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Scandinavian Studies in Germany are usually conceived of as comparative literary and cultural studies, encompassing the historical and current spaces where Northern Germanic languages were or are spoken. The article focuses on the current situation of Medieval Scandinavian Studies—one of the three branches of the discipline—in the German-speaking area, explaining their comparatively strong institutional position as a result of the long and peculiar history of the research and its entanglements with political ideology. Against this background, an overview is presented of the present research projects, and current structural and political problems, as well as challenges for the future are discussed.

Examination of data on the four Nordic countries leads to a critique of two theories in the international literature about Scandinavian exceptionalism: (i) the Lipset and Rokkan stability hypothesis as reiterated by S. Bartolini and P. Mair and (ii) the idea of the Scandinavian model stability as stated by T. Tilton, H. Milner, M. Olson and G. Esping-Andersen. Increased volatility, the decline in partisan vote, mounting ungovernability at the national level and welfare state backlash have shattered the stable foundations of Nordic politics.