Danish Connections Continue to Bring Grand View’s Heritage to Life
September 24, 2026
As Grand View University celebrates 130 years of Honoring Our Past, Celebrating Our Present and Looking to the Future, its Danish heritage continues to shape connections across generations and borders.
This September, Grand View welcomed three groups of Danish visitors to campus, highlighting the University's ongoing relationships with Denmark through education, cultural exchange and shared history.
Honoring Our Past
On September 10, a group traveling from Denmark visited Grand View for the first time. Among the visitors was Karen Madsen, who served as a gym teacher at Grand View in 1966, creating a special connection between the University's past and present.
The group's visit included a campus tour, a visit to Luther Memorial Church and lunch hosted by the local Danish Brotherhood and Sisterhood.
Celebrating Our Present
Grand View also welcomed its largest visiting group yet from Vejle Business College in Denmark, continuing a relationship that began in 2010.
From September 15-21, 25 students, two professors and a sporting coach experienced life at Grand View and in the Des Moines community. Students stayed with host families and attended classes, offering opportunities to learn alongside Grand View students while experiencing American college life.
As part of their visit, the group participated in an Explore Day that included stops at the Iowa State Capitol, a Hy-Vee store in Grimes and the Food Bank of Iowa, where they toured the facility and learned about food packaging. At the State Capitol, Iowa Senator Izaah Knox spoke with the students.
Looking to the Future
On September 18, Grand View also welcomed Danish students visiting through Des Moines Public Schools for a campus tour.
Together, these visits reflect the University's longstanding Danish roots and the ways those connections continue to grow through education, community partnerships and international relationships.
As Grand View looks toward its next 130 years, its Danish heritage remains an important part of the University's story, connecting its history to new generations of students and visitors from around the world.