Networks of Wind Energy Enthusiasts and the Development of the “Danish Concept” - Wind Power for the World: The Rise of Modern Wind Energy - page 125

realised and it would take another crisis, in the form of the OPEC
oil crisis, to spur the modern era of wind energy development and
the creation of a global market for the technology that would persist
for several decades.

5.3 Wind Actor-Networks in Denmark

Moving to the modern era of wind turbine development, the scope
of this work will be limited more-or-less to Danish actor networks.
Extending the above discussion of 20th century wind energy
technology history to Denmark, several notable achievements
deserve mention.
Wind turbine history in early 20th century Denmark is often tied
to a social movement associated with larger political developments
in the country stemming from the mid-19th century. Following the
Napoleonic wars and the two wars of Schleswig, Denmark had to
cede control of large areas of land including Norway, Schleswig
and Holstein. The impact of the wars resulted not just in a loss of
fertile lands within its control, but also resulted in a larger national
crisis in terms of political stability, economic growth and the sense
of national identity. This crisis sparked a national movement that
included the formation of various “folkehoejskole”, or folk high
schools. The schools were inspired by Danish philosopher Nikolaj
Grundtvig and were meant to serve in contrast to more conservative
ideals of education. The folk high schools, found throughout rural
Denmark, emphasised practical knowledge and enlightenment
especially for rural agrarian citizens and gave origin to three very
important developments for Danish wind energy technology.

Figure 5.7 Portrait of Nikolaj F. S. Grundtvig (1783-1872) by Constantin

Hansen, 1862.