The Power of Intellectuals in Contemporary Germany

A decade after reunification, with Germany laboring to define a new national identity, the defunct German Democratic Republic has gained a second life in the pages of history. The former GDR, and particularly the fate of its intellectuals, has become the subject of novels, memoirs, and films, and it has also become the backdrop for general debates over the power of intellectuals in contemporary media and society. This new collection of essays considers the demise of the GDR and its impact on the place of intellectuals in Germany today. Distinguished contributors from Germany, Austria, and the United States survey aspects of high and low culture, including the current nostalgia for East German film, the demise of the GDR rock scene, the pivotal role of East German poets, the consolidation and privatization of German media, and the frightening new resurgence of right-wing violence. The result is a timely volume that charts Germany's rocky transition from one world to another. Contributors: Mitchell G. Ash Simone Barck David Bathrick John Borneman Dorothea Dornhof Michael Geyer Andreas Graf Dietrich Hohmann Andreas Huyssen Konrad Jarausch Alexander Kluge Loren Kruger Martina Langermann Siegfried Lokatis Patricia Anne Simpson Frank Trommler Katie Trumpener