The Crowd, the Press and the Mediated Public : Intramural Executions in Sweden, 1879-1910
(2025) In Scandinavian Journal of History 50(4). p.378-403- Abstract
- This essay is the first systematic study of intramural executions in Sweden. It examines how intramural executions were introduced, and what effects it had on the publicity of executions. All intramural executions 1879‒1910 are studied. The essay presents three notable findings. First, that the aim of the introduction of intramural executions was not to exclude spectators per se, but to exclude women, children and working-class men. Second, that the number of people (middle class men) present at executions could be quite high even after the introduction of intramural executions, especially in 1879‒1893. Third, that newspapers reported extensively on intramural executions, especially on flawed ones, where the condemned person was terrified... (More)
- This essay is the first systematic study of intramural executions in Sweden. It examines how intramural executions were introduced, and what effects it had on the publicity of executions. All intramural executions 1879‒1910 are studied. The essay presents three notable findings. First, that the aim of the introduction of intramural executions was not to exclude spectators per se, but to exclude women, children and working-class men. Second, that the number of people (middle class men) present at executions could be quite high even after the introduction of intramural executions, especially in 1879‒1893. Third, that newspapers reported extensively on intramural executions, especially on flawed ones, where the condemned person was terrified or where the killing was bloodier than planned. Such details threatened the legitimacy of the death penalty, and authorities gradually became more restrictive about allowing journalists to attend. Considering these findings, the essay argues that we should not take for granted that extramural executions were public while intramural executions were not. We should rather think of publicity as consisting of different spheres, and of journalists, as well as official witnesses, as ‘mediators’ between the scaffold and the public. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/c7e01906-cbea-4154-a921-f17517c20d4b
- author
- Ericsson, Martin LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2025-08-14
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- Death penalty, executions, Sweden, 19th century, publicity
- in
- Scandinavian Journal of History
- volume
- 50
- issue
- 4
- pages
- 26 pages
- publisher
- Routledge
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:105004856330
- ISSN
- 1502-7716
- DOI
- 10.1080/03468755.2025.2500956
- project
- Reportage från schavotten: Dagspressen, skillingtrycken och de svenska avrättningarna 1800‒1910
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- c7e01906-cbea-4154-a921-f17517c20d4b
- date added to LUP
- 2025-08-14 16:42:19
- date last changed
- 2025-10-14 09:05:28
@article{c7e01906-cbea-4154-a921-f17517c20d4b,
abstract = {{This essay is the first systematic study of intramural executions in Sweden. It examines how intramural executions were introduced, and what effects it had on the publicity of executions. All intramural executions 1879‒1910 are studied. The essay presents three notable findings. First, that the aim of the introduction of intramural executions was not to exclude spectators per se, but to exclude women, children and working-class men. Second, that the number of people (middle class men) present at executions could be quite high even after the introduction of intramural executions, especially in 1879‒1893. Third, that newspapers reported extensively on intramural executions, especially on flawed ones, where the condemned person was terrified or where the killing was bloodier than planned. Such details threatened the legitimacy of the death penalty, and authorities gradually became more restrictive about allowing journalists to attend. Considering these findings, the essay argues that we should not take for granted that extramural executions were public while intramural executions were not. We should rather think of publicity as consisting of different spheres, and of journalists, as well as official witnesses, as ‘mediators’ between the scaffold and the public.}},
author = {{Ericsson, Martin}},
issn = {{1502-7716}},
keywords = {{Death penalty; executions; Sweden; 19th century; publicity}},
language = {{eng}},
month = {{08}},
number = {{4}},
pages = {{378--403}},
publisher = {{Routledge}},
series = {{Scandinavian Journal of History}},
title = {{The Crowd, the Press and the Mediated Public : Intramural Executions in Sweden, 1879-1910}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/03468755.2025.2500956}},
doi = {{10.1080/03468755.2025.2500956}},
volume = {{50}},
year = {{2025}},
}