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THE PRAXIS OF CIVIL SOCIETY: ASSOCIATIONAL LIFE, THE POLITICS OF CIVILITY, AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS IN THE WEIMAR REPUBLIC Peter C. Weber Submitted to the faculty of the University Graduate School in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Philosophy in the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, Indiana University May 2014 Accepted by the Graduate Faculty, Indiana University, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Gregory R. Witkowski, Ph.D., Chair Dwight F. Burlingame, Ph.D. Doctoral Committee Kevin Cramer, Ph.D. January 29, 2014 Leslie Lenkowsky, Ph.D. Giuliana Gemelli, Ph.D. ii DEDICATION For Sindhuchen. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Dissertations are never written in a vacuum. This doctoral dissertation would not have been possible without the support of family, friends, professors, and – I must admit – not a few innocent bystanders. All have contributed in different ways to the successful completion of an over 300-page long dissertation. This dissertation is, however, primarily the merit of my parents. They have always encouraged me to pursue a Ph.D., even one in a “weird” discipline such as philanthropic studies, and supported me throughout my studies from over ten thousand kilometers away. This dissertation would not be possible – even conceivable – without them. As a trained historian, I should start with the beginnings and acknowledge that this dissertation started sometime in 2003 when I enrolled in one of Giuliana Gemelli’s courses at the University of Bologna. It took us – my classmates and I – approximately a month to understand what the topic of the course was: American philanthropic foundations in Europe. That course was my “Great Awakening,” as for the first time I became aware of philanthropy’s multiple roles in society. Giuliana founded and directed the Master in International Studies in Philanthropic (known under the awkward acronym MISP), which formed many practitioners and scholars in the field, as well as started numerous, lasting friendships. Giuliana introduced me to this field, and has served first as my primary M.A. thesis advisor and then as a member of my dissertation committee. In Indianapolis, my dissertation committee has continued Giuliana’s work and grown the seeds she had planted. Dwight Burlingame, Kevin Cramer, Giuliana Gemelli, Leslie Lenkowsky, and Gregory Witkowski have encouraged, supported and pushed me iv over the last three years. As members of both my Advisory Committee and my Dissertation Committee, Kevin and Les have supported me throughout my entire time at IUPUI. Dwight has been a constant presence and guide for the last six years. The Center of Philanthropy, and now the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, would not be the same without Prof. Dwight Burlingame and his generosity toward students and commitment to philanthropic studies. Over the last three years, Greg has been more than a Dissertation Chair and more than a friend. This dissertation would have been much different (by which I mean, worse) without his constant guidance and encouragement. Thank you! – If only your taste in pizza were as good as your scholarly advices… Many have contributed to make Indianapolis my home for the last six years. Bill Enright, Rich Klopp, Ashley Miller, and Natalie Ingle of the Lake Institute smoothed my transition from the Old to the New World. The other doctoral students and all the participants of the Friday Stammtisch, from its beginning with Eva to its almost institutionalized form today, made Indianapolis the ideal place to write a dissertation. WIMPS (odd acronyms seem to fascinate philanthropic studies) and Rich Steinberg created a stimulating avenue for scholarly – and non – exchanges. All made this dissertation possible by creating opportunities for the exchange of ideas, as well as for moments of distraction. Both Indianapolis and us have changed over these six years. Writing a dissertation is a long process, which is not possible without financial support. The School of Philanthropy has supported me beyond every legitimate expectation with graduate and teaching assistantships, teaching assignments both in the graduate and undergraduate programs, and research, travel, and writing grants. I have v also been fortunate to have my work funded by the generous grants of the Rockefeller Archive Center, the Max Kade Institute for German American Studies, and the IU OVPIA-Free University Berlin exchange program. With the support of the scholarship from the Free University Berlin, I was a visiting scholar at the Friedrich Meinecke Institute, where I have greatly benefited from multidisciplinary research seminars and the advice of Prof. Arnd Bauerkämper. The semester in Berlin would, however, not have been the same without Nicola, Andi, and Claudia. Every Ph.D. student needs a source of internal as well as external equilibrium. Sindhu has been this source for me. As every doctoral student knows, dissertations are strange, all-absorbing beasts. Sindhu taught me again that Saturdays and Sundays are not only made for writing and reading. She brought me back to reality and real life more often than she probably would like to remember. This dissertation and everything else has been possible only with, and because of her. Sindhu is my past, present, and future. vi Peter C. Weber THE PRAXIS OF CIVIL SOCIETY: ASSOCIATIONAL LIFE, THE POLITICS OF CIVILITY, AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS IN THE WEIMAR REPUBLIC This dissertation analyzes the efforts to develop a pluralistic political culture and democratic practices of governance through the training of democratic leaders in Germany's first school of public affairs, the German School of Politics. The investigation of the thought-leaders that formed this school illustrates two main points. First, through the prism of the School, I detail the efforts to develop a conception of civil society that, by being grounded in civility, could retie social bonds and counter the brutalization of politics characteristic of the post-World War One years. By providing practical knowledge, courses in public affairs could not only free Germans from the blinders of ideologies, but also instill in them an ethos that would help viewing the political enemy as an opponent with an equal right to participate in the political process. Secondly, I point to the limits of trans-national philanthropy in supporting the development of civil society in young democracies. By analyzing the relationship between U.S. foundations and the School, I focus on the asymmetry that existed between American ideals of democracy and the realities of the German political system. This study thus focuses on the dynamics between the actions of institutions and organizations, and the broader social behaviors that constitute public life. Gregory R. Witkowski, Ph.D., Chair vii TABLE OF CONTENTS ACRONYMS AND GLOSSARY ix CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1 The Civil Society Debate 4 Civil Society in Theory: State, Associational Life, and Democracy 5 Civil society in Practice: Associational Life and the Weimar Republic 16 The Praxis of Civil Society 22 Political Education and the Politics of Civility: The Deutsche Hochschule für Politik and the Politische Kolleg 26 Methodology and Sources 38 Overview 43 CHAPTER 2: SOCIALIZATION AND POLITICIZATION BETWEEN IMPERIAL GERMANY AND WAR 48 Friedrich Naumann and the Wilhelmine Reformers 52 Political Influence and “Civic Peace”: Wartime Sociability and Propaganda 63 Associational Fragmentation and Political Radicalization 75 Conclusion 95 CHAPTER 3: CONCEPTUALIZING DEMOCRACY BETWEEN INDIVIDUAL AND VOLK 101 From the Armistice to Versailles: Associational Life between Hopes and Despair 104 German Democracy, the Weimar Republic, and the Parliamentary System 120 The Young Conservatives and Politics as Religion 128 Conclusion 140 CHAPTER 4: EDUCATING GERMANS: BETWEEN CIVIL POLITICS AND VOLKSGEMEINSCHAFT 145 The Weimar Republic and Political Education 148 The Deutsche Hochschule für Politik and the Politics of Civility 158 The Politische Kolleg and the Education of the Volk 172 Conclusion 185 CHAPTER 5: THE DEUTSCHE HOCHSCHULE FÜR POLITIK, INTERNATIONALISM, AND AMERICAN PHILANTHROPY 190 American Scientific Philanthropy, Internationalism, and Germany 195 The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and the “International Mind” 200 Rockefeller Philanthropic Institutions and “Objective” Social Sciences 221 Conclusions 238 CHAPTER 6: FROM CIVIL SOCIETY TO DICTATORSHIP: PUBLIC INTELLECTUALS BETWEEN REPUBLIC, NAZISM, AND EXILE 244 The DHfP and Party Politics 247 The Withering Away of Civil Society and the End of the “Politics of Civility.” 266 Ernst Jäckh between the Nazi Regime, American Philanthropy, and Exile 284 Conclusion 300 CONCLUSION 305 BIBLIOGRAPHY 324 CURRICULUM VITAE viii ACRONYMS AND GLOSSARY Antibolschewistische Liga Anti-Bolshevist League Arbeitsausschuss für Mitteleuropa Working Committee for Central Europe Aufklärungsdienst in der Heimat Intelligence Service for the Homeland Auslandsdeutsche Germans living abroad Bund deutscher Gelehrter und Künstler, or Kulturbund Union of German Scholars and Artists Burgfrieden Civic Peace Bürgerliche Gesellschaft Civil society or bourgeois society Carnegie Endowment for International Peace CEIP Deutsche Demokratische Partei German Democratic Party, or DDP Deutsche Hochschule für Politik German School of Politics, or DHfP Deutsche Liga für Völkerbund German League for the League of Nations Deutsche Volkspartei German People’s Party, or DVP Deutschnationale Volkspartei German National People’s