Kategoria BISAC: History >> Europe - Germany

The idea of the middle-class nuclear family as a 'sacred' and 'natural' entity has been deeply engraved into modern discourse about families. This volume examines the origins of this narrative in the legal and literary texts of the second half of the 19th century and recent times. In addition to legal texts, it offers readings of literary examples, including Stifter, Raabe, Setz, von Duffel, and Wawerzinek.

Zwischen Wahrungsreform und Wiedervereinigung besass Kaffee als Wohlstandsindikator in Ost und West einen hohen Symbolwert im individuellen und gesellschaftlichen Selbstverstandnis. Monika Sigmund zeigt in ihrer vergleichend angelegten und reich illustrierten Darstellung den Stellenwert und die emotionale Aufladung, die mit einer Tasse Kaffee verbunden waren. Der Kaffeegenuss war hier wie dort weit mehr als ein privater Akt.

Historians have long treated the patriotic anthems of the American Civil War as colorful, if largely insignificant, side notes. But beneath the songs' inspirational surface is a far more complex story. The contradictory genesis and reception of one such anthem, "Maryland, My Maryland," for instance, showcases the inherent ironies underlying the Civil War in general. Long considered one of the most popular Confederate patriotic songs, "Maryland, My Maryland," was not only written in Louisiana but also celebrated a state that never joined the Confederacy.

In "Maryland, My Maryland: Civil...

What diplomats really do (illustrated): U.S. diplomat George Glass recounts adventures and conflicts from over three decades in the Foreign Service. Largely focused on the Cold War, he describes infiltration of the peace movement and anti-Americanism in West Berlin. He details dealing with Moscow dissidents before Gorbachev. He reviews his arrests by the KGB, a high-speed KGB auto chase, and the suicide of a friend. He portrays battling East German leader Erich Honecker's plots to flood Berlin with refugees and close checkpoints. He shares his views on politicians, and...

December 1944. For the besieged American defenders of Bastogne, time was running out. Hitler's forces had pressed in on the small Belgian town in a desperate offensive designed to push back the Allies. The U.S. soldiers had managed to repel repeated attacks, but as their ammunition dwindled, the weary...

"This book is a fresh approach to the field of memory and commemoration studies....Its rich source-base gives a multi-perspective, nuanced approach to how the GDR attempted to create and then nurture a collective consciousness through foundational myths rooted in the physical and emotional landscapes of its citizens.... Olsen] has written a book that cleverly and seamlessly stitches social and cultural history with political history." - Benita Carol Blessing, University of Vienna

" This book] addresses a significant historical issue, particularly for an understanding not only of German...