Norden i endring: Union, systemskifte og kroning i dansk offentlighet 1895-1906

Abstract

This thesis investigates how the dissolution of the Norwegian-Swedish Union and Norway’s pursuit of independence were interpreted and discussed in the Danish public sphere between 1895 and 1906. Through a comparative and qualitative analysis of five newspapers – Politiken (left-radical), Social-Demokraten (Social Democratic), Hejmdal (representing the North Schleswigers), and the conservative Berlingske Tidende and Jyllandsposten – the study examines how different political currents responded to key developments in the evolving union conflict. The analysis also explores how domestic political developments in Denmark influenced the way the unfolding Norwegian-Swedish conflict was understood and framed in the Danish press.

The analysis focuses on three main turning points: the parliamentary shift in Denmark in 1901, the delivery of the so-called lydrikepunktene – conditions from the Swedish government aiming to retain control over Norway’s consular services – and the royal of election of Prince Carl of Denmark to the Norwegian throne in 1905. Although not one of the core turning points, the Union crisis of 1895 serves as the analytical point of departure, as it marked a significant moment in the history of the union and shaped later public debates.

The early responses reveal a division: reform-oriented newspapers like Politiken, Social-Demokraten, and Hejmdal supported greater Norwegian independence, while the conservative press defended the union. However, the lydrikepunktene caused a shift among conservatives, who began questioning the union’s future. The royal election in 1905 raised fundamental questions about national sovereignty and Nordic power dynamics. While conservatives largely celebrated the election as victory, Social-Demokraten expressed disappointment over the missed opportunity of a Norwegian republic. Interestingly, Politiken supported the idea of a Danish prince on the Norwegian throne despite its ideological stance, and Hejmdal welcomed the symbolic unifying potential of a Danish prince leading Norway after a divisive year.

The newspapers’ responses are analyzed within a broader context of Danish political transformation, marked by tensions between democratizing and conservative forces, and situated against the backdrop of wider European ideological shifts. The findings reveal how Norwegian political developments were filtered through domestic ideological lenses, shaped by each movement’s vision for the future of the Nordic region.