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”to the Jew first, and also to the Greek” (Romans 1,16) : Sermons and Speeches by the Swedish Archbishop Erling Eidem in the “Third Reich” before and during the Second World War

Jarlert, Anders LU (2021) In Kirchliche Zeitgeschichte 33(2). p.301-309
Abstract
In April, 2019, the author discovered that Archbishop Erling Eidem’s sermons and speeches, since 1966/1978, have been kept in the University library of Uppsala. This has been overlooked by all authors earlier dealing with Eidem, only using shortened summaries. In Lützen, on November 6, 1942, Eidem stated that »our Gustavus-Adolphuscelebration may not be characterized by national self-sufficiency and arrogance, as if we Swedes or we Northeners or we Germanes would be more than other peoples, tribes, or races on the earth.« On November 8, Eidem inaugurated the new rector of the Swedish Victoria congregation, Erik Perwe, in his office. Perwe replaced Birger Forell, who had organised an effective relief work for persecuted Jews. Contrary to... (More)
In April, 2019, the author discovered that Archbishop Erling Eidem’s sermons and speeches, since 1966/1978, have been kept in the University library of Uppsala. This has been overlooked by all authors earlier dealing with Eidem, only using shortened summaries. In Lützen, on November 6, 1942, Eidem stated that »our Gustavus-Adolphuscelebration may not be characterized by national self-sufficiency and arrogance, as if we Swedes or we Northeners or we Germanes would be more than other peoples, tribes, or races on the earth.« On November 8, Eidem inaugurated the new rector of the Swedish Victoria congregation, Erik Perwe, in his office. Perwe replaced Birger Forell, who had organised an effective relief work for persecuted Jews. Contrary to what has been generally believed, Eidem did not choose this word for this occasion. His sermon is to a great part identical with his speech at an inauguration in the archipelago of Stockholm earlier the same year. When he introduced St. Paul as »the former Jewish rabbi«, what in Sweden had been a historical note only, in Berlin in the midst of the Holocaust got another quality. When he quoted St. Paul also in German, the singular form – equal in Swedish and in English, got a stronger, plural address: »die Juden vornehmlich und auch die Griechen«.

Archbishop Eidem used his position and possibilities to preach in the capital of Nazi Germany in a way that cannot be reduced to pious rhetorics. The effect of »die Juden vornehmlich und auch die Griechen« at such a time and place must have been immense. In doing this, Eidem paved the way for life lines to be established and re-established in the Swedish congregation in Berlin. However, life lines often could not exist without collaboration, and in the following years, official and public collaboration was used to hide the life lines of both Jews and Christian dissidents. (Less)
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author
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Kirchliche Zeitgeschichte
volume
33
issue
2
pages
9 pages
publisher
Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht
external identifiers
  • scopus:85112634353
ISSN
0932-9951
DOI
10.13109/kize.2020.33.2.301
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
8f699bea-667c-46f9-bda4-afe56336363f
date added to LUP
2022-01-29 14:19:27
date last changed
2022-06-09 04:26:43
@article{8f699bea-667c-46f9-bda4-afe56336363f,
  abstract     = {{In April, 2019, the author discovered that Archbishop Erling Eidem’s sermons and speeches, since 1966/1978, have been kept in the University library of Uppsala. This has been overlooked by all authors earlier dealing with Eidem, only using shortened summaries. In Lützen, on November 6, 1942, Eidem stated that »our Gustavus-Adolphuscelebration may not be characterized by national self-sufficiency and arrogance, as if we Swedes or we Northeners or we Germanes would be more than other peoples, tribes, or races on the earth.« On November 8, Eidem inaugurated the new rector of the Swedish Victoria congregation, Erik Perwe, in his office. Perwe replaced Birger Forell, who had organised an effective relief work for persecuted Jews. Contrary to what has been generally believed, Eidem did not choose this word for this occasion. His sermon is to a great part identical with his speech at an inauguration in the archipelago of Stockholm earlier the same year. When he introduced St. Paul as »the former Jewish rabbi«, what in Sweden had been a historical note only, in Berlin in the midst of the Holocaust got another quality. When he quoted St. Paul also in German, the singular form – equal in Swedish and in English, got a stronger, plural address: »die Juden vornehmlich und auch die Griechen«.<br/><br/>Archbishop Eidem used his position and possibilities to preach in the capital of Nazi Germany in a way that cannot be reduced to pious rhetorics. The effect of »die Juden vornehmlich und auch die Griechen« at such a time and place must have been immense. In doing this, Eidem paved the way for life lines to be established and re-established in the Swedish congregation in Berlin. However, life lines often could not exist without collaboration, and in the following years, official and public collaboration was used to hide the life lines of both Jews and Christian dissidents.}},
  author       = {{Jarlert, Anders}},
  issn         = {{0932-9951}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{2}},
  pages        = {{301--309}},
  publisher    = {{Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht}},
  series       = {{Kirchliche Zeitgeschichte}},
  title        = {{”to the Jew first, and also to the Greek” (Romans 1,16) : Sermons and Speeches by the Swedish Archbishop Erling Eidem in the “Third Reich” before and during the Second World War}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.13109/kize.2020.33.2.301}},
  doi          = {{10.13109/kize.2020.33.2.301}},
  volume       = {{33}},
  year         = {{2021}},
}