Denmark began its colonial rule over Greenland in 1721, when a Danish- Norwegian missionary expedition led by Hans Egede founded a colony in southwest Greenland under the Danish crown. Over time, Denmark consolidated this into full sovereignty over the whole island, which was formally declared a Danish colony in 1775 and internationally confirmed in stages during the 19th and early 20th centuries.

Key dates in Denmark–Greenland history

  • 1721 – Start of Danish-Norwegian colonization
    Missionary Hans Egede arrived in southern Greenland and established a permanent colony, bringing Greenland into the Danish colonial empire.
  • 1775 – Formal colonial status
    The Danish‑Norwegian monarchy declared Greenland a colony, tightening administrative control and trade regulation.
  • 1814 – Denmark keeps Greenland
    When the Denmark–Norway union dissolved in the Treaty of Kiel, Denmark retained Greenland as well as the Faroe Islands and Iceland.
  • 1921–1933 – Sovereignty over all Greenland
    Denmark proclaimed sovereignty over the whole island in 1921; Norway challenged this, but the Permanent Court of International Justice ruled in 1933 that Greenland belonged to Denmark.
  • 1953 – Integration into the Kingdom of Denmark
    A new Danish constitution turned Greenland from a colony into a county within the Kingdom, and the UN recognized this status in 1954.

So, if the question is “when did Denmark take over Greenland,” historians usually point to 1721 as the start of Danish control, with 1775 marking formal colonial status and 1953 marking full constitutional integration into Denmark.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.