Description
Book SynopsisThe history and meaning of the Berlin Wall remain controversial, even three decades after its fall. Drawing on a range of archival sources and interviews, this book charts the development of new narratives of the recent German past and explores the significance of the commemoration of the Berlin Wall in defining German national identity.
Trade Review'An original mixture of journalistic reporting and scholarly analysis, this will be the definitive work on the subject of the aftermath of the Wall.' Konrad H. Jarausch, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill and author of Out of Ashes: A New History of Europe in the Twentieth Century
'Hope M. Harrison's superbly informed and often moving study of the Berlin Wall demonstrates that the issues of whom to honor and punish, how to memorialize, and how to integrate into the history of German dictatorship, have made its history a continuing site of political contestation. And poignantly today, a reminder of the era when we strove to tear down walls and not to build them.' Charles S. Maier, Harvard University and author of Dissolution: The Crisis of Communism and the End of East Germany
'Hope M. Harrison provides an extraordinary account of an extraordinary event and its legacies, both factual and political, and it will certainly frame the discussion for the future. It is a tremendous achievement.' Jeffrey K. Olick, William R. Kenan Professor of Sociology and History, University of Virginia
'A riveting and compelling account of Germany's post-1989 struggle over the history and memory of the Berlin Wall. Masterfully told with critical distance and yet deep empathy, Harrison engages the reader in the dramatic contest over the past and future of the new Germany.' Christian F. Ostermann, Director of the History and Public Policy Program, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars
'A tour de force, breaking new ground in showing us how German memory activists turned the focus of national history to the Cold War, and in particular to the wall, the dismantling of which embodied the peaceful end of that struggle for freedom.' Jay Winter, Yale University, Connecticut
'… many years in the making and is the result of meticulous research.' Georgina Paul, The Times Literary Supplement
'… carefully researched and superbly readable …' Andrew Moravcsik, Foreign Affairs
'This important book offers a comprehensive account of how the Berlin Wall has been remembered and memorialized since its fall in 1989 … this clearly written and highly readable text will appeal to scholars and general readers alike.' H. D. Baer, Choice
'… far-ranging, well-researched and highly readable study … After the Berlin Wall is a major achievement by a leading scholar, a study that will, for the foreseeable future, set the standard for any serious exploration of unified Germany's memory culture surrounding the Berlin Wall.' Pertti Ahonen, H-Diplo
'… the book adds to our understanding of the Wall as a touchstone and sounding board for memory. Harrison succeeds in bringing out the palimpsest qualities of this stark, spray-painted structure.' Mark Fenemore, H-Diplo
'Comprehensively researched, beautifully written …' Mary Fulbrook, H-Diplo
'Hope M. Harrison's splendid book is a tremendous achievement … It will frame the memory and identity discussions for the future.' Stephan Kieninger, H-Diplo
'… the book [is] so beneficial for everybody who studies the history of the Berlin Wall.' Hanno Hochmuth, The Public Historian
Table of ContentsList of figures; Acknowledgements; List of abbreviations and German terms; Introduction: the Berlin Wall and German historical memory; 1. Divergent approaches to the fall of the Wall; 2. The fight over memory at Bernauer Strasse; 3. Creating a Berlin Wall Memorial ensemble at Bernauer Strasse; 4. Remembering the Wall at Checkpoint Charlie; 5. The Berlin Senate's master plan for remembering the Wall; 6. The Federal Government and the Berlin Wall; 7. Victims and perpetrators; 8. Conflicting narratives about the Wall; 9. Heroes to celebrate and a new founding myth; Conclusion: memory as warning; Bibliography; Index.
