Essays In pursuit of the authentic. Latvia’s intimate nationalism in the past, present and future,

This essay traces the development of Latvian nationalism from its emergence in the 19th century to the present, particularly examining how the relationship between the individual and the nation has been interpreted. By relying on the ideas of Johann Gottlieb Fichte and his idealization of authentic cultures, this essay examines his influences on the invention of authentic Latvian culture (and people) in the 19th century, as well as the afterlives of Fichte’s ideas during the Ulmanis regime, the independence struggle in the 1980s, and finally, in the contemporary, liberal era. The essay argues that the unfavorable comparison to their idealized, “authentic” selves has contributed to a discourse in which people are expected to engage in a personal and inherently intimate relationship with their nation. I argue that these principles produce an anti-populist nationalism that distinguishes Latvian nationalism from its European counterparts.

Published in the printed edition of Baltic Worlds BW 2025:4,pages 80-86
Published on balticworlds.com on December 18, 2025

abstract

This essay traces the development of Latvian nationalism from its emergence in the 19th century to the present, particularly examining how the relationship between the individual and the nation has been interpreted. By relying on the ideas of Johann Gottlieb Fichte and his idealization of authentic cultures, this essay examines his influences on the invention of authentic Latvian culture (and people) in the 19th century, as well as the afterlives of Fichte’s ideas during the Ulmanis regime, the independence struggle in the 1980s, and finally, in the contemporary, liberal era. The essay argues that the unfavorable comparison to their idealized, “authentic” selves has contributed to a discourse in which people are expected to engage in a personal and inherently intimate relationship with their nation. I argue that these principles produce an anti-populist nationalism that distinguishes Latvian nationalism from its European counterparts.

KEYWORDS: Latvia, nationalism, populism, particularism, authenticity, Fichte.

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Gustav Lundberg