Citizenship and National Identity in Twentieth-Century Germany

Geoff Eley (Edited by), Jan Palmowski (Edited by)

9780804752053

Paperback / softback, published 9 November 2007

328 pages
22.9 x 15.2 x 1.7 cm, 0.445 kg

"In thought-provoking and insightful essays, the scholars contributing to this volume present citizenship as the central arena in which Germans debated the meaning of their ideal community...They make a convincing case, and their substantial contributions to the history of modern Germany and international understanding of citizenship prove their point."
—German Studies Review

This book is one of the first to use citizenship as a lens through which to understand German history in the twentieth century. By considering how Germans defined themselves and others, the book explores how nationality and citizenship rights were constructed, and how Germans defined—and contested—their national community over the century. The volume presents new research informed by cultural, political, legal, and institutional history to obtain a fresh understanding of German history in a century marked by traumatic historical ruptures. By investigating a concept that has been widely discussed in the social sciences, Citizenship and National Identity in Twentieth-Century Germany engages with scholarly debates in sociology, anthropology, and political science.