DOCSLIB.ORG

Perceptions of Evil a Comparison of Moral Perspectives in Nazi Propaganda and Anti-Nazi Literature

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Perceptions of Evil a Comparison of Moral Perspectives in Nazi Propaganda and Anti-Nazi Literature Perceptions of Evil A Comparison of Moral Perspectives in Nazi Propaganda and Anti-Nazi Literature by Hamish Inksetter Thesis submitted to the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the MA degree in History University of Ottawa © Hamish Inksetter, Ottawa, Canada, 2015 Perceptions of Evil: A Comparison of Moral Perspectives in Nazi Propaganda and Anti-Nazi Literature Hamish Inksetter ii Abstract Perceptions of Evil: a comparison of moral perspectives in Nazi propaganda and anti- Nazi literature By Hamish Inksetter Supervised by Jan Grabowski 2014 This thesis examines how the concept of evil was understood by opposing German perspectives during the era of National Socialist rule (1933-1945). The rise of Nazism in Germany marked a period of massive political upheaval wherein the National Socialist government encouraged the masses to view the world in terms of a great struggle between forces of good and evil. This was the central theme of their propaganda, which zealously encouraged racialist beliefs in the popular consciousness, and was based on assumptions of German superiority and Jewish evil. Despite Hitler's apparent success in creating an obedient nation, a significant number of Germans opposed his rule, amongst whom a small group of writers expressed their discontent through creative fiction. Through a comparison of the worldviews communicated through political propaganda and anti-Nazi literature, it is revealed that the crux of the divide between their opposing perspectives hinged on the meaning of evil. Since evil is a concept with many meanings, this thesis approaches the subject thematically. The comparison begins by focusing on the perception of evil as an all- corrupting force that had taken hold of Germany, followed by an exploration of how power and brutality were understood, ending with a comparison of views on how the struggle between good and evil took place on both a social and individual level. In addition to demonstrating the subjectivity of moral perspective during a Perceptions of Evil: A Comparison of Moral Perspectives in Nazi Propaganda and Anti-Nazi Literature Hamish Inksetter iii tumultuous period of the recent past, this research reveals how the struggle against Nazism existed as a conflict of ideas. Moreover, the comparison of cultural sources (including Nazi art, visual propaganda, written texts such as Mein Kampf, and anti-Nazi creative fiction) demonstrates the value of art as a tool for conducting historical enquiry. Since the legacy of the Third Reich continues to directly influence modern perceptions of evil, exploring how evil was understood according to contemporary Germans – from both pro and anti-Nazi perspectives – is of particular historical interest. Perceptions of Evil: A Comparison of Moral Perspectives in Nazi Propaganda and Anti-Nazi Literature Hamish Inksetter iv Acknowledgements I would like to acknowledge everyone who supported me throughout this project, and express my deep feelings of gratitude for their advice and encouragement. Firstly, I would like to thank Prof. Jan Grabowski for his expertise, patience and guidance in supervising my research. I would also like to thank Prof. Heather Murray for her friendly advice and help during the preliminary stages of my research. My humble appreciation is extend to the University of Ottawa for standing as a pillar of learning and providing the facilities for my study, and to everyone at the Canadian Heritage Information Network for providing employment throughout my years of study. To my wife Laura, thank you for everything, I could not have done it without you; you are the light at the end of the tunnel. Thank you to my parents for supporting me through thick and thin, and for raising me with an awareness of the world; I could not ask for better guides. Additional thanks to my siblings: to my sister Meredith for her wisdom and constructive ridicule; and to my brother Dylan for his friendship and stalwart good humour. Additional thanks are extended to Chris Lindsay for giving me Hans Fallada's Every Man Dies Alone while I was designing my proposal, and to historian Randal Bytwerk for hosting his archive of primary sources online. A final word of thanks to my cats, Eli and Willow, who have served admirably as desk-side companions through many long-nights of toil. Perceptions of Evil: A Comparison of Moral Perspectives in Nazi Propaganda and Anti-Nazi Literature Hamish Inksetter v Table of Contents ii Abstract iv Acknowledgements v Table of Contents vii List of Tables 1 INTRODUCTION 2 Historiography 5 Antisemitism and European racialist thought 8 Propaganda and culture during the Third Reich 12 Nazi theory and visual propaganda as primary sources 13 German literature and anti-Nazi authors 16 Literature as historical document 19 Approach 22 CHAPTER 1: THE ALL-ENCOMPASSING FORM OF EVIL 23 Nazi belief and the omnipresence of Jewish evil 27 Visual propaganda: the Jewish conspiracy in German political life 32 Visual propaganda: the Jewish conspiracy and Germany's struggle for survival 36 The anti-Nazi perspective: the Third Reich as an all-encompassing form of evil 37 The Rule of Lies and Inversion of Meaning between Good and Evil 47 Justice in the Third Reich 53 Conclusion 55 CHAPTER 2: POWER AND BRUTALITY 55 Natural law and the struggle for survival 58 Representing the master race 64 Power as an attribute to evil 64 The Nazi leadership 72 Powerlessness and Cruelty 79 Conclusion 81 CHAPTER 3: NAZISM AND THE STRUGGLE BETWEEN GOOD AND EVIL 81 Visions of society in Nazi propaganda 82 The utopian dream of Nazism as a reflection of the people's will 88 Martial values: duty and the nobility of self-sacrifice 92 The Third Reich and the rebirth of Antiquity 96 The idea of defeat as a vision of apocalypse 102 Conclusion: the Nazi social view 104 Collaboration, subjugation, and resistance in anti-Nazi literature 105 The rise of Nazism as a product of historical context 110 Nature, and the inherent differences of 'German character' 116 Fear and intimidation 120 Denunciation, and the complicity of the masses with Nazism 123 The irrationality of the masses 127 Anti-Nazi resistance as a form of class warfare 129 Anti-Nazi resistance as an existential struggle Perceptions of Evil: A Comparison of Moral Perspectives in Nazi Propaganda and Anti-Nazi Literature Hamish Inksetter vi 133 The spiritual cost of collaboration 138 The 'true Nazi' as a figure of exceptional evil 140 Duty, self-destruction, and redemption 145 Disillusionment and the loss of personal agency 148 Conclusion 154 CHAPTER 4: CONCLUSION 165 Appendix A: Figures 176 Appendix B: Summary of Anti-Nazi Authors and Works 181 Bibliography Perceptions of Evil: A Comparison of Moral Perspectives in Nazi Propaganda and Anti-Nazi Literature Hamish Inksetter vii List of Tables 63 Table 1: The Nazi perception of beauty according to natural law, race, and power. Perceptions of Evil: A Comparison of Moral Perspectives in Nazi Propaganda and Anti-Nazi Literature Hamish Inksetter 1 Introduction Evil is a concept that has evolved through time with the rise and decline of every great civilization, and affects our basic understanding of what it means to be human. Through the intercession of moral judgement on an otherwise objective reality, the meaning of evil also shapes our understanding of reality, which in turn influences perceptions of the past. Since the biases of history have always used notions of evil to vilify the opposing forces of any political conflict, it is essential to remain mindful of the differences in perspective that inform how different groups are portrayed. This is particularly true of the Second World War, which was driven largely by divergent ideological beliefs. In Germany alone, political conflict between the fascists and their opponents had been intense throughout the Nazis' rise to power, and would continue after 1933 until the end of Hitler's dictatorship. Belief in evil as a real and immediate danger which threatened to overwhelm and destroy society was an essential component of both the Nazi and anti-Nazi perspectives. The purpose of this thesis is to examine the competing notions of good and evil that were expressed through culture during the Third Reich, as revealed by Nazi propaganda and anti-Nazi literary fiction. This comparison demonstrates that the conflict of worldviews which existed between the Nazis and their literary opponents hinged on differences in moral outlook, as opposed to political or ideological differences. The racial component of the Nazi worldview, which stemmed from long- established traditions in modern European thought, can be summarized as a belief that race was the basis for humanity's struggle for survival, and that the Jews were an entirely evil people whose sole ambition was for the enslavement of humanity. Thus, the National Socialist movement was presented in its simplest terms as a struggle for survival between Perceptions of Evil: A Comparison of Moral Perspectives in Nazi Propaganda and Anti-Nazi Literature Hamish Inksetter 2 forces good and evil. By contrast, critics of Hitler's rule attributed the primary cause of suffering in German society to the destructive effects of Nazi political extremism. Since opposition stemmed from a variety of perspectives and took many forms, there is no single ideological basis by which anti-Nazi feeling can be accurately summarized. By focusing on anti-Nazi authors as a specific group in German society who made use of literature as their mode of communication, a panorama of views that challenged the Nazi perspective is revealed, demonstrating common themes that likened the struggle against Nazism to a conflict between good and evil. Historiography In the domain of thought and feeling, the new extremes of modern warfare and the horrors of genocide brought on by the Second World War had a profound impact on human self-perception and the associated meaning of good and evil.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • The Fate of National Socialist Visual Culture: Iconoclasm, Censorship, and Preservation in Germany, 1945–2020
    City University of New York (CUNY) CUNY Academic Works School of Arts & Sciences Theses Hunter College Fall 1-5-2021 The Fate of National Socialist Visual Culture: Iconoclasm, Censorship, and Preservation in Germany, 1945–2020 Denali Elizabeth Kemper CUNY Hunter College How does access to this work benefit ou?y Let us know! More information about this work at: https://academicworks.cuny.edu/hc_sas_etds/661 Discover additional works at: https://academicworks.cuny.edu This work is made publicly available by the City University of New York (CUNY). Contact: [email protected] The Fate of National Socialist Visual Culture: Iconoclasm, Censorship, and Preservation in Germany, 1945–2020 By Denali Elizabeth Kemper Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Art History, Hunter College The City University of New York 2020 Thesis sponsor: January 5, 2021____ Emily Braun_________________________ Date Signature January 5, 2021____ Joachim Pissarro______________________ Date Signature Table of Contents Acronyms i List of Illustrations ii Introduction 1 Chapter 1: Points of Reckoning 14 Chapter 2: The Generational Shift 41 Chapter 3: The Return of the Repressed 63 Chapter 4: The Power of Nazi Images 74 Bibliography 93 Illustrations 101 i Acronyms CCP = Central Collecting Points FRG = Federal Republic of Germany, West Germany GDK = Grosse Deutsche Kunstaustellung (Great German Art Exhibitions) GDR = German Democratic Republic, East Germany HDK = Haus der Deutschen Kunst (House of German Art) MFAA = Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives Program NSDAP = Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei (National Socialist German Worker’s or Nazi Party) SS = Schutzstaffel, a former paramilitary organization in Nazi Germany ii List of Illustrations Figure 1: Anonymous photographer.
    [Show full text]
  • HBO and the HOLOCAUST: CONSPIRACY, the HISTORICAL FILM, and PUBLIC HISTORY at WANNSEE Nicholas K. Johnson Submitted to the Facul
    HBO AND THE HOLOCAUST: CONSPIRACY, THE HISTORICAL FILM, AND PUBLIC HISTORY AT WANNSEE Nicholas K. Johnson Submitted to the faculty of the University Graduate School in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Master of Arts in the Department of History, Indiana University December 2016 Accepted by the Graduate Faculty, Indiana University, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts. Master’s Thesis Committee __________________________________ Raymond J. Haberski, Ph.D., Chair __________________________________ Thorsten Carstensen, Ph.D. __________________________________ Kevin Cramer, Ph.D. ii Acknowledgements First, I would like to thank the members of my committee for supporting this project and offering indispensable feedback and criticism. I would especially like to thank my chair, Ray Haberski, for being one of the most encouraging advisers I have ever had the pleasure of working with and for sharing his passion for film and history with me. Thorsten Carstensen provided his fantastic editorial skills and for all the times we met for lunch during my last year at IUPUI. I would like to thank Kevin Cramer for awakening my interest in German history and for all of his support throughout my academic career. Furthermore, I would like to thank Jason M. Kelly, Claudia Grossmann, Anita Morgan, Rebecca K. Shrum, Stephanie Rowe, Modupe Labode, Nancy Robertson, and Philip V. Scarpino for all the ways in which they helped me during my graduate career at IUPUI. I also thank the IUPUI Public History Program for admitting a Germanist into the Program and seeing what would happen. I think the experiment paid off.
    [Show full text]
  • Culture and Materialism : Raymond Williams and the Marxist Debate
    CULTURE AND MATERIALISM: RAYMOND WILLIAMS AND THE MARXIST DEBATE by David C. Robinson B.A. (Honours1, Queen's University, 1988 THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS (COMMUNICATIONS) in the ,Department of Communication @ David C. Robinson 1991 SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY July, 1991 All rights reserved. This work may not be reproduced in whole or in part, by photocopy or other means, without permission of the author. APPROVAL NAME: David Robinson DEGREE: Master of Arts (Communication) TITLE OF THESIS: Culture and Materialism: Raymond Williams and the Marxist Debate EXAMINING COMMITTEE: CHAIR: Dr. Linda Harasim Dr. Richard S. Gruneau Professor Senior Supervisor Dr. Alison C. M. Beale Assistant Professor Supervisor " - Dr. Jerald Zaslove Associate Professor Department of English Examiner DATE APPROVED: PARTIAL COPYRIGHT LICENCE I hereby grant to Simon Fraser University the right to lend my thesis or dissertation (the title of which is shown below) to users of the Simon Fraser University Library, and to make partial or single copies only for such users or in response to a request from the library of any other university, or other educational institution, on its own behalf or for one of its users. I further agree that permission for multiple copying of this thesis for scholarly purposes may be granted by me or the Dean of Graduate Studies. It is understood that copying or publication of this thesis for financial gain shall not be allowed without my written permission. Title of Thesis/Dissertation: Culture and Materialism: Raymond Williams and the Marxist Debate Author : signature David C.
    [Show full text]
  • United States
    Cultural Policy and Political Oppression: Nazi Architecture and the Development of SS Forced Labor Concentration Camps* Paul B. Jaskot Beyond its use as propaganda, art was thoroughly integrated into the implementation of Nazi state and party policies. Because artistic and political goals were integrated, art was not only subject to repressive policies but also in turn influenced the formulation of those very repressive measures. In the Third Reich, art policy was increasingly authoritarian in character; however, art production also became one means by which other authoritarian institutions could develop their ability to oppress. The Problem We can analyze the particular political function of art by looking at the interest of the SS in orienting its forced labor operations to the monumental building economy. The SS control of forced labor concentration camps after 1936 linked state architectural policy to the political function of incarcerating and punishing perceived enemies of National Socialist Germany.1 The specific example of the Nuremberg Reich Party Rally Grounds reveals three key aspects of this SS process of adaptation. The first aspect is the relationship between architectural decisions at Nuremberg and developments in the German building economy during the early war years. Before the turning tide of the war led to a cessation of work at the site, agencies and firms involved with the design and construction of the Nuremberg buildings secured a steady and profitable supply of work as a result of Hitler’s emphasis on a few large architectural projects. The second aspect focuses on how the SS quarrying enterprises in the forced labor concentration camps were comparable to their private-sector competitors.
    [Show full text]
  • Film & Faith in Dialogue Also Inside
    May 2020 Issue No. 296 Visual Parables Film & Faith in Dialogue From Upper left, clockwise: I, the Worst of All; Clown of Freedom; American Factory; Laundromat Also Inside: Atlantics; Tigertail; & more Beginning new feature on INSIGHT Series Visual Contents May 2020 Issue No. 296 Parables Streaming Video I, the Worst of All ............................................................ 3 Editor, Reviewer Alone in Berlin ................................................................ 6 Dr. Edward McNulty The Laundromat ............................................................. 10 Publisher Atlantics ............................................................................ 13 David Crumm, ReadtheSpirit Tigertail ............................................................................. 16 Web Consultants Selah and the Spades .................................................... 19 Becky Hile Finding Grace .................................................................. 21 Michael Thompson Dads ................................................................................... 22 Columnist American Factory .......................................................... 24 Rev. Doug Sweet Reel Redemption ........................................................... 26 ISSN: 1064-6485 J.E.S.U.S.A. ........................................................................ 30 VISUAL PARABLES is published monthly as an Jump Shot ........................................................................ 32 on-line journal, and reviews are posted
    [Show full text]
  • Narrative Machines, Or, from ‘Bottom to Top’ Early Discourses on the Novel and Film
    10.1515/nor-2017-0302 Narrative Machines, or, from ‘Bottom to Top’ Early Discourses on the Novel and Film JOHN SUNDHOLM There is a certain tendency in the contemporary rience of modernity. The subject of film and cultural historiography of early film studies to construe mo- modernity is an established field of its own within dernity as a model for the textual analysis of spe- the broader film studies context.3 However, such cific, isolated moments in film history. Furthermore, historiography could also be criticised as a sort of film history – and other media histories – is usually “historical blind spot”, founded on an excessively studied and written within the academic boundaries expressive interpretation of history. of different departments. We are given the history The original arguments used in early 20th cen- of media according to media and communications, tury discourse are reproduced in studies by later film studies, art history, literature and so on. Very scholars as expressing a homogeneous tendency – seldom are we offered a perspective founded on an broadly defineable as modernity – thus placing the interdisciplinary or comparative approach. discourse aside from most historical and compara- Therefore, I will both criticise some trends in tive relations with, for example, previous 19th cen- early film historiography and argue in favour of the tury discourse. Such deterministic views on tech- importance – and necessity – of employing a histo- nology – and on film vs. society – often fail to con- rico-dialectical and comparative analysis. I support sider that the object under study and the agent that my argument and discussion by comparing the constitutes the object are both part of the same paradigmatic interpretations of “modernity vs.
    [Show full text]
  • The Changing View of Abortion: a Study of Friedrich Wolf's Cyankali and Arnold Zweig's Junge Frau Von 1914
    Studies in 20th Century Literature Volume 4 Issue 1 Article 3 8-1-1979 The Changing View of Abortion: A Study of Friedrich Wolf's Cyankali and Arnold Zweig's Junge Frau von 1914 Sabine Schroeder-Krassnow Douglass College - Rutgers University Follow this and additional works at: https://newprairiepress.org/sttcl Part of the Film and Media Studies Commons, and the German Literature Commons This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License. Recommended Citation Schroeder-Krassnow, Sabine (1979) "The Changing View of Abortion: A Study of Friedrich Wolf's Cyankali and Arnold Zweig's Junge Frau von 1914," Studies in 20th Century Literature: Vol. 4: Iss. 1, Article 3. https://doi.org/10.4148/2334-4415.1073 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by New Prairie Press. It has been accepted for inclusion in Studies in 20th Century Literature by an authorized administrator of New Prairie Press. For more information, please contact [email protected]. The Changing View of Abortion: A Study of Friedrich Wolf's Cyankali and Arnold Zweig's Junge Frau von 1914 Abstract With the end of the nineteenth century, women start becoming more independent, demanding more rights, making a place for themselves in society. The docile woman who is seduced by the socially higher male and in desperation commits infanticide begins to fade from literature. At the same time a new woman with a fresh vitality emerges and deals with the old problem of pregnancy and abortion. Two works which treat this type of woman are examined and the parallels as well as the differences between the portrayal are established.
    [Show full text]
  • Raymond Williams and the Structure of Feeling of Reality TV
    International Journal of Humanities and Social Science Vol. 2 No. 7; April 2012 Raymond Williams and the Structure of Feeling of Reality TV Beverley Best Assistant Professor Department of Sociology and Anthropology Concordia University Montreal, QC, Canada. Introduction There is some general truth to the narrative that cultural studies moved away from its fraught, yet productive, entanglement with Marxist critique in the 1980s, never again to seriously rekindle that engagement. The trajectory of the work of Raymond Williams, however, moves in the opposite direction to much of that field of inquiry of which Williams is often identified as a founder. I will argue, for instance, that on the question of method, the work of Raymond Williams is increasingly influenced by debates in Marxist cultural theory. More so, the question of method itself, and in particular the problematic of mediation, both become central concerns for Williams— fundamental theoretical occupations which he shared with the Western Marxists, such as Theodor Adorno, Max Horkheimer, and Walter Benjamin. The increasing centrality of the problematic of mediation, in its various guises—the dynamics of materialist critique, the relation between structure and agency, the question of determination, and even the movement of the dialectic—in Williams‟ later work, reflects a deepening engagement with traditional Marxist categories while never claiming a simple identity with Marxist critique. The deepening engagement with traditional Marxist categories signals both a continuity and a rupture within the trajectory of Williams‟ analytical method over his career: for instance, the approach which Williams first calls “cultural materialism” evolves into an approach which in his later work he comes to refer to as the “sociology of culture.” My goal in this chapter is to sketch the movement of the critical method which Williams calls the sociology of culture and why the question of mediation is a central dimension of it.
    [Show full text]
  • German Memory of the Holocaust: the Emergence of Counter-Memorials," Penn History Review: Vol
    Penn History Review Volume 17 Issue 2 Spring 2010 Article 3 May 2010 German Memory of the Holocaust: The Emergence of Counter- Memorials Cecily Harris University of Pennsylvania, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://repository.upenn.edu/phr Recommended Citation Harris, Cecily (2010) "German Memory of the Holocaust: The Emergence of Counter-Memorials," Penn History Review: Vol. 17 : Iss. 2 , Article 3. Available at: https://repository.upenn.edu/phr/vol17/iss2/3 This paper is posted at ScholarlyCommons. https://repository.upenn.edu/phr/vol17/iss2/3 For more information, please contact [email protected]. 34 GERMAN MEMORY OF THE HOLOCAUST THE EMERGENCE OF COUNTER -M EMORIALS Cecily Harris Germany faces what would seem like an insuperable difficulty in attempting to memorialize the Holocaust; how can the nation that perpetrated the largest and most systematic mass murder in modern history a mere sixty years ago honor the dead , and at the same time publicly assume the burden of guilt without disrupting all the con - ventions of public memorials. What exactly is such a state to com - memorate, and how do present day German artists show the answer to that question in the aesthetic and ethical gestures of their memo - rial forms? Stuck in a seemingly endless cycle of remembering, re - nouncing, regretting, and redeeming, the artists, statesmen , and citizens of today’s Germany lack even a first-hand memory on which they might draw to express both their shame and their wish to purge it. Haunted by the crimes of their not so distant forebears, Germans have been struggling for the past sixty years to depict this ghost, to show the weight of its burden on them, and to show as well their deep remorse for crimes they themselves did not commit but by which they feel tainted, and through which the world often views them.
    [Show full text]
  • Günther Domenig's Documentation Center of the National Socialist
    University of Nebraska - Lincoln DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln Architecture Program: Faculty Scholarly and Architecture Program Creative Activity 2017 Presenting the Extremely Difficult Past: Günther Domenig’s Documentation Center of the National Socialist Party Rally Grounds, Nuremberg, Germany Rumiko Handa University of Nebraska-Lincoln, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/arch_facultyschol Part of the Architecture Commons, Modern Art and Architecture Commons, and the Theory and Criticism Commons Handa, Rumiko, "Presenting the Extremely Difficult Past: Günther Domenig’s Documentation Center of the National Socialist Party Rally Grounds, Nuremberg, Germany" (2017). Architecture Program: Faculty Scholarly and Creative Activity. 45. https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/arch_facultyschol/45 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Architecture Program at DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. It has been accepted for inclusion in Architecture Program: Faculty Scholarly and Creative Activity by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. Montreal Architectural Review Presenting the Extremely Difficult Past: Günther Domenig’s Documentation Center of the National Socialist Party Rally Grounds, Nuremberg, Germany Rumiko Handa University of Nebraska Abstract Buildings have a way of bringing the past into the present. This is important because experiences of the past often constitute impactful moments in everyday lives and allow a contemplation of existential meaning. It is an aspect often neglected by architectural professionals and critics because it lies outside the Vitruvian triad of aesthetic, functional, and structural virtues. It goes without saying that a building’s presentation of the past is ontological. In other words, individual perceptions of a building are subjective, and the building’s objective traits or histories do not guarantee that it will turn into a place of memory for everybody.
    [Show full text]
  • (Mis)Understanding Berlin a Dictionary for Our City
    A global local newspaper in cooperation with October 2016 (Mis)Understanding Berlin A dictionary for our city All Berliners know the most so that he actually said he was a memorable four words spoken by pastry. This is, however, a two-fold John F. Kennedy during his 1963 misunderstanding. While in some visit: *Ich bin ein Berliner. He aimed German-speaking regions Berliner is to express that all free citizens of the indeed the term for a certain sweet world, no matter where they live, are cake, Kennedy’s correct use of ein citizens of Berlin, and that as a free only strengthened his much-needed man he is proud to consider himself words of solidarity. Those keen to one of them. Some sneered, and understand Berlin must speak Berlin. still do, that the president’s chosen The Berlin Times alphabet explains the phrase was grammatically incorrect city from A to Z, helping readers learn for including ein before Berliner, what it means today to be ein Berliner. © CHALABALA / FOTOLIA 2 2016 BERLIN IS A ... City of jobs Wundertüte [ˈvʊndɐtyːtə] Berlin is on a roll Bag of marvels By Michael Müller, Mayor of Berlin Wundertüte is a wonderful German word. It is wonderful to be given a Wundertüte as a child, as on your erlin has become a strong lure for people from all over the Berlin is a center of science and learning that is unique in Europe. very first day of school. It customar- world. In recent years, Berlin’s population has grown by more This environment gives rise to new businesses with sustainable jobs ily contains all sorts of sweets and than 40,000 people annually.
    [Show full text]
  • Jakob Wasserman, Arnold Zweig, Manfred Bieler, Thomas Brussig)
    Putting Justice on Trial in Four Periods of German Literature: Case Studies (Jakob Wasserman, Arnold Zweig, Manfred Bieler, Thomas Brussig) by Marc Reibold Department of Germanic Languages and Literature Duke University Date:_______________________ Approved: ___________________________ William C. Donahue, Supervisor ___________________________ Michale M. Morton ___________________________ James Rolleston ___________________________ Jochen Vogt Dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Department of Germanic Languages and Literature in the Graduate School of Duke University 2011 ABSTRACT Putting Justice on Trial in Four Periods of German Literature: Case Studies (Jakob Wasserman, Arnold Zweig, Manfred Bieler, Thomas Brussig) by Marc Reibold Department of Germanic Languages and Literature Duke University Date:_______________________ Approved: ___________________________ William C. Donahue, Supervisor ___________________________ Michael M. Morton ___________________________ James Rolleston ___________________________ Jochen Vogt An abstract of a dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Department of Germanic Languages and Literature in the Graduate School of Duke University 2011 Copyright by Marc Reibold 2011 Abstract This dissertation explores arguments against legal and authoritarian structures as thematized by four works of fiction from distinct periods of German history: Jacob Wasserman’s Der Fall Maurizius (the Weimar Republic), Arnold Zweig’s Das Beil von Wandsbek (the Third Reich), Manfred Bieler’s Das Kaninchen bin Ich (post-war division of Germany), and Thomas Brussig’s Leben bis Männer (Germany after reunification). The aim of my analysis is to define how each work builds a “case” against the state. It conducts a literary analysis of each work, which it places in its own cultural and political context.
    [Show full text]