Roads not Taken

Or: Things Could Have Turned Out Differently
1. Auflage 2023
ISBN: 978-3-406-80095-5
Verlag: C.H.Beck

Buch, Englisch, 286 Seiten, Klappenbroschur, Format (B × H): 166 mm x 240 mm, Gewicht: 712 g

It could have turned out differently from this perspective, the volume looks at fourteen caesuras in German history between 1848 and 1989. Here the real and crucial historical events are considered against the backdrop of other historical developments that were always possible developments inherently present in decisive, often dramatic turning points. In this way new light is shed on what is already known, the essential openness of history made evident.

What would have happened if the East German security services had violently turned on the demonstrators in 1989? If the USA had dropped atomic bombs on Germany in 1945? How would Germany have turned out if the effort to establish a constitutional monarchy had succeeded in 1848? This book accompanies the exhibition Roads not Taken in the Deutsches Historisches Museum, whose titel has a programmatic dimension: following a concept of the historian Dan Diner, he and the other authors focus on possible historical alternatives. What unexpected coincidences might have altered the real historical events? What role did the personalities involved play in their unfolding? Themes such as Germanys Ostpolitik, the Berlin Wall, the Cold War, the Nazi rise to power, revolution and democratization in Germany are newly evaluated in this way.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Backhaus, Fritz

Diner, Dan

Franke, Julia

Gross, Raphael

Paul-Jacobs, Stefan

Reyels, Lili

Fachgebiete

• Geisteswissenschaften Geschichtswissenschaft Weltgeschichte & Geschichte einzelner Länder und Gebietsräume Deutsche Geschichte

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Preface

Raphael Gross

Roads not Taken
Oder: Es hätte auch anders kommen können

A Talk with Dan Diner on the Exhibition Concepts

1989
Stroke of Luck – Revolution
What If: The Protests and Demonstrations Are Brutally Crushed

Julia Franke

1972
Détente – Ostpolitik
What If: Willy Brandt Is Voted Out of Office as Chancellor

Stefan Paul-Jacobs

April 1972: Rainer Barzel Becomes Chancellor

Bernd Rother

1961
Fear – The Berlin Wall Goes Up
What If: The Berlin Crisis Triggers a Nuclear Disaster

Stefan Paul-Jacobs

In the Government Bunker– The First Days of the Third World War

Jörg Diester

1952
Lures – The Stalin Notes

What If: The Path Leads to Reunification

Stefan Paul-Jacobs

Pictorial Space and Pictorial Time in a Socialist Utopia: Walter Womacka’s Mosaic Our Life on the Haus des Lehrers in Berlin

Oliver Sukrow

1948/49
Systems – Cold War
What If: The Berlin Blockade Leads to War

Stefan Paul-Jacobs

1945
Escaped – Atomic Bomb
What If: Ludwigshafen Is Struck by an Atomic Bomb

Stefan Paul-Jacobs

1944
Assassination Attempt – 20 July
Too Late! Attempted Coup and Holocaust

Julia Franke

1936
Va Banque – Rhineland
What If: France Prevents Hitler’s Expansion

Stefan Paul-Jacobs

1933
“A Miracle” – 30 January
What If: Military Dictatorship Instead of Nazi Dictatorship?

Lili Reyels

The Avoidable Catastrophe: 30 January 1933

Heinrich August Winkler

1929
Hardship – Economic Crisis
What If: Brüning Succeeds in His Policy Change

Lili Reyels

Economic Policy Debate in the Journal Der deutsche Volkswirt during the Great Depression

Roman Köster

1918
Unstable? Weimar
What If: A Monarchy Provides the Footing for a Democratic Constitution

Lili Reyels

“But the Firm … Can and Must Be Retained”: The SPD and the Question of Monarchy versus Republic

Walter Mühlhausen

1914
Abyss – August
What If: Can the Social Democrats Prevent the War?

Stefan Paul-Jacobs

Street Protests against the War in July 1914

Stefan Paul-Jacobs

1866
Empire – In the Midst
What If: A “Third Germany” Rises

Stefan Paul-Jacobs

1848/49
Failure – Revolution
What If: A Dream Comes True

Lili Reyels

Karl Biedermann’s Account of the Journey of the Frankfurt Deputation

Monika Wienfort

Appendix

Literature

Authors

Lending institutions and licensers

Thanks

Illustration credits

Credits

Über Autor(innen)

Franke, Julia
Fritz Backhaus is director of collections at the German Historical Museum and project-director of the "Roads not Taken" exhibit.

Dan Diner is a contemporary historian who has taught at the Hebrew University, Jerusalem and the University of Leipzig. He was most recently director of the Simon Dubnow Institute for Jewish History and Culture.

Julia Franke is a collection-head in the everyday-culture division of the German Historical Museum and curator of the "Roads not Taken" exhibit.

Raphael Gross is a historian and president of the German Historical Museum Foundation. He was previously director of the Jewish Museum Frankfurt and directed the Simon Dubnow In-stitute.

Stefan Paul-Jacobs is a historian and curator of the Roads not Taken exhibit.

Lili Reyels is head of the financial and economic history division at the German Historical Museum and curator of the "Roads not Taken" exhibit.

Reyels, Lili
Fritz Backhaus is director of collections at the German Historical Museum and project-director of the "Roads not Taken" exhibit.

Dan Diner is a contemporary historian who has taught at the Hebrew University, Jerusalem and the University of Leipzig. He was most recently director of the Simon Dubnow Institute for Jewish History and Culture.

Julia Franke is a collection-head in the everyday-culture division of the German Historical Museum and curator of the "Roads not Taken" exhibit.

Raphael Gross is a historian and president of the German Historical Museum Foundation. He was previously director of the Jewish Museum Frankfurt and directed the Simon Dubnow In-stitute.

Stefan Paul-Jacobs is a historian and curator of the Roads not Taken exhibit.

Lili Reyels is head of the financial and economic history division at the German Historical Museum and curator of the "Roads not Taken" exhibit.

Paul-Jacobs, Stefan
Fritz Backhaus is director of collections at the German Historical Museum and project-director of the "Roads not Taken" exhibit.

Dan Diner is a contemporary historian who has taught at the Hebrew University, Jerusalem and the University of Leipzig. He was most recently director of the Simon Dubnow Institute for Jewish History and Culture.

Julia Franke is a collection-head in the everyday-culture division of the German Historical Museum and curator of the "Roads not Taken" exhibit.

Raphael Gross is a historian and president of the German Historical Museum Foundation. He was previously director of the Jewish Museum Frankfurt and directed the Simon Dubnow In-stitute.

Stefan Paul-Jacobs is a historian and curator of the Roads not Taken exhibit.

Lili Reyels is head of the financial and economic history division at the German Historical Museum and curator of the "Roads not Taken" exhibit.

Gross, Raphael
Fritz Backhaus is director of collections at the German Historical Museum and project-director of the "Roads not Taken" exhibit.

Dan Diner is a contemporary historian who has taught at the Hebrew University, Jerusalem and the University of Leipzig. He was most recently director of the Simon Dubnow Institute for Jewish History and Culture.

Julia Franke is a collection-head in the everyday-culture division of the German Historical Museum and curator of the "Roads not Taken" exhibit.

Raphael Gross is a historian and president of the German Historical Museum Foundation. He was previously director of the Jewish Museum Frankfurt and directed the Simon Dubnow In-stitute.

Stefan Paul-Jacobs is a historian and curator of the Roads not Taken exhibit.

Lili Reyels is head of the financial and economic history division at the German Historical Museum and curator of the "Roads not Taken" exhibit.

Backhaus, Fritz
Fritz Backhaus is director of collections at the German Historical Museum and project-director of the "Roads not Taken" exhibit.

Dan Diner is a contemporary historian who has taught at the Hebrew University, Jerusalem and the University of Leipzig. He was most recently director of the Simon Dubnow Institute for Jewish History and Culture.

Julia Franke is a collection-head in the everyday-culture division of the German Historical Museum and curator of the "Roads not Taken" exhibit.

Raphael Gross is a historian and president of the German Historical Museum Foundation. He was previously director of the Jewish Museum Frankfurt and directed the Simon Dubnow In-stitute.

Stefan Paul-Jacobs is a historian and curator of the Roads not Taken exhibit.

Lili Reyels is head of the financial and economic history division at the German Historical Museum and curator of the "Roads not Taken" exhibit.

Diner, Dan
Fritz Backhaus is director of collections at the German Historical Museum and project-director of the "Roads not Taken" exhibit.

Dan Diner is a contemporary historian who has taught at the Hebrew University, Jerusalem and the University of Leipzig. He was most recently director of the Simon Dubnow Institute for Jewish History and Culture.

Julia Franke is a collection-head in the everyday-culture division of the German Historical Museum and curator of the "Roads not Taken" exhibit.

Raphael Gross is a historian and president of the German Historical Museum Foundation. He was previously director of the Jewish Museum Frankfurt and directed the Simon Dubnow In-stitute.

Stefan Paul-Jacobs is a historian and curator of the Roads not Taken exhibit.

Lili Reyels is head of the financial and economic history division at the German Historical Museum and curator of the "Roads not Taken" exhibit.

Fritz Backhaus is director of collections at the German Historical Museum and project-director of the "Roads not Taken" exhibit.

Dan Diner is a contemporary historian who has taught at the Hebrew University, Jerusalem and the University of Leipzig. He was most recently director of the Simon Dubnow Institute for Jewish History and Culture.

Julia Franke is a collection-head in the everyday-culture division of the German Historical Museum and curator of the "Roads not Taken" exhibit.

Raphael Gross is a historian and president of the German Historical Museum Foundation. He was previously director of the Jewish Museum Frankfurt and directed the Simon Dubnow In-stitute.

Stefan Paul-Jacobs is a historian and curator of the Roads not Taken exhibit.

Lili Reyels is head of the financial and economic history division at the German Historical Museum and curator of the "Roads not Taken" exhibit.

Fritz Backhaus is director of collections at the German Historical Museum and project-director of the "Roads not Taken" exhibit.

Dan Diner is a contemporary historian who has taught at the Hebrew University, Jerusalem and the University of Leipzig. He was most recently director of the Simon Dubnow Institute for Jewish History and Culture.

Julia Franke is a collection-head in the everyday-culture division of the German Historical Museum and curator of the "Roads not Taken" exhibit.

Raphael Gross is a historian and president of the German Historical Museum Foundation. He was previously director of the Jewish Museum Frankfurt and directed the Simon Dubnow In-stitute.

Stefan Paul-Jacobs is a historian and curator of the “Roads not Taken” exhibit.

Lili Reyels is head of the financial and economic history division at the German Historical Museum and curator of the "Roads not Taken" exhibit.