Jewish Immigrants on the Political Agenda

This article discusses the Danish politicians’ articulation of Jewish immigrants in Denmark on the flight from pogroms’ in East Europe during 1903-21, and further how they discursively shape of the relations between Jews, Judaism and the Danish society. In other words, how have politicians attempted to construct “Danishness” and “otherness” during this period in debates on foreigners and Jews. How did the politicians in this period work out the (so-called) problems of the immigrants? The primary sources are debates, bills etc. found in the parliamentary archives which express the political elite’s views on Jews and Judaism. The paper will also include a theoretical discussion on how to analyse articulations on “otherness” as well as a description of the Jewish community during this period.

   Debates on Jews and Jewish immigrants in the Danish Parliaments is important debates which reflects a general articulation and construction of otherness in a particular society, but at the same time is these articulations condensed in sources such as written oral debates, Bills, Proposal for Parliamentary Resolution, Accounts, Committees work etc. found in the parliamentary archives. These documents are taken as evidence of the political elite’s views on Jewish immigrants and Jews as such and as a result of this the states view on Jewish immigrants and Jews as such. This is connected with the conception that the state can be seen as an accumulation of social institutions and as a discursive system, where political struggle take place. Thus in this specific context the state may be said to have a privileged position of power.