Vello Helk

Vello Helk (born September 23 1923 in Varstu, Võrumaa, Estonia) is eminent Danish historian of Estonian origin.

In 1944 Helk was mobilized in German army and was forced to go to Germany. From there he went to Denmark, where he in 1947 attended to University of Århus, where he studied history, Latin and German. He concentrated on history of Northern Europe in 16th and 17th century and his main work was about Norwegian jesuit Laurentius Nicolai who tried to re-catolize Scandinavia. He also has written extensive survey about Jesuits in Tartu and had studied history of Scandinavian students in Southern European universities between 1536 to 1864. He is also interested in Danish-Estonian contacts, espescially in 16th Century and also during Estonian War of Independence. Helk's main works are written in German or Danish and some of them also translated in Estonian.

Helk worked over 30 years (1959–1990) in Danish National Archives, where he was leader of 4th section in 1970–1990 and in 1978–1979 he was deputy main archivist of Denmark. In 1990 he retired.

In 1996 Vello Helk was awarded an honorary doctorate degree by the University of Tartu. [ [http://www.ut.ee/struktuur/audoktorid TARTU ÜLIKOOLI AUDOKTORID] ]

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