Teknologiske forandringer i dansk industri 1870–1896. Vol. 4, Dansk in-dustri efter 1870 by Ole Hyldtoft

Abstract

TECHNOLOGY AND CULTURE Book Reviews 343 by Pollmann on the continuities of attitudes and careers among the professoriat and the unabashed whitewashing of most Nazi pasts stands out. So does a discussion by Rainer Maass on lingering conti­ nuities in student culture during the 1940s and 1950s (admissions were skewed to absorb as manyveterans and former POWs—Hitler’s army—as possible). A real break in this regard did not come until the 1960s. By contrast, the remaining chapters on scientific research at Brunswick in the decades since 1945 were disappointing. In sum, for readers who want to know more about how the Techni­ cal University Brunswick figured in Germany’s technological devel­ opment or in the peculiarities of its technological culture, this vol­ ume has little to offer. But for those interested in the history of architecture, the social history of German technical education, the attitudes oftechnical educators and students, and the evolving place of higher technical education in the larger society, it is a rich source indeed. Kees Gispen Dr. Gispen is associate professor of history at the University of Mississippi. Teknologiskeforandringer i dansk industri 1870-1896. Vol. 4, Dansk industri efter 1870. By Ole Hyldtoft. Odense, Denmark: Odense Universitetsforlag , 1996. Pp. 413; illustrations, tables, appendixes, notes, bibliography, index. DKr.268.00 (hardcover); DKr.198.00 (paper). Denmark might not be the land of milk and honey, but it is defi­ nitely strongly associated with agriculture and food production. In parts of the United States, “Danish” is synonymous with “pastry,” and most Europeans have heard of Danish butter and pork. Against this background, Ole Hyldtoft’s book on technological change in Danish industry between 1870 and 1896 comes as a surprise. Whereas it includes extensive chapters on prime movers, the ma­ chine industry, brick and cement works, the lumber and furniture industries, and the textile industry, it only devotes a few pages to the food, brewing, and tobacco industries. Hyldtoft has three reasons for this omission. First, less than 20 percent of all industrial workers were employed in industries directly related to agricultural products in the middle ofthe period (table A.l, p. 347). Second, the quantita­ tive breakthrough of these branches came only somewhat later: al­ though dairies, sugar refineries, and meat packers existed at the time, they did not take off until the turn of the century. Third, the Danes introduced industrial techniques only to a limited degree in the 1880s and 1890s. The general picture that Hyldtoft paints is thus a rather familiar one. As in traditional histories ofthe German, British, and American industrialization processes, the focus is on steam engines, machine 344 Book Reviews TECHNOLOGY AND CULTURE tools, and textile machines. A pioneering contribution is, however, the chapter on brick and cement production. To my knowledge, not many historical works analyze the production methods of these two industries so thoroughly as Hyldtoft does. The Danish picture is, of course, not a photocopy of the British case. Chronologically, Denmark lagged behind Britain and France, but it was in no way backward if compared with other small Euro­ pean countries. Technologically, the Danes were heavily dependent on Britain and Germany, but they also proved highly able to accom­ modate foreign technology to their own needs and requirements. The mechanical cotton industry is a case in point. Getting under way in the 1820s, the mechanization of the Danish textile industry was late from a British perspective, but early by Scandinavian stan­ dards. Its diffusion proved, however, to be fragmentary and difficult. Craft production remained strong, and by 1870 there remained no mechanical cotton spinning mill in the whole country. Only in the 1890s did Marius Windfeld-Hansen open up a new mill. His plant, Vejle Bomuldsspinderi, was equipped with British machines and partly staffed with British and Swedish employees, but this did not prevent Windfeld-Hansen from coming up with innovations of his own. In his detailed study, Hyldtoft records various other changes in Danish industry. Although most ofthem were induced from outside, several were ofdomestic origin. He summarizes: “In particular, Dan­ ish scientists and technicians distinguished themselves internation­ ally in the dairy and yeast industries, but they also made important contributions by developing existing electrical machinery...