Microcosm: A Portrait of a Central European City
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- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Norman Davies
- ISBN：0712693343
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Summary
Central Europe has always been richly endowed with a variety of migrants and settlers， and repeatedly been the scene of nomadic invasions， mixed settlements and military conquests。 As a result， the area has witnessed a profusion of languages， cultures， religions and nationalities。
The history of Silesia's main city can be seen as a fascinating tale in its own right， but it is more than that。 It embodies all the experiences that have made Central Europe what it is -- the rich mixture of nationalities and cultures; the German settlement and the reflux of the Slavs; a Jewish presence of exceptional distinction; a turbulent succession of Imperial rules; and the shattering exposure to both Nazis and Stalinists。 In short， it is a Central European microcosm。
The third largest German city of the mid-nineteenth century， Breslau's population reached one million in 1945， before the bitter German defence of the city against the Soviets wrought almost total destruction。 Transferred to Poland after the war， Breslau has risen from ruins and is again a thriving economic and cultural centre of the region。
The history of Silesia's main city can be seen as a fascinating tale in its own right， but it is more than that。 It embodies all the experiences that have made Central Europe what it is -- the rich mixture of nationalities and cultures; the German settlement and the reflux of the Slavs; a Jewish presence of exceptional distinction; a turbulent succession of Imperial rules; and the shattering exposure to both Nazis and Stalinists。 In short， it is a Central European microcosm。
The third largest German city of the mid-nineteenth century， Breslau's population reached one million in 1945， before the bitter German defence of the city against the Soviets wrought almost total destruction。 Transferred to Poland after the war， Breslau has risen from ruins and is again a thriving economic and cultural centre of the region。
Reviews
Kajetan Walczak
，
Always good to know more about Wrocław。But I think I'll switch from regular history books to historical reportages。Some chapters were quite boring。No offense Norman。 Always good to know more about Wrocław。But I think I'll switch from regular history books to historical reportages。Some chapters were quite boring。No offense Norman。 。。。more
Kriegslok
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Europe is not short of cities with long histories and centuries of tragedy。 Central Europe has perhaps had more than its fair share of tragedies and has also been commonly neglected and misunderstood by historians。 This epic work， which takes as its focal point the city today known as Wroclaw in south-west Poland， attempts to right that failing and is reasonably successful in doing so。This book is a mammoth undertaking as it is not just a micro history of the city over a two thousand year period Europe is not short of cities with long histories and centuries of tragedy。 Central Europe has perhaps had more than its fair share of tragedies and has also been commonly neglected and misunderstood by historians。 This epic work， which takes as its focal point the city today known as Wroclaw in south-west Poland， attempts to right that failing and is reasonably successful in doing so。This book is a mammoth undertaking as it is not just a micro history of the city over a two thousand year period but a macro history of Central Europe， its politics， culture， conflicts and peoples。 Having undergone many transitions in "ownership"， or perhaps "stewardship" in that time Wroclaw has existed under many names and it is under these that the 500 pages are divided into chapters covering chunks of history。 History has served a special purpose in the founding， and founding moments， of the modern nation state （which as the authors point out are still a relatively new concept despite their now being to well entrenched in our psyche that we struggle to comprehend a history that does not feature them） with concepts of ethnicity and a historical physical presence of an identified culture used to lay claim to and justify borders and claims to land。 To this the authors state "One may conclude that the ethnic labeling of prehistoric cultures is unnecessary， unhelpful and ultimately meaningless。。。。（。。。） 。。。There is no need either to believe in the ethnic purity of prehistoric communities or the fiction of "national territorial rights"， which supposedly reserved one piece of land for the eternal and exclusive use of one nation"。 Indeed throughout this book one thing that is clear is that the mass of the populous were always under the yolk of one war lord or another who was in abeyance to this or that emperor， king and/or pope or some such。 In such conditions for the average person （who is not the central concern of much of this work） had an existence which was generally nasty， brutal and short。Yet somehow out of all this misery the "civilisation" we have today eventually emerged and， perhaps surprisingly to some， Central Europe played a not insignificant part in that process。 In examining this process Davies and Moorhouse stress that it is important to reject the "old fixed nationalist archetypes" in favour of "a shifting， multicultural kaleidoscope"， which， periods of xenophobia， religious intolerance， anti-Semitism etc aside， is pretty much the picture of Central Europe that emerges here， a cultural meetinging point and melting pot and place of scientific and intellectual blossoming。My knowledge of mainland European history does not go back in any proper detail beyond the 1800s so this book was a good primer in what was going on - where and when and how - that influenced and affected the development of Central Europe。 Introductory chapters cover prehistoric Wroclaw and note the value of linguistic archeology in trying to trace habitation and settlement patterns as well as examining the natural environment with its benefits and risks。The opening chapters covering the incarnations of Wroclaw as Wrotizla， Vretslav and Presslaw （1000-1741）， while accounting for a relatively small portion of the total word count， I found the heaviest going。 This period is very name and date heavy and concerns the relations of church figures and their power wielders。 While this is a hefty book much in these sections feels very hurriedly and briefly covered。 However， it is probably not the place of this work to go into great detail but to identify the pertinent events and actors and relate how they impacted on the area of interest。 Still I felt quite dazed by much of this。 However， throughout the book the authors do effectively use snippets of cultural and personal records that help break up what otherwise might risk becoming a glorified timeline。 One of my favourite events featured was the "Vretslav Beer War" caused by the Bishop trying to undercut the Councils profitable "Schweidnitzer Keller" beer which ended up with the city being put under prohibition by the Bishop。 This state of affairs was only resolved when the Bishop refused to yield to visiting， and presumably thirsty， King Vaclav IV on his visit to Vretslav。 The angry King "。。。ordered his soldiers to sack the cathedral， the Bishop's residence and various monastic houses。 Thereafter his drunken soldiers roamed the city， dressed in looted clerical garb， trying to sell their booty"， although apparently unmoved by this display of force the Bishop was forced to compromise and the ability of the city to resist the church was confirmed。Founded at the crossing point of a north-south and east-west trading route Wroclaw has been caught up in some of Europe's major power intrigues while also managing to spend a lot of time as a significant settlement in what has often been regarded as a Sileisian backwater。 As a meeting point of Bohemian， Slavic， and Germanic influences the city wobbled between influences with a merchant class taking over the running of the city council in the 1300s operating in the interest of trade and replacing the hereditary leadership with merchant and craft guilds forming the basis for a "permanent patrician elite" which it is noted survived into the 19th Century。 Over the years the Polish presence in the city had wavered。 In the era of the nation state the absence of a Polish state was generally viewed by Prussian officialdom as reason enough for Polish culture to be neglected and superseded， （much as the authors point out was the British view of Welsh and Galic language and culture which was actively repressed） despite the existence of a large Polish speaking population。 This policy was viewed as progressive and modernist rather than reactionary。 Prior to the 1860s Prussia "demanded loyalty from its subjects but was not interested in ethnic matters"， a period when the idea of Germany was "so vague that it was almost meaningless"。 So it is perhaps all the more shocking how quickly ideas of ethnicity， blood， soil and supremacy - which played a key part in the early Imperial Germany （along with a streak of anti-Semitism） - took hold and simmered for decades until finding a Fuherer to take them to their grave along with a sizeable chunk of humanity。 For me， while already the most familiar historical period， the 1860s to 2000 was the most interesting part of the book for relocating the focus during that period of history away from the more familiar centres。 The between the wars years， and immediate post war period are particularly interesting and the authors are at times quite partisan。 The annexation of Breslau and its incorporation into post-war Poland make for especially interesting reading。 The period from the 1960s to 2000 is skimmed through but is perhaps well covered elsewhere。 Interesting issues such as anti-Semitism anmd youth sub-culture don't really get a look in。 The rise of Solidarity is covered and the "anti-Communism" of Poles is emphasised alongside the discussion of workers taking over factores， engaging in mass strike action， civil disobedience and political agitation， without any apparent sense of irony。 I was pleased that the Orange Alternative got a mention， probably one of Europe's most entertaining （and when it came to running the authorities in knots and annoying them effective） resistance movements。Twenty years have now passed since this book was published。 Poland has changed much in that time and not， in my opinion， for the most part for the better。 Intolerance is once again embraced by authority and the ugly head of nationalism makes itself felt again in Wroclaw in a new guise。 However， Wroclaw has reemerged as a vibrant city in a more united Europe and as the authors state Wroclaw is now "a European city rather than just being Polish"， which on reading this book is pretty much what the city has long strived to be。This book is a good brief （despite its size） overview of a city and its relation to centuries of history。 It probably works best as an introductory guide to Central European political and cultural history and as a pointer towards areas and issues for deeper reading and research。 I have amassed a good reading list， and list of issues and events for further research as a result of reading this book。 I have also learned much about Wroclaw， a city I lived in for the best part of a year， that I did not know before。 Well worth reading。 。。。more
Stefan
，
It's great if you are in need of a reference （5 of 5） or it's your first （and only） book covering Wroclaw past。 However， for me， it's just a very solid account of Wrocław's troubled history， but overall a bit of disappointment。 I was expecting 'a portrait'， a vivid and fascinating documentary set in my hometown and that's where the book fell a bit short。 As wrocławiak / Breslauer， I've expected so much more from a book under Norman Davies' auspice。 His Europe: A History helped me navigate past a It's great if you are in need of a reference （5 of 5） or it's your first （and only） book covering Wroclaw past。 However， for me， it's just a very solid account of Wrocław's troubled history， but overall a bit of disappointment。 I was expecting 'a portrait'， a vivid and fascinating documentary set in my hometown and that's where the book fell a bit short。 As wrocławiak / Breslauer， I've expected so much more from a book under Norman Davies' auspice。 His Europe: A History helped me navigate past and delivers much more than a timeline sparked with dates， names， places， hence I've expected much more from a book that would zoom in on a particular city。 Sadly in Microcosm: A Portrait of a Central European City the yesteryear events are neither skilfully interwoven into events on the European stage nor particularly well interconnected。 It's a relatively balanced chronicle， dotted with all the important digits， personas and facts， but lacking something - a soul that would fill it with live and help you connect the dots。 The attempts to present cultural and linguistic anthropology points of view， somehow fell short of triggering my imagination。 Hence I doubt others would realise to the full extend of perseverance and/or tragedies of people trapped in whirlwinds of European fortunes。 I guess， I'm heavily skewed here， as I was captured in my 'formative years' by Majewski's 'Bitwa o Wroclaw' （or even more propagandist 'Wroclawska epopeja'） and Joanna Konopińska's Tamten Wrocławski Rok then， despite rudimentary German， somehow managed to plug through 'So kämpfte Breslau' and Paul Peikert's "Festung Breslau" in den Berichten eines Pfarrers （probably not understanding too much at the time）。 Recently I've scanned Willy Cohn's No Justice in Germany: The Breslau Diaries， 1933-1941 and Walter Laßmann's 'Meine Erlebnisse in der Festung Breslau' （well the Polish translation: Moje przeżycia w Festung Breslau。 Z zapisków kapłana）。 Even Richard Hargreaves's Hitler's Final Fortress: Breslau 1945 seems more alive， not to mention Gregor Thum's Uprooted: How Breslau Became Wroclaw During the Century of Expulsions which is on my reading list for far too long now， but which I'd mark higher based just on a quick pass-through。 In the context of how much was written about relatively recent history， I expected Microcosm to be both captivating and filling in the gaps; attentively uncovering past and bridging back to light similarly traumatic events。 Reading reviews of others， I might need to give it another read in a while， with lower / no expectations this time。 。。。more
Diane
，
This book tells 2000 years of history of one Central European town， now located in Poland， but which had been German and Czech （among other things） in the past。 It is a really good topic， and shows how borders in Central Europe tend to be malleable。 However， I thought the author was too detailed， especially in the early part of the book， and the book was hard to follow for anyone who isn't an expert on the region。 This book tells 2000 years of history of one Central European town， now located in Poland， but which had been German and Czech （among other things） in the past。 It is a really good topic， and shows how borders in Central Europe tend to be malleable。 However， I thought the author was too detailed， especially in the early part of the book， and the book was hard to follow for anyone who isn't an expert on the region。 。。。more
Reed Fagan
，
Good for anyone living in Wroclaw！
Rafal
，
A very solid history of Wrocław from the early medieval to the 2000。
Kasia
，
I've been planning to read this book for ages as it is a history of the city I've been living in for most of my life， and it did not disappoint me。 I already knew a lot of local history， but it was really interesting to see how Davies and Moorhouse put all those puzzles together into much bigger picture and showed the city against international background。 It is definitely worth reading and real nostalgic at times， although I am not sure if it can be such an exciting read for someone not familia I've been planning to read this book for ages as it is a history of the city I've been living in for most of my life， and it did not disappoint me。 I already knew a lot of local history， but it was really interesting to see how Davies and Moorhouse put all those puzzles together into much bigger picture and showed the city against international background。 It is definitely worth reading and real nostalgic at times， although I am not sure if it can be such an exciting read for someone not familiar with Lower Silesia as it was for me。 。。。more
Michael
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An interesting if dry read， useful as a reference of the city now known as Wroclaw。 The introduction is a good overview of the concept of 'central Europe' and the shifting boundaries of the region， but its narrow focus and gigantic time frame leads to long passages of name listing and event glossing。 It's a good book to have on hand for finding topics to research and to browse for anecdotes， but difficult to read straight through。 An interesting if dry read， useful as a reference of the city now known as Wroclaw。 The introduction is a good overview of the concept of 'central Europe' and the shifting boundaries of the region， but its narrow focus and gigantic time frame leads to long passages of name listing and event glossing。 It's a good book to have on hand for finding topics to research and to browse for anecdotes， but difficult to read straight through。 。。。more
Jill Cordry
，
An incredible 2000 year history of this Silesian city。
Eriszkigal
，
Typowy Davies - w pozytywnym tego słowa znaczeniu。
Czarny Pies
，
This is one of Norman Davies very finest books。 It provides tremendous insight into Mitteleuropa and Poland。 At different times Wroclaw was part of Poland， Bohemia， Germany， Prussia and Austria。 It was part of the Hanseatic league for a time。 It was visited by the plague on numerous occasions。 In 1945， the Germans made a pointless defensive stand in Wroclaw in which 40，000 civilians were killed。 In short whatever happened in Europe happened in Wroclaw。 This book provides a fascinating view of al This is one of Norman Davies very finest books。 It provides tremendous insight into Mitteleuropa and Poland。 At different times Wroclaw was part of Poland， Bohemia， Germany， Prussia and Austria。 It was part of the Hanseatic league for a time。 It was visited by the plague on numerous occasions。 In 1945， the Germans made a pointless defensive stand in Wroclaw in which 40，000 civilians were killed。 In short whatever happened in Europe happened in Wroclaw。 This book provides a fascinating view of all the high points and low points in over 1000 years of history as they impacted this one very centrally located European city。 。。。more
Matthew Griffiths
，
an interesting approach to presenting the multi-faceted history of a city that has existed under many guises and as a part of several empires and nations。 The early parts of this book were a little dull at times I must admit， but as we reach the period after the thirty years war things did start to improve dramatically。 the detail included on the cities role within the Austrian and Prussian empire in particular was very interesting， in that it demonstrated how both these empires left their lasti an interesting approach to presenting the multi-faceted history of a city that has existed under many guises and as a part of several empires and nations。 The early parts of this book were a little dull at times I must admit， but as we reach the period after the thirty years war things did start to improve dramatically。 the detail included on the cities role within the Austrian and Prussian empire in particular was very interesting， in that it demonstrated how both these empires left their lasting marks on the cities history and culture。 For anyone interested in Central European history this would be an excellent starting point as it studies all of the constituent elements that once formed central Europe with neglecting any period and did so in a fairly balanced way。 。。。more
Alex Lach
，
My of my favorite Davies behind， History of Europe and Uprising 44， well written， weaves the many different， stories，cultures， religions and people who have played a part in the history of the city， fascinating read。
Grazyna Nawrocka
，
The title says it all。 It is a portrait of city that in many aspects reminds me of Vancouver。 Wroclaw is the vibrant， academic and multi-cultural centre， with great history， unique climate and culture。 From the Polish point of view I would not find information 100% unbiased。 I like the attractive story-telling style， and richness of factual information。
Ian Chapman
，
An ambitious work， in which the author succeeds in conveying the Slavonic and German historical elements in this great city。 Written by the professor in an engaging not too academic style， with interesting details and anecdotes。
Chris
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