On the Tranquebar Initiative

The Ethnographic Collection of the National Museum of Denmark stores and exhibits artefacts from Tranquebar collected during the Danish era (1620-1845), the Galathea-1 Expedition (1845-47), as well as on later occasions.

The National Museum launched the Tranquebar Initiative as one of its core activities during 2004-2016. Over the years, the initiative has built up a large network of interdisciplinary and international partners in close collaboration with Professor Esther Fihl as the research leader. The initiative is grateful to have received substantial external funding from research agencies and several private foundations which have enabled a series of exciting projects with Indian research partners. On behalf of the Steering Committee and the Principal Investigators listed below, the National Museum wishes to express its gratitude towards the network of institutions and colleagues for their great collaboration. And, in the same vein towards the large number of research assistants and student trainees who took part in the projects. Last but not least, we are grateful to the local people who shared their time and views with us in Tranquebar/Tharangampadi.

Steering Committee:
Project owner: Christian Sune Pedersen, head of section for Modern History and World Cultures, National Museum
Research leader: Esther Fihl, professor, Department of Cross-Cultural and Regional Studies, University of Copenhagen
Economic coordinator: Birgit Rønne, research coordinator, National Museum

Sponsors:
The Tranquebar Initiative has depended on external funding from research agencies and a number of private foundations. We are grateful for having received generous support from:

Anonymt dansk fond / Anonymous private foundation
Augustinusfonden
Bikubenfonden via Dansk Ekspeditionsfond
Carlsbergfondet
Carlsbergfondets Mindelegat
Damskibsselskabet Norden
Danmark-Amerika Fonden
Forskningsministerens Ph.d. Elite Pris / The Research Minister´s Ph.D. Elite price
Farumgaard Fonden
Fullbright Foundation
Forskningsrådet for Kultur og Kommunikation / The Danish Council for Independent Research | Humanities (FKK)
Dronning Margrethes og Prins Henriks Fond / Her Majesty Queen Margrethe’s and Prince Henrik’s Foundation
Indian Council for Cultural Relations, Ministry of External Affairs
Crown Prince Frederik’s Fund
Lauritzen Fonden
Nordea Danmark Fonden
Marie Curie Fellowship, European Research Council
Orientfonden
Ph.d.-rejsemidler, Hum. Fak., Københavns Universitet
TK Foundation
Undervisningsministeriets Virtual Galathea3 (VG3)
Aage og Johanne Louis-Hansen Fonden

Principal Investigator / Close Project Participant:
A. R. Venkatachalapathy
Astrid Nonbo Andersen 
Bente Wolff / Caroline Lillelund
Bente Wolff / R. Nagaswamy
Christian Sune Pedersen / Niels Erik Jensen / Simon Rastén
Esther Fihl / Frida Hastrup
Esther Fihl / Hanne Baumann / Mads Emil Kjersgaard
Esther Fihl / Louise Sebro
Frida Hastrup
Helle Jørgensen
Josefine Baark
Karen Vallgårda
Keld Grinder-Hansen
Keld Grinder-Hansen / Rune Clausen
Kenneth Zysk
Kirsten Thisted 
Kjeld Borch Vesth / Simon Rastén
Niklas Thode Jensen
Nils Engberg
Nils Finn Munch-Petersen
Per Kristian Madsen / Martin Appelt and Einar Lund Jensen
Peter B. Andersen / Oluf Schönbeck
Sabine Karg