Description
Book SynopsisA bold new interpretation of Germany's democratic transformation in the twentieth century, focusing on a group of intellectuals who shaped the post-Nazi reconstruction
Trade Review“Excellent study” —Emily A.Steinhauer,
German Historical Institute LondonLions and Lambs: Conflict in Weimar and the Creation of Post-Nazi Germany by Noah Benezra Strote was awarded 2018 Honorable Mention for the CES Book Award.
“In this learned, sharply observed, and elegantly written book, Strote offers a brilliantly conceived argument about the nature of democracy in Germany’s tumultuous twentieth century. It will exert considerable influence on how we think about Weimar and the Federal Republic.”—Peter Fritzsche, author of
An Iron Wind: Europe under Hitler“Ever since the sociologist M. Rainer Lepsius popularized the notion of ‘social milieux,’ it has been commonplace to recall Wilhelmine and Weimar-era Germany as a society divided into discrete cultural-political domains. After 1945, however, a new spirit of partnership brought together these once-antagonistic groups to forge the relatively stable and enduring ethos of the German Federal Republic. In his broad-ranging and suggestive new book, Noah Strote sheds a helpful light on this ideological transformation.”—Peter E. Gordon, author of
Adorno and Existence“
Lions and Lambs is an impressive, innovative exploration of ideas about overcoming conflict and achieving consensus in Germany from the Weimar Republic through the early years of the Federal Republic. This book will change how we think about Germany’s transformation after 1945.”—Richard Bessel, author of
Germany 1945: From War to Peace“Beautifully written, this wide-ranging and landmark study reframes our understanding of German postwar democracy and modernization by underscoring the contributions of formerly exiled intellectuals and religious leaders to the establishment of a culture and politics of partnership in the Federal Republic.”—Maria D. Mitchell, author of
The Origins of Christian Democracy: Politics and Confession in Modern Germany“A fascinating study of how those who had previously held opposing positions—‘lions’ and ‘lambs’—came to value partnership in the post-Nazi era. An emergent consensus, rather than the efforts of the Allies, lies at the heart of West Germany’s stabilization. A genuinely innovative approach, clearly traced through the lives and writings of key individuals.”—Mary Fulbrook, author of
Dissonant Lives: Generations and Violence through the German Dictatorships
