Chapters 9-12

I believe that one of the biggest shifts in how German’s viewed themselves and others occurred when the country switched from democracy in the Weimar republic to being lead by Adolf Hitler and the Third Reich. 

The Weimar Republic after World War I. There were two main groups that helped fuel the government in the Weimar Republic. The German People’s Party was one of these parties, they “pursued limited foreign policy goals and guaranteed the loyalty of important industrial and nationalistic groups to the present constitution and system of government” (215). The Social Democratic Party became the opposition, “most of the time lending its support to Stresemann’s policies, which the right-wing parties detested” (215). The goal of the democracy was to restore Germany to full freedom in its conduct of foreign affairs. With many groups working together to solve the problem, the german identity became more cohesive under the Weimar Republic. They viewed themselves as a country working together and working hard to overcome hard times. Germany was divided at this time period among different countries because of World War I, however the Weimar Republic did all they could to make sure the divide still allowed the country to be cohesive. 

Weimar began to face a period called the Golden Twenties, which was a time of “enormous intellectual ferment and artistic creativity” (219). During this time a “Weimar Culture” was created. Great works of literature and art began to come out of Germany, which lead the German identity to become even more prominent. However, it is important to recognize that the “Weimar culture was both deeply bourgeois and at the same time infected by strong antibourgeois sentiment; it received its characteristic stamp from the experience of the Great War” (221). This is one of the things that lead to the Weimar Republics decline. 

The republic entered a crisis in the 1930’s. I believe that this was the start of a shift in Germany identity and how Germans perceived themselves. The shift came mostly through the economic turmoil that the country was entering into. “It became clear that workers’ readiness to support a democratic government was directly tied to the social welfare benefits they received from it” (226). The workers began to lose faith in their government and began to view the government differently than they had before. 

The Weimar Republic fell when Adolf Hitler was appointed Chancellor and another shift in German’s views of themselves and others occurred. Hitler was very persuasive when making speeches. “Hitler brought people’s fears and prejudices out into the light of day from the preconscious, irrational depths of collective awareness and articulated them in terms of his worldview” (230). Instead of being cohesive, Hitler began to pull apart the german identity. He used peoples prejudice to turn people against other people. It completely changed their views on others because they began to place the blame for the countries failure on them. Specifically, Hitler targeted the Jews.  

Hitler was not just pulling apart the german identity, he was also trying to shape a new one that only followed his ideals. “Liberal, democratic, and socialist intellectuals and artists were persecuted and forced into emigration if they were not interned in concentration camps first” (250). This was a huge change from the Weimar Republic because it was getting ride of the culture that they had worked so hard to create and that the Republic had flourished under.

During the shift from the Weimar Republic to the Third Reich, Germans faced many changes on how they viewed themselves and others. 

After the 30 year war what is now known as Germany was in a terrible state. In the Hagen text it says “The drastic decline in population and general poverty following the end of the Thirty Years’ War were matched by widespread economic stagnation, as the territories of the empire were cut off from the growing transatlantic trade and the fruits of colonial conquests abroad” (70). They were essentially forced to mold themselves into new-styled states in order to survive. Even though the imperial troops tried to fight off enemies, France was attacking and seizing land. 

It was not until the Turkish War that the empire had any success. They finally began winning and thinks to imperial propaganda there was a “wave of enthusiasm for the emperor and the imperial cause” (75). Germany then became a part of Prussia as the leadership shifted to King Frederick I.

 There were many challenges that existed in Prussia because it was constantly fighting for its existence. On top of that, Prussia was a poor empire. “It had practically no natural resources and a relatively small number of inhabitants” (79). Eventually Germany entered the seven year war and Prussia was recognized as an empire. 

However, during this time, Germany had started to push away from the powers of Prussia and become a “sovereign power capable of political action” (84). The identity of Germany evolved as it slowly became individualized from Prussia and began to shape into a new empire. It had been dependent on Prussia but was slowly becoming independent. The challenge now was gaining recognition as an individual.  The German nation “existed in the political sense, but conceded that it was difficult to describe and that many other nations existed within it on lower levels” (86). At this time, Germany had a very fragmented identity, which in part lead to it’s growth. 

The German identity began to change as a new educated class came into existence and a standard language began to develop. Using the standard language, communication was able to develop and as a result, culture began to develop. According to Schulze “The German nation was born in the minds of the intelligentsia, as a cultural entity without direct ties to politics” (91). 

Once the Holy Roman Empire dissolved, Germany evolved even more. What was once an empire with a huge amount of different territories, became an empire with 30 territories. Germans once again had to switch their identity because they now belonged to a completely different amount of land under different leaders. Many people struggled with what Germany actually was. “The subjects of Prussia, Bavaria, Saxony-Gotha, or, say Schwarzburg-Sondershausen might feel somehow “German”, yet many identified themselves more broadly with a cosmopolitan bourgeoisie” (102). 

At this time Germany was not only struggling with its identity, but also with many challenges. The French armies marched through, living off the land and taking all they could from the population. In an address to the German nation, Johann Gottlieb Fichte proclaimed “the nature of the German people was genuine and unspoiled, and that by fighting for their own identity and freedom from French military and cultural domination, Germans were serving the cause of progress” (104). The idea of national unity was not completely prevalent until 1840 during the Rhine crisis in which France made an attempt to expand its borders. “The years following 1840 saw a rebirth of German nationalism and strong growth of organizations promoting it” (119). There was a call for action as the people of German began to fight for recognition as a federal state. 

Finally, King William I of Prussia became the first German emperor in the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles on January 18th, 1871 (142). Germany was officially recognized as a state.    

I really enjoyed learning about main events in contemporary German history. I feel like this video did a great job of covering a diverse range of topics. My favorite section was "Ich bin ein Berliner" because it showed many actual people living. One of my favorite events that this section covered was the history of the Berliner Schloss or the Berlin Palace.

The Berlin Palace was completed in 1461 and became the winter palace for the Kings of Prussia and the German emperors. The style of the building was Baroque and it was designed by the architect Andreas Schluter. It was said to be the heart of the city of Berlin, and one of the most historical buildings. Unfortunately, during World War II, bombings caused massive damage to the palace. The German Democratic Republic decided that they would demolish the building in the 1950's instead of spending the money to repair it. Many people in West Berlin protested, however they were not able to save the building. For a long time, the spot where the Palace of Berlin had been was just a vast space in the heart of the city. Then, in 1973 construction began on a replacement building. The new building was called the Palace of the Republic. 

   

The Palace of the Republic housed the East German Parliament for many years. Eventually when the East Berlin and West Berlin were reunited as one, the people agreed that the building should not exist anymore. It was torn down in 2006, once again the heart of Berlin stood empty. Finally, it was decided that construction would begin on reconstructing the old Berlin Palace. It was interesting to see the peoples mixed reviews in the video. Some believed that it was a waste of money while others thought that it was exactly what Berlin needed. I think that reconstructing the old building makes everything come full circle. It is also a good way for the people of Berlin to recognize what they have been through as a city-state. In the heart of city lies one of the greatest symbols of the history of Berlin.

Another event that I really found interesting was the Battle of Berlin. It was fascinating to hear about the tactics that the Russian soldiers (also known as the Red Army) used in order to take the city. The battle started on January 12th, 1945. During this time, Russia slowly began to infiltrate Germany. Efforts to breach the city of Berlin started on March 20th of that same year. Finally, the Red Army had the city of Berlin completely surrounded.  The German defenses held for awhile but ended up surrendering on May 2nd. Some of the defenses continued to hold their position and fought until the war against Europe ended on May 9th. Before the battle was over Adolf Hitler and some of his most prestigious followers decided to commit suicide. They were found in a bunker by Russian soldiers. It has always baffled me why Hitler choose to do this and I am sure it will never be able to be explained. It was a great lesson to learn about the events that lead up to Hitlers suicide and to see how they all are interconnected. 

Lastly, I believe it is important to talk about the advancement of equality that has been seen in Berlin over the past decades. Equal rights has always been a passion of mine, so I loved that the topic was included in the video. I am a strong supporter of gay rights and I was happy to see a segment about how Berlin has become more accepting of it. When learning about German history, some people fail to realize that not only Jews were persecuted, but also groups such as homosexuals. The video gave a brief look into the studies of Magnus Hirschfeld, which was very enlightening. I had no idea that someone would be so bold as to campaign for gay rights in Nazi Germany. Hirschfeld ran a research institute called the Institute of Sex Research. It was established in 1919 and remained strong until 1933. The Nazi's were strongly opposed to the institute and so the archives were burned as part of the government censorship program. Hirschfeld's research was revolutionary for the time period, he was truly a man ahead of his time. 

Martin Luther is well known throughout many different cultures today. I believe that he is so well known in culture because initially, he was going against the culture of his time period in order to create a new one. Culture is defined in the Webster dictionary as the act of developing intellectual and moral faculties especially by education.  In the 1500's, it was believed that if you gave enough money to the church, God would not punish you for your sins. This dealt with the moral faculties of the time period. Martin Luther sought to progress culture through education, showing people that God could not be bought off with money. He translated the the Bible into a language that a wider majority of people could understand, therefore spreading his knowledge and letting people educate themselves on religion. He is a cultural revolutionary because essentially, Martin Luther created a new culture.

It is also important to note that Martin Luther is a political revolutionary. During the 1520's, when Martin Luther began to oppose Pope Leo X, it was the same as if he was going against a popular political leader of our time period. The church held power over not only the people, but the nobles as well. Basically, the church held power over the government and many government decisions were influenced by the church. When Luther went against the Pope, he was going against the politics of the society, he was opposing one of societies strongest leaders. In my opinion, Martin Luther should be viewed as a political revolutionary, not just a religious revolutionary, because he was so willing to go against those who had much more power than him. He truly was a brave and incredible man.

Martin Luther is very important to German speaking lands for a number of reasons. First of all, he helped to shape the German language through his translation of the Bible from Latin. Secondly, he changed German culture completely by providing them with new information and helping them become more educated about the Bible, and most importantly, he is the essence of what Germany is all about. Germany, like every other country in the world, has become corrupt at certain points throughout history because of political leaders. However, Germany always manages to find its way back through the voices of the people and the help of other leaders emerging. Martin Luther represents that voice in the crowd, the one willing to be strong and stand up to the giant political leaders of the time. He is progress and change, a concept we have seen many times throughout German history. He is the essence of what Germany is all about.

I am very excited to go to Germany this year for the second time in my life. I think it will be a truly fantastic learning experience for me. There are many different reasons I wanted to go on this trip. One of the main reasons that I wanted to go on this trip is to further explore German history. In class we talked a lot about World War II and Nazi Germany. I quickly learned that there is a lot more to German history then the things that are taught in the textbooks. In history class you are not usually asked to think through how the Germans felt or asked to think about the desperation that the Germans faced. I found it eye-opening to try to see things from another perspective. Now I am excited to get the opportunity to be around people who actually experienced this history. I believe there is a lot to be learned from them. Another reason I decided to go on this trip was to help expand my knowledge of the language. I plan on pushing myself to speak German as much as possible while in Germany. I also plan on working on my language comprehension by listening to Germans speak the language and trying to comprehend what they are saying. I am aware that this is a skill that I need to improve on and that it is hard to do. Hopefully, if I work hard while in Germany I will be able to improve. Furthermore, I came on this trip to experience Germany culture. I think it is very important to learn about other cultures in order to understand our own properly. I love comparing culture and deciphering why things are so different between them. Plus trying different food is always fun.

 

 This German trip will give me many unique opportunities.

 The first time I went to Germany my favorite thing that I saw was the Cathedral in Cologne. It was absolutely breathtaking. I sincerely believe that it is one of the most beautiful things I will ever see in my life. The details and hard work that must have gone into making the Cathedral were astonishing. The stain glass windows were one of the best parts but everything in the Cathedral was a piece of art. I climbed the Cathedral all the way up to the top even though I am afraid of heights just because I loved it so much. I never wanted to leave because the more I looked the more new details I discovered. I realized I could spend weeks in the Cathedral and never see all of the exquisite details.

                When I go to Germany for the second time I hope to have an eye opening experience similar to this one. I would love to see a building that is truly a piece of art. I know that we will be going into many different Cathedrals during the trip and I am looking forward to that. I am also looking forward to seeing the memorials dedicated to the Concentration Camp survivors. They represent a very important time in history.

 

 Furthermore, I am looking forward to seeing the different museums that Germany has to offer. All of the museums contain important information on Germany history that I am keen to learn about. I look forward to going on this adventure.