History of east germany book

Various critics have argued that these socialist realist fictions were monolithic attempts to translate communist. As a case study of how a small power can manipulate a. Books on the gdr in english east germany podcast radio gdr. For a lot of the east german interviewees in your book, important things were lostlike social cohesion and working towards a common goal. Top 10 chilling revelations about the stasi of east germany. The fluidity of germany s borders is obvious as the book travels through time, with broad strokes painted across much of eastern europe. Against the backdrop of one of the great transformations of our century, the sudden and unexpected fall of communism as a ruling system, charles maier recounts the history and demise of east germany. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. And in many ways, the legacy of east germany is still around today. The history and legacy of the soviet satellite state established after world war ii paperback large. What book is considered the definitive history of the ddr. The shield and sword of the party, it secured the rule of the communist party for more than forty years, and by the 1980s it had become the largest secretpolice apparatus in the world, per capita. Our community welcomes everyone from around the world to discuss world history, historical periods, and themes in history military history, archaeology, arts and culture, and history in books and movies. Tracing the history of east germanys birth in the immediate aftermath of world war ii to its sudden collapse in 1989, the assistant professor of history at the university of rochester has examined the socialist countrys history exclusively through the lens of pig farming.

Its as mundane and kitsch a view of history as you could imagine. This is, of course, not surprising, given the low number of good systematic accounts of economic life in east germany and the slowly fading heritage of the gdr. She has written extremely widely on east german history, and indeed could be forgiven a measure of judicious recycling. The communist states approach to industrial pig farming foreshadowed its demise, a rochester historian argues in a new book. The fact that it was not so immutable there was no alternative, in modern parlance had something to do with the books that were published. Get your order fast and stress free with free curbside pickup. His research interests include the history of sepulchral cultures, regional and national memorialization, and the link between landscape and identity. The shield and sword of the party, it secured the rule of the communist party for more than forty years, and by the 1980s it had become the largest secretpolice apparatus in the. This book explains the powerful causes for the disintegration of german communism as it constructs the complex history of the gdr. It is also the 2 nd most populous country in europe and the most populous memberstate of eu.

Brookings experts contributed to this select reading list of books and articles. The prizewinning writer on her new memoir not a novel, growing up. Thomas fleischman has been obsessed with pigs for the better part of the last decade. Alan mcdougall, journal of modern history hope harrisons book is a truly distinguished example of new cold war scholarship. The political history of east germany has had a number of academic and broad audience publications devoted to it. Published in the same year as falladas death, this novel has. In 1949, four years after the end of the war, the socialist unity party of germany sed proclaimed the foundation of the german democratic republic gdr, also known as east germany, in place of the soviet zone. The story of an east german family journalist maxim leo bookend s the story of the gdr with his own family history. Whatever your view, there is much to enjoy in this book whether you come to laugh or sneer at such delights as the gdrs clumsy attempts a pop culture, or even a homegrown porn industry, or for insight into what the creativelyminded were able and willing to produce under the restrictions of the regime. As an economic system, communism doesnt work as well as capitalismbut there were some good things about it. Uhoh, it looks like your internet explorer is out of date. These books are world history texts covering modern history only. The history of east germany culture arts, music and. This important new overview of the german democratic republic focuses on the countrys search for identity and legitimacy throughout its history.

This book is the first life history of a northwest coast indian woman. The best books on modern german history five books expert. The history of east germany was closely intertwined with the development of its security services, specifically the stasi. The first part of the book is a gallop through ancient history, placing germany on the readers mind map roughly where it is now. Nov 03, 2020 an animal history of east germany s rise and fall university of washington press 2020 the pig played a fundamental role in the german democratic republics attempts to create and sustain a modern, industrial food system built on communist principles. East germany german democratic republic history title. Books about or set in the former east germany score a book s total score is based on multiple factors, including the number of people who have voted for it and how highly those voters ranked the book. This is what mary fulbrook terms the peoples paradox, which she takes as the starting point for her social history of east germany.

Nov 27, 2020 the history of the east german helmets actually goes back to the second world war, when as early as 1942 the german army was looking at ways of simplifying its production methods, and in producing. Fleischman chronicles east germanys journey from family farms to factory farms, explaining how communist principles shaped the adoption of industrial agriculture practices. The east german ministry for state security stood for stalinist oppression and allencompassing surveillance. By the mid1980s, east germany produced more pork per capita than west germany and the uk, while also suffering myriad unintended consequences of this centrally planned practice. Germany is a country known for having thoroughly come to terms with its history.

The history of east germany was a remarkable one, from its chaotic origins through its ossification as a stalinist regime, until the country collapsed along with the berlin wall. The history and legacy of the soviet satellite state established after world war ii paperback large print, 29 nov. The sed controlled the national front coalition, a federation of all. Henry krisch analyzes major aspects of east german lifepolitical, economic, cultural, and societalto answer the fundamental question of. It laid claim to reformers such as spartacus league, karl liebknecht, and rosa luxemburg. In the years prior to the fall of the berlin wall, the leaders of the german democratic republic planned to construct a city center that was. As berghahn shows, east german cinema occupies an ambivalent position between german national cinema on the one hand and east. East germany german democratic republic history, german. Brookings experts reading list on the fall of the berlin wall and the. The u001cshield and sword of the party,u001d it secured the rule of the communist party for more than forty years, and by the 1980s it had become the largest secretpolice apparatus in the world, per capita.

The crisis of communism and the end of east germany. East germans gather in front of the berlin wall in 1989. New books network thomas fleischman, communist pigs. A brief but good piece of work on the history of the gdr, the berlin wall and the events that led to its foundation and demise, it covers all the major events tied in with east germany including the general uprising in 1953, sed, ostpolitik etc. Maier looks at the turning points in east germany s fortyyear history and at the mix of coercion and consent by which the regime functioned. Publisher for the university of washington member of the association of university presses. German history cannot be isolated from war, cold war, superpower conflict, european integration, and the developments of germany s european neighbours to the west, east, north and south. The contributors consider the economic history of east germany within its broader political, cultural and social contexts. An animal history of east germanys rise and fall weyerhaeuser environmental books hardcover. The east german protests of 17 june 1953 went down in history as the first major postwar uprising against an east bloc government. As the foundation dedicated to studying east germany s communist past turns 20, however, its clear that task. When in germany, do as the germans do hyde flippo, 2002. Includes pictures covers the history of berlin and germany from the end of world war ii through the 1960s discusses some of the famous escape attempts and the way east germany tried to prevent them includes footnotes and a bibliography for further reading includes a table of contents from stettin in the baltic to trieste in the adriatic an iron curtain.

The best books on modern german history 1 ordinary men by christopher browning 2 jews, germans, and allies. Along with pictures depicting important people, places, and events, you will learn about the stasi like never before. On 17 june, for the first time since the end of the war east germans went out onto the street and protested independently. Because you have a choice of material, which is either from fanatical communists who loved the ddr, or from ddrhating westerners who only state the bad things and make us out to be bad people. What are good books in english on the stasieast german. In an era of totalitarian countries dominated by repressive state agencies, the stasi stood out for its size, and the sheer breadth and depth of its surveillance.

Follow the author similar authors to follow east germany. Jun 11, 2014 book censorship was officially abolished on 1 january 1989, at a time when most people still thought of east germany as ironclad and everlasting. What book is considered the definitive history of the ddrgdr. Rather than limit their perspective to the period of the gdrs existence, the essays additionally consider the decades before 1945 and the post1990 era. Oct 21, 2019 from nobel prize winners to a book burned by the nazis, this list takes a whistlestop tour through germany s most influential books and authors. He has published on death and disposal in east germany as well on the history of the alps. Their actions amounted to a general strike throughout much of the country. The best books on modern german history five books.

The history and legacy of the soviet satellite state established after world war ii large print by charles river editors isbn. On one side is his maternal grandfather, a berlinborn jew who fought for the french resistance and subsequently embraced the east as a bulwark against fascism. As a result of the ninth party congress in may 1976, east germany after 197677 considered its own history as the essence of german history, in which west germany was only an episode. For roughly the first decade after the demise of the gdr, professional and popular interpretations of east german history concentrated primarily on forms of power and repression, as well as on dissent and resistance to communist rule. Familys daring escape from east germany berlin wall history for kids book. East german society from hitler to honecker by mary fulbrook, from history in focus, the guide to. The original 1949 version of the east german constitution did not provide for censorship of the press, but did guarantee in article 9, section 2 that censorship of the media is not to occur. Another point you make in the book is that 98% of women were employed in east germany. Health consequences of peds continue to plague exeast. An inspiring true story about one familys escape from behind the berlin wall.

This spy novel about a british intelligence operation in cold war east germany was later made into a movie. Memories of a nation by making the point that germany is a country which has had fluid borders a facet that, as inhabitants of an island nation, we brits dont need to consider. As an account of soviet east german relations from 1953 to 1961, it is likely to be definitive. More broadly, fleischman argues that agriculture under communism came to reflect standard practices of capitalist agriculture, and that the pork industry provides a clear illustration of this convergence. This is what life was like in communist east germany.

While most places in the world have only begun opening up their bodies to the public. There is a sense in which, in the twentieth century, the history of europe is the history of germany. Crowds of germans from east and west climbed onto the wall. Dissolution is his poignant, analytically provocative account of the decline and fall of the late german democratic republic. This book explains the powerful causes for the disintegration of. What does east germanys rise and fall have to do with pigs.

Postfascist fantasies examines the cultural function of the novels of communist authors in east germany from a psychoanalytic angle. Fulbrook, of course, is uniquely qualified among angloamerican historians to tell this story. This provision was removed in the 1968 revision of the document, and expanded to become article 27, reflecting the modernization of technology. Located in north eastern germany, in the east of elbe river is, berlin the capital and the largest city of germany. Jul 15, 2005 this book is a representative history of east german film culture from 1946 to the present, examining both defas celebrated classics and the most acclaimed postunification feature films by east german directors. From human smuggling to forced labor, from skateboarding to the peaceful revolution, dw takes a closer look at the history and legacy of the former german democratic. History of east germany project gutenberg selfpublishing. This lighthearted and helpful guide details the dos and donts of being german. After german reunification, books about the gdr continued to appear. As a case study of how a small power can manipulate a superpower, it is sure to become a classic. Your own book, born in the gdr, is a collection of stories about east germans, many of whom feel theyve been dismissedthat everything they believed in has been superseded by west germany. In june the sed, hoping to give workers an improved standard of. When it comes to the history of east germany, everyone has strong.