Postmemory Interpretations of Second World War Love Affairs in Twenty-First-Century Norwegian Literature
Love and intimate relations between German men and Norwegian women were a widespread phenomenon during WWII. Like in many other European countries, these women were stigmatized and humiliated both by the authorities and by the civilian population. In this article, I discuss four postmemory literary...
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2025-06-01
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| author | Unni Langås |
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| description | Love and intimate relations between German men and Norwegian women were a widespread phenomenon during WWII. Like in many other European countries, these women were stigmatized and humiliated both by the authorities and by the civilian population. In this article, I discuss four postmemory literary works that address this issue: Edvard Hoem’s novel <i>Mors og fars historie</i> (<i>The Story of My Mother and Father</i>, 2005), Lene Ask’s graphic novel <i>Hitler, Jesus og farfar</i> (<i>Hitler, Jesus, and Grandfather</i>, 2006), Randi Crott and Lillian Crott Berthung’s autobiography <i>Ikke si det til noen!</i> (<i>Don’t tell anyone!</i>, 2013), and Atle Næss’s novel <i>Blindgjengere</i> (<i>Duds</i>, 2019). I explore how the narratives create a living connection between then and now and how they deal with unresolved questions and knowledge gaps. Furthermore, I discuss common themes such as the fate and identity of war children, national responsibilities versus individual choice, and norms connected to gender and sexuality. I argue that these postmemory interpretations of wartime love affairs not only aim to retell the past but to investigate the normative frameworks within which these relationships took place. My contention is that the postmemory gaze pays primary attention to the power of cultural constructions—of nationality, identity, and gender—as well as their context-related historical changes. |
| format | Article |
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| institution | DOAJ |
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| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
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| spelling | doaj-art-ceb4e5e2bf97460d9c9fced992f6e69b2025-08-20T03:07:58ZengMDPI AGHumanities2076-07872025-06-0114713510.3390/h14070135Postmemory Interpretations of Second World War Love Affairs in Twenty-First-Century Norwegian LiteratureUnni Langås0Department of Nordic and Media Studies, University of Agder, 4604 Kristiansand, NorwayLove and intimate relations between German men and Norwegian women were a widespread phenomenon during WWII. Like in many other European countries, these women were stigmatized and humiliated both by the authorities and by the civilian population. In this article, I discuss four postmemory literary works that address this issue: Edvard Hoem’s novel <i>Mors og fars historie</i> (<i>The Story of My Mother and Father</i>, 2005), Lene Ask’s graphic novel <i>Hitler, Jesus og farfar</i> (<i>Hitler, Jesus, and Grandfather</i>, 2006), Randi Crott and Lillian Crott Berthung’s autobiography <i>Ikke si det til noen!</i> (<i>Don’t tell anyone!</i>, 2013), and Atle Næss’s novel <i>Blindgjengere</i> (<i>Duds</i>, 2019). I explore how the narratives create a living connection between then and now and how they deal with unresolved questions and knowledge gaps. Furthermore, I discuss common themes such as the fate and identity of war children, national responsibilities versus individual choice, and norms connected to gender and sexuality. I argue that these postmemory interpretations of wartime love affairs not only aim to retell the past but to investigate the normative frameworks within which these relationships took place. My contention is that the postmemory gaze pays primary attention to the power of cultural constructions—of nationality, identity, and gender—as well as their context-related historical changes.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0787/14/7/135postmemorywartime love affairswartime intimate relationshipstyskerjenterNorwegian literatureEdvard Hoem |
| spellingShingle | Unni Langås Postmemory Interpretations of Second World War Love Affairs in Twenty-First-Century Norwegian Literature Humanities postmemory wartime love affairs wartime intimate relationships tyskerjenter Norwegian literature Edvard Hoem |
| title | Postmemory Interpretations of Second World War Love Affairs in Twenty-First-Century Norwegian Literature |
| title_full | Postmemory Interpretations of Second World War Love Affairs in Twenty-First-Century Norwegian Literature |
| title_fullStr | Postmemory Interpretations of Second World War Love Affairs in Twenty-First-Century Norwegian Literature |
| title_full_unstemmed | Postmemory Interpretations of Second World War Love Affairs in Twenty-First-Century Norwegian Literature |
| title_short | Postmemory Interpretations of Second World War Love Affairs in Twenty-First-Century Norwegian Literature |
| title_sort | postmemory interpretations of second world war love affairs in twenty first century norwegian literature |
| topic | postmemory wartime love affairs wartime intimate relationships tyskerjenter Norwegian literature Edvard Hoem |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0787/14/7/135 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT unnilangas postmemoryinterpretationsofsecondworldwarloveaffairsintwentyfirstcenturynorwegianliterature |