Civil Society and Dictatorship in Modern German History (The Menahem Stern Jerusalem Lectures)

In this rich and thought-provoking work, Jürgen Kocka focuses his analytic lens on Germany's long twentieth century, from the empire to the present. He begins by establishing the semantic problematic in the German term Bürgertum and presenting an analytical survey of German civil society over the past 120 years. He then offers a fascinating social history of the GDR, along with a comparative analysis of the East German dictatorship and that of the Third Reich. He further compares Germany's “two dictatorships” in regard to historical memory, post-regime justice, and historiography before and after reunification. Kocka concludes with a wonderfully expansive view of historical interpretation and even argues for the place of trendiness and fashion in the profession. Title Page......Page 4 Contents......Page 6 Foreword......Page 8 1 | Introduction......Page 14 2 | Bourgeois Culture and Civil Society: The German Case in a European Context......Page 20 The Opportunities of Semantic Ambivalence......Page 22 Bürgertum: Bourgeoisie Defined by Its Opponents and Its Culture......Page 23 Civil Society: The History and Definition of a Concept......Page 28 Bourgeoisie and Civil Society during the Kaiserreich......Page 35 A Short View on the Twentieth Century......Page 41 3 | Comparing Dictatorships: Toward a Social History of the German Democratic Republic......Page 46 Why a History of the GDR?......Page 48 Social Blockades and the Limits of Political Control......Page 61 1949–1989: Four Periods of GDR History......Page 67 The GDR in Comparative Perspectives......Page 69 4 | Dealing with Difficult Pasts: Collective Memories and Politics in Germany after 1945 and 1990......Page 80 How West Germans and East Germans Dealt with Their Nazi Past, 1945–1990......Page 83 Remembering the GDR after Unification: Different Layers, Controversial Debates......Page 95 Memories Compete and Reinforce One Another......Page 101 5 | Historians, Fashion, and Truth: The Last Fifty Years......Page 112 History: A Changeable Discipline......Page 114 An Example: Changing Views of World War I......Page 116 Five Major Trends......Page 121 The Productivity of Fashion and the Attainability of Truth: History as a Profession......Page 124 Notes......Page 130 Index......Page 172 The first section introduces the reader to the various policies that are available. The second section details the measures taken by dozens of cities and towns when permitting adult businesses to locate in their community. The final section focuses on future trends

a Consideration Of Twentieth-century German Social History And The Legacies Of The Two Dictatorships