Beyond Catastrophe: German Intellectuals and Cultural Renewal After World War II, 1945-1955

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Lexington Books, 2006 - History - 195 pages
Beyond Catastrophe examines the post-World War II leadership efforts of four major German intellectuals: Karl Jaspers, Thomas Mann, Friedrich Meinecke, and Bertolt Brecht. Clark focuses on the symbolic, practical, and theoretical contributions of these men to post-war cultural reconstruction, and pays special attention to their key works of the period -- The German Catastrophe, Doctor Faustus, The Question of German Guilt, and Turandot -- in which they addressed the key issues of the period including responsibility and guilt for the National Socialist regime, German distinctiveness, the possibility of a renewed humanism, and the relationship of intellectuals to the broader society. Addressing an important lacuna in twentieth-century intellectual history, Beyond Catastrophe will appeal to scholars of history and German studies.
 

Contents

Introduction
1
Guardian of the Past Friedrich Meinecke
15
A Prophet Without Honor Karl Jaspers
49
The Insider as Outsider Thomas Mann
83
Hero or Villain? Bertolt Brecht in the GDR
129
Conclusion
167
Bibliography
179
Index
189
About the Author
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About the author (2006)

Mark W. Clark is associate professor of history and philosophy at the University of Virginia's College at Wise.