Introduction

Germany and Scandinavia, neighbors linguistically as well as geographically, have had an entwined but fluctuating relationship over the centuries. Needless to say, the history of their interactions has not been a steady one; as Raimund Wolfert points out in his essay "A History of German-Scandinavian Relations," there have been a great many "fluctuations and ruptures" (2006, 3) over the centuries. Moreover, as George C. Schoolfield notes, the individual Scandinavian countries have had varying relationships with Germany at different times (1966, 20).

Included in this history of fluctuations and ruptures is the literature of the countries. Schoolfield's 1966 article "Scandinavian-German Literary Relations" is an excellent overview of how intertwined the literature of these countries is and how much more research is needed in this area. Although his article was written over 50 years ago, there are still major gaps in the scholarship. This collection is an attempt to fill in some of the gaps.

Up until the Viking Age (793–1066 CE), there was little if any sustained contact between Germany and Scandinavia (Griffiths 1991, 2). During this time, the Nordic economy enjoyed great influence over trade in the Baltic and North Sea region. Following that, the Germans (Low Germans), through the Hanseatic League, dominated trade with Scandinavia, not only "colonizing" trade but also creating a distinct presence in both Norway and Sweden.

During the Middle Ages, balances of power shifted in Northern Europe. Where Denmark was once the dominant land (as it was one of the most densely populated), Sweden became, by the beginning of the seventeenth century, the most powerful country in the North. It also set its sights on expansion. In an attempt to push the Danes back and to encircle Denmark (rather than being encircled by Denmark), Gustav Adolf of Sweden marched his troops into Usedom in early 1630, leading Sweden into the Thirty Years' War (1618–1648). Throughout the following 45 years, Sweden signed a number of treaties and armistices, thereby gaining German land in Brandenburg and south of the Baltic (Wolfert 2006, 11–4). Despite (or maybe because of?) the tumultuous times, Germany had a distinct cultural influence over the poetry of Sweden and, to some extent, Denmark as well (Schoolfield 1966, 20–1).

The following century led to the rise of Prussia under the rule of Friedrich Wilhelm I and Friedrich II. Towns that had not yet recovered from the Thirty Years' War were provided with financial support and repopulated. Former and new provinces were conquered, including the islands of Usedom and Wollin, all of the former Swedish Western Pomerania to the east of the River Peene, and, later, Silesia. Berlin grew from a city of 1,800 to approximately 172,000. Prussia did come into conflict with Sweden once again in the Seven Years' War, but they were able to defeat the Swedes (Wolfert 2006, 15–7). During this time, the cultural influence of Germany on Sweden waned, to be replaced by that of France (Schoolfield 1966, 21).

In contrast, Denmark became almost a "province of German culture" (Schoolfield 1966, 21). The former German noble family of Oldenburg had been on the throne for over 3 centuries. As early as 1575, Frederick II of Denmark had founded the German community in Copenhagen, and this group only grew with the influx of German Protestants fleeing the Thirty Years' War. Christian VI (1699–1746), who grew up speaking German, was married to Princess Sophia Magdalene of Brandenburg-Kulmbach. By the first quarter of the eighteenth century, every tenth inhabitant of Copenhagen was an immigrant from the German States and Holstein, and, under the rule of Frederik V, the son of Christian VI, a golden age of Danish-German cultural relations blossomed. For example, during this time, the famous German poet Klopstock spent almost 20 years in Copenhagen. This time also gave birth to the oldest newspaper in Denmark, Berlingske Tidende (The Berlin Newspaper), founded by the Lauenberg-born printer Ernst Heinrich Berling (Wolfert 2006, 16).

The next century, with the Napoleonic Wars, brought great change in Europe. The 1814 Treaty of Kiel resulted in Denmark losing a large portion...