Weimar on the Pacific: German Exile Culture in Los Angeles and the Crisis of Modernism (Volume 41) (Weimar and Now: German Cultural Criticism)

In the 1930s and 40s, Los Angeles became an unlikely cultural sanctuary for a distinguished group of German artists and intellectuals—including Thomas Mann, Theodore W. Adorno, Bertolt Brecht, Fritz Lang, and Arnold Schoenberg—who had fled Nazi Germany. During their years in exile, they would produce a substantial body of major works to address the crisis of modernism that resulted from the rise of National Socialism. Weimar Germany and its culture, with its meld of eighteenth-century German classicism and twentieth-century modernism, served as a touchstone for this group of diverse talents and opinions.__Weimar on the Pacific__ is the first book to examine these artists and intellectuals as a group. Ehrhard Bahr studies selected works of Adorno, Horkheimer, Brecht, Lang, Neutra, Schindler, Döblin, Mann, and Schoenberg, weighing Los Angeles’s influence on them and their impact on German modernism. Touching on such examples as film noir and Thomas Mann’s __Doctor Faustus__, Bahr shows how this community of exiles reconstituted modernism in the face of the traumatic political and historical changes they were living through. Contents 6 List of Illustrations 8 List of Abbreviations 10 Preface 14 Introduction 20 1. The Dialectic of Modernism 49 2. Art and Its Resistance to Society:Theodor W. Adorno’s Aesthetic Theory 75 3. Bertolt Brecht’s California Poetry:Mimesis or Modernism? 98 4. The Dialectic of Modern Science: Brecht’s Galileo 124 5. Epic Theater versus Film Noir: Bertolt Brecht andFritz Lang’s Anti-Nazi Film Hangmen Also Die 148 6. California Modern as Immigrant Modernism:Architects Richard Neutra and Rudolph M. Schindler 167 7. Between Modernism and Antimodernism:Franz Werfel 191 8. Renegade Modernism: Alfred Döblin’s NovelKarl and Rosa 216 9. The Political Battleground of Exile Modernism:The Council for a Democratic Germany 242 10. Evil Germany versus Good Germany: Thomas Mann’sDoctor Faustus 261 11. A “True Modernist”: Arnold Schoenberg 284 Conclusion: The Weimar Legacy of Los Angeles 308 Chronology 320 Appendices I–V 328 I. Addresses of Weimar Exiles and Exile Institutionsin Los Angeles 328 II. Filmography: Hangmen Also Die 330 III. Text of the Kol Nidre 332 IV. Lord Byron’s “Ode to Napoleon Buonaparte” 334 V. Text of Arnold Schoenberg’s A Survivor of Warsaw 338 Bibliography 342 Index 366 In the 1930s and 40s, Los Angeles became an unlikely cultural sanctuary for a distinguished group of German artists and intellectuals--including Thomas Mann, Theodore W. Adorno, Bertolt Brecht, Fritz Lang, and Arnold Schoenberg--who had fled Nazi Germany. During their years in exile, they would produce a substantial body of major works to address the crisis of modernism that resulted from the rise of National Socialism. Weimar Germany and its culture, with its meld of eighteenth-century German classicism and twentieth-century modernism, served as a touchstone for this group of diverse talents and opinions. This is the first book to examine these artists and intellectuals as a group. Ehrhard Bahr studies selected works of Adorno, Horkheimer, Brecht, Lang, Neutra, Schindler, Döblin, Mann, and Schoenberg, weighing Los Angeles's influence on them and their impact on German modernism. Touching on such examples as film noir and Thomas Mann's Doctor Faustus, Bahr shows how this community of exiles reconstituted modernism in the face of the traumatic political and historical changes they were living through--From publisher description In the 1930s and 40s, Los Angeles became an unlikely cultural sanctuary for a distinguished group of German artists and intellectuals—including Thomas Mann, Theodore W. Adorno, Bertolt Brecht, Fritz Lang, and Arnold Schoenberg—who had fled Nazi Germany. During their years in exile, they would produce a substantial body of major works to address the crisis of modernism that resulted from the rise of National Socialism. Weimar Germany and its culture, with its meld of eighteenth-century German classicism and twentieth-century modernism, served as a touchstone for this group of diverse talents and opinions. Weimar on the Pacific is the first book to examine these artists and intellectuals as a group. Ehrhard Bahr studies selected works of Adorno, Horkheimer, Brecht, Lang, Neutra, Schindler, Döblin, Mann, and Schoenberg, weighing Los Angeles’s influence on them and their impact on German modernism. Touching on such examples as film noir and Thomas Mann’s Doctor Faustus , Bahr shows how this community of exiles reconstituted modernism in the face of the traumatic political and historical changes they were living through.

"Ehrhard Bahr's sophisticated introduction to the Los Angeles of the émigrés from Nazi Germany is a quintessential 'Hollywood' book: brilliant in casting, sunny in disposition, with hidden film noir touches. Bahr's reading of the central books of this world, by Bert Brecht, Thomas Mann, Alfred Döblin, his insights into Fritz Lang's films and Arnold Schoenberg's operas, make this a major contribution to American, German and world culture."—Sander L. Gilman, author of Bertolt Brecht's Berlin

"At long last, émigré Los Angeles has been interpreted from the inside by an accomplished scholar of modern German culture. Weimar on the Pacific is a study of relevance to California, the nation, and contemporary Europe."—Kevin Starr, Professor of History, University of Southern California

The dialectic of modernism Art and its resistance to society: Theodor W. Adorno's aesthetic theory Bertolt Brecht's California poetry: mimesis or modernism? The dialectic of modern science: Brecht's Galileo Epic theater versus film noir: Bertolt Brecht and Fritz Lang's anti-Nazi film Hangmen also die California modern as immigrant modernism: architects Richard Neutra and Rudolph M. Schindler Between modernism and antimodernism: Franz Werfel Renegade modernism: Alfred Döblin's novel Karl and Rosa The political battleground of exile modernism: the council for a democratic Germany Evil Germany versus good Germany: Thomas Mann's Doctor Faustus a "true modernist": Arnold Schoenberg Conclusion: the Weimar legacy of Los Angeles. In the 1930s and '40s, LA became a cultural sanctuary for a distinguished group of German artists and intellectuals - including Thomas Mann, Theodor W. Adorno, Bertolt Brecht, Fritz Lang, and Arnold Schoenberg - who were fleeing Nazi Germany. This book is the first to examine their work and lives Ehrhard Bahr. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 323-346) And Index.