The German Melting Pot

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xi

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2. Introduction

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 1-1

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   2. Introduction

      • Wolfgang Zank

      Pages 1-35

3. The Genesis of a Melting-Pot

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 37-37

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   2. From Germania to the Holy Roman Empire of the Germanic Nation

      • Wolfgang Zank

      Pages 39-54

   3. From Reformation to Enlightenment – Political Fragmentation and Cultural Unification

      • Wolfgang Zank

      Pages 55-72

   4. 1792–1871: the Shaping of Germany

      • Wolfgang Zank

      Pages 73-93

4. A Melting-Pot Under Pressure

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 95-95

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   2. Germany after 1871 — Some General Aspects and Trends

      • Wolfgang Zank

      Pages 97-105

   3. The Four Main Socio-Cultural Milieux

      • Wolfgang Zank

      Pages 106-114

   4. The Uniting Force of Federalism: Southern Germany in Contrast to Alsace-Lorraine

      • Wolfgang Zank

      Pages 115-117

   5. The Jews

      • Wolfgang Zank

      Pages 118-119

   6. Native Non-German Minorities

      • Wolfgang Zank

      Pages 120-126

   7. Immigrants and East-West Migrants

      • Wolfgang Zank

      Pages 127-131

   8. Some Conclusions: Cultural Conflicts and Integration in the Kaiserreich

      • Wolfgang Zank

      Pages 132-135

5. A Meltdown

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 137-137

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   2. The First World War — The Primary Catastrophe of the Century

      • Wolfgang Zank

      Pages 139-142

   3. The Weimar Republic

      • Wolfgang Zank

      Pages 143-162

   4. The Third Reich, the Second World War and Genocide

      • Wolfgang Zank

      Pages 163-184

6. A Melting-Pot Modernized

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 185-185

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From medieval times until today Germany has been a cocktail of very different peoples and cultural groups. The components of the 'cocktail' have changed, but not Germany's character as such. The many cultural divides have often led to conflict, once even to genocide, but surprisingly often cooperation, or at least peaceful coexistence, has been the characteristic feature. Against the background of a graphic historical survey the author analyzes the factors which have made cooperation possible, or conversely, have produced conflicts.

• conflict
• desegregation
• empire
• enlightenment
• federalism
• Kaiserreich
• nation
• reformation
• World War II
• european union politics

• Aalborg University, Denmark

  Wolfgang Zank

WOLFGANG ZANK is an Assistant Professor at Aalborg University in Denmark. He studied history, sociology and economics at Bochum University 1973-79, and became a research fellow there. From 1984-91 he had various appointments at Danish universities and was a Senior Researcher at Aalborg University prior to becoming an Assistant Professor.

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