German Tradition Research Articles

Before astropolitics: Ratzel, Schmitt, and the question of cosmic colonisation

Abstract This paper seeks to open an inquiry into the origins of astropolitics, an intellectual and popular imagination whose defining characteristic is the attempt to project geopolitical concepts and categories into outer space. I locate the roots of this vision not merely in Anglo-American maritime strategy but in the rather earthlier German tradition of geopolitics, more specifically in the work of the geographer Friedrich Ratzel and the political theorist Carl Schmitt. Surprisingly, however, my reverse chronology discovers that although the two men’s ideas reverberate through contemporary astropolitical discourses, they were both in fact, in different ways and for different reasons, hesitant about space colonisation. The paper makes sense of this finding and unpacks its implications for contemporary International Relations debates on off-earth politics.

Understanding the Meaning of “Aspeset”: Hermeneutical Approaches, Reading Practices and the Departure from Germany in Two Lea Goldberg Novels

Abstract This essay describes the departure from Europe, arguably the theme that unites Lea Goldberg’s three novels, in terms of the German tradition of Hermeneutics. I explore the various hermeneutical approaches in two of the novels, Mikhtavim Minesi’a Meduma and Avedot, and connect their metafictional and metacritical debates to the circumstances of their composition, publication and reception. While Mikhtavim Minesi’a Meduma employs a humanistic and universalist Weltliteratur perspective in order to downplay the emotions of bitter rejection from a beloved cultural home, Avedot contends with hermeneutical and philological questions ranging from authenticity and interpretation to the mystery of artistic creation. Avedot’s plot revolves around the philologist-poet protagonist’s quest for his own pseudo-ancient text, but ultimately raises questions about the spiritual nature of the creative process and whether or not this spiritual baggage can be relayed to an external reader, in political circumstances that accentuate the poet’s sense of alienation. The two novels, with their unstable form, provided Goldberg an opportunity not only to contemplate aesthetic questions, but also to psychologically process the tearing away from the cultural and intellectual legacy of Europe and in particular that of Germany.

Old Wine in New Bottles: The Technological Promise of Biorefinery In Historical Perspective.

Biorefineries are often lauded as revolutionary, sustainable new sources of power. This article critically examines biorefineries from historical and environmentalist perspectives, highlighting flaws such narratives. It proposes an alternative to the biorefinery paradigm that draws on critical environmentalist scholarship, French political ecology and the German tradition of sanfte Chemie (soft chemistry). History, the article argues, is crucial for identifying technological dead ends.

Israel Zangwill

Abstract Israel Zangwill (1864–1926) was the best-known Jewish anglophone writer and public intellectual during his lifetime. There has been a contemporary resurgence of interest in Zangwill's life and work in Britain, France, America and Israel, which will be discussed in the introduction and is illustrated by the articles in the special issue. I focus on the legacies of Zangwill both locally and globally. At the heart of the introduction is the way that Zangwill's legacy varies in different national cultures. It explores how Zangwill reuses the idea of the ghetto from the German tradition of ghetto literature; radicalises Herzl's political Zionism in the form of Jewish territorialism; and refashions President Roosevelt's idea of the melting-pot for popular consumption.

The First German Football Film. Zoltan Korda’s Die elf Teufel and the Cultural Transgressions of the late Weimar Republic

By the close of the Golden Twenties, sport in Germany had experienced an exponential rise in popularity, both among the masses and the capitalistic elite. Though the cultural and technological progression of the 1920s was welcomed by many, a distinct fatigue and criticism emerged in the late years of the doomed German republic. The burgeoning cinematic realm facilitated the combination of the popularity of sport, and more specifically football, with pedagogical influence in a time of political upheaval and crisis, illuminating the cultural battlefield at the time. Zoltan Korda’s 1927 film Die elf Teufel elucidates these characteristics of early cinematic landscape in Weimar Germany. By examining the main characters and their interpersonal interactions, Korda’s film sets the stage not only for the fall of the young republic. In analyzing the star player Tommy’s role in the love triangle central to the plot as well as the variations of the “new woman” (‘Gretchen,’ ‘Girl,’ and ‘Garçonne’), this article demonstrates how Korda’s film not only highlights the progressively problematic cultural development at play in the Weimar Republic but also the purported victory of traditional German values over those of international modernity.

The Mysterious Glow of the Star: Stanisław Moniuszko and Kazimierz Lubomirski

The article is devoted to the analysis of vocal works by Polish composers of the Romantic period. The article reveals the closeness of ethical and aesthetic beliefs of Stanisław Moniuszko and Kazimierz Lubomirski. It has been found that the musical education in the German tradition received by the natives of the regions of the cultural borderland gave them an impetus to serve Polish culture. In the works of both authors, there is an image of a star, which they interpret in a romantic dimension. The song ‘Little Star’ by S. Moniuszko and the song ‘Star’ by K. Lubomirski bear the imprint of Polish musical folklore. The use of elements of the national musical vocabulary clearly shows the composers’ national identity.

The implications of critical theory for adult education policy

The German tradition of critical theory (often called the Frankfurt School), represented by such authors as Theodor Adorno, Max Horkheimer, and Oskar Negt, have given crucial contributions to social and cultural theory in investigating and conceptualizing contradictory conditions of modern Western societies. This paper will discuss the ways in which these critical theorists have approached adult learning and education. Important elements are the role of adult learning in confronting the past and the present of Western societies (Adorno, Horkheimer) and the potential of experience-based learning in supporting open and democratic cultures and communities (Negt). Except for Negt, adult education was a minor topic for these critical theory scholars. Nevertheless, their contributions include important comments on and implications for adult education policy, including questions such as the responsibility of states for education, the democratic character of educational institutions, and the relationship between skills for work and for civil life. Critical theory holds important insights in the societal embedding of adult education and consequences for the objectives. These insights can guide (and have guided) critical research in adult education policy, but they need to be combined with policy analysis concepts and systematic empirical work.

The Nietzschean ‘Will to Power’ and the Bantu Notion of Force: Implications for Cross-Cultural Philosophizing

ABSTRACT This paper x-rays the Nietzschean reconstruction of being as will to power, which is deeply rooted in the notion of force, and the Bantu conceptualization of being as force with a view to showing how convergence and divergence of thought in the Nietzschean and Bantu philosophies can inform cross-cultural philosophizing. Nietzsche captures the will to power as a brute force and dynamic quanta, which is firmly enshrined in endless flux, while the Bantu articulate the notion of being within the framework of force, which is also embedded in motion. The paper highlights the dynamics of Nietzsche’s will to power and articulates the basic principles of Bantu notion of force in a fruitful encounter between the German tradition of thought, which Nietzsche belongs and the African tradition of thought which the Bantu belong. These two traditions will be critically examined to show their implications for cross-cultural philosophy.

ТВОРЧІСТЬ ТОМАСА ГУТТЕРА ТА ЙОГО СКУЛЬПТУРНІ ТВОРИ

The study of the work of the German-born sculptor Thomas Gutter, who worked in Galicia during the late Baroque period, is currently poorly studied, so it needs a thorough study. The article is devoted to the analysis of the work of the sculptor Thomas Gutter. It explores the life and creative path of the artist, the peculiarities of his style, and the use of materials in sculpture. Gutter's main works, their themes, and symbolism, in particular expressiveness in space, are considered. His works are distinguished by the expressiveness of the form, the drama of expression and the detailing of the plastic treatment of draperies. Thomas Hutter's style is characterized by a combination of South German traditions and Central European styles and shows an evolution from the late Baroque to greater geometrization. With his sculptural works, Gutter not only enriched local art, but also made a significant contribution to the formation of the late Baroque style in the Western Ukrainian region. His work influenced the style of many subsequent generations of sculptors. The sculptural works of Thomas Hutter have a high artistic value and belong to the cultural heritage not only of Ukraine but also of Europe. The results of the study can be useful for art historians, sculptors, and researchers.

Celje ali Cilli: kultura med nemško okupacijo

This contribution focuses on the cultural life in Celje and its protagonists during World War II. In the attempt to Germanise Slovenia and its inhabitants, the German occupiers started implementing measures for the eradication of the local ethnicity and culture immediately after their arrival, and their primary target was the Slovenian culture. Consequently, from the institutional point of view, the latter was utterly destroyed and its personnel eliminated. Only the cultural monuments created by German artists – or those allegedly proving that the occupied territories, among them Lower Styria, actually constituted the German cultural area – were preserved. Therefore, the occupiers’ cultural policy as an integral and crucial part of the broader propaganda apparatus in the service of Germanisation was largely based on the German tradition or its restoration.

Description of the Human

Abstract This extract is the first English translation of Hans Blumenberg's posthumous publication Beschreibung des Menschen, which was published by Suhrkamp Verlag in 2006. Based on lectures concerning the German tradition of philosophical anthropology that Blumenberg gave at the University of Münster, the book's basic project is the explicit fusion of Husserlian phenomenology with philosophical anthropology — an attempt to grasp what the human is by identifying its basic structures. The result is a highly nuanced conception of the possibility of human self-reflection that is at the core of philosophy and of culture as a recipe for the species’ survival. Instead of answering the question “What is man?” Blumenberg proposes here a minimalist anthropology that seeks to answer a different question: “How is man possible?” The chapters selected for translation are intended to give readers a sense of the book, little known in the Anglophone world, which in its original German runs to some nine hundred pages.

Down-to-Earth Types: Brick Buildings and the Bounds of Propriety in Berlin and Hamburg, 1904–14

Abstract As the go-to cladding material for a range of new utilitarian building types, machine-made brick appeared across Germany during the industrial boom of the 1890s. In response, in 1904, the Bund Heimatschutz (League of Homeland Protection) was formed to defend the traditional German landscape against the visual blight of industrialization. The organization began campaigning against the use of brick cladding, which it viewed as a sin against propriety and national character. By 1914, however, the situation had changed, and bricks and ceramics had firmly cemented their place within the bounds of cultural permissibility for architectural façades. Focusing on Berlin and Hamburg, this article discusses the processes that enabled the acceptance of brick cladding, shedding new light on the changing character of architectural theory during the prewar era, as architects forged new tools to reconcile history and modern life.

TRANSFORMATION OF THE TRADITIONS OF NORTHERN NATIONAL ROMANTICISM IN THE CONDITIONS OF CHINA (ON THE EXAMPLE OF THE QINGDAO GOVERNOR'S RESIDENCE)

Chinese local architectural and artistic traditions proved to be so resistant to external influences that they in turn actively transformed the borrowed styles, giving them a local flavour. As an early example of the gradual transformation of foreign styles on local soil, the Dunhuang cave temple complex should be mentioned, where the traditions of decorating the interiors of Buddhist cave sanctuaries borrowed from India increasingly moved away from the original models, acquiring a local flavour during the heyday. We can talk about similar processes at the beginning of the 20th century in the case of the development of the German settlement of Qingdao, where, in fact, purely German traditions acquired a fundamentally different context in a different cultural and natural environment. The phenomenon of the transformation of northern national romanticism in the conditions of foreign settlements on the territory of China is studied. The Qingdao Governor’s Residence was analyzed as the main example. By comparing this object with European objects of northern national romanticism, the ways in which the borrowed styles were transformed under the influence of local Chinese traditions were determined. Changes took place at the level of landscape traditions, architectural objects, design elements, works of art. This phenomenon continued the process of transformation of foreign phenomena, which took place much earlier, for example, in the unique cave complex of Dunhuang.

Problem z myśleniem historycznym. Niemcy, Grecja, Katastrofa

The category of historical thinking has a rather unique status. On the one hand, it is widely used; on the other, its exact meaning is very rarely defined. All uses of the term agree on at least two elements: it is treated as central to the study and teaching of history, and it is treated affirma-tively. This article attempts to review the history of the concept within the German tradition of historicism and humanism. It also tries to highlight the role of crisis in the evolution of historical thinking and reconsider its utility and possible future transformation.

Social Interaction as the Basis of Education (Methodological Principles in the German Tradition of Social Pedagogy)

Social Interaction as the Basis of Education (Methodological Principles in the German Tradition of Social Pedagogy)

Just Wars Theory as a Key Element of Germany’s New Sonderweg

The article traces the evolution and key characteristics of the German Sonderweg – Germany’s special path starting from the end of the 19th – the middle of the 20th century. The article considers geopolitical, ideological, and historical reasons for its emergence, transformation, and the specificity of its normative constitution, designed to morally justify the use of military force as an indispensable lever for Germany to achieve its goal of creating a “German Europe.” We develop a hypothesis of a possible remake at the beginning of the 21st century of a new German Sonderweg, focused on creation of the “European Germany,” stemming from liberalism and just war theory. It is demonstrated that Zeitenwende, announced in 2022, facilitated the possible resort to arms and made militant solution of political dilemmas a reality again. The discourse analysis of the German political speeches makes it possible to claim that the political elites in Germany are preconcerted with normative justification of the possible war. The article considers two major lines of transformation of the contemporary just war theory and their possible implication in the German military and defense policy. One of these is the emergence of human rights paradigm of the just war doctrine, another – the growing tendency of the theory to stick to national cultural tradition instead of moral universalism. The combination of the two tendencies may trigger an array of very special and unpredictable normative developments of the military policy in Germany. The further movement alongside the idea of jus ad bellum may provoke specific national perceptions of the justice of the war, which may merge the idea of just war with traditional German realism if not militarism. This tendency may lure Germany into a trap of, what we term, “human rights militarism.” To what extent the trap is viable depends on the normative constitution of the key elements of Sonderweg.

Lo scontro verbale e fisico tra padre e figlio nel mondo germanico

The archetypal tale of the fight between father and son, which is variously modulated in numerous cultural areas, has its lesser-known manifestation in the Germanic traditions: it is a narrative complex which moves across centuries, bound-aries and communicative codes, taking on different – even contrasting – characteristics. A nonlinear narrative, then, but a rhizomatic one, which this essay aims to examine through some of its major attestations from the 9th to the 20th cen-tury: the Old German Lay of Hildebrand, the Gesta Danorumof the Danish historian Saxo Grammaticus, the Icelandic Ás-mundar saga kappabana and the Norwegian Þiðreks saga af Bern, the Early New High German ballad Jüngeres Hilde-brandslied with images accompanying some witnesses, and the tragedy Hildebrand und Hadubrand staged in 1944.

After religious education: lessons from continental pedagogy

This paper takes up the theme of divergent political and educational paths in Religious Education (RE) by drawing out some educational theories from the German tradition of what is sometimes called ‘continental pedagogy’. As a development of work undertaken within the After Religious Education project, my interest in this paper is what these theories have to say about one aspect of education, namely the educational logic governing curricular presentation and representation. Within the German tradition, there is an established focus on ‘didactics’ (the theory and practice of teaching) which informs the approach taken here. Rather than seeing RE as a particular corner of the curriculum with its own unique challenges, my main argument is that RE theory is part of wider educational landscape and therefore it could usefully engage more actively with the tradition of general didactics. The argument will present and contextualize the work of Wagenschein and Klafki, educational theorists who are not well known among Anglophone theorists of RE, but who offer insightful considerations of the holistic formation of the person to which RE can make a vital contribution.

Synchronous online instrumental music teaching in cross-cultural learning contexts

This scoping review addresses two questions: (1) How can previous research inform approaches to synchronous online instrumental music teaching for cross-cultural learning in the field of Western classical music? and (2) What does the corpus of existing studies suggest about Chinese student experiences with western instrumental pedagogy and synchronous online teaching? Based on a systematic examination of 100+ articles from refereed journals in English across the past two decades, the review reveals cultural differences in autonomy and student-centeredness in classical instrument pedagogy traditions. In China, new pragmatic concepts appear as Confucian-Dewey fusion approaches and a distinctive music pedagogy tradition influenced by Russian and Germanic traditions and Chinese philosophy. The review also found that synchronous online instrumental music teaching can be efficient despite technical issues and latency, and the format may enhance forms of dialogue between students and teachers. The review shows little research on intercultural aspects of synchronous online musical instrument teaching, particularly addressing interaction and communication between students and teachers. Moreover, there is a widespread need for competence development for effectively approaching the diversity of music teaching and learning cultures worldwide in the online learning environment.

Emigration with a Pulled Handbrake: Friedrich A. Lutz's Internal Methodenstreit

This article reconstructs the path of the German economist Friedrich A. Lutz (1901–75) to American economics. The correspondence with his former teacher Walter Eucken, the founder of the Freiburg school, constitutes a crucial yet unexplored source for the article. Through Lutz's case, this article demonstrates the growing gulf between German and Anglo-Saxon economics during the late 1930s. In his native Germany, Lutz was trained in methodologically and institutionally focused economics, which differed fundamentally from the mathematical economics dominating Anglo-Saxon academia. He realized that an academic career in the United States would be impossible if he did not adapt to the new methods and if he did not abandon the methods of the German tradition. This gave rise to his internal Methodenstreit. After his emigration in 1938, he constantly experienced doubts and tensions because he was convinced that without considering institutions, mathematical economics could never explain the occurrence and essence of macroeconomic phenomena. Despite his stellar career at Princeton, it was only after his move to Zurich in 1953, where he taught history and theory of socioeconomics for the rest of his life, that Lutz could reconcile this internal Methodenstreit.