Denkmal - Bodil Begtrup

The Project

Denkmal -
Bodil Begtrup

and Human Rights

Ambassador and UN delegate Bodil Begtrup (1903–1987), as one of the most important driving forces behind the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948), left a lasting mark on post-war history. Together with, among others, Eleanor Roosevelt, Bodil Begtrup ensured that women’s rights were included. Very few people know this.

We are changing that now.

Bodig Begtrup

Project Denkmal will bring Bodil Begtrup’s story to life for a new generation

This is what we aim to do

Bodil Begtrup’s legacy

With this project, we seek to bring Bodil Begtrup’s intellectual legacy and practice—quiet diplomacy—into our own time by researching, disseminating, and communicating knowledge of her life’s work: the struggle for human rights, for gender equality, and for democracy.

This will take place through a range of activities that will shed light on her significance and inspire continued work:

  • Biography (Gads Forlag, 2028) by Professor Martin Zerlang, photo section by photographer Katrine Ussing
  • Reprint of Bodil Begtrup’s memoir, ‘Woman in a World Community’ (1986)
  • Collaboration with relevant NGOs/IGOs and other organisations
  • A monument is being erected in honour of Bodil Begtrup and Human Rights, in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, at Asiatisk Plads in Copenhagen.

Listen in

Podcasts

In the podcast series PORTRÆT, you can listen to cultural journalist Tore Leifer’s two episodes about Bodil Begtrup’s life and work. (You can find the full series wherever you usually listen to podcasts).

WOMAN IN A WORLD COMMUNITY – BODIL BEGTRUP 1:2

by Tore Leifer

THE UNRULY DIPLOMAT – BODIL BEGTRUP 2:2

by Tore Leifer

Why now?

Everything can be woven together into a common goal

Denmark will hold a seat on the UN Security Council in 2025–2026 and will chair the Arctic Council in 2025–2027. This provides an occasion to remember Bodil Begtrup’s exceptional work both for and within the UN, her impressive ability to build bridges and create dialogue—nationally and internationally—and, not least, her role as a human rights advocate in everything she undertook.

Painting by Mentze depicting Bodl Begtrup, 1922

Ernst August Mentze:
Bodil Begtrup (née Andreasen), 1922
Oil on canvas, 128 x 69.5 cm
Frederiksborg • Museum of National History
Photo: Frederiksborg • Museum of National History

The Nordic

‘500 years of community does not pass without leaving its mark’

(quote from the memoir)

Bodil Begtrup had a strong bond with the Nordic countries, both personally and professionally, cf. her memoir "Woman in a World Community" (1986).

At her own request, Bodil Begtrup is buried beneath a natural stone at Skálholt in Iceland (1987).

What has been said about Bodil Begtrup

"As we all move into an uncertain and difficult future, it is truly important to seek inspiration for our thoughts and actions in courageous and far-sighted individuals from our past.

Bodil Begtrup was such a person, whose commitment and perseverance helped change the course of history for the benefit of humankind."

Michael Møller, Former United Nations Under-Secretary-General

“Bodil Begtrup played a central role in the development of international human rights, women’s rights, and in safeguarding Danish interests as an ambassador in various countries. In all aspects of her international work, she was driven by remarkable perseverance. She fought fiercely for what she believed was right. And she did so very much in her own way, even though she sometimes encountered resistance. She is a testament to the fact that it pays to be persistent and to stand firm in what you believe in.”

Kristine Kjærsgaard, Associate Professor of contemporary Danish history, Department of Culture and Language Studies, SDU

"Today, it is more important than ever to uphold international cooperation for these purposes (the preamble to the UN Charter, ed.) is disregarded.
The Danish diplomat Bodil Begtrup played a decisive role in the preparatory work for the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948, which laid the foundation for subsequent international human rights conventions. Therefore, it is precisely now that it is time to honour the Danish woman who ensured that the world’s first international human rights instrument also came to include women."

Peter Brückner, Ambassador Emeritus

From a women’s rights perspective, the Universal Declaration is a remarkably progressive document. This must be attributed to the effective lobbying for women’s rights, consisting of representatives from the UN Commission on the Status of Women and delegates from communist countries. I would particularly highlight Bodil Begtrup, the Danish representative and Chair of the Commission on the Status of Women, as the individual who was most decisive in this regard.

Professor Emeritus and leading expert on UN history Johannes Morsink