THE SECOND WORLD WAR IN NORDIC CULTURE
How have the wartime issues of occupation, resistance, collaboration, neutrality, and the Holocaust been addressed in Nordic culture? During the Second World War, Norway and Denmark were invaded and occupied by Nazi Germany, while Sweden remained neutral and Finland fought against the Soviet Union. Resistance movements developed in the occupied countries, but some Norwegians and Danes collaborated with the occupying power and were tried for treason after the war. Become familiar with the basic history of the period by reading texts of various sorts (essays, novels, diaries, poetry, memoir) that were written during the war years and since. Through analyzing films and works of fiction, in addition to historical writing, learn how the Second World War and the Holocaust have been represented and remembered in the Nordic countries.
Prerequisites & course information
Requisites: Sophomore standing Course Designation: Core GenEd - Humanities & Arts Breadth - Humanities Level - Intermediate L&S Credit - L&S Liberal Arts and Science Grad 50% - Counts toward 50% graduate coursework requirement Repeatable for Credit: No Last Taught: Spring 2026 Learning Outcomes: 1. Explain the history of the Nordic region during the Second World War, including the key differences between the war experiences of each Nordic country Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 2. Analyze literary, historical, and cultural texts in terms of how they address and represent issues such as occupation, collaboration, resistance, neutrality, Nazism, and the Holocaust Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 3. Interpret how films and memoirs reflect and embody cultural memories of war and occupation, and how they address social and historical issues related to the Second World War Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 4. Conduct research about the Second World War, the Holocaust, and the Nordic countries using English-language sources Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 5. Conduct research about the Second World War, the Holocaust, and the Nordic countries using Nordic-language sources (Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, or Finnish) Audience: Graduate Learning Outcomes: 1. Explain the history of the Nordic region during the Second World War, including the key differences between the war experiences of each Nordic country Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 2. Analyze literary, historical, and cultural texts in terms of how they address and represent issues such as occupation, collaboration, resistance, neutrality, Nazism, and the Holocaust Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 3. Interpret how films and memoirs reflect and embody cultural memories of war and occupation, and how they address social and historical issues related to the Second World War Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 4. Conduct research about the Second World War, the Holocaust, and the Nordic countries using English-language sources Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 5. Conduct research about the Second World War, the Holocaust, and the Nordic countries using Nordic-language sources (Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, or Finnish) Audience: Graduate
Sources
- Course catalogue ↗2026-2027