The Hans Christian Andersen Centre is an international research and knowledge centre under the University of Southern Denmark. The centre is housed in a historical 16th century building in the heart of Odense, so we are close to the precincts where Hans Christian Andersen spent his childhood. The Hans Christian Andersen Centre, which at present is the home base for seven researchers and six guest researchers from all over the world, works on three dimensions of research and development within the field of Hans Christian Andersen:

• We are the hub of comprehensive research into literature, paper cuts and other art by Hans Christian Andersen
• We research into Hans Christian Andersen’s importance as a globally famous cultural icon and world cultural heritage literary figure
• We collaborate with a number of museums – especially Odense City Museums, which includes the Hans Christian Andersen Museum, as well as the Hans Christian Andersen Foundation, Hans Christian Andersen Festivals, the Zentropa film company, etc. – on spreading knowledge of the name and artist Hans Christian Andersen in the best way possible.

The ambition of the centre is to maintain its position as the world’s leading research institution focusing on Hans Christian Andersen, and to continue to attract researchers from all over the world who wish to work on the writer in an environment and a city full of the atmosphere and inheritance of the city’s greatest son.

Hans Christian Andersen is one of the main areas of responsibility of Odense City Museums. Via collection, registration, conservation, research and dissemination Odense City Museum seeks to ensure Hans Christian Andersen’s position as Danish cultural heritage.

Odense City Museums makes Hans Christian Andersen’s life and work accessible to the public at The Hans Christian Andersen Museum, The Hans Christian Andersen Childhood Home and ‘The Tinder-Box’ – a cultural centre for children. An educational concept at the open-air museum the Funen Village features ‘A village from the time of Hans Christian Andersen’.

Odense City Museums places its Hans Christian Andersen collection at the disposal of researchers and also disseminates the results of both the museum’s own research and other research based on the museums’ collections.
Odense City Museums was quick to realise that Hans Christian Andersen and the cultural heritage have an important role to play in relation to both tourism and the branding of Denmark and Odense in an interaction with other aspects of culture. This has resulted in an ambitious presentation strategy that includes concrete plans to create a Hans Christian Andersen Fairytale Centre – a new attraction that will both function as a welcome to the entire fairytale world of Hans Christian Andersen and function as a world-class landmark for Odense.

An ambitious action plan has been formulated for the coming years under the title ‘The Hans Christian Andersen Package’ which will include the establishing of a Hans Christian Andersen Route, making greater use of the river of Odense Å, and an expansion of the concept ‘A village from the time of Hans Christian Andersen’. It will also cooperate with a number of Danish companies in their international efforts. Spearheading this plan, City of Odense Museums is involved in a new Hans Christian Andersen exhibition in a strong exhibition cooperation with a number of Chinese partners, part of a massive Danish-Chinese cultural drive under the Ministry of Culture Denmark, which from autumn 2014 will give a large Chinese public the chance to experience Danish culture and art.