Den unge Orla Lehmanns Historiesyn ET BIDRAG TIL FORSTÅELSE AF NATIONALLIBERALISMENS GENNEMBRUD

Resumé

As Christian Degn has established in Orla Lehmann und der nationale Gedanke, historians have given the Danish National Liberal politician, Orla Lehmann (1810-1870), less than fair treatment. Lehmann's role as instigator of the fated Denmark-to-the-Eider policy and as a prominent promotor of abortive political Scandinavianism have overshadowed his more durable contribution to Danish historical development as a dynamic force behind the development of liberal ideology and politics as well as Danish national sentiment. Moreover, Lehmann's significance as Denmark's first real politician has never been sufficiently emphasized. Through his influence on public opinion and a very extensive personal correspondence he succeeded in creating a consensus on ideology and objectives within the highly individualistic National Liberal »party« to such a degree, that it was ready to seize power during the March Events in Copenhagen in 1848.

This study elucidates the development of Orla Lehmann's concept of history during the period from 1832 to 1848. Its two main conclusions are, firstly, that Lehmann's thinking went through distinct phases, and secondly, that gradually he was strongly influenced by the German philosopher Hegel's concept of history and view of the state. The preoccupation with Hegel can already be detected shortly after Lehmann's studies in Berlin in 1833-34, but only after 1842 or 1843 does it become clearly pronounced. In the author's view there is a double reason for this. First of all, it can be explained as a natural outcome of the faet that Lehmann found in Hegel's scheme of historical development many features that were congenial to the kind of organic conceptions he had been reared on. Secondly, it was Lehmann, who in 1842 was the first to propose the idea of a single state to the Eider, the realization of which called for more than Danish national sentiment among the population; it also required a strong state. When the otherwise so liberal Lehmann began to appreciate the necessity of a strong state, he was naturally led in the direction of Hegel.

These conclusions bring into question a number of those reached by Christian Degn in Orla Lehmann und der nationale Gedanke. Degn contends that Lehmann's relation to Hegel was unclear, and that his views during the whole period from 1832 to 1848 can be seen as a unified whole of liberalistic ideas devoid of any significant appreciation for historical tradition and the dictates of history. Finally, the author points out that Lehmann's preoccupation with the strong state, and thus with Hegel, is undoubtedly part of the reason why he, and other National Liberals as well, so quickly became more conservative than liberal.