(Not) Narrating the History of the Federal Republic: Reflections on the Place of the New Left in West German History and Historiography

Abstract

AbstractThis article offers a critical engagement with narratives of the Federal Republic and with the role that the radical, extra-parliamentary left played within such narratives from the late 1960s into the 1970s. The article first discusses success stories of the Federal Republic that highlight the country's democratic achievements, as well as more critical accounts that focus on the emergence of a neoliberal regime of governmentality. In both accounts, the radical left plays a pivotal role, either because the left contributed to the democratization of the Federal Republic, or because it helped transform capitalism into its current neoliberal form. The article then challenges such narratives by suggesting an interpretation of the alternative left during the 1970s as a space for experimentation, and by highlighting the open-endedness of such experiments. Gaining a sense for this sort of experimentation means that the alternative left can be embedded neither in a narrative of successful democratization nor in one of neoliberal transformation. Finally, the article examines the urban revolts of 1980-1981, in particular ones that took place in West Berlin. Activists in these revolts celebrated the exuberant intensity of the moment but cared less about future changes. The challenge here is to understand the intensity of a moment that cannot be embedded in a narrative with a clear outcome. The article thus presents perspectives on the history of the Federal Republic that defy easy integration into any narrative framing.