"Vår lilla flytande republik". Om skandinavismen som proteströrelse

Abstract

"Our little Floating Republic". On Scandinavism as a Protest Movement Scandinavianism was a movement combining liberalism and nationalism, which developed during the 1830s and 1840s. It was primarily among students in Sweden and Denmark that the idea of a Scandinavian union was adopted, a union which would be able to stand up to Russia and Germany. Vet, the ideological con tent of Scandinavianism caused uneasiness among the governments in Sweden and Denmark. Consequently the adherents of Scandinavianism were considered revolutionaries. This anxiety can scarcely be explained solely on the basis of ideological content. The concrete actions of the students were equally as important for the concern which arose as a result of their activities. They combined the cultural attributes of different social groups and thus represented an innovative force. At the same time their actions did not follow society's norms for student conduct. The innovative character became even more explosive when the Scandinavianists chose special arenas to publicize their actions. They made their policy public, bringing it to places which were dangerously close to the people. After a few years the Scandinavianists were "tamed" when the established middle class became associated with them, at the same time that their ideas found their way into traditional politics. This acceptance was not entirely negative; rather it showed that a group which earlier had been marginal was able to influence established society. Translation: Marie Clark Nelson