Eine grandiose Abschiedsvorstellung: Thomas Mann und die deutsche Kultur in schwedischer Nachkriegszeit

In English This article deals with Sweden’s relations to the German cultural sphere in the early post-war era. Since the nineteenth century, Germany had been the main inspiration to Sweden, but the Second World War irrevocably ended this epoch in Swedish history. In the wake of the war the German legacy was critically examined. On the literary scene, critics generally paid a warm tribute to Thomas Mann and the ideals he epitomized, but regarded him as an exception to the general rule. On the whole, German culture had continuously shown a fatal inclination for demonism, the Swedish observers concluded. Thus, the Nazi experience contained a strong appeal to the Swedes: stay away from the German sphere.