About the Project
HERLAND: “Between Household and Landscape: A Comparative Study of Women’s Engagement with Nature, Resources, and Animals, 1500-1800”
Across history, people have lived in constant negotiation with the natural world—its landscapes, animals, resources, and rhythms. Yet the ways in which women shaped, used, and understood nature have often been overlooked. HERLAND, "“Between Household and Landscape: A Comparative Study of Women’s Engagement with Nature, Resources, and Animals, 1500-1800”, is a 2-year research project funded by Horizon-EU that brings these stories to the forefront by exploring how women in early modern Northern Europe (1500–1800) interacted with their environments and how these interactions influenced society, politics, and ecological change.
Based at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden, HERLAND investigates a central question: what role did women play, and to what extent, in environmental activities, natural resource management, and human–animal relations?
Project aims
HERLAND aims to focus on three interconnected themes:
1. Women and Environments
How women used landscapes—gardens, forests, farms—and how their everyday activities blurred the boundaries between household and nature.
2. Women and Natural Resource Management
From agriculture and forestry to estate management and regulation, HERLAND examines women’s contributions to environmental practices and decision‑making.
3. Women and Animals
The project explores the animals women encountered, the meanings of these encounters, and how ideas of “wild” and “tame” shaped gendered expectations. The project also aims to highlight how women’s interactions with animals reveal both the ecological consequences and social meanings of human actions.
Project objectives
HERLAND is guided by six core objectives:
1. Investigate how women engaged with and exercised agency through landscapes
2. Examine the environmental history of Northern Europe and women’s roles within it
3. Identify and analyse women’s relationships with animals
4. Develop digital tools—GIS mapping and 3D/drone capture—to reveal new insights
5. Advance interdisciplinary skills and methods
6. Share research widely through publications, public engagement, and creative outreach
These objectives ensure that HERLAND not only produces new historical knowledge, but also contributes to broader discussions about gender, ecology, and cultural heritage.
Project methodology
HERLAND combines traditional historical research with innovative digital methods:
-
Archival research across Sweden, Denmark, and northern Germany
-
Fieldwork at UNESCO heritage sites, historical landscapes, farms, and buildings
-
Digital tools, including GIS mapping and 3D/drone documentation, to reconstruct historical environments and visualise women’s connections to landscapes
These approaches allow the project to fully engage and gain a cultural understanding of the lived experiences of early modern women and to connect past practices with present‑day conversations about sustainability and gender.
The preliminary planned project outputs include:
-
publishing 2-3 open access journal articles;
-
producing an interactive GIS map;
-
producing a project database;
-
organising an international conference on the project's key themes (late 2027-early 2028);
-
delivering a public lecture.
HERLAND reframes early modern environmental history by placing women at its centre. The project reveals how women shaped landscapes, managed resources, and interacted with animals in ways that influenced families, communities, and political cultures. By highlighting these overlooked histories, HERLAND offers new perspectives on today’s environmental challenges and the long-standing connections between gender, nature, and sustainability.
Planned project outputs
Why HERLAND matters?
