Aristocrats and Refined Peasants: The Concept of Aristocracy in Swedish Historiography

Abstract

This article investigates the evolution of aristocracy as a concept in Swedish historiography from the early nineteenth century to the present. In the political climate of the early 1800s, aristocracy became an increasingly contested concept, as reflected in ordinary language and the writing of national histories. A scholarly debate over anti-aristocratic prejudice between the historians Anders Fryxell and Erik Gustaf Geijer in the 1840s illustrates contemporary concerns to define the Swedish aristocracy and its relation to the nation. The debate gave rise to a persistent yet adaptable dualistic view of history, enduring well into the twentieth century. Historians portrayed monarchs, aristocrats, nobles, and peasants in a dualistic manner, dividing social groups into two oppositional forces. By emphasising the agency of freeholding peasants, notions of a Swedish Sonderweg were reinforced, facilitating the conceptualisation of peasant aristocrats. In tracing this historical trajectory, the article demonstrates how the meaning of aristocracy has evolved in response to scholarly objectives and historiographical trends.

Keywords

• aristocracy
• anti-aristocratic prejudice
• Sweden
• historiography
• peasant elites