Die schwedische Rezeption von Ernst Jüngers Werk in der Nachkriegszeit

Sammanfattning

This study examines the Swedish reception of Ernst Jünger’s work from the 1950s to the 1990s, focusing on how his authorship was interpreted, evaluated, and repositioned within the Swedish literary field during the post-war period. Drawing on Hans Robert Jauss' reception aesthetics and Pierre Bourdieu's theory of the literary field, the study analyses selected reviews, essays, and other journalistic texts related to Swedish translations of Jünger's works, complemented by paratextual material such as book covers and publisher's presentations. The analysis demonstrates that Jünger's reception in Sweden was characterized by a persistent tension between aesthetic appreciation and political-moral criticism. During the 1950s, discussions of his work were strongly influenced by questions concerning National Socialism, nihilism, and Germany's recent past. In the 1970s, the publication of several works by the controversial avant-garde publisher Cavefors renewed interest in Jünger within the context of political and ideological debates. By the 1980s, however, Swedish critics increasingly approached Jünger as a literary and intellectual figure, emphasizing stylistic and philosophical aspects of his work while gradually historicizing his political background. The present study further argues that the Swedish reception developed several distinctive interpretative patterns that differed from German debates. Examples include the recurring comparison with Franz Kafka, the characterization of Jünger as an "intelligence aristocrat," and the lasting influence of prominent Swedish critics on Jünger's position within Swedish cultural life. By examining these developments over several decades, the study contributes to a broader understanding of the international reception of one of the most controversial German authors of the twentieth century. As no comprehensive study of Jünger's Swedish reception has previously been undertaken, this study constitutes a first systematic investigation of this field.