Research on the history, culture and society of the Weimar Republic
In the current issue of Zeitschrift für Geschichtswissenschaft (ZfG), Robert Lorenz writes about Robert René Kuczynski, a Weimar-era intellectual, who later worked at the London School of Economics and became an adviser for the British Colonial Office.
ROBERT LORENZ: Robert René Kuczynski (1876–1947): Ein politischer Intellektueller in der Weimarer Republik.
The Monacensia archive in Munich has digitalized the original pages of Klaus Mann’s diaries (1931-1949). An amazing source for literary scholars and historians alike.
This new book unearths some texts by Maria Leitner, a socialist reporter working in Weimar Germany who sadly is nearly forgotten today. As a female investigative journalist, she paved the way for the likes of Grace Drummond-Hay and Marie Colvin.
Julia Killet, Helga W. Schwarz: Maria Leitner oder: Im Sturm der Zeit
A new biography investigates how Walther Rathenau reconciled his Germanness and his Jewishness: ‘This deeply informed biography of Walther Rathenau (1867–1922) tells of a man who—both thoroughly German and unabashedly Jewish—rose to leadership in the German War-Ministry Department during the First World War, and later to the exalted position of foreign minister in the early days of the Weimar Republic. His achievement was unprecedented—no Jew in Germany had ever attained such high political rank. But Rathenau’s success was marked by tragedy: Continue reading “New Rathenau biography”
This new biography of Max Pechstein includes a very insightful chapter about his life during the Weimar years: ‘Max Pechstein (1881–1955) is one of the most prominent German artists of the twentieth century, not least because of his crucial role in the breakthrough of German Expressionism. This long overdue biography combines the portrayal of an outstanding artistic personality with the story of an individual German who struggled through the political upheavals of his time. Pechstein’s work is presented in the cultural context of museum politics and art associations, art dealers and critics, market forces and cultural trends.’
Fulda, Bernhard / Soika, Aya: Max Pechstein: The Rise and Fall of Expressionism
Resonance FM, a London-based radio station, has produced a great feature on Marlene Dietrich and her role in gay culture, with much material from the 1920s and 30s. Featuring – among others – art historian Simon Watney and activist Terry Sanderson:
Marlene Dietrich – Beyond Top Hat and Tails
Thanks to Sabine Schereck.
In the current issue of German Life and Letters, Kristen M. Hylenski analyses Valeska Gert’s four autobiographical texts, Mein Weg (1931), Die Bettlerbar von New York (1950), Ich bin eine Hexe (1968), and Katze von Kampen (1973), revealing ‘the ways in which Gert revisits and revises her life story. While each text recycles material from the previous ones, Gert continually reframes her narrative according to the changing audiences and historical contexts. Continue reading “Journal review: German Life & Letters, 1/2013”
The current issue of Sozial.Geschichte Online (Social History Online) features a biographic article on Josephine Baker and her engagement for civil rights:
In the current issue of Vierteljahrshefte für Zeitgeschichte, Daniel Schmidt charts the life of Hans Ramshorn (1892-1934), from Prussian officer to SA leader:
‘How does the conventional life and career of a Prussian officer veer off course and onto the winding path of a Völkisch (ethnic nationalist) paramilitary? This article will address the above question using the biography of Hans Ramshorn (1892–1934) as an example. Continue reading “Journal Review: VfZ 2/2012”
Achim Fuhrer’s new biography of Ernst Thälmann attempts to revaluate the KPD leader’s role in the Weimar Republic and to disentangle this historic figure from its legend.
>> review on H-Soz-u-Kult (in German)
>> review in Archiv für Sozialgeschichte (PDF, in German)
This new encyclopaedia gathers over 2,200 women born between 1800 and 1900, like Lou Andreas-Salomé, Franziska zu Reventlow and Hedwig Dohm, and gives an overview over their autobiographical writing. Besides being an important milestone in the field of autobiography studies, Gudrun Wedels collection provides an excellent introduction to the lives and works of women who shaped Weimar society.
