#that awkward moment when the social democratic party boring as they are today

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The Statue Brantingmonumentet

ferenofnopewood replied to your post “OMG Carl Johan Eldh who made that statue of Strindberg as Loki in...”

Yes show us

I shall.

firstly i want it to be clear that the socialdemocratic party of sweden really were, and is, a democratic party. They were democratic socialist, and they wanted all to know it. and they were terrified of communism, because they feared that of sweden became a communist nation, we would be forced annexed into the soviet union (look up a historical map of the soviet union and were sweden is located to understand why this were a legit fear).

furthermore many people fled from the soviet union too sweden, once again because of that we are so close to eachother geograpical sense. therefore sweden state and general pupblic were very very aware of the horrific things going on in the soviet union. the soviet unionen were literally just across the baltic sea during those days.

i wanted say this disclaimer so that you, the reader, might to understand how it therefore is FASCINATING that the socialdemocratic party, being totally sincere, the very same socialdemocratic party who were so against communsim, commisioned this statue without irony in the 1950s.

this statue by Carl Eldh were commisoned in 1935 but finished in 1952. this monument, which is gigantic btw, show the first socialdemocratic prime minister in sweden Branting in the middle (with the raised fist). he ofcourse as red banners in the background because he BREATHS and LIVES Democratic Socialism

close up off Branting, first ever swedish social democratic prime minister. also, should be noted, were able to become prime minister because the working class moment had gotten through the right to vote for working class men. Branting also were a important part in why the social democratic became... well who they are. Branting were actually upper class as fuck. and also for parliemntarism and reform democrartic socialism.

he kicked out the revultionary socialist out of the social democratic party (which in this context means socialists who wanted to end parlimentarism, and go the same road as russia were going with the russian revultion). but the kicking out of these suspected “revultionary socialists” were sometimes unfair and did not only target those who were actually looking for making sweden into a dictatorship.

Carl Eldh clearly knows his stuff and have snuck in Palm into this statue therefore. Palm being the other founder of the socialdemocratic party, but who got kicked out for not fitting with Branting view of socialism. Palm were also, actually working class, in oppisition to Branting

oh there he is! Palm! and Danielsson too! even the less accepted by social democratic party of that time, has snuck in!

a little elf! apperntly she is soppused to sympolize the blossoming spring. spring of what? democratic socialism i assume. when someone says social democrats of sweden this is not the image that comes to my mind. but Eldh were like hell yeah this is socialdemocracy!!!

(social democracy of the 1950s is for my more like: aiming to build 1 million cheap and affordable housing, standarized sinks, KINDERGARTEN, sweden having a absurd good economy and the social democratic party basically throwing money at their working class voters via reforms. also. the colour grey).

Eldh here wrote a text. it says this: “swedish social democracy raised this monument to honor the memory of our chief Hjalmar Branting. He dedicated his life to the workers of Sweden.”

oh wow Eldh..... you sure feel that fire of Branting (tbf he most likely knew him in real life.)

“he [Branting] awoke slumbering power among the common people and he led their struggle for freedom and justice. the future is hidden within what he achieved”

detail of the attentive crowd listening to Branting

it being uncovered in 1952 with a massive crowd. the people there in the front with the hats, are students.

Carl Eldh about the art piece:

“it show the workers march during 1 may, one of those first 1 may demonstrations in this country. you know back when working class women and children were arriving to the march directlly from the end of their shifts. those people who were there during those demonstration around the year 1900 will never forget the amazing feeling we all had while marching. and here on my art piece, i want to show how Branting stod their and spoke to the audience of workers. and among those workers in the audience are other important people in working class moment like Danielsson, Thorsson, Palm.”

i should mention here that Carl Eldh were from a working class background. which also explains why he is speaking in we-form (we marched there, we will never forget etc).

Conclusion

I have personally, despite being a democratic socialist, never felt this deep passion for Branting in particular. now, ofcourse, i am not a social democrat BUT.

someone who felt a burning passion for Branting though, were apperntly Eldh. also, the socialdemocratic party of the 1950s who just ordererd this statue unironcally and were like

AWESOME ART PIECE. looks like normal art. lets dedicate an entire park to it!!!! perhaps we should not give usa president a tour of it yeah? but WHATEVER. at last we got it!! gigantic art piece of our first socialdemocratic prime minister.

oh, i, the 1950s social democratic party of sweden, sure loves bathing in money.

ps. we got more of these type of socialist art from sweden of that era. this one is just..... memorable, and i see it relativaly often irl

Sources

all images via wikipedia article about this statue. click here for link