Individuality and Modernity in Berlin: Self and Society from Weimar to the Wall (New Studies in European History)

"Moritz Föllmer traces the history of individuality in Berlin from the late 1920s to the construction of the Berlin Wall in August 1961. The demand to be recognised as an individual was central to metropolitan society, as were the spectres of risk, isolation and loss of agency. This was true under all five regimes of the period, through economic depression, war, occupation and reconstruction. The quest for individuality could put democracy under pressure, as in the Weimar years, and could be satisfied by a dictatorship, as was the case in the Third Reich. It was only in the course of the 1950s, when liberal democracy was able to offer superior opportunities for consumerism, that individuality finally claimed the mantle. Individuality and Modernity in Berlin proposes a fresh perspective on twentieth-century Berlin that will engage readers with an interest in the German metropolis as well as European urban history more broadly"-- "Moritz Föllmer traces the history of individuality in Berlin from the late 1920s to the construction of the Berlin Wall in August 1961. The demand to be recognised as an individual was central to metropolitan society, as were the spectres of risk, isolation and loss of agency. This was true under all five regimes of the period, through economic depression, war, occupation and reconstruction. The quest for individuality could put democracy under pressure, as in the Weimar years, and could be satisfied by a dictatorship, as was the case in the Third Reich. It was only in the course of the 1950s, when liberal democracy was able to offer superior opportunities for consumerism, that individuality finally claimed the mantle. Individuality and Modernity in Berlin proposes a fresh perspective on twentieth-century Berlin that will engage readers with an interest in the German metropolis as well as European urban history more broadly"-- Provided by publisher "Moritz Föllmer traces the history of individuality in Berlin from the late 1920s to the construction of the Berlin Wall in August 1961. The demand to be recognized as an individual was central to metropolitan society, as were the spectres of risk, isolation and loss of agency. This was true under all five regimes of the period, through economic depression, war, occupation and reconstruction. The quest for individuality could put democracy under pressure, as in the Weimar years, and could be satisfied by a dictatorship, as was the case in the Third Reich. It was only in the course of the 1950s, when liberal democracy was able to offer superior opportunities for consumerism, that individuality finally claimed the mantle. Individuality and Modernity in Berlin proposes a fresh perspective on twentieth-century Berlin that will engage readers with an interest in the German metropolis as well as European urban history more broadly"-- Provided by publisher Contents Maps and illustrations Acknowledgements Introduction Part I Weimar Berlin Introduction Chapter 1 Risk, isolation and unstable selfhood Chapter 2 Flexibility, authenticity and consumption Chapter 3 Reform, scandal and extremism Part II Nazi Berlin Introduction Chapter 4 Redefining legitimate individuality Chapter 5 Jewish Berliners’ ambiguous quest for agency Chapter 6 Heroism, withdrawal and privatist loyalty Part III Post-War and Cold-War Berlin Introduction Chapter 7 Defeat, self-help and the dissociation from Nazism Chapter 8 Socialist ambitions and individualist expectations Chapter 9 Anti-totalitarianism, domesticity and ambivalent modernity Conclusion Bibliography Index Machine generated contents note: Introduction Part I. Weimar Berlin Risk, isolation and unstable selfhood Flexibility, authenticity and consumption Reform, scandal and extremism Part II. Nazi Berlin Redefining legitimate individuality Jewish Berliners' ambiguous quest for agency Heroism, withdrawal and privatist loyalty Part III. Post-War and Cold-War Berlin Defeat, self-help and the dissociation from Nazism Socialist ambitions and individualist expectations Anti-totalitarianism, domesticity and ambivalent modernity Conclusion. Moritz Foellmer traces the history of individuality in Berlin from the late 1920s to August 1961. This is a pioneering analysis of individuality in a twentieth-century context that will engage, among others, students and academics interested in the German metropolis as well as in European urban history more broadly. Moritz Föllmer traces the history of individuality in Berlin from the late 1920s to August 1961. This is a pioneering analysis of individuality in a twentieth-century context that will engage, among others, students and academics interested in the German metropolis as well as in European urban history more broadly.