Current State of Literature on German History - Term Paper Example

22 November In Germany Germany is well-known for its glorious history and past. Much has been said about the main stages in the evolution of the German state. Contemporary authors discuss the various aspects of the German state, art, and ideology. The goal of this paper is to review the current state of literature on German history, through five quotations found in books on German history, art, music, and literature. German history Introduction. The history of the German state was rich in events and complexities. German social history is no exception: according to Evans, Germany was greatly influenced by a number of external factors. “The emergence of social history in Germany, for instance, cannot simply be reduced to a reflection of the emergence of a generation of liberal and Social Democratic historians in the 1970s. The two developments are clearly related, of course, but social history is also an international phenomenon” (Evans ix). Evans is correct: we know that Germany never developed in vacuum. What happened in Germany was always related to other events in other countries and, simultaneously, influenced those countries. I am confident that the relation between the history of Germany and other states was mainly because Germany had always been an open state. Conclusion. The social history of Germany is inseparable from the rest of the social world. The social history of Germany is part of the broader social movements and a compound product of external and internal influences. Introduction. For many years, Germany was the main source of military controversies in Europe. National Socialism has far-reaching historical roots, but it was not before Hitler that National Socialism became a major threat to the future of the entire humanity. The main question is what caused National Socialism and how to prevent similar tragedies in the future. According to Kocka, “historians looked back to the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries and identified, by explicit or implicit comparison with England, France, North America or ‘the West’, peculiarities of German history, structures and processes, conditions and experiences which – of course – were not thought necessarily to have led directly to National Socialism but which, in the long run, hindered the development of liberal democracy and ultimately facilitated the rise of fascism” (4). Objectively, the roots of National Socialism and fascism in Germany date back to the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, when poor parliamentarization and fragmented party system exposed the main deficiencies of the Weimar system (Kocka 5). This is when the basis for the development and expansion of fascism was created. Conclusion. Modern historians like Kocka claim that the development and expansion of fascism was a long and enduring process, with its roots in the nineteenth century. Apparently, fascism was a complex product of numerous political factors; most importantly, the weaknesses inherent in the German political and party system. I think that this knowledge of history can help to prevent future tragedies similar to fascism. German Art Introduction. Germany has a well-developed system of art trends and experiences. Expressionism is one of the defining features of German art heritage. Despite the lack of agreement on what Expressionism really means, it takes a definite place in the development of German art. Expressionism has a rich history in Germany. Elger writes “expressionism, however, was by no means limited to fine art, even though its significance and influence in other areas should not be overestimated. The desire to follow an Expressionist style was equally widespread in literature, drama, stage design, dance, film and architecture” (8). This being said, Expressionism in Germany comes as a complex and omnipresent phenomenon, which crosses the boundaries of fine art and greatly affects all areas of human creative activity. Simultaneously, as Expressionism affected creative activities in Germany, so was Expressionism influenced by the political and social climate in the country. Conclusion. Art and Expressionism, in particular, is both a product and reflection of the social and political climate in Germany. The period when Expressionism existed was extremely short. Expressionism ceased as suddenly as it started. Nevertheless, I am convinced that the study of Expressionism can help to understand the history and culture of Germany in more detail. German music Introduction. For previous and present day generations, the value of German music is taken for granted. Simultaneously, millions of people around the world perceive German music as a model of artistic exquisiteness. The cultural significance of the word combination “German music” is rarely questioned, as German composers made a huge contribution to the development of the world’s art. Given the persistent leadership of Germany in the musical world, it comes as no surprise that modern critics pay special attention to the quality and essence of modern German music. Applegate and Potter suggest that “German achieved the ultimate in universality when NASA’s Voyagers 1 and 2 headed out into space in 1977, each carrying an aluminum-encased, gold-plated phonograph record with generous portions of Bach, Mozart, and Beethoven among its musical offerings from earth to listeners unknown” (91). This quotation has far-reaching implications for understanding German art. First, it shows the significance of German music in the international art landscape. Second, it also shows that, over centuries, German music is still popular and valued. This, in turn, raises the question of why music and Germany have come to be so closely related and what are the reasons that make German music a “gold standard” of the international music industry. Conclusion. German and music are inseparable. Music and composition are distinctive features of ‘Germanness’. German music is a “gold standard” of the international music industry. I feel that music played not the last role in leading Germany to its current cultural and social position and, most probably, music will continue to play the defining role in Germany’s cultural development. German authors/ literature Introduction. Literature distinguishes Germany from other cultures. German authors are known all over the planet. Fairy-tales are, probably, the most important component of German literature. However, German fairy-tales were not always what they are today. Browning described the history and implications of German fairy-tales and their effects on German literature. In his book, Robert Marcellus Browning claims that, at some point, “folklorists were inclined to dismiss fairy tale as a late and degenerate form of myth; parents, distressed by elements of violence and terror, presented their children with tasteful adaptations in which there was no more talk of severed limbs, willfully abandoned children, or blood-filled slippers” (25). It seems that the history of German fairy-tales was not easy, and German parents could not always choose appropriate content for their children. For this reason, for the most of the eighteenth century, fairy-tales in Germany were doomed to a serious decline. Conclusion. The development of fairy-tales in Germany resembled the development of the whole country. Germany faced numerous barriers to its political success; in a similar vein, fairy-tales in Germany were often sent to oblivion. However, nothing is eternal and the misunderstanding surrounding German fairy-tales was soon resolved. Today I perceive fairy-tales as an essential element of German history and culture. Conclusion Contemporary literature provides a wealth of information about Germany, its history and art. In light of everything said above, Germany passed a long way to its political and cultural success. In many fields of human performance, Germany is treated as the gold standard of superior quality and commitment. Today, Germany has everything needed to pursue its strategic goals. Works Cited Applegate, Celia and Pamela Maxine Potter. Music and German National Identity. University of Chicago Press, 2002. Print. Browning, Robert Marcellus. German Literary Fairy Tales. Continuum International Publishing Group, 1983. Print. Elger, Dietmar. Expressionism: A Revolution in German Art. Taschen, 2002. Print. Evans, Richard J. Rereading German History: From Unification to Reunification, 1800-1996. Routledge, 1997. Print. Kocka, Jurgen. “German History before Hitler: The Debate about the German Sonderweg.” Journal of Contemporary History, 23.1 (1988): 3-16. Print. Read More