Synopses & Reviews
German national identity has been constructed over the course of more than three centuries. This book examines the diverse and contested definitions of "Germaness" and covers the struggles between the democratic and non-democratic divisions, the role of foreigners and the impact of war on national identity. This comprehensive resource is a fundamental reappraisal of Germany's history from the fresh perspective of the post-Communist, reunified Germany.
Stefan Berger is Professor of Modern and Contemporary History at the University of Glamorgan, UK. German national identity has been constructed over the course of more than three centuries. This book examines the diverse and contested definitions of "Germaness" and covers the struggles between the democratic and non-democratic divisions, the role of foreigners and the impact of war on national identity. This comprehensive resource is a fundamental reappraisal of Germany's history from the fresh perspective of the post-Communist, reunified Germany. German national identity has been constructed over the course of more than three centuries. This book examines the diverse and contested definitions of "Germaness" and covers the struggles between the democratic and non-democratic divisions, the role of foreigners and the impact of war on national identity. This comprehensive resource is a fundamental reappraisal of Germany's history from the fresh perspective of the post-Communist, reunified Germany. "It is overall an interesting, balanced, and very readable account of a fascinating and pertinent topic."Central European History
"[Berger's] insightful guide over this slippery but crucial terrain convincingly shows how each different 'Germany' was dependent on its predecessors and contemporary events."CHOICE
Review
"It is overall an interesting, balanced, and very readable account of a fascinating and pertinent topic."—
Central European History "[Berger's] insightful guide over this slippery but crucial terrain convincingly shows how each different "Germany" was dependent on its predecessors and contemporary events."—CHOICE
Review
"It is overall an interesting, balanced, and very readable account of a fascinating and pertinent topic."
Central European History "[Berger's] insightful guide over this slippery but crucial terrain convincingly shows how each different "Germany" was dependent on its predecessors and contemporary events."CHOICE
Review
"[Berger's] insightful guide over this slippery but crucial terrain convincingly shows how each different "Germany" was dependent on its predecessors and contemporary events."--CHOICE
Synopsis
Germany explains the diverse ways in which national identity has been constructed over more than three centuries. It focuses on the plurality of contested definitions of 'Germanness." The themes covered include the struggles between democratic and non-democratic inventions of the nation, foreigners and 'Germanness' and the impact of war on the construction of a German national identity. This is a fundamental reappraisal of Germany's history from a perspective available only now that the dust from the demolished Berlin Wall is settling in a reunited Germany.
Synopsis
This book forces a reconsideration of the processes of nation-building in modern German history and gets to grips with issues that are at the heart of many of the liveliest debates in German history. Provides the ideas and analysis often in short supply in purely narrative histories.
Synopsis
German national identity has been constructed over the course of more than three centuries. This book examines the diverse and contested definitions of "Germaness" and covers the struggles between the democratic and non-democratic divisions, the role of foreigners and the impact of war on national identity. This comprehensive resource is a fundamental reappraisal of Germany's history from the fresh perspective of the post-Communist, reunified Germany.
Synopsis
Fully revised and updated, the new edition of Germany explains the diverse ways in which national identity has been constructed over more than three centuries. It highlights the plurality of contested definitions of 'Germanness'. The themes covered include the struggles between the small-German and the greater-German movements in the 19th century and those between democratic and non-democratic inventions of the nation, the construction of the racial nation under Nazism, economic definitions of the nation, foreigners and 'Germanness', the gendering of the national discourse, the nation as community of memory, the federal nature of German nationalism and the impact of war on the construction of German national identity.
Including two completely new chapters on Germany from the Middle Ages to 1750 and on Germany since its reunification in 1990, this book uses history and historiography, as well as literature, art, architecture, music and a range of other disciplines to provide answers to a question which has haunted Germans ever since it was first asked by Ernst Moritz Arndt: 'What is a German's fatherland?'
About the Author
Stefan Berger is Professor of Social History and Director of the Institute of Social Movements and the House for the History of the Ruhr at the Ruhr University, Bochum, Germany.