Synopses & Reviews
Even before the revolution in 1989, East German historians had moved away from purely Marxist conceptions of economic and social conflict and started to explore methods and approaches ranging from empirical, sociological and demographic analysis to the study of mentalities and popular culture akin to those pursued in the West, thus initiating an active dialogue between historians in East and West. This volume presents important contributions by some of the leading East German social historians in English.
Review
"the substantive articles in the volume cans tand on their won as valuable and readable contributions to historical understanding; [...] Although the volume was conceived before the fall of the Wall, as a showpiece for 'new orientations' still little known outside of Germany, the present introduction by the editor takes full account of the changes since 1989; it makes a strong case for continuing with the project of publication even after the GDR was no more and provides a very useful sketch of the development of historiography under the SED regime, giving particular attention to the conditions for the emergence of social history out of the fragmented fields of folkloristics, economic history and regional history." -
-Labour History Review