Author Description

Postwar German culture - East and West - and the political implications of various cultural developments are the focus of this provocative study by some of Germany's leading cultural and intellectual historians. Many of the contributors - Hermann Glaser and Kurt Sontheimer, in particular - have played important roles in the development of cultural activities in the Federal Republic and offer an insider's perspective on the literature, architecture, performing arts, theatre and cinema of this tumultuous period. Another insider, distinguished biomathematical scholar Jens Reich, renowned for his personal struggle for civil rights in the former German Democratic Republic and for his presidential candidacy in the last German elections, analyzes the political culture of the former GDR and the relationship between East and West Germans. This book presents the first historical perspective on Germany's postwar cultural history and offers students and scholars a vivid picture of politics and culture during a unique period in German history.