senate of Serampore College. Photo by author, not to be used without permission.

When we think about the European powers who ventured into India to control the spice and textile trade, the British, the French, the Portuguese, and the Dutch come to mind. We don’t imagine the Danish as a prominent player vying to establish a foothold in the Indian subcontinent. Yet, Denmark had colonies in India for over 200 years, starting with their first permanent settlement in Tranquebar, South India, in 1620. Since Denmark sold the rights to its final colony, the Nicobar Islands, to the British, India’s Danish past was forgotten.

In the last decade, the National Museum of Denmark(NMD) has played a vital role in restoring the heritage of one of Denmark’s holdings, Serampore.

Serampore is about 25 km from Calcutta. The erstwhile Danish settlement is a laid-back town along the Hooghly River. In June 2022, while visiting Calcutta, I made a short day trip to Serampore to view NMD’s restoration projects…