Fascisterne: The Historiography and Ideological Manifestations of Fascism in Denmark
1. Introduction: Defining Fascisterne
The Danish term fascisterne denotes “the fascists” and historically refers to individuals or political groups influenced by fascist ideology. In Denmark, this label applies to extremist movements advocating ultranationalism, authoritarian leadership, and totalitarian methods. The usage intersects with broader studies of fascism’s evolution in interwar Europe and its localized manifestations.
2. Historical Context and Ideological Foundations
During the 1920s–1940s, fascism emerged in Italy and Germany before influencing peripheral movements across Scandinavia. In Denmark, fascisterne included the DNSAP (Danish Nazi Party), the Dansk Antijødisk Liga (Danish Anti-Jewish League), and smaller paramilitary or ideological groups emphasizing racial purity, militarism, and nationalist mythologies . These factions often appropriated fascist symbols and nationalist rhetoric to justify political violence and social exclusion.
3. The DNSAP and Related Groups in Denmark
The DNSAP remains the primary historical embodiment of fascisterne. Founded in the 1930s, it modeled itself after German Nazism. Other notable groups included the Dansk Antijødisk Liga (DAL), which produced vehement antisemitic propaganda, and the Dansk Socialistisk Parti (DSP), led by Wilfred Petersen, known for street violence and labor-class rhetoric intertwined with fascist aesthetics of racial health and nature symbolism .
4. Resistance, Collaboration, and Post-war Accountability
Denmark’s societal norms, shaped by pre-war political culture, fostered widespread identification with democratic values and rejection of antisemitism. Opinion leaders specifically framed racism as “un-Danish”, contributing to broad popular resistance to collaborationist ideologies. Consequently, wartime collaboration by fascisterne remained limited, and post-war reckoning led to prosecutions and marginalization of Nazi-aligned actors. The collective experience differs markedly from many occupied European nations .
5. Scholarship on Fascist Historiography and Signification
Academic historiography emphasizes that definitions of fascism vary. Robert Paxton’s praxeological definition sees fascism as a mass movement focused on national rebirth rather than abstract ideology. Roger Griffin emphasizes a palingenetic ultranationalism at the core. These frameworks help distinguish fascisterne within a broader European typology of fascist movements, recognizing varying organizational forms and cultural features rather than seeking doctrinal uniformity .
6. Contemporary Resonance and Legacy Discourse
In modern discourse, fascisterne functions both as historical reference and as a critical marker in sociopolitical commentary. Scholars caution that the term has become a “floating signifier”—often used in media or political rhetoric to denote authoritarian tendencies broadly, even when strict fascist structures are absent . Understanding Danish fascist history therefore remains relevant when analyzing current nationalist or extremist narratives.
7. Concluding Reflections
The term fascisterne encapsulates an ideological movement and its symbolic weight in Danish memory. Though never mainstream, fascist groups in Denmark contributed to wartime tensions and post-war democratic resolve. Academic inquiry into their historiography and ideological framing offers essential insight into how democratic societies resist and remember authoritarian infiltration.
Further Readings
| Author / Source | Relevance |
|---|---|
| John T. Lauridsen, Dansk nazisme | In-depth study of DNSAP and minor Danish fascist groups |
| Cambridge studies on Scandinavian welfare | Contextualizes fascism’s decline and welfare resilience |
| Paxton, Griffin on fascism scholarship | Provides analytical frameworks used in historiography |
