Svensk–tyska föreningar: Mål för nazistisk infiltration

Abstract

Swedish–German associations: Target for Nazi infiltration

This article analyzes Swedish–German interactions with focus on NaziGermany’s methods of infiltrating Swedish–German associations, based on sources in German and Swedish archives. German university teachers in the Deutsche Akademie, and the Deutscher Akademischer Austauchdienst were sent to Sweden as agents by Nazi Germany. Parallel to their work as language teachers they should “secretly conquer the Swedish soul”. Because they were obliged to send regular reports from Sweden there is a huge amount of documents in German archives revealing not only Swedish attitudes to Nazism, but also how for example Swedish-German associations became special targets for the infiltration. The analyses reveal differences between the associations: In Göteborg and Uppsala they did not want to cooperate. When John Holmberg, professor of German in Uppsala, criticized the anti-Semitic ideology and rector Curt Weibull in Göteborg defended the university against the Nazi infiltration they were reported to Berlin as dangerous enemies. In Stockholm however speakers as representatives for the Nazi regime were welcomed. One of the invited speakers 1935 was Rudolf Hess who spoke of “The New Germany”. After the fall of the Nazi regime there was no self reflection what so ever in the written programs of the Association in Stockholm.

One explanation why many in Sweden did not resist the Nazi propaganda was that the Nazis worked under the cloak of traditional German culture and rhetoric. Glorification of the Nordic ideal and traditional values were recommended propaganda tools. The semantic changes of the words were not always observed in Sweden, but documents in German archives show that there were strong critical voices.