The paradox of nationalism in constructing heritage

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The paradox of nationalism in constructing heritage Gustavsson, Karin 2011 Link to publication Citation for published version (APA): Gustavsson, K. (2011).

1 The paradox of nationalism in constructing heritage Gustavsson, Karin 2011 Link to publication Citation for published version (APA): Gustavsson, K. (2011). The paradox of nationalism in constructing heritage. Paper presented at SIEF congress, 2011, Lisbon, Portugal. General rights Copyright and moral rights for the publications made accessible in the public portal are retained by the authors and/or other copyright owners and it is a condition of accessing publications that users recognise and abide by the legal requirements associated with these rights. Users may download and print one copy of any publication from the public portal for the purpose of private study or research. You may not further distribute the material or use it for any profit-making activity or commercial gain You may freely distribute the URL identifying the publication in the public portal Take down policy If you believe that this document breaches copyright please contact us providing details, and we will remove access to the work immediately and investigate your claim. L UNDUNI VERS I TY PO Box L und

2 PaperpresentedattheSIEFconferenceinLissabon,Portugal,april KarinGustavsson,PhDStudent DepartmentofArtsandCulturalSciences,DivisionofEthnology Lunduniversity Theparadoxofnationalisminconstructingheritage Iwillstartwithintroducingmytopicgenerally,andthenIwillspeakaboutaspecific example,thecooperationbetweenaswedishandadanishscholar.thisspecific exampleissupposedtoillustrateamoregeneralphenomenon.iwillclosewithsome questionthatmayopenforsomediscussion. Mythesisisbaseduponthedocumentationsofavanishingpeasantsocietythatwas conductedintheswedishcountryside,particularlyduring1920 and1930's. FieldworkswereorganizedbymuseumsanduniversitiesinSweden.Inthesummerof 1920,about35personsparticipatedinfieldworkswiththeaimdocumentingthe materialcultureinthecountryside(gustavsson2009:107). Thefieldworkersweremostlyyoungmen,studentsinartsorarchitecture.Theyworked insmallgroups,usingquitesimpleequipment,andtheytravelledbybicycle.mystudyis merelybaseduponthesedocumentationsofbuildingsandsettlements.butallaspectsof peasantculturewereconsideredasworthdocumentation settlements,cultivation, traditionsandcustoms,dialectsandplacenames,folkloreandfolktales.analysisand studiesofthecollectionoftheseaspectsofpeasantculturemadebyethnologistsand historiansareimportantforme(skott2008,lilja1996).thesameideaswerebehind theeffortsthatweremadeinalldifferentprojectsthatinvolveddocumentationofthe vanishingfolkculture.oldbuildingswerelookeduponasrepresentativeforanational culture,justbecausetheywhereold.oldmannersinhousingandbuildingtechniques were,sotospeak,conservedfromanoldereraandthereforebearerofwitnessofanold lifestyle. 1

3 PaperpresentedattheSIEFconferenceinLissabon,Portugal,april InmydoctoralthesisIdescribeandanalyzethedocumentationsofvernacular architectureinswedenduringthefirstdecadesofthe20:thcentury.theleadingkey personinthiswastheethnologistsigurderixon.from1916hewasemployedbythe NordicMuseum,Nordiskamuseet.(Nordiskamuseetisthemaininstitutionforcultural historyinsweden,locatedinahugebuildingatdjurgården,justoutsidethecitycentre ofstockholm).in1934hebecameprofessorinethnologyinstockholm. ErixonstartedinvestigationsanddocumentationsintheSwedishcountrysidebyhimself 1912,buthehadagreattalentfororganizationandsoonhemanagedtoarrangeand financefieldworksinseverallandscapes.hisgoalwastoorganizeandconduct systematicallyinvestigations,whichhealsomanagedwithverywell. Culturalnationalism IsoonrealizedthatthiswasnotanisolatedSwedishphenomenon.Similarprojectswere carriedoutinmanyeuropeancountries.withineachcountry,theneedtoexplorewhat wasdefinedaspeasantculturewaspresentedasstronglynationalistprojects.butthe contactswerefrequentbetweenkeypeopleineachcountry.theworkwasconducted similarly,usingthesameconceptualbackgroundinvariouscountries.thecultural nationalismthathadbeguntodevelopineuropeduringthe19thcenturywas,asorvar Löfgrenhaspointedout,aninternationalmovement,whereideasaboutwhat constitutedareal folk"weredistributedacrossnationalborders(löfgren1989:6ff). TheSwedishargumentsforwhytheseactivitieswereimportantandneeded governmentsubsidiesweremainlybasedonanationalistrhetoric itwasimportantfor thenationandnationalself esteemthattheknowledgeofpeople'spastwaskeptalive. Thesametypeofargumentswasusedinothercountries.Everynationneededa commonlangueandacommonpast,butalsoanationalfolkculture.thisnational inventorywasproducedmainlyduringthenineteenthcentury,butelaboratedduring thetwentieth. Hence,thereisaninterestingparadoxinhowargumentsinfavourofthenational imperativeareused.thesameargumentswereusedinseveraldifferentcountriesto asserttheirownnationalinterests.thesamemethodswerealsousedinthe documentations.whatwasemphasizedasstrictlynationalprojectsofgreatvaluetothe 2

4 PaperpresentedattheSIEFconferenceinLissabon,Portugal,april ownnationwassimultaneouslyinmanycountries. Aspecificexample Iwillnowtalkaboutthesimilaritiesinhowthepracticalfieldworkwascarriedoutwith examplesfromswedenanddenmark,twoscandinavianneighbourswhomayseemvery similar,butthenation stateineachcountrywereraisedindifferentways.andduring the1920 s and1930'sanotionofanexistingandspecialcommonnordicculturewas founded.organizationswerefoundedwiththeaimtodevelopcooperationbetweenthe Nordiccountriesindifferentways. Iaminvestigatingtherelationsbetweentwokeypersons,SigurdErixoninSwedenand HalvorZangenberginDenmark,withtheaimtoanalyzehowtheirprojectswerestrictly nationalandimportantintheprocesstoformanationalidentity,andinthesametime, carriedoninasimilarwayinthetwocountries.theircontactwasalsoaveryconcrete exampleofcooperationwithinthenordicsphere,asijustmentioned.erixonhas alreadybeenmentioned.zangenbergwasduringthesametimethemostprominent expertinthesamefield vernaculararchitecture indenmark. TheneedfordocumentationoffolkculturewasexpressedintheSwedishparliamentin thisledtoanofficialcommitteeinSwedenaimingtofindformsof organizationforthesystematiccollectionofavanishingswedishfolkculture.the committeeearlylookedtowardstheotherscandinaviancountries,inordertolearnhow similarprojectsweremanagedintheneighbourcountries.wherewastheresponsibility fortheworkconducted withinauthorities,museums,anduniversitiesoramong voluntaries?whatprioritiesweremade?howwastheworkfunded? ExpertsfromtheotherNordiccountrieswereinvitedtothecommitteemeetings.The committeeinitiallylookedathowtheurgenttaskhadbeensolvedorweresuggestedto besettledindenmark,norwayandfinland.whatthenwereconsideredweremainly thepracticalaspectsandquestionsabouthowtheworkwasorganized,butofcourse thisalsocausedanideologicalinfluencebetweenthedifferentcountries(sou1924:26 27).Thus,thecontactsbetweenZangenbergandErixoncanbeseenasapracticaland personalexpressionofwhatwasontheofficialagenda. 3

5 PaperpresentedattheSIEFconferenceinLissabon,Portugal,april IdonotknowhowZangenbergandErixonlearnedtoknowoneanother.Buttheycame fromthesamegeneration,andtheybothdevotedtheircareerstothesamephenomena. Isupposethattheymetintheearly1920 s,perhapsataninternationalcongresslikethe onewearevisitingnow.perhapsincopenhagen1924ataninternationalcongressfor ethnologiststhattheybothparticipatedin?itisalsopossiblethattheirfriendshipand collegialexchangebegunbywritingtooneanother. Theywerebothinleadingpositionwithinthisfield;sorather,ithadbeenstrangeifthey hadnotestablishedcontactwitheachother.thenumberofprofessionalswassmall,so werethecommunityofscholars.thereforeitwasnecessarytocreatenetworksthat oftenwerebeyondbordersofnations. Zangenbergwaseducatedasanarchitect.HehadastronginterestfortheoldDanish folkcultureandalreadyinthe1910:shestartedwithinvestigationsoffarmsteadsand otheroldruralbuildings,asavolunteer.in1920hewasemployedattheopen air museum,frilandsmuseet,northofcopenhagen.herehebecameresponsibleforthe buildingsatthemuseum.themuseumkeptandexhibitedbuildingsfromallover Denmark,butalsofromprovincesofnorthGermanyandsouthernSwedenthatoncehad beenapartofthedanishkingdom.theswedishbuildingswerewooden,abuilding constructionthatdidnotappearindenmark.therefore,zangenbergneededhelpfrom Swedishexpertsandcraftsmenwhenbuildingmaintenancewasrequired.AndErixon wastheforemostexpertonthisthatzangenbergevercouldfind.thereisaconsiderable correspondencewheretheydiscussdifferentsolutionswhenrepairsinthemuseum buildingsshouldbemade.thebothofthemalsodiscussedtheneedforascandinavian associationforethnologists. InthecorrespondenceZangenbergandErixonexchangedthoughtsandexperiencesthat theybothusedintheirprofessionalwritingandtracksfromthisexchangecanbeseenin theirarticlesandbooks.ithemid1920 s,erixonworkedonaseriesofbooksaboutold Swedishhousingandfurniture.Hisaimwastoproofthatnotonlybuildingsbutalsothe furniturewasofgreatimportancetoscholars,asbearersofvanishingfolkculture.he askedzangenbergalotofquestionsaboutfurnishinginolddanishfarmsteads.erixon usedthefactsthatzangenbergcontributedinhiswriting(erixon1925). 4

6 PaperpresentedattheSIEFconferenceinLissabon,Portugal,april Formanyyears,HalvorZangenbergwasworkingquitealonewithdocumentationof vernaculararchitecture.thishemadeinthesummertime,therestoftheyearhewas busyconductingtheopen airmuseumincopenhagen.sometimesayoungercolleague accompaniedhiminthefieldworks,atsomeopportunitiesswedishalbertnilsson travelledtogetherwithhim.healsowenttoswedenseveraltimeswiththepurposeto studyoldwoodenbuildingsinthesouthofsweden. Inthesummerof1932,ZangenbergandErixonparticipatedinatripinsouthSweden togetherwithscholarsfromlund.forzangenberg,thiswasanimportantopportunityto studywoodenbuildingsinsouthswedentogetherwithswedishexperts.thescientific knowledgeofvernaculararchitectureandtraditionalbuildingtechniqueswas dependentonboththepracticalfieldworkandonexchangeofexperienceswith colleagues.thiswayoftravellingtogethercanalsobeseenasakindofcontinuationof theclassicalwayoflearningbytravelling. InhisworkinDenmarkZangenbergwasstronglyinspiredofhowthesystematically investigationsofthevernaculararchitecturewasconductedinsweden,wherehisfriend Erixonwasthemastermindbehindallactivities.Onhisown,Zangenbergmade documentationsofanimpressiveamountofoldruralbuildings,andin20years, between1921and1940,hepublishedabout45articlesandessaysaboutbuilding cultureindenmark.hisambitionwastosynthesizehisgreatknowledgeabout traditionaldanishbuildingcultureinasummarypublication,buthenevergotthe opportunitytoworkwithsuchabook. ButwhentheNationalmuseumofDenmarkin1944atlaststartedwithsystematically investigationsinthesamewayasinsweden,zangenbergwasnolongerapartofthese projects.hediedin1940,aged59.erixonkeptonworkingwithpublishingtheresultsof investigationsoffolkculturehiswholelife,until1968.afterhisdeath,formerpupils formedacommitteethatcontinuedthepublishingoferixon sworksforseveralyears. Creatingculturalheritage WhatwastheresultofthedocumentationsofoldruralbuildingsinSwedenandlateron indenmark,andwhatweretheresultsofthecooperationbetweenourtwofriends 5

7 PaperpresentedattheSIEFconferenceinLissabon,Portugal,april ZangenbergandErixon? Theaimwiththedocumentationswastocreatecollectionsinthearchivesthatwere complete.thewordcompleteisasfrequentasthewordsystematicinthedescriptionsof theambitionsofthedocumentations.whenzangenbergin1925publishedanarticle thatwasabroaddescriptionofdanishfarmsteads,hestarted,intheveryfirstsentence, withregrettingthattherestillweresomanygapsintheknowledgeoffarmsteads.there werestillmanyparisheswerenoinvestigationsatallhadbeenmade,butitwasjusta matteroftimeuntilthecollectionswerecomplete.thearticlewasbasedonalecture thatzangenbergpresentedattheethnologistconferenceincopenhagen1924 (Zangenberg1925).AsIjustmentioned,hiswishwastosummarizeallhisobservations inonebook.erixonmanagedtodothis,withhisswedishmaterial.in1947,the monumentalsvenskbyggnadskultur/swedishbuildingculture/waspublished.the bookwithmorethan800pagesistheresultofmorethan25yearsofresearch.thesize ofthebookemphasizesthedignityofitsmatter(erixon1947). Iwouldliketoarguethatculturalheritageisnotastableobjectivevalue,butacategory thatisloadedwithvalue,asrequired,indifferenttimesandindifferentcontexts.the purposewiththeinvestigationsofruralbuildingswas,asijustmentioned,notto preservethebuildings.thepurposewassavingknowledgeaboutpeasantculture, knowledgethatwassupposedtobekeptinarchivesforscholarstotakepartofsothatit wouldbepossibleforfuturegenerationstolearnaboutthepast,whenmodernhouses hadreplacedtheoldones.butafrequentresultofthedocumentationswasthatobjects thathadbeennotedbythefieldworkerslaterbecameclassifiedasheritage.the attentionthatwasdrawntothebuildingbythefieldworkslaterledtothatthebuildings becamepartoftheheritage. Ending: Howwastheunderstandingofwhatwascategorizedasanationalheritageaffectedby thefactthattheideologicalthoughtsandmethodsusedforconstructingheritagewas formedinacontextofnationalplurality?cananationalcollectivememoryofhistorybe expressedasculturalheritagewhilethepresumptionsaresimilarinseveralcountries? 6

Paper presented at the SIEF conference in Lissabon, Portugal, april 20 2011 By studying the example with Erixons and Zangenbergs cooperation we can note how their personal contacts resulted in a

8 Paper presented at the SIEF conference in Lissabon, Portugal, april By studying the example with Erixons and Zangenbergs cooperation we can note how their personal contacts resulted in a transfer of knowledge across a border between two nations. They were both the foremost expert in their field of expertise in Sweden and Denmark. Through their work they contributed to the consolidation of what would be regarded as a national heritage of their homelands. They worked in the same way, using the same methods, the result was creating national heritage, in two different nations with different needs of heritage. Halvor Zangenberg (left) and Sigurd Erixon at fieldwork in the province of Skåne, south Sweden, Picture from the Sigurd Erixon collection in the library of Linköping, Sweden. I wish to express my gratitude to the Krapperup foundation for grants that made it possible for me to participate at the SIEF congress

9 PaperpresentedattheSIEFconferenceinLissabon,Portugal,april References: Betänkandemedförslagtillettsystematisktutforskandeavdensvenska allmogekultureni II,SOU1924:26 27 Erixon,Sigurd1925:Möblerochheminredningisvenskabygder,del1.Nordiskamuseet Erixon,Sigurd1947:Svenskbyggnadskultur:studierochskildringarbelysandeden svenskabyggnadskulturenshistoria.stockholm Gustavsson,Karin2009:1920 taletsby ochbebyggelsedokumentationer.kringkärnan XX,HelsingborgsMuseiförening,Helsingborg Lilja,Agneta1996:Föreställningenomdenidealauppteckningen.Enstudieavidéoch praktikvidtraditionssamlandearkiv ettexempelfrånuppsala Uppsala (SkrifterutgivnagenomDialekt ochfolkminnesarkivetiuppsalab:22) Löfgren,Orvar1989:TheNationalizationofCulture.EthnologiaEuropaeaXIX,1 Skott,Fredrik2008:Folketsminnen.Traditionsinsamlingiidéochpraktik AvhandlingarfrånhistoriskainstitutioneniGöteborg53.Institutetförspråkoch folkminnen.göteborg. Zangenberg,Halvor1925:Danskebøndergaarde,grundplanerogkonstruktioner foredragholdtveddet3:enordiskeforskermødeikøbenhavn1924.danskefolkeminder 31,København;Schönbergske 8

Collecting dialect data and making use of them an interim report from Swedia 2000

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