Att inte ge sig : en mikrohistorisk studie om en ung kvinnas dagböcker från Helsingborg 1941–1945
(2025) HISS33 20251History
- Abstract
- To Not Submit: A Microhistorical Study of a Young Woman’s Diaries from Helsingborg 1941–1945.
This study examines seven diaries containing approximately 120,000 words. They were written in 1941-1945 by a woman born in 1925 in a bourgeois household in the Scanian port town of Helsingborg. The diaries are contextualized through literary theory as a journal in-time. They are also interpreted within a specific genre of young women’s diaries where the author questions female gender roles. This article aims to microhistorically examine these diaries in order to understand how Swedish youth experienced youth culture and intimate relationships during the Second World War. Previous, in large part ethnological research on Swedish 1940’s youth... (More) - To Not Submit: A Microhistorical Study of a Young Woman’s Diaries from Helsingborg 1941–1945.
This study examines seven diaries containing approximately 120,000 words. They were written in 1941-1945 by a woman born in 1925 in a bourgeois household in the Scanian port town of Helsingborg. The diaries are contextualized through literary theory as a journal in-time. They are also interpreted within a specific genre of young women’s diaries where the author questions female gender roles. This article aims to microhistorically examine these diaries in order to understand how Swedish youth experienced youth culture and intimate relationships during the Second World War. Previous, in large part ethnological research on Swedish 1940’s youth culture has relied on later date sources and often focused on the moral panic expressed in conservative media. A contemporary young woman’s perspective has been strikingly absent. The diarist, anonymised as “Elsa”, enjoys the popular and controver-sial dancing venues, and frequents seven different cinemas watching mostly American films, being not as impressed by Swedish movie stars. While working as a clerk at the Grand Hotel, she falls in love with a waiter named Ove. Their relationship goes through several phases. As the years pass, and through the course of many nights, Ove attempts to convince Elsa to give herself to him sexually. Elsa accounts everything at length, often being distraught, as well as tempted, questioning women’s celibacy until marriage. It becomes apparent that she remains influenced by the 19th century, bourgeoise sexual morals enforced by her mother and aunts. Ultimately, Elsa chooses not to “give herself” to Ove and instead begins to strike out as an artist.
Due to Helsingborg’s proximity to German-occupied Denmark, Elsa also comes closer to the war than many of her compatriots. From her family’s balcony, she watches the British Royal Air Force being shot by both Swedish and German artillery. Her uncle participating in the seaborne iron-ore trade with Germany is torpedoed by a Soviet submarine. She is over-joyed by the news of Adolf Hitler’s death and takes part in the peace celebrations on the 5th of May.
Although focusing on Elsa’s individual experiences, personality, expressions, relation-ships, and agency, the results of the study are often generalised and made further relevant through existential history, hermeneutics, and comparisons with literature, including novels, drama, and poetry. Narrative competence and a more experimental style of analysis are premiered as an important, valuable part of microhistory. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/9202111
- author
- Hjärne, Agardh LU
- supervisor
-
- Wiebke Kolbe LU
- organization
- course
- HISS33 20251
- year
- 2025
- type
- H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
- subject
- keywords
- Microhistory, diary studies, journal intime, existential history, youth culture, Helsingborg, 1940s.
- language
- Swedish
- id
- 9202111
- date added to LUP
- 2025-06-18 16:21:11
- date last changed
- 2025-06-18 16:21:15
@misc{9202111,
abstract = {{To Not Submit: A Microhistorical Study of a Young Woman’s Diaries from Helsingborg 1941–1945.
This study examines seven diaries containing approximately 120,000 words. They were written in 1941-1945 by a woman born in 1925 in a bourgeois household in the Scanian port town of Helsingborg. The diaries are contextualized through literary theory as a journal in-time. They are also interpreted within a specific genre of young women’s diaries where the author questions female gender roles. This article aims to microhistorically examine these diaries in order to understand how Swedish youth experienced youth culture and intimate relationships during the Second World War. Previous, in large part ethnological research on Swedish 1940’s youth culture has relied on later date sources and often focused on the moral panic expressed in conservative media. A contemporary young woman’s perspective has been strikingly absent. The diarist, anonymised as “Elsa”, enjoys the popular and controver-sial dancing venues, and frequents seven different cinemas watching mostly American films, being not as impressed by Swedish movie stars. While working as a clerk at the Grand Hotel, she falls in love with a waiter named Ove. Their relationship goes through several phases. As the years pass, and through the course of many nights, Ove attempts to convince Elsa to give herself to him sexually. Elsa accounts everything at length, often being distraught, as well as tempted, questioning women’s celibacy until marriage. It becomes apparent that she remains influenced by the 19th century, bourgeoise sexual morals enforced by her mother and aunts. Ultimately, Elsa chooses not to “give herself” to Ove and instead begins to strike out as an artist.
Due to Helsingborg’s proximity to German-occupied Denmark, Elsa also comes closer to the war than many of her compatriots. From her family’s balcony, she watches the British Royal Air Force being shot by both Swedish and German artillery. Her uncle participating in the seaborne iron-ore trade with Germany is torpedoed by a Soviet submarine. She is over-joyed by the news of Adolf Hitler’s death and takes part in the peace celebrations on the 5th of May.
Although focusing on Elsa’s individual experiences, personality, expressions, relation-ships, and agency, the results of the study are often generalised and made further relevant through existential history, hermeneutics, and comparisons with literature, including novels, drama, and poetry. Narrative competence and a more experimental style of analysis are premiered as an important, valuable part of microhistory.}},
author = {{Hjärne, Agardh}},
language = {{swe}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{Att inte ge sig : en mikrohistorisk studie om en ung kvinnas dagböcker från Helsingborg 1941–1945}},
year = {{2025}},
}