The educated upper-middle classes are known (in Germany) as being the sector of the populace especially prominent in propagating and mooting national(ist) ideas and political designs. But what place and status is assigned to the 'nation' when its eloquent champions reflect upon themselves? The study addresses this issue by analyzing personal testimonies of educated German citizens alive during the German empire. A methodical perspective examining autobiographies, diaries, and personal correspondence as autobiographical constructions of meaning helps to arrive at a more differentiated verdict...