Especially now, in a time that feels unusually rough for many, a look into the past can give perspective. Perhaps a fitting moment for Michael Wildt’s new work: “Zerborstene Zeit: Deutsche Geschichte 1918 bis 1945” (CH Beck). On September 29, the historian spoke to Mirjam Zadoff, director of the Nazi documentation center, about his book. On the one hand, it provides a historical overview, from the November Revolution of 1918 to the bombing raids of 1944, but above all it offers new perspectives on different living environments, from variety shows to the black community: Wildt repeatedly lets contemporary witnesses – known and unknown – have their say, for example the socially critical artist Käthe Kollwitz, the literary scholar Victor Klemperer or a nationalist-minded teacher.
Michael Wildt: Zerborstene Zeit, Thursday, September 29, 7 p.m., NS Documentation Center, Max-Mannheimer-Platz 1, nsdoku.de