Description
Book SynopsisAn exploration of a work that was the epitome of German literary modernism illuminates in detail the death of the Weimar Republic's left-leaning culture of innovation and experimentation. It examines Alfred Doblin's "Berlin Alexanderplatz" (1929), a novel that questioned the autonomy and coherence of the human personality in the modern metropolis.
Trade Review“An engaging book.” * Central European History *
“In Peter Jelavich’s important work, the study of cultural history moves beyond the sphere of textual interpretation to analyze the complex interplay of multiple media in the making of modern German culture.” * History: Reviews of New Books *
“In reconstructing the rich history of one story, Jelavich gives us new insight into the convergence of aesthetics and politics in the Weimar Republic.” * Monatshefte *
"Jelavich’s study provides rich documentation of the 'death of Weimar culture,' drawing on archival documents of the Weimar government, the trade press of the broadcasting and movie industries, the daily press, and specialized literary journals of the time. Much of this background has been marshaled before by German scholars, but rarely has it been set out in English and never in such a readable, compelling story around the fate of a single literary text." * Journal of Modern History *
"Jelavich has written a fascinating study of mass media and censorship in the Weimar Republic, using Alfred Doblin's work as a case study." * German Studies Review *
Table of ContentsList of Illustrations Preface 1. The Novel Berlin Alexanderplatz 2. Politics and Censorship at the Berlin Radio Hour 3. Cultural Programming and Radio Plays 4. The Radio Play The Story of Franz Biberkopf 5. Film Censorship in the Weimar Era 6. Nazi Threats to Film 7. The Film Berlin Alexanderplatz Epilogue Notes Index
