Book Description

The defeat of National Socialism in 1945 was a pivotal point in Central European history. For the writing and practice of history, however, the event proved far less decisive. In West Germany and Austria, most historians who had taught under the Nazis retained their positions after 1945. Even those dismissed for their National Socialist sympathies were often able to resume their careers. And an entire generation of younger historians, trained during the Nazi years, was to enter the historical profession after 1945. Paths of Continuity examines the effect of this professional continuity on West German historical scholarship, and the impact of the Third Reich on the way German-language historians practiced their craft. The essays look at ten prominent German and Austrian historians whose lives and work spanned the period before and after 1945: Friedrich Meinecke, Gerhard Ritter, Hans Rothfels, Franz Schnabel, Heinrich Ritter von Srbik, Hans Freyer, Hermann Aubin, Otto Brunner, Werner Conze, and Theodor Schieder. All responded to the Nazi regime in different ways. Some willingly embraced the New Order of National Socialism; others kept their distance from the regime or openly opposed it. Ironically, however, those who were least compromised by Nazi involvements and who emerged after 1945 with the greatest moral and professional authority, often proved the most resistant to change within the discipline. Conversely, much of the impetus for scholarly innovation after 1945 came from historians with earlier ties to the anti-liberal "folk history" of the Nazi era. Exploring these and other paradoxes, this collection of essays provides fresh insight into the development of German historical scholarship since 1945.