Blandaren is the world's oldest humor magazine, founded in 1863 by students at KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm.[1][2][3] The aesthetics of Blandaren has been described as having dadaistic, absurdist, satirical and surrealist qualities.[4][5][6]

Editors of Blandaren, 1943. From the left: Engströmer, Olsson, Lindroos, Thafvelin, Molander, Asplund, Knutsson och Orlando.

History

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Throughout its long history spanning over a century, Blandaren has undergone significant transformations.[7] Initially, it published two annual issues: Vårblandaren[8] and Gåsblandaren.[9][10] The latter being released around St. Martin's Day. In its contemporary form, releases an annual issue in December.[11][12] In 2016, Blandaren released a historical work to commemorate the 153-year-long history.[13] Blandaren has also released several similar historical editions to celebrate the 80-, 100- and 126-year-long history.[13][14][15]

Editors

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Throughout its history, Blandaren has had a diverse array of editors, including individuals like Bengt Lindroos (architect), Pontus Hutlén (art collector and museum director),[16][17] Gunnar Asplund (architect),[18] Ferdinand Boberg (architect),[19] and Maja Säfström (illustrator).[20]

Relationship to the Student union

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Blandaren was still a part of the Student Union at the Royal Institute of Technology towards the end of the 1960s. Blandaren accounted for a large share of the student unions income, and had their facilities at the KTH campus.[21] Due to the spirit of 1968, Blandaren came to be viewed as socially unacceptable.[21] Blandaren subsequently left the student union and is since 1969 a voluntary association.[22][23]

Historical trivia

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During the late 50s Jean Tinguely stayed in Blandaren's facilities during the recording of the avant-garde movie En dag i staden (English: A Day in the City).[10]

Characteristics

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Blandaren stands out in the magazine world due to its unusually large size. It is sold by teknologer[24] most commonly in central Stockholm during December.[1][25] The teknologer have a rather unusual approach to selling Blandaren, they don boilersuits adorned with bells and whistles and simply shout 'Blandaren!' to capture the attention of presumptive readers."[26]

Blandaren stipend fund dedicated to the bad memory of Edward Sminks

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Blandaren operates a stipend fund dedicated to Edward Sminks bad memory.[27][28] Although there are no strict application criteria, there exists a list of twelve demands that recipients should ideally meet.[29][30] The final application date is the first of March every year.[29] Over the years, recipients of Blandaren's stipend fund dedicated to the bad memory of Edward Sminks" have received support for a diverse range of creative endeavors.

These recipients represent a wide array of creative endeavors, ranging from literature and visual arts to comedy, space exploration, and more. The fund has been instrumental in supporting individuals and groups in their pursuit of unique projects, ensuring that the legacy of Edvard Sminks lives on through their creative contributions.[29]

Recipients - Blandarens stipend fund to the bad memory of Edward Sminks:
Year Recipient
2006 Monica Lehn Domnick[31]
2007 Per-Arne Sträng[31][32]
2008 Jan och Maria Berglin[33][31]
2009 Leo Marco Englund[31]
2012 Maja K Zetterberg[31]
2013 Anna Larsson(space-student)[34][35][31]
2016 Mimi Fürst[36][31]
2017 Moa Lundqvist[31]
2018 Saga Berlin[31]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Blandaren – Världens äldsta humortidning, grundad 1863" (in Swedish). Retrieved 2020-09-30.
  2. ^ "Blandaren, ett år äldre än DN". DN.SE (in Swedish). Dagens Nyheter. 2013-12-07. Retrieved 2023-09-06.
  3. ^ Blandaren released its first number in 1863.
  4. ^ Palm, Erik Augustin (2009-12-03). "Ny generation styr över anrik tidning". Svenska Dagbladet (in Swedish). ISSN 1101-2412. Retrieved 2023-09-30.
  5. ^ Forshage, Mattias. "Towards the history of Surrealism boreal" p.18,28
  6. ^ Lindén, Carl-Gustav (2021). "Nokialand Is Born". Kingdom of Nokia: How a Nation Served the Needs of One Company. Helsinki University Press. pp. 111–120. doi:10.2307/j.ctv1qp9hb8.12. JSTOR j.ctv1qp9hb8.12. S2CID 242240958. p.116
  7. ^ Palm, Erik Augustin (2009-12-03). "Ny generation styr över anrik tidning". Svenska Dagbladet (in Swedish). ISSN 1101-2412. Retrieved 2023-09-30.
  8. ^ (Literal translation:The spring Blandaren)
  9. ^ (Literal translation: The goose Blandaren)
  10. ^ a b Prof. Emer Nordenström, Hans (2002). Brul (in Swedish). Schultz förlag. pp. 5–10. ISBN 91-87370-34-4.
  11. ^ "Blandaren, ett år äldre än DN". DN.SE (in Swedish). Dagens Nyheter. 2013-12-07. Retrieved 2023-09-30.
  12. ^ "Historia – Blandaren" (in Swedish). Retrieved 2020-09-30.
  13. ^ a b "Blandaren släpper historiskt verk". Arkitekten.se (in Swedish). 2017-05-11. Retrieved 2023-09-30.
  14. ^ Westlund, Magnus, ed. (1990). En Jubileumsblandaren: 1863-1989: urval ur det drygt senaste kvartsseklet. Stockholm: Föreningen Blandaren.
  15. ^ Billman, Hasse; Ericsson, Björn; Thafvelin, Harald, eds. (1963). Urminnesblandaren: MCMLXIII - MDCCCLXIII = C. Stockholm: Tekniska Högskolans Studentkår.
  16. ^ Bydler, Charlotte; Gedin, Andreas; Ringarp, Johanna (2018). Pontus Hultén på Moderna Museet: Vittnesseminarium Södertörns högskola, 26 april 2017. Institute of Contemporary History. Södertörns högskola.
  17. ^ Olsson, Jesper (2016-01-01), "Tvångs-Blandaren – Stuff in a Box", A Cultural History of the Avant-Garde in the Nordic Countries 1950-1975, Brill, pp. 191–194, ISBN 978-90-04-31050-6, retrieved 2023-09-30
  18. ^ Tore, Burnäs (2 December 2021). "Drottning Kristinas Väg 15. Tidningen Blandarens redaktion i Tekniska Högskolans studentkårs kårhus". Stockholmskällan. Retrieved 2023-01-01.
  19. ^ "Blandaren släpper historiskt verk". Arkitekten.se (in Swedish). 2017-05-11. Retrieved 2023-09-30.
  20. ^ "Hon bytte arkitektyrket mot jobbet som illustratör". Arkitekten.se (in Swedish). 2019-04-05. Retrieved 2020-08-21.
  21. ^ a b "150 år av Blandat Bludder". KTH (in Swedish). Retrieved 2023-09-30.
  22. ^ Palm, Erik Augustin (2009-12-03). "Ny generation styr över anrik tidning". Svenska Dagbladet (in Swedish). ISSN 1101-2412. Retrieved 2023-09-06.
  23. ^ "Kontakt – Blandaren" (in Swedish). Retrieved 2020-04-15.
  24. ^ (Teknologer are comparable to the Finnish Teekkari)
  25. ^ "150 år av Blandat Bludder". KTH (in Swedish). Retrieved 2023-09-30. Blandaren, tidningen med det opraktiska formatet som brukar säljas av unga män och kvinnor i knasiga overaller, fyller alltså 150 år.
  26. ^ "Blandaren – Världens äldsta humortidning, grundad 1863" (in Swedish). Retrieved 2020-04-15.
  27. ^ Leonardz, Jenny (2008-12-09). "Tecknarpar får pris ur låda". Svenska Dagbladet (in Swedish). ISSN 1101-2412. Retrieved 2023-10-04.
  28. ^ "Gåsblandaren: Bluddrar på om Gud, präster och älgar". DN.SE (in Swedish). Dagens Nyheter. 2002-12-09. Retrieved 2020-08-19.
  29. ^ a b c "Stipendium – Blandaren" (in Swedish). Retrieved 2020-04-15.
  30. ^ Translation: There are no specific application documents required to apply for the scholarship. Please submit what you believe to be appropriate. However, we would like you to meet one or more of the following twelve criteria: 1.The applicant should be an applicant, for it is all the more blissful to seek than to find. 2.Applicants who have found what they sought, for example, gather at Sveavägen 97. 3.The applicant's reason should not be taken captive. 4.The applicant should always strive for the unbridled flight of thought. 5.The applicant should have a burning passion for LANGUAGE, nurturing its smallest components and preserving the delicate words. 6.The applicant should have an appreciation for poetic nuances and aspire to what lies beyond the ordinary. 7.The applicant should have idealistic ideals. 8.The applicant should also have a passionate interest in IMAGE, both in terms of the power of its darkness and the vitality of delicate lines. 9.The applicant's motto may, like that of Blandaren, be as incomprehensible as that of blue whales. 10.The applicant should be female or, failing that, male. 11.Applicants who likely faced adversity in their pursuit of a higher and purer life from childhood should not hesitate in this endeavor. 12.The scholarship can also be awarded to those who do not apply. The deadline for applications is the first of March each year."
  31. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Stipendium – Blandaren" (in Swedish). Retrieved 2020-11-11.
  32. ^ Nordin, Leonore (2020-01-24). "Skenbart vardagligt – fast ovanligt – på Konsthallen". alingsastidning.se (in Swedish). Allingsås: Allingsås tidning. Retrieved 2021-02-21.
  33. ^ Leonardz, Jenny (2008-12-09). "Tecknarpar får pris ur låda". Svenska Dagbladet (in Swedish). ISSN 1101-2412. Retrieved 2023-09-06.
  34. ^ "Livet som rymdstudent". Rymdstyrelsen (in Swedish). Retrieved 2020-11-11.
  35. ^ "Anna Larsson (@astronaut_anna) • Instagram photos and videos". www.instagram.com. Retrieved 2020-11-11.
  36. ^ "Stinkande minnen & Gaming Life". Bibliotek Botkyrka (in Swedish). Archived from the original on 2020-11-17. Retrieved 2020-11-11.
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