The past becomes the present : German national identity and memory since reunification

Barnard, MJ

Abstract

History and national consciousness are central to the creation and sustaining of national
identity. Although much has been written on German national identity, there has been
little examination of how the 60th anniversary of the Allied air campaign or expulsion of
ethnic Germans are remembered from the perspective of the Germans as victims.
Reflecting the changing status of the National Socialist past as it continues to affect the
present, this thesis argues there were significant disparities between official and popular
perceptions of national identity and memory.
Presenting a focussed examination of current developments in German society and
politics from a German perspective, this thesis examines why many in Germany have
rejected a national identity based on a constitutional patriotism and collective
atonement. Debates conducted by prominent intellectuals, journalists and academics in
leading newspapers and magazines have been compared to statements from Ministers
and official reports in order to ascertain the extent to which elite conceptions of national
identity find resonance within Germany. Providing fresh evidence from periodicals,
archive publications, eyewitness testimonies and books, this informative and arguably
compelling thesis makes a significant and original contribution on how German history
and identity are now being perceived and represented in Germany.
Competing perceptions of the past and present warrant urgent recognition because so
long as a disparate national identity and culture of remembrance continues there can be
no effective reconciliation with either the German elite or with others. A greater
understanding and recognition of the themes addressed however could not only
encourage greater toleration, but also perhaps dispel the increasing sense of bitterness
concerning recent aspects of the country's past.

Citation

Barnard, M. The past becomes the present : German national identity and memory since reunification. (Thesis). Salford : University of Salford

• Thesis Type: Thesis
• Deposit Date: Oct 3, 2012
• Publicly Available Date: Oct 3, 2012
• Award Date: Jan 1, 2008