Cultural radicalism (Danish: ''Kulturradikalisme'') was a movement in first
Danish, but later also
Nordic culture in general. It was particularly strong in the
Interwar Period
In the history of the 20th century, the interwar period, also known as the interbellum (), lasted from 11 November 1918 to 1 September 1939 (20 years, 9 months, 21 days) – from the end of World War I (WWI) to the beginning of World War II ( ...
, but its philosophy has its origin in the 1870s and a great deal of modern social commentary still refer to it.
At the time of the height of the cultural radical movement it was referred to as modern. The words cultural radical and cultural radicalism was first used in an essay by Elias Bredsdorff in the
broadsheet newspaper, ''
Politiken'', in 1956. Bredsdorff described cultural radicals as people who are socially responsible with an international outlook.
Cultural radicalism has usually been described as the heritage of
Georg Brandes's
Modern Breakthrough, the foundation and early editorials of the newspaper ''
Politiken'', the foundation of the political party ''
Radikale Venstre'', to the magazine ''
Kritisk Revy'' by
Poul Henningsen (PH).
The values most commonly associated with cultural radicalism are among others:
criticism of religion, opposition to
social norms, criticism of
Victorian sexual morality,
anti-militarism and an openness to new cultural input other than the classic western (e.g.
jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...
, modern architecture, art, literature and theater).
Internationally
''Cultural radicalism'' is also used outside of Denmark. In Scandinavia, it often refers to the Danish movement, but elsewhere, the concept may just share the etymology. In
Sweden
Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...
, cultural radicalism has been seen as opposition to the Swedish church and to the
Neo-Victorian
Neo-Victorianism refers to a contemporary cultural, aesthetic, and literary movement that engages with, reimagines, and rewrites the literature, history, and aesthetics of the Victorian period. Emerging prominently in the late 20th century, Neo ...
sexual moral. In
Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard also form part of the Kingdom of ...
the movement has been associated with the magazine
Mot Dag in 1930s and its authors such as
Sigurd Hoel and
Arnulf Øverland. In the US, ''cultural radicalism'' is sometimes used as the opposite of
cultural conservatism
Cultural conservatism is described as the protection of the cultural heritage of a nation state, or of a culture not defined by state boundaries. It is sometimes associated with criticism of multiculturalism, and anti-immigration sentiment. B ...
, especially in the context of
culture wars.
Cultural radicals
*
Kjeld Abell
*
Edvard Brandes
*
Georg Brandes
*
Bernhard Christensen
*
Mogens Fog
*
Poul Henningsen
*
Edvard Heiberg
*
Viggo Hørup
Viggo Lauritz Bentheim Hørup (22 May 1841 – 15 February 1902) was a Danish politician, journalist and agitator.
He was the father of Ellen Hørup (1871-1953).
He was one of the most influential politicians of the Danish non-Socialist ...
*
Hans Kirk
*
Klaus Rifbjerg
*
Ove Rode
*
Hans Scherfig
*
Tøger Seidenfaden
*
August Strindberg
See also
*
Modern Breakthrough
*
Politiken
*
Radikale Venstre
*
Russian nihilist movement
External links
Cultural Radicalism in the Danish Democracy CanonDenmark/Historical perspective: cultural policies and instrumentsKulturradikalismen on leksikon.org (in Danish)
{{Denmark topics
Intellectual history
Modernism
Philosophy of culture
Political philosophy
Radicalism (historical)