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The aim of this study is to develop new knowledge about the challenges and possibilities of Bildung in the Swedish compulsory school. Based on a qualitative analysis of five elite interviews with five theorists of Bildung, this study is inspired by curriculum theory and, in particular, the key analytical concepts of curriculum models, frame factors and room for freedom The results make visible both challenges and possibilities for Bildung in the Swedish compulsory school. 

First, through a thematic analysis, five themes were identified: i) Bildung as an open process; ii) Bildung in relation to coherence and overview; iii) Bildung and meaning making; iv) Bildung in education; and v) Bildung as resistance. This thematic analysis has shown that tensions exist between Bildung and the measurable results that are the focus in the Swedish school. Furthermore, a one-sided alignment to measurability tends to neglect several dimensions of Bildung. 

Second, the outcomes from the thematic analysis were considered in light of the curriculum theory framework in the form of an additional analysis based on three theoretical curriculum models. Using the theoretical concepts frame factors and room for freedom, the analysis demonstrates that various curriculum models, in different ways, both restrict Bildung and make it possible. Despite this, the results illustrate how Bildung, to a greater or lesser extent, can be operationalized through different curriculum models. 

The third analysis reveals a shift in the understanding of Bildung in the Swedish school, from something differential to something for every pupil. The final results are visualized as three “windows” of Bildung, each of which presents how Bildung can be a natural component of the Swedish compulsory school: i) a democratized and expanded view of Bildung; ii) a fluid dialogue between the subjective and objective dimensions of Bildung; and iii) Bildung as resistance. 

This study contributes to a current and forward-looking discussion about the role of Bildung, with a special focus on the Swedish compulsory school; however, it is also of relevance outside the Swedish context.