Memories of a nation

This chapter examines the relationship between ethnographic materials and political ideologies in Iceland during the interwar period and the Second World War. Using historical photographs, diaries, and documents, the analysis focuses on the publication, From Turf Houses into the Technological Age , that chronicles Iceland's modernisation in the 1920s and 1930s through the lens of three German scholars—Hans Kuhn, Bruno Schweizer, and Reinhardt Prinz. While their contributions to linguistics, folklore, and archaeology are acknowledged, their ties to the Nazi regime have been largely overlooked, leading to their depiction as apolitical scholars with a Romantic interest in Iceland. The chapter argues that ethnographic records are not mere reflections of history but culturally charged objects that shape historical narratives. It explores how the idealisation of Iceland as the cradle of Nordic civilisation fuelled Nazi ideologies and became a cultural capital that Icelandic elites used to strengthen nationalist sentiments and gain international recognition. The chapter also delves into the complex engagement of Icelanders with Nazism, particularly through Bruno Schweizer's unsuccessful attempt to secure Ahnenerbe funding for an Icelandic expedition. Ultimately, it sheds light on the problematic relationship between scholarship, nationalism, and ideological affiliations in Icelandic history.