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.

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