New centre to explore where private lives end and the public sphere begins

Where our private lives end has always been a matter of debate. The Romans were the first civilisation known to have come up with the concept. Their thinking was that private life began when a man was no longer at work. Things have become more complicated since then.

Soon, those who involve themselves with the topic will be able to benefit from the work of a planned Centre of Excellence set to open at the University of Copenhagen Faculty of Theology. The centre will primarily study the role private life played in the architecture, religious life, politics and political philosophy during the period 1500-1800.

The centre is made possible thanks to a generous 50 million kroner grant from the Danish National Research Foundation. It will be named Centre for Privacy Studies (PRIVACY) and lead by Professor Mette Birkedal Bruun, of the Church History Research Unit.

Privacy paradox

One example of what the centre will involve itself with, according to Birkedal Bruun, is a 1741 order by Danish King Christian VI that – even though it sounds incredible by today’s standards – banned all religious activity in the home unless a member of the clergy was present. The point, according to Birkedal Bruun, was to ensure that the state had a way to control the way people worshipped.

Birkedal Bruun is herself interested in investigating privacy zones, how they are violated and how they get sanctioned. Such zones include things like our bodies or property.

Mind control

A good way to identify trends in the way society has viewed privacy is to look at laws from various periods. One important question Birkedal Bruun seeks to answer is whether the state has enforced some form of mind control.

“Were people allowed to believe in something in secret, provided they didn’t act on it?” Birkedal Bruun says.

As part of its work, the centre expects to take a systematic look at examples of privacy in the period 1500-1800. According to Birkedal Bruun, the historical distance to the period in question should make it easier to see societal structures that differ from our own.

One example of the type of topic the centre will study is the relationship between religion and people’s homes. By investigating this and similar topics, Birkedal Bruun hopes to be able to determine how societies identify their most important values and what the biggest threats to them are.

January 2018 opening date

Birkedal Bruun expects to start negotiations with representatives from the Danish National Research Foundation in the coming week. The process is expected to end in September. Once the funds are finalised, the centre can begin hiring staff in advance of an expected January 2018 opening date.

The centre is being set up in collaboration with the Faculty of Law.