'Denmark contra Jvdæos'

Conspiracist antisemitism and stigmatised knowledge in Danish national socialism, 1938–1945

Authors

• Sofie Lene Bak Copenhagen University https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5676-1744

DOI: https://doi.org/10.30752/nj.142229

Keywords:

fascism, national socialism, Denmark, stigmatized knowledge, Conspiracist Antisemitism

Abstract

This article examines the relationship between conspiracy theories and antisemitism by posing the question of whether conspiracism is an inseparable and integrated part of national socialist antisemitism or a marginalised, extremist position even within such settings. An analysis of two Danish national-socialist journals, Kamptegnet and National-Socialisten, demonstrates how the introduction of stigmatised knowledge in the form of anti-Masonic conspiracy theories and the myth of ritual murder led to an antisemitic escalation process in Kamptegnet, imbuing antisemitism with a redemptive character during the Second World War. Antisemitic conspiracy theories, on the other hand, played a relatively marginal role in National-Socialisten, where aspects that enjoyed promotion in Germany were downplayed for tactical reasons. While antisemitism in National-Socialisten primarily played a role in caricatures and as a bizarre form of entertainment, an escalation can also be observed here as a consequence of the progression of the war and the intensified German propaganda effort.