Comments on: Five Germanys I Have Known by Fritz Stern http://fistfulofeuros.net/afoe/culture/five-germanys-i-have-known-by-fritz-stern/ European Opinion Thu, 20 Nov 2008 09:21:14 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: Chris Williams http://fistfulofeuros.net/afoe/culture/five-germanys-i-have-known-by-fritz-stern/#comment-17116 Chris Williams Fri, 02 Mar 2007 16:29:05 +0000 http://fistfulofeuros.net/wordpress/?p=2841#comment-17116 'It could have been Germany’s century.' Bingo. A couple of years ago I was wandering round Humboldt University, looking at the pictures on the wall, thinking the same thing. But at the other end of Unter Den Linden, the fucking SPD voted for the war credits. Cretins. Don't get me wrong - the whole Second International fell to bits, not just the German section. But the SPD were the best part of it, and could have made a difference. Anyone fancy coming to an international wake on August 4 2014, titled 'One Century In Hell'? ‘It could have been Germany’s century.’

Bingo. A couple of years ago I was wandering round Humboldt University, looking at the pictures on the wall, thinking the same thing.

But at the other end of Unter Den Linden, the fucking SPD voted for the war credits. Cretins. Don’t get me wrong - the whole Second International fell to bits, not just the German section. But the SPD were the best part of it, and could have made a difference. Anyone fancy coming to an international wake on August 4 2014, titled ‘One Century In Hell’?

]]> By: Doug http://fistfulofeuros.net/afoe/culture/five-germanys-i-have-known-by-fritz-stern/#comment-17115 Doug Tue, 13 Feb 2007 19:07:39 +0000 http://fistfulofeuros.net/wordpress/?p=2841#comment-17115 Aron, and Dahrendorf and Dönhoff. Richard Hofstadter, and in a later generation Richard Holbrooke. Garton Ash, of course. Helmut Schmidt, but no word on Harald Schmidt. I think he comes to admire Fischer, though Stern is not really a fan of post-1968 German universities. Though he's even less of a fan of pre-1968 German universities, so that one is kind of a wash. It might be easier to ask who he isn't friends with, at least within the field. The zinger about Betriebsunfälle is in the book, too, along with lots of other debates about the meaning of 33-45. Aron, and Dahrendorf and Dönhoff. Richard Hofstadter, and in a later generation Richard Holbrooke. Garton Ash, of course. Helmut Schmidt, but no word on Harald Schmidt. I think he comes to admire Fischer, though Stern is not really a fan of post-1968 German universities. Though he’s even less of a fan of pre-1968 German universities, so that one is kind of a wash.

It might be easier to ask who he isn’t friends with, at least within the field.

The zinger about Betriebsunfälle is in the book, too, along with lots of other debates about the meaning of 33-45.

]]> By: Alex http://fistfulofeuros.net/afoe/culture/five-germanys-i-have-known-by-fritz-stern/#comment-17114 Alex Tue, 13 Feb 2007 18:32:35 +0000 http://fistfulofeuros.net/wordpress/?p=2841#comment-17114 So is this. So is this.

]]> By: Alex http://fistfulofeuros.net/afoe/culture/five-germanys-i-have-known-by-fritz-stern/#comment-17113 Alex Tue, 13 Feb 2007 18:31:23 +0000 http://fistfulofeuros.net/wordpress/?p=2841#comment-17113 This is another test: link This is another test: link

]]> By: Alex http://fistfulofeuros.net/afoe/culture/five-germanys-i-have-known-by-fritz-stern/#comment-17112 Alex Tue, 13 Feb 2007 18:30:01 +0000 http://fistfulofeuros.net/wordpress/?p=2841#comment-17112 This is a test. And yes, I would have given a leg to eavesdrop on those two. This is a test. And yes, I would have given a leg to eavesdrop on those two.

]]> By: Doug M. http://fistfulofeuros.net/afoe/culture/five-germanys-i-have-known-by-fritz-stern/#comment-17111 Doug M. Tue, 13 Feb 2007 17:24:02 +0000 http://fistfulofeuros.net/wordpress/?p=2841#comment-17111 That sounds awesome. I will keep an eye out for this book. Here's a link for a lecture by Stern: http://www.ghi-dc.org/bulletin28S01/b28stern.html A line jumps out at me: "The unsatisfactoriness of A. J. P. Taylor, however enticing he was, was apparent." And another: "[A] right-wing historian had, at the fiftieth anniversary of the outbreak of the [First World] war, just written that it was a Betriebsunfall - a factory accident or an occupational accident... I said at one point in my prepared speech, 'Is there such a thing as a whole series of Betriebsunfälle without coming to the conclusion that maybe something is wrong with the Betrieb?'" He was friends with Raymond Aron? Man, wouldn't you have loved to have been a fly on the wall for /those/ conversations? Doug M. That sounds awesome. I will keep an eye out for this book.

Here’s a link for a lecture by Stern:

http://www.ghi-dc.org/bulletin28S01/b28stern.html

A line jumps out at me: “The unsatisfactoriness of A. J. P. Taylor, however enticing he was, was apparent.”

And another: “[A] right-wing historian had, at the fiftieth anniversary of the outbreak of the [First World] war, just written that it was a Betriebsunfall - a factory accident or an occupational accident… I said at one point in my prepared speech, ‘Is there such a thing as a whole series of Betriebsunfälle without coming to the conclusion that maybe something is wrong with the Betrieb?’”

He was friends with Raymond Aron? Man, wouldn’t you have loved to have been a fly on the wall for /those/ conversations?

Doug M.

]]>