The Olsen Gang in Denmark – and Abroad

Olsen-Banden or Olsen Gang films are considered an integral part of Danish collective memory and culture, immortalised in street names, commemorative stamps, and slang. The fourteen comedies in the series were released between 1968 and 1981, with a sequel in 1998. While quintessentially Danish in terms of content, the Olsen-Banden film series has enjoyed popularity abroad, especially in the former Eastern Bloc. This chapter analyses the origins of the series in silent cinema, and outlines its tropes and motifs, emphasising the films’ function as nostalgic responses to the dramatic socio-cultural changes of the 1970s. It also examines the reception of the Olsen-Banden films in the former German Democratic Republic, arguing that the films’ suspicion of the national authorities, international financial capital and the EEC resonated with East German audiences specifically.