Aftermath: Life in the Fallout of the Third Reich, 1945–1955
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- Create Date：2021-09-10 09:51:01
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Harald Jähner
- ISBN：0753557878
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Summary
How does a nation recover from fascism？
1945 to 1955 was a raw， wild decade poised between two eras that proved decisive for Germany’s future – and one starkly different to how most of us imagine it today。 Post-war Germany found itself occupied over four zones by the victorious Allied forces。 More than half its population was displaced， 10 million newly released forced labourers and several million prisoners of war returned to an uncertain existence in a country that found itself politically， economically and morally bankrupt。
Aftermath is the first history of Germany’s national mentality in the immediate post-war years。 Using major global political developments as a backdrop， Harald Jähner weaves a series of life stories into a nuanced panorama of a nation undergoing monumental change。 Accompanied by expertly selected black and white photographs – some beautiful， some revelatory， some shocking – Aftermath evokes an immersive portrait of a society corrupted， demoralized and freed – all at the same time。
1945 to 1955 was a raw， wild decade poised between two eras that proved decisive for Germany’s future – and one starkly different to how most of us imagine it today。 Post-war Germany found itself occupied over four zones by the victorious Allied forces。 More than half its population was displaced， 10 million newly released forced labourers and several million prisoners of war returned to an uncertain existence in a country that found itself politically， economically and morally bankrupt。
Aftermath is the first history of Germany’s national mentality in the immediate post-war years。 Using major global political developments as a backdrop， Harald Jähner weaves a series of life stories into a nuanced panorama of a nation undergoing monumental change。 Accompanied by expertly selected black and white photographs – some beautiful， some revelatory， some shocking – Aftermath evokes an immersive portrait of a society corrupted， demoralized and freed – all at the same time。
Reviews
Kinga
，
How did Germans live after the Second World War？ How did the country go from being the pariah of Europe to an economic powerhouse？This book does an excellent job addressing these questions， including looking at post-war migration from Germany's former eastern territories （East Prussia， Silesia） and social life after the war。 I found the topic really interesting and the author did an excellent job exploring the immediate post-war years in Germany。 How did Germans live after the Second World War？ How did the country go from being the pariah of Europe to an economic powerhouse？This book does an excellent job addressing these questions， including looking at post-war migration from Germany's former eastern territories （East Prussia， Silesia） and social life after the war。 I found the topic really interesting and the author did an excellent job exploring the immediate post-war years in Germany。 。。。more
Tom Hendrikx
，
Een goed en prima leesbaar boek dat vanuit diverse perspectieven beschrijft hoe een land na ongekende misdaden tegen de menselijkheid en een verdiende desastreuze nederlaag vanaf punt nul opgebouwd werd onder geallieerd bestuur in de periode 1945-1955 tot een beginnende democratie。
John
，
An interest tour of the less explored texture of social life in Germany in the five years that followed the end of World War 2。 Jahner has researched a wide range of evidence detailing the different human reactions of Germans - those who had stayed and survived， those who were returning as expats after fleeing in the 1930s， and those that were expelled from the lands to the east following the post-war redrawing of frontiers - when for the first time they contemplated the destruction around them An interest tour of the less explored texture of social life in Germany in the five years that followed the end of World War 2。 Jahner has researched a wide range of evidence detailing the different human reactions of Germans - those who had stayed and survived， those who were returning as expats after fleeing in the 1930s， and those that were expelled from the lands to the east following the post-war redrawing of frontiers - when for the first time they contemplated the destruction around them and tried to rebuild their lives under the eyes of the victors， respectively the Soviets to the east and the American-English-French allies to the west。 The book covers the early scramble for food and shelter， followed by the dichotomy between those suffering from emotional abdication and depression versus those embracing a new lust for life through music， dance， greater sexual freedom， and experimentation in the field of art and design。 Other chapters delve into the operation of the black market， currency reform and taxation。 [All of which may lie ahead in various forms for the modern Western world， so you can treat the book as a partial survival guide！]“The intention of the book [is] to explain how the majority of Germans， for all their stubborn rejection of individual guilt， at the same time managed to rid themselves of the mentality that had made the Nazi regime possible” - a mentality that， Jahner concludes， their children in 1968 subsequently did not believe had been fully eradicated or it’s fans amongst the older parents’ generation fully punished by the legal cases brought before the courts in the 1945-55 period。[The figures provide by Jahner should worry us: of the 24 leaders brought in front of the courts at Nuremberg in 1946 only 12 were given the death penalty and of the 900，000 brought to trial in civil courts only 1667 were graded “major offenders”。 All this clemency may have been an i dispensable factor in the reconstruction of a democratic and non-belligerent Germany， but: If that is an accurate forensic dissection of the Nazi command structure， it implies that it only needs a core cabal of some 1700 fanatics to cause a civilised nation of 67 million to reroute towards catastrophe]。 。。。more
Judith
，
Beste boek dat ik las in jaren。 Zoveel dingen die ik niet wist over hoe Duitsland na de tweede Wereldoorlog weer door is gegaan。 Met name de reactie van Duitsers op moderne kunst is fascinerend
Stan Fleetwood
，
Fascinating。
Nicola Bennett
，
A fascinating look at a little known area of history。 The only book I had read about the aftermath of the war in Germany was the Anonymous ″A Woman in Berlin″。 That spoke specifically about the breakdown of society at the immediate end of the war。 Somehow I had never thought about what happened afterwards， because the Germany I was aware of growing up was an efficient and wealthy democracy。（The book mainly concentrates on West Germany and Berlin， although there are references to East Germany。）Th A fascinating look at a little known area of history。 The only book I had read about the aftermath of the war in Germany was the Anonymous ″A Woman in Berlin″。 That spoke specifically about the breakdown of society at the immediate end of the war。 Somehow I had never thought about what happened afterwards， because the Germany I was aware of growing up was an efficient and wealthy democracy。（The book mainly concentrates on West Germany and Berlin， although there are references to East Germany。）This book looks at many aspects of life as people try to adjust in the wake of defeat。 The destruction of buildings， which gives rise not only to the problem of where people are going to live， but how do you actually get rid of all the rubble？ The shortage of food - in the few months after May 1945， the occupying forces managed to provide enough food for survival and rationing was introduced， but as time went by the ration was cut and the black market flourished， necessitating most of the population being drawn into criminal acts。 The return of defeated soldiers， often wounded in mind as well as body， and mostly strangers to their families。 （I was reminded of the video that Arnold Schwarzenegger made after the January 6 riot where he talks of his Austrian father being often drunk and violent， but so were all the neighbours who had been soldiers。） The problem of ″displaced persons″ as camps were emptied out and people tried to make their way home， if home still existed。 Particularly poignant was the plight of young people who might only have known camps as their home and struggled to integrate into society。This isn′t a huge tome but it covers a lot of ground。 I found it very readable because it was giving so many insights into not only Germany in the 20th century， but the end of the war as a whole。I had a copy of this book early through Netgalley 。。。more
emma
，
3。5 stars。What an interesting novel！ Documenting the years from 1945-1955 in Germany， Aftermath looks at how politics， pop culture， economics and other elements of society developed post-war。 Written in an incredibly accessible way， I found myself enjoying what I was reading。 Historial non-fictions can sometimes feel like a bore， but Jähner makes the history easy to understand， whilst also explaining everything in a logical way。 I particularly enjoyed the way he focused on singular stories or pe 3。5 stars。What an interesting novel！ Documenting the years from 1945-1955 in Germany， Aftermath looks at how politics， pop culture， economics and other elements of society developed post-war。 Written in an incredibly accessible way， I found myself enjoying what I was reading。 Historial non-fictions can sometimes feel like a bore， but Jähner makes the history easy to understand， whilst also explaining everything in a logical way。 I particularly enjoyed the way he focused on singular stories or people to further explain his point or that moment in history。 Some chapters were stronger than others， but overall it read well and I feel more informed having finished it， than I did before。Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for kindly providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review。 #Aftermath #NetGalley。 All opinions are my own。 。。。more
Sarah Burton
，
Aftermath is a fascinating and well researched book capturing the overlooked years at the very end of WWII。 Slightly tricky to read in places as it is so factual and covers so many different aspects of life。 I found the chapters covering the everyday life and survival of the German people most interesting。A recommended read for anyone with an interst in WWII or Germany。I was given a copy of Aftermath by NetGalley and the publishers in return for an unbiased review。
Denyce
，
This is a comprehensive， panoramic and intriguing view of Germany in 1945 at the end of the war。 Germany as a country was reduced to rubble， the German people dispossessed and reeling from the fallout of the fall of the Third Reich。Jahner provides us with a well researched book that covers many subjects。。。the removal of rubble， the role of women， art， sex， prisoners of war returning home， the black market and the mechanisms people resorted to in order to survive and rebuild their lives。 The acco This is a comprehensive， panoramic and intriguing view of Germany in 1945 at the end of the war。 Germany as a country was reduced to rubble， the German people dispossessed and reeling from the fallout of the fall of the Third Reich。Jahner provides us with a well researched book that covers many subjects。。。the removal of rubble， the role of women， art， sex， prisoners of war returning home， the black market and the mechanisms people resorted to in order to survive and rebuild their lives。 The account includes personal testimonies， as well as posters and photographs to illustrate each issue， helping to make it accessible and aid an ability to empathise with and appreciate the enormity of the issues having to be faced。 Each chapter covers a different subject。 It is interesting and informative， and relatively easy to read。 The book also helps us understand how， out of adversity， Germany and the Germans were able to come together and rebuild themselves and their nation。 It also tries to explain the attitude to the Holocaust， which is the most interesting aspect of the book。I would recommend this book to anyone interested in the Second World War， and with an interest in Germany in particular。With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc。 。。。more
Robert
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Super！ Spannend und abwechslungsreich。 Erklärt die 50er Jahre。
Kate Potapenko
，
This is the part of history that is never spoken about in school or in general。。It is brilliantly written and covers so many aspects of afterwar life in Germany。。Jahner looks into music， art， sex， family， black market and so on。。 We get little snaps from newspapers， pictures taken at the time。 It felt like I was on a time travelling adventure。 it is unputdownable， educational and in a weird way exciting！Even if you're not a huge fan of history， I reckon you will still enjoy it！Thank you #NetGal This is the part of history that is never spoken about in school or in general。。It is brilliantly written and covers so many aspects of afterwar life in Germany。。Jahner looks into music， art， sex， family， black market and so on。。 We get little snaps from newspapers， pictures taken at the time。 It felt like I was on a time travelling adventure。 it is unputdownable， educational and in a weird way exciting！Even if you're not a huge fan of history， I reckon you will still enjoy it！Thank you #NetGalley for my free copy。 。。。more
Frederick
，
What an interesting book！ When it comes to books about Germany， they tend to focus either on the two world wars， Nazism or the interwar period。 Pretty little is known to the average reader about the decade following the tragedy of the Holocaust。 This book certainly changes that。 Millions of refugees in a broken country， this topic is the start of a great story， a chapter that certainly puts our hysterical attention around current refugee influxes in the right perspective。 I also found the chapte What an interesting book！ When it comes to books about Germany， they tend to focus either on the two world wars， Nazism or the interwar period。 Pretty little is known to the average reader about the decade following the tragedy of the Holocaust。 This book certainly changes that。 Millions of refugees in a broken country， this topic is the start of a great story， a chapter that certainly puts our hysterical attention around current refugee influxes in the right perspective。 I also found the chapter on the hunger for culture just after the end of the war extremely interesting。 Even though life was a daily struggle of all against all （hence the title "Wolfszeit"， homo homini lupus） for a little food， coal and a roof over the head， shortly after the armistice cinemas， cabarets and concert halls were packed。 It is somewhat reminiscent of our "Kulturhunger" just after the closure of our culture houses due to the pandemic。 The book does not shy away from tricky themes either: the victim role in which many Germans wallowed after the war and the unwillingness to come to terms with their own guilt。 Highly recommended！ 。。。more
Ann Van Gysegem
，
Must read！
Jacques Thielen
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Indrukwekkend goed over hoe een verwoest Duitsland， overspoeld door nieuwe bewoners， weer werd opgebouwd en wat dat betekende voor het besef van kunst， zeden， levenslust en （gebrek） aan schuldgevoel。 De schrijver zet nauwkeurig uiteen hoe het land， verdeeld over twee imperia， zich herpakte en weer opklom om uiteindelijk aansluiting te vinden in de moderne tijd。 Goed geschreven， prettig taalgebruik en heel toegankelijk。
Ryan Oxley
，
Aftermath is a fascinating historical account of post-war Germany; told through politics， art， journalism， sociology， and from eye-witness accounts of how Nazification continued to trouble Germany for many years following the war。 It's a torrid and at times graphic account， lengthy， of Germany's fraught political history， and one we quite enjoyed。 If you don't like history， I would avoid it， as it's definitely not a true-crime book。 Aftermath is a fascinating historical account of post-war Germany; told through politics， art， journalism， sociology， and from eye-witness accounts of how Nazification continued to trouble Germany for many years following the war。 It's a torrid and at times graphic account， lengthy， of Germany's fraught political history， and one we quite enjoyed。 If you don't like history， I would avoid it， as it's definitely not a true-crime book。 。。。more
PETER MICHAEL
，
A fascinating and well-written book about Germany following its defeat in 1945。 The author captures the very essence of what it was like to live and survive in a country totally devastated by war。 It is difficult to understand how such a once-powerful nation could have been so subdued and submissive after their defeat。 Also mystifying how seemingly unconcerned the civilians were about the genocide of the Jews and the other well-publicised Nazi atrocities。I found it fascinating to read that there A fascinating and well-written book about Germany following its defeat in 1945。 The author captures the very essence of what it was like to live and survive in a country totally devastated by war。 It is difficult to understand how such a once-powerful nation could have been so subdued and submissive after their defeat。 Also mystifying how seemingly unconcerned the civilians were about the genocide of the Jews and the other well-publicised Nazi atrocities。I found it fascinating to read that there were many millions of displaced people trying to return to their former homes which were no longer there， or where they were no longer welcome。 The displaced population were not just Germans but include Allied prisoners of war， concentration camp inmates and a very large number of slave labourers from various parts of Europe。 The repatriation situation was exacerbated by the transport infrastructure of Germany being almost totally destroyed in the last 6 months of the war。 The book delves into the social activities of the inhabitants， the courage of the women in building new lives， the fraternisation between the German women and the Allied troops， and the ignominious return of the German PoW menfolk to their families。 In summary， an excellent read， well researched， and covers a seldom discussed chapter of the end of WW2。 。。。more
Rebecca Sims
，
A comprehensive account of what happened after WWII in Germany。 This was an interesting account of a subject I knew very little of， some of which never even occurred to me。 The many displaced people to be repatriated interested me the most。 The extracts of real accounts gave an authenticity to the chapters。 The journey that Germany took from the end of the war through to rebuilding their lives and economy was not an easy one and this book details how they achieved this。 I found some of the writi A comprehensive account of what happened after WWII in Germany。 This was an interesting account of a subject I knew very little of， some of which never even occurred to me。 The many displaced people to be repatriated interested me the most。 The extracts of real accounts gave an authenticity to the chapters。 The journey that Germany took from the end of the war through to rebuilding their lives and economy was not an easy one and this book details how they achieved this。 I found some of the writing repetitive but mostly of good quality。It opened my eyes to many things I wasn’t aware of and found this book of great use。Many thanks to the author and NetGalley for gifting me this arc in exchange for an honest， unbiased review。 。。。more
Sharon
，
This is a thought-provoking chilling account of the aftermath of WW2， the extra information that you are not told about at school， the hardships for the citizens， the struggle back to normality， the sacrifices made， and the difficulties in rebuilding their lives。There are no winners in war， only death， heartbreak， and destitution， and this book opens your eyes to it all。Very well written and well worth a read。
Laura Massa
，
Gekocht in Oostende， prachtig boek met leeslint。 Zeer toegankelijk， helder， en toch ook pakkend werk over de Duitsers na de Tweede Wereldoorlog。 Harald Jähner biedt een panorama dat inzicht geeft in hoe Duitsland werd wat het nu is。 Zijn bibliografie verraadt het enorme werk dat hij erin heeft gestoken， maar zijn stijl lijdt daar niet onder。 Hij beoefent niet de klassieke geschiedschrijving die van bovenaf kijkt， maar via personages en menselijke verhalen van onderuit word je de naoorlogse jaren Gekocht in Oostende， prachtig boek met leeslint。 Zeer toegankelijk， helder， en toch ook pakkend werk over de Duitsers na de Tweede Wereldoorlog。 Harald Jähner biedt een panorama dat inzicht geeft in hoe Duitsland werd wat het nu is。 Zijn bibliografie verraadt het enorme werk dat hij erin heeft gestoken， maar zijn stijl lijdt daar niet onder。 Hij beoefent niet de klassieke geschiedschrijving die van bovenaf kijkt， maar via personages en menselijke verhalen van onderuit word je de naoorlogse jaren ingezogen。 Met als hoogtepunten de essays over het niertafeltje （het symbool van denazificering） en de controversiële pilote Beate Uhse （de eerste seksshops！） bewandelt Jähner de brokstukken van een land dat zichzelf moet zien te heropbouwen。 。。。more
Anne O'Connell
，
Aftermath is at once a book with a wide sweep and one which gets stuck into the detail。 It covers the destruction and privations of the months immediately following the war as well as the re-emergence of a free press and the arts。 Harald Jähner’s writing， as translated by Shaun Whiteside （who also translated Horst Krüger’s 1960s memoir The Broken House which I recommend）， is engaging and fluent; extra details are confined to the notes at the back so that I found the narrative easy to follow as w Aftermath is at once a book with a wide sweep and one which gets stuck into the detail。 It covers the destruction and privations of the months immediately following the war as well as the re-emergence of a free press and the arts。 Harald Jähner’s writing， as translated by Shaun Whiteside （who also translated Horst Krüger’s 1960s memoir The Broken House which I recommend）， is engaging and fluent; extra details are confined to the notes at the back so that I found the narrative easy to follow as well as fascinating。While not all of the many Germans who counted themselves among Hitler’s victims were justified in claiming so， some undoubtedly were。 Millions of people had lost their homes or were displaced thanks to redrawing of borders; millions more were released prisoners， forced labourers or returning prisoners of war。 It’s not surprising that survivors didn’t want to think about the horrors perpetrated under the Reich when they were now living among vast bombsites in makeshift accommodation and there was not enough to eat。Among the many changes in the post-war years was economic upheaval。 In an attempt to pay the debt owed by Germany to German citizens， under the Equalisation of Burdens Law many people had to pay up to half of what they owned so that others could survive。 Devaluation and replacement of the currency on top of this must have left people constantly unsure of their position。My interest in the history of the Second World War has been fuelled in recent months by listening to the excellent podcast We Have Ways of Making You Talk; I’ve learnt loads but have also realised how little I still know。 And I know even less about post-war Germany。 Aftermath goes some way to plugging the gap and has whetted my appetite for more。 。。。more
Julie Friar
，
The Second World War may be over but how can everyone find a way forward？ So much damage both to people and countries。A brilliant read that is full of information about these ten years。 How people rebuilt their lives and economy。
Dave Wheeler
，
Aftermath of WW2 in Germany。 So how from the rubble of war did Germany 🇩🇪re-emerge to become the force it is today。 This doesn't just look at the culture and rebuilding of their homes and Towns and Cities but at the people。 The rebuild was slow but steady the rubble of bombed out building had to be moved so the new could be built。 So had the people to recreat themselves from the most hated of Europe at the time a title held by our beloved UK I feel at the moment but happily for different reasons Aftermath of WW2 in Germany。 So how from the rubble of war did Germany 🇩🇪re-emerge to become the force it is today。 This doesn't just look at the culture and rebuilding of their homes and Towns and Cities but at the people。 The rebuild was slow but steady the rubble of bombed out building had to be moved so the new could be built。 So had the people to recreat themselves from the most hated of Europe at the time a title held by our beloved UK I feel at the moment but happily for different reasons。 One of their defence mechanisms seemed to be the Nazis lost and they were as much victims as the rest of Europe， they I feel were on their own with that view point。 But away from the politics there were many programmes to deal with the many hardship and issue to resolve and I felt that many have been covered in this account of the time。 I feel its fair to say its impossible to cover it all in a book you'd be able to read in a reasonable time frame and would want to。 There is a lot to cover。 But also there will be many different views I felt this was a neutral as you could get and honest in its approach to all the areas covered。 I hope you learn from this book and I was going to say enjoy the writing but that's not the right word as it does deal with the suffering of others but I enjoyed that they did come out better。 Can't spoil the ending if your still alive as it is clear to see a very different and stronger country and people。 It does mention their humour but that's surely enough there for a few other books。 。。。more
Koen Maegherman
，
Remarkable book。 The author describes from several aspects who post war Germany was struggling to cope with challenges， problems， humiliation， migration，。。 It tells a story that tends to be overlooked but is worth knowing since these 10 years were crucial and determining the spirit and the social democracy that Germany became towards later in the 20th century。
Marc
，
Goed boek。 Het gaat over Duitsland in de eerste jaren na de oorlog。 Dat is ook de ondertitel， zie ik。 Duitsland in 1945 was één grote puinhoop met tientallen miljoenen displaced persons。 Sommige hoorden min of meer in Duitsland （de 10 miljoen mensen die uit veroverde delen weggejaagd waren of krijgsgevangen die naar huis kwamen）， andere moesten nog gerepatrieerd。 En bovendien waren alle grote steden platgebombardeerd。 Hoewel er een vorm van voedseldistributie was， moest er nogal gehosseld worden Goed boek。 Het gaat over Duitsland in de eerste jaren na de oorlog。 Dat is ook de ondertitel， zie ik。 Duitsland in 1945 was één grote puinhoop met tientallen miljoenen displaced persons。 Sommige hoorden min of meer in Duitsland （de 10 miljoen mensen die uit veroverde delen weggejaagd waren of krijgsgevangen die naar huis kwamen）， andere moesten nog gerepatrieerd。 En bovendien waren alle grote steden platgebombardeerd。 Hoewel er een vorm van voedseldistributie was， moest er nogal gehosseld worden om de dagelijkse calorieën bij elkaar te krijgen。 Het deed me denken aan de verhalen van mijn ouders over de hongerwinter， waarin halve families te fiets het land in trokken op zoek naar eten。 Waarbij slechte deals werden gesloten。 Zwarthandel en zo。Een ander ding dat me is bijgebleven is dat mannen niet veel meer voorstelden vlak na de oorlog。 Er waren er sowieso 2 miljoen gesneuveld， en de rest die terugkwam settelde niet zo makkelijk en ontdekte bovendien dat ze hun vrouwen het zonder hen goed afkonden。 Hun kinderen hadden trouwens ook wel wat lastige vragen over wat hun papa's precies met hun wereld hadden uitgevroten， want er was weinig van over。Het ongedwongen gedrag van de Amerikaanse GIs zette de burgerlijke wereld ook nogal op zijn kop。 Amerikanen kwamen toen wel van een andere planeet， in ieder geval de Amerikanen die al maanden of jaren op het oorlogspad waren。Heel intrigerend is dat moderne kunst door met name de Amerikanen gepusht werd als alternatief voor de klassieke Duitse cultuur， en dat dat ook enorm aanslag， met het niertafeltje als symbool。 De Duisters， die nogal kleinbehuisd waren geraakt， hadden liever IKEA-achtige designmeubeltjes dan grote， lompe gedraaibankte eikenhouten spullen。 Maar misschien was dat niet alleen een praktische keus， maar gaf het mensen ook een mogelijkheid om hun leven anders aan te pakken dan tijdens het Derde Rijk。Het laatste hoofdstuk gaat over het doodzwijgen van de holocaust。 Vlak na de oorlog waren de Duitsers het er al gauw onderling over eens dat zij ook maar slachtoffer waren van Hitler。 Nazi's en niet-nazi's vonden elkaar daarin。 Op de een of andere manier ontwikkelde zich een gezamenlijk beeld waarin mensen - in Duitsland dan - elkaar vergaven en vooral verder wilden in een democratisch Duitsland。 Er was bij de eerste verkiezingen wel een radikaal-rechtse partij， die zelfs meeregeerde， maar die sloeg niet aan。 De Duitsers vonden ook wel dat ze het erg slecht hadden getroffen， met hun kapotgeschoten land。 Slechter dan de rest van de wereld。Het idee dat ze daar toch wel zelf om gevraagd hadden en dat ze toch echt willens en wetens 6 miljoen Joden hadden uitgemoord - plus nog miljoenen anderen van wie ze niet vonden dat die op de wereld rond hoorden te lopen - paste niet in de verdringingsdrang。 Dat begon in de jaren zestig met de Auschwitzprocessen （tweede ronde） en de generatie van 1968 had ook felle kritiek op het nazi-verleden van ouders en grootouders。Waar de geallieerden trouwens erg verbaasd over waren， is dat het met het verzet voorbij was op het moment dat de vrede was getekend。 Er was niemand die zijn gelijk nog een keer wilde bevechten。 Ook tussen nazi's en hun tegenstanders was geen sprake van afrekendrift。Kortom， fascinerend boek， om allerlei redenen。 Ik vind het bijvoorbeeld moeilijk om me voor te stellen dat er helemaal niets over is van een land en dat mensen er dan toch in slagen om te overleven en weer iets op te bouwen。 Het hielp natuurlijk wel dat er een bezettingsmacht was met een geweldsmonopolie， die ook voor voedselbonnen （en het bijbehorende eten） zorgde。Wat ik me iets beter kan voorstellen is dat een land - onuitgesproken - besluit alsof er niks aan de hand is geweest。 Niks althans waar zij， de overlevenden， iets aan konden doen。 Het is ook nogal een schande om mee te leven。 En blijkbaar kun je die als dader makkelijk verdringen。Wat de invloed is geweest van de levensstijl van de GIs en van modern design kun je je natuurlijk alleen voorstellen als je het mee hebt gemaakt - en dan moet je nog heel erg goed opletten - of als iemand het voor je op een rijtje zet， zoals Harald Jähner keurig gedaan heeft。 。。。more
Lili Bammens
，
Een stuk van de naoorlogse Duitse geschiedenis waar ik minder van af wist， daarover gaat "Wolfstijd"。 Ik vond het over het algemeen boeiend， maar niet altijd。 Sommige hoofdstukken， vooral in de 2e helft van het boek waren voor mij te lang uitgesponnen。 Ze bevatten details die ik minder interessant of relevant vond。 Wat compacter was voor mij beter geweest。 Een stuk van de naoorlogse Duitse geschiedenis waar ik minder van af wist， daarover gaat "Wolfstijd"。 Ik vond het over het algemeen boeiend， maar niet altijd。 Sommige hoofdstukken， vooral in de 2e helft van het boek waren voor mij te lang uitgesponnen。 Ze bevatten details die ik minder interessant of relevant vond。 Wat compacter was voor mij beter geweest。 。。。more
François
，
Jähner beschrijft het Duitsland tussen 1945 en 1955。 Een land in puin met miljoenen ontheemden die hun weg zoeken: een onderkomen， voedsel， veelal op de overal aanwezige zwarte markt maar die ook snel plezier （dansen） en cultuur zoeken en vinden， onder het bewind van de vier bezettingsmogendheden。 De invoering van de nieuwe Deutsche Mark en de hervonden vitaliteit van de bevolking wordt beschreven als de start van een economische opleving。 Belangrijk thema in het boek is ook het jarenlang wegdru Jähner beschrijft het Duitsland tussen 1945 en 1955。 Een land in puin met miljoenen ontheemden die hun weg zoeken: een onderkomen， voedsel， veelal op de overal aanwezige zwarte markt maar die ook snel plezier （dansen） en cultuur zoeken en vinden， onder het bewind van de vier bezettingsmogendheden。 De invoering van de nieuwe Deutsche Mark en de hervonden vitaliteit van de bevolking wordt beschreven als de start van een economische opleving。 Belangrijk thema in het boek is ook het jarenlang wegdrukken/vergeten van de collectieve verantwoordelijkheid en het ontbreken van schuldgevoel voor wat Duitsland de wereld heeft aangedaan。 Er is eerder plaats voor een slachtofferrol waarin velen zich wentelen en dat verklaart ook wel het gemak waarmee aanhangers van het Nazisme snel terug in het openbare leven geïntegreerd werden。 。。。more
Ignace Laplaese
，
Very attractive way of writing。 The point of view is not the traditional pré or post periode， but mainly the short days after the liberation， in which some regions were not notified about the cease of fire。 A fast reading book， very good
Ludo Spaepen
，
De “Wolfstijd” is de periode van ongeveer 10 zeer woelige jaren na het einde van WO II in het verslagen Duitsland。Puinruimen，de volksverhuizing，het vrouwenoverschot，de zwarte markt，de geldhervorming，de verdringing en Neurenberg。。。en tot slot de aanvang van het Wirtshaftswunder。Interessant。
Sam Van de Wiele
，
Ongelooflijk boeiend。
Karel Asselman
，