Generations in Conflict

Abstract

This is an English-language collection of essays on modern German history with a generational theme, first published in 1995. It addresses, first, the extraordinary power and persistence of a German tradition of youthful rebellion extending from the Sturm und Drang in the eighteenth century to the student revolts of 1968 and, second, the impact of the dramatic ruptures and discontinuities in modern German history on the formation and interaction of successive historical cohorts. Using a variety of different approaches, including literacy and oral history, the collection pays particular attention to the way generational identities interacted with those of class and gender. The book adds to our understanding of generations, of the balance between continuity and discontinuity in modern German history, of the generational roots of National Socialism and the Hitler Youth generation's impact on East and West German society.