Bombing of Dresden '45 and Bebelplatz in Berlin

 Bombing of Dresden in '45

Source: <http://www.alien8.de>

•  A series of Bombings that took place in February 1945
• American and British Bombers
• 3,300 tons
• Subsequent firestorm
•  Dresden - famous cultural center. 
• Museums and other historic buildings
• Frauenkirche
• Dresden had been largely untouched
• Refugees
•  Figures for the death count range from 35,000 to 135,000
•  The purpose behind the bombings was, "...not to reduce Germany's military potential but to strike terror into the population and leave it demoralized" (Schulze, 278).
• The city also took extensive damage
• 13 square miles (34 square kilometers)
• Bombings were used for a number of different things by the Nazis:
• Propaganda
• Brand air martial Sir Arthur Harris as a war criminal
• Three main reasons are commonly noted why this bombing was legitimate:
• The city was in Nazi Germany
• There were factories producing weapons for the war effort - also, it was a rail base of send troops to the Russian front
• Prove military might
•  Critics question whether these were legitimate reasons to bomb the city
• Didn't end the war
• Using Germany as a  "proving ground"

• Efforts to Rebuild

Source: <http://www.cleanme.us>

Bebelplatz in Berlin

Source: <http://www.monika-gruetters.de>

• Unter den Linen Boulevard
• Opernplatz - 1740; Changed in 1947 to Bebelplatz - August Beble; Social Democratic Party of Germany
• Fredric the II - Forum Fridericianum

• State Opera House of Berlin - initially the only one completed

Source: <http://www.ferienwohnung-zimmer-berlin.de>

•  First building - lead to name change
• Destroyed in WWII
• Rebuilt in the 1950s
• St. Hedwig's Cathedral

Source: <http://www.hedwigs-kathedrale.de>

•  Began construction in 1747
• Named for St. Hedwig - Duchess of Silesia
• Silesian immigrants
• Principal church of the Berlin diocese
• The Former Royal Library

Source: <http://www.stadtentwicklung.berlin.de>

• First independent library structure
• Fire in 1945
• Restored from 1963 to 1969
• The Old Palace
• Last two are now part of Humboldt University
• May 10, 1933 Book Burning
• Joseph Goebbels - Minister of Propaganda
• "...cultural life in German was largely manipulated and made to serve the needs of the National Socialist state..." (Schulze, 252).
• Weimer culture books (e.g. All Quite on the Western Front; The Magic Mountain) 
• Monument in 1995

Source: <http://people.hsc.edu>

Sources:

 

"Bebelplatz." Berlin. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Nov. 2012. <http://www.aviewoncities.com/berlin/bebelplatz.htm>.

 

"Bebelplatz." Berlin. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Nov. 2012. <http://www.visitberlin.de/en/spot/bebelplatz>.

 

"The Bombing of Dresden." The Bombing of Dresden. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Nov. 2012. <http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/bombing_of_dresden.htm>.

 

"Death Toll Debate: How Many Died in the Bombing of Dresden?" SPIEGEL ONLINE. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Nov. 2012. <http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/death-toll-debate-how-many-died-in-the-bombing-of-dresden-a-581992.html>.

 

"Forum Fridericianum - "Kommode"" Forum Fridericianum - "Kommode" N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Nov. 2012. <http://www.berlin-experience.de/pictures/fofr_1_fr.htm>.

 

"Information Portal to European Sites of Remembrance." Information Portal to European Sites of Remembrance. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Nov. 2012. <http://www.memorialmuseums.org/eng/staettens/view/1417/Book-Burning-Memorial>.

 

"The National Archives | Heroes & Villains | Churchill & Dresden | What Did the Bombing Achieve?" The National Archives | Heroes & Villains | Churchill & Dresden | What Did the Bombing Achieve? N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Nov. 2012. <http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/education/heroesvillains/g1/cs2/>.

 

"Real History and the Bombing of Dresden." Real History and the Bombing of Dresden. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Nov. 2012. <http://www.fpp.co.uk/online/05/10/Dresden_011105.html>.

 

"Reconstruction." Staatsoper Unter Den Linden Im Schiller Theater. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Nov. 2012. <http://www.staatsoper-berlin.de/en_EN/show/opera_reconstruct>.

 

Schulze, Hagen. Germany: A New History. Cambridge, MA: Harvard UP, 1998. Print.

"Unter Den Linden." Monuments in Berlin / Senate Department for Urban Development in Berlin. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Nov. 2012. <http://www.stadtentwicklung.berlin.de/denkmal/denkmale_in_berlin/en/unter_den_linden/bebelplatz.shtml>.

 

"Welcome!" St. Hedwigs-Kathedrale Berlin. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Nov. 2012. <http://www.hedwigs-kathedrale.de/en/domgemeinde/welcome>.

Assignment 5: Culture During the Mid Weimar-Era

Two of the novels produced

 during this "cultural bloom"

What I personally found particularly compelling about these chapters was the “cultural bloom” that occurred during the mid-Weimar period. This was a time when there was an influx of literature, art, and other cultural aspects. This cultural growth is particularly interesting because while it echoes previous cultural growths that occurred in the German nation, it also has some aspects that are unique to this movement. It is these differences that really piqued my interest and brought this section to my attention. However, first consideration must be given to the one thing that pervaded this and many German cultural revolutions before: the press.

Since Gutenberg first perfect the Chinese printing press, the press has been exceedingly important for cultural revolution in Germany. The clearest example of this is the time of Martin Luther, where he used the printing press extensively to mass-produce his works and spread his ideals to many people. The cultural revolution of the mid-Weimar era was no exception to this rule. During this time, there existed a great number of newspapers that not only provided basic reporting, but also provided commentary on the government. The political backings of the newspapers were wide and varied, but it was through this medium that many cultural ideas were allowed to spread throughout Germany (Schulze, 222). Now that we’ve gained an appreciation for how this revolution was similar to previous one, it’s time to examine the differences that sets this cultural revolution apart from others.

One of the popular newspapers of the mid Weimar-era

 One of the biggest things that grabbed my interest was how this period of cultural growth was marked by the dissolution of the bourgeois class. Before the mid-Weimar era, “The loss of the war and the periodic catastrophic inflation that followed had shaken the confidence of the bourgeois society and ended its role as a distinct class…” (Schulze, 220). Previously, all cultural revolution took place in the middle class, for example, when searching for the “German” identity, people would be directing their works towards the middle class (Schulze, 98). For this reason, this Cultural Revolution was slightly different; it was able to reach more people and more people felt as if they were participating in it when compared to previous times of cultural change. On the other hand, Schulze notes that, “…this does not mean that the new art was in any way more representative of mass culture or popular taste” (220). This is an interesting paradox; while more people were given the opportunity to participate in this cultural revolution, it still did not effectively represent the thoughts of the masses. It appears that rather than representing the general or popular opinion, the German cultural scene was represented by two extremes; the leftists and the rightists.

Schulze notes that, “The far left and the far right made up the great majority of the Weimar cultural scene…” (221). The culture during the Weimar-era is interesting because it is headed by two groups that represent two extremes of thought that were both shaped by the same event, namely the Great War. In the case of the leftists, they learned that everything to do with the military or killing was both evil and senseless. On the diametric opposite side, the rightist remembered, “…the fiery furnace in which a new kind of man had been forged of blood and iron” (Schulze, 221).  Although these two sides both drew different conclusions after the war, there was one thing that brought them together; their disdain for the existing democratic government of the time. Writers, artists, musicians, and other individuals involved in the cultural world were quick to mock and ridicule this system. I personally find this interesting because the culture was so divided but they could agree to hate the governing system that ruled over them all. Such a strong cultural divide on every subject but the government leads me to believe that having a culturally common enemy was what brought the German culture together on a superficial, but significant, level. This cultural convergence of attitudes and disdain for the current government represents a time of growth not only for Germany, but a society perfectly prepared to listen to Hitler's ideals.

Word Count: 706

Assignment 4: Chapters 3 - 5

            This reading was interesting because it’s the beginning of the German people beginning to recognize themselves as the German people. Perhaps because I don’t live in a time when countries are still forming, but I never really understood the concept of not “belonging” to a country. One of the things I found particularly interesting about this chapter was how the German nation was, as Hagen Schulze states, “…born in the minds of the intelligentsia…” (Schulze, 91).

Klopstock and Möser, two of the

middle-class intellectuals of the period

            Due to the fragmented nature of the German principalities, the German princes wanted to have complete control of their subjects. As a result, they needed a multitude of high-ranking officials who would be able to report back to them about their subject’s life. This phenomenon made it so “aristocratic birth no longer sufficed; what was needed were ability and qualifications…” (Schulze, 89). To ensure that they received the support they so desperately sought, the princes began to construct secondary schools, universities, and other areas of academics. The growth and increasing importance of the middle class allowed for there to be a shift in the balance of power. Aristocrats were quickly becoming less significant as this middle class gained both size and clot. It’s no small wonder that this class began to conceptualize the idea of “Germany” – not only were they highly educated, they were also given power for the first time. As history has shown, once an individual is given power, they are unlikely to give it up without a fight.

            When attempting to establish the identity of Germany, one of the first things the intellectual set out to do was establish a standard German language. Once this was established, individuals began to write in this language. Writing in the standard German language allowed writers to, “…identify themselves with the modern spirit being embraced by middle-class Germans throughout many regions…” (Schulze, 89). The creation of this universal language not only allowed the German middle-class to form an identity of what it meant to be German, but also stood to set them apart from the French. This was a time period when France was very influential in Europe. It was a small thing, but a universal German language not only allowed individuals to communicate with each other more effectively, but also gave them a solid idea to cling to. Germany was no longer this ephemeral idea in the ether; it was a solid, unified language that individuals could point to and indicate as the factor that tied everything together.

A representation of peasants working in a leather shop

            While it was well and good that the German middle-class were beginning to identify as German, Germany was not unified or recognized as a “country” at this point in time. Historians, such a Justus Möser, may have been writing for the German people, and poets, such as Klopstock, may have been writing for the German people, but in actuality, they were only reaching the aforementioned middle-class. While the middle-class and the growth of culture certainly helped to begin the growth of the German nation, it also placed a limit on who exactly was the German nation. The intellectual class was the important people, they were after all the ones who had begun to envision the idea of “Germany”, and so if an individual wanted to write to the German people, they were going to write to this middle class. Compare the images of intellectuals presented and peasants presented. These images represent two groups that seem to have little or nothing in common. The peasants are one group and the intellectual middle-class are another. As the Schulze notes, “…four out of five Germans were rooted in peasant traditions, and experienced their only connection with the larger realm of politics when they prayed for the ruling class on Sunday…” (90). “Four out of five” is a staggering figure and really gives one cause for pause. A large portion of the supposedly “German” people weren’t being spoken to. They had no notion of the concept of “Germany. The conception of Germany needed to move beyond the minds of the intelligentsia and be embraced by the common individual. It is only at this point that the German nation can start to emerge and forge its own identity.

Word Count: 717

Assignment 3: Martin Luther

The documentary on Martin Luther was very interesting and really spoke for just how much of an influence Luther had on both the religious and secular world of Germany. Luther was a man who was not afraid to challenge the church, particularly the structure of the church. He believed that the Catholic Church had strayed from the words of God and was instead using their high position to control the religious lives of individuals. Luther was a man who would not be silenced and would not apologize for his words or actions. However, while Luther’s personality and unwillingness to wield was a large reason he was so important to the German lands, I also believe the time period in which he lived played a key part in allowing him to be a radical force of change.

The style of printing press Luther would have likely used

Luther's To the Christian Nobility of the German Nation

One of the reasons Luther was so important to the German speaking lands was because he had access to the printing press. In the documentary, it compared the printing press to the internet and I find myself completely agreeing. Through the technology of the printing press, Luther is able to spread his writings, such as The Ninety-Five Thesis, To the Christian Nobility of the German Nation, and On the Babylonian Captivity of the Church, to many peoples rather than it just being confined to Wittenberg. Also, he used the printing press to produce the bible in a language that everyone could understand, which not only spread ideas, but gave individuals the power to read God's word directly rather than through the church. This act allowed them to put faith into their own hands. While this may not seem like much, spreading ideals and empowering individuals are very important steps when you want to incite change; it’s relatively simple to quiet one person, however when thousands have taken up the same call, it’s significantly more difficult.

Fredrick the Wise, Duke of Saxony, a strong supporter of Luther

Another thing that really set Luther apart from other men that voiced their displeasure with the Catholic Church was the time period in which he wrote. This was a time when the German nation was finally beginning to form some type of identity and yet the people were still forced to pay money to the Catholic Church far away in Rome. Add in the fact that the Church and the ruling class always had a precarious relationship to one another and it’s not difficult to see that the ruling class would take an opportunity to break away from the church as a positive change. One of Luther's earliest and greatest supporters was Fredrick the Wise, the Duke of Saxony, a man who had been trying to limit the power of the church and saw an opportunity through Luther's teaching. Luther definitely didn’t intend for his reform to dissolve into a secular issue, but the ruling class certainly turned it into one. Because of this turbulent time, Luther’s teachings really spoke to both the ruling class and the common people, leading to him being incredibly influential.

            In conclusion, Luther’s teachings were able to reach a wider audience who was very receptive to his words and that’s why he was so influential to the German lands. While I’m sure he would have still made some impact even without the assistance of the printing press and being in line with the desires of the ruling class, it was these traits that truly allowed him to influence the German lands so thoroughly. 

Word Count: 569