Lecture - "When you live in West Jutland" - The story of Mikkel Hindhede

Mikkel Hindhede (1862-1945), born on the farm Gl. Hindhede in Højmark, after which he and his family were named, was the first prominent figure in the early dietary debate, and he is particularly interesting because his views are so closely aligned with contemporary nutritional research. Hindhede was chief physician at Skanderborg Hospital from 1892 to 1910. He then became head of the State Office for Nutritional Research in Copenhagen.

He describes the health and happiness of Danes as the goal of his work, and it was both the health and happiness of the body and the mind that preoccupied him, two aspects that were closely linked for him. Hindhede participated in several of the debates of the time, which in different ways were connected to health and happiness.

- The Garden City movement was one of them.
- The breadth of the Danish Lutheran Church was another.
- But most central was, of course, the diet debate, where he stood for what we would today call a 'flexitarian' stance.
- Other issues were cycling, sport and temperance.

As head of the Nutrition Office, he influenced government nutrition policy. Among other things, the rationing plan during the First World War was largely shaped by his research results.

With a bit of good will, you could say that it was Hindhede who saved the Danes from famine.

Today, research has arrived at most of the dietary principles Hindhede stood for. That's why he's interesting to us - even if his name is hardly known anymore.

Lecturer: Svend Erik Halse. Lic. phil.

Date: 25.10.2023 at 19:30

Location: Dommerkontoret, Kongevejen 10, 6950 Ringkøbing.

There is no registration. Price: DKK 50 (free for members)

Organizer: Ringkøbing Museumsforening in collaboration with Ringkøbing Fjord Museer. The lecture is part of Ringkøbing-Skjern Folkeuniversitet.