Aftermath: Life in the Fallout of the Third Reich
- Downloads：8350
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2022-03-18 06:51:52
- Update Date：2025-09-07
- Status：finish
- Author：Harald Jähner
- ISBN：0753557886
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
- Download
Summary
'Magisterial， fascinating， humane' PHILIPPE SANDS
'An extraordinary book 。。。 breathtaking' JACK FAIRWEATHER
'Essential reading。 Anyone with even the slightest interest in history and the human condition should read this book' JULIA BOYD
Germany， 1945: a country in ruins。 Cities have been reduced to rubble and more than half of the population are where they do not belong or do not want to be。 How can a functioning society ever emerge from this chaos？
In bombed-out Berlin， Ruth Andreas-Friedrich， journalist and member of the Nazi resistance， warms herself by a makeshift stove and records in her diary how a frenzy of expectation and industriousness grips the city。 The Americans send Hans Habe， an Austro-Hungarian Jewish journalist and US army soldier， to the frontline of psychological warfare - tasked with establishing a newspaper empire capable of remoulding the minds of the Germans。 The philosopher Hannah Arendt returns to the country she fled to find a population gripped by a manic loquaciousness， but faces a deafening wall of silence at the mention of the Holocaust。
Aftermath is a nuanced panorama of a nation undergoing monumental change。 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。 Featuring black and white photographs and posters from post-war Germany - some beautiful， some revelatory， some shocking - Aftermath evokes an immersive portrait of a society corrupted， demoralised and freed - all at the same time。
'An extraordinary book 。。。 breathtaking' JACK FAIRWEATHER
'Essential reading。 Anyone with even the slightest interest in history and the human condition should read this book' JULIA BOYD
Germany， 1945: a country in ruins。 Cities have been reduced to rubble and more than half of the population are where they do not belong or do not want to be。 How can a functioning society ever emerge from this chaos？
In bombed-out Berlin， Ruth Andreas-Friedrich， journalist and member of the Nazi resistance， warms herself by a makeshift stove and records in her diary how a frenzy of expectation and industriousness grips the city。 The Americans send Hans Habe， an Austro-Hungarian Jewish journalist and US army soldier， to the frontline of psychological warfare - tasked with establishing a newspaper empire capable of remoulding the minds of the Germans。 The philosopher Hannah Arendt returns to the country she fled to find a population gripped by a manic loquaciousness， but faces a deafening wall of silence at the mention of the Holocaust。
Aftermath is a nuanced panorama of a nation undergoing monumental change。 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。 Featuring black and white photographs and posters from post-war Germany - some beautiful， some revelatory， some shocking - Aftermath evokes an immersive portrait of a society corrupted， demoralised and freed - all at the same time。
Reviews
Marianne Villanueva
，
I particularly enjoyed this book for its depiction of art and artists。 Some of the anecdotes are really tragic， such as the ostracism of Albert Doblin， the author of Berlin Alexanderplatz; and the story of the Conductor of the Berlin orchestra， killed shortly after the German surrender while riding in the car of a British officer who failed to stop at a checkpoint。
Candace
，
"Aftermath" gives us a fascinating look at German life following the end of World War II。 I've always wondered what happened when people looked out over the total destruction of their cities， the millions dead， the ignominious end of the Fascist state so many had embraced。 Jahner's answer--they got to work， cleared the rubble， and tried to create a kind of local government。 Women， disgusted at what the toxic masculinity of Nazism had wrought， were ready for a different future。 What people didn't "Aftermath" gives us a fascinating look at German life following the end of World War II。 I've always wondered what happened when people looked out over the total destruction of their cities， the millions dead， the ignominious end of the Fascist state so many had embraced。 Jahner's answer--they got to work， cleared the rubble， and tried to create a kind of local government。 Women， disgusted at what the toxic masculinity of Nazism had wrought， were ready for a different future。 What people didn't seem to do is wonder about the millions of missing Jews， worry about the fate of so many displaced persons with no countries to return to。 They would become angry at the DPs， saying that most of the available food was being given to them while civilians starved。 Jahner points out that DPS did get more calories than civilians because they were in such poor condition after years of slave labor。You do see people celebrating their survival with dances in anyplace not littered with chunks of broken buildings， music， plays。 Women took up important roles during this time， and Jahner's description of the change in male/female relationships when men returned from the East makes for powerful reading。The structure of "Aftermath" is awkward， but the writing is strong。 This is an important book for anyone interested in the years following the war。 。。。more
Mary Cummins
，
Interesting book about how Germans handled their defeat by the Allies and how they portrayed themselves as victims not aggressors when it was faced with the realities of the Holocaust。Lots of interesting facts and antidotes。
Christina White
，
Very well researched and detailed。 A little slow and repetitive in some areas。
Woodstock Pickett
，
I remain fascinated by the middle years of the 20th century， when I see a review or a mention of a book covering those years I almost always put the title on library request list， and give at least the first 50 pages a try。 I was rewarded in this book with a compelling read。The author divides his book into sections dealing with 1） cleaning up all the rubble from bombing and shelling; 2） the troubling issues of dealing with the millions displaced from their homes and families; 3） changing sexual I remain fascinated by the middle years of the 20th century， when I see a review or a mention of a book covering those years I almost always put the title on library request list， and give at least the first 50 pages a try。 I was rewarded in this book with a compelling read。The author divides his book into sections dealing with 1） cleaning up all the rubble from bombing and shelling; 2） the troubling issues of dealing with the millions displaced from their homes and families; 3） changing sexual mores and standards of public behavior; 4） the black market; 5） currency reform; 6） changes in the appreciation of art and design; and finally the continuing issues arising from remembering or choosing to forget the horrors of the years of war。I was particularly intrigued when I read about the town originally conceived as a planned community dedicated to the manufacturing of the Volkswagen。 Contemplated by the planners as a community with the factory but also with housing and a wide variety of amenities for the workers employed there。 Wartime converted the factory to make armaments， work was done by imported slave labor， and an intriguing society emerged when the imported labor came from different parts of Europe， each group with its own view of its coworkers。But the most thoughtful part of the book is in the final chapters where Jahner discusses coming to terms with the more despicable parts of German history。Recommended for history lovers like myself！ 。。。more
Dan Keefer
，
Having recently been to Germany， I was astounded to learn how much of what I was seeing was rebuilt after Allies bombed nearly every city to rubble。 What a huge undertaking！ Such an effort to their history and culture！I was pleased about 3-4 years later to see this book about the "Trummerfrauen" （"Women of the Rubble" published。 I couldn't wait to read it。 I was not disappointed。This is a well-documented， objective account （by a German historian） of how things were at the end of the war and for Having recently been to Germany， I was astounded to learn how much of what I was seeing was rebuilt after Allies bombed nearly every city to rubble。 What a huge undertaking！ Such an effort to their history and culture！I was pleased about 3-4 years later to see this book about the "Trummerfrauen" （"Women of the Rubble" published。 I couldn't wait to read it。 I was not disappointed。This is a well-documented， objective account （by a German historian） of how things were at the end of the war and for several years afterwards。 I know I had this vision of the Allies going around the occupied territories， releasing the Jews， prisoners of war， political prisoners， etc。 That's pretty much how it was presented to the American people back home。 It didn't go anywhere near that smoothly or quickly。I generally focus on German history from 1914-1933， but I strayed a bit here and I'm glad I did。I highly recommend this book。 。。。more
Jeff Francis
，
More than anything， what I find striking about Harald Jahner’s brilliant “Aftermath: Life in the Fallout of the Third Reich， 1945-1955，” is how he fits so much into an average-sized narrative。 For every theme， anecdote， or aside in “Aftermath，” I can’t believe it’s not a 1，000+page book。 I’m fascinated by what became of Germany after World War II （last year’s “Checkmate in Berlin” is also excellent， even if it takes a slightly different tack）， and for that subject， “Aftermath” is a gift。 Most im More than anything， what I find striking about Harald Jahner’s brilliant “Aftermath: Life in the Fallout of the Third Reich， 1945-1955，” is how he fits so much into an average-sized narrative。 For every theme， anecdote， or aside in “Aftermath，” I can’t believe it’s not a 1，000+page book。 I’m fascinated by what became of Germany after World War II （last year’s “Checkmate in Berlin” is also excellent， even if it takes a slightly different tack）， and for that subject， “Aftermath” is a gift。 Most impressive is the breadth of topics addressed by Jahner: Wanna know what the sex lives of post-war Germans were like？ What American movies were popular in the cinemas？ The particulars of the precarious economy？ The logistical question of how to remove all that rubble from the bombings？ “Aftermath” has you covered。 The parts that especially captured my attention， though， dealt with questions I find endlessly， intellectually compelling: did the Germans feel guilt after World War II？ If so， how was it expressed？ If not， why not？ This existential conundrum is where “Aftermath” shines。 The answers are—naturally—too complex to sum up in a sentence， but suffice to say the final chapter is absurdly quotable。 。。。more
Hubert
，
So I “read” the audiobook version and that was likely a mistake。 There are a lot of German names， words， locations in the book and the audio version pronunciation of these German words is terrible。 To the point of distraction。 Even simple words are horrifically mispronounced。 Granted， I speak German， but still。 Terribly done。 Takes away from the book to a degree I wasn’t prepared for。 Thus is a first for me with regards to a big thumbs down for the audiobook version。 （Btw， there seems to be a ge So I “read” the audiobook version and that was likely a mistake。 There are a lot of German names， words， locations in the book and the audio version pronunciation of these German words is terrible。 To the point of distraction。 Even simple words are horrifically mispronounced。 Granted， I speak German， but still。 Terribly done。 Takes away from the book to a degree I wasn’t prepared for。 Thus is a first for me with regards to a big thumbs down for the audiobook version。 （Btw， there seems to be a genuine effort to pronounce words “right”， but it is so wrong。。）The book is really fascinating though， and touches on material I had not known much about。 Messy wars bring messy post-war times。 。。。more
Gerri Minshall
，
Ok this was tough going。 I was very motivated to read it as i am interested in this period of history but even so。。。。 Quite long and details。 I would have prefered more personal stories to break it up。
Aiden Hunt
，
An enlightening look into life in Germany in the decade following World War II。
Kevin B。 Jennings
，
This is one of the best history books I have ever read— and I majored in history in college and then taught it for 10 years， so that’s saying something。 It’s a fascinating study of postwar Germany that explains the experience of living through the transformation of a devastated nation from a Nazi dictatorship to （in the West） a liberal democracy。 Filled with fascinating tidbits of information （like the fact that the task of removing war time rubble in bombed-out Dresden was not completed until 1 This is one of the best history books I have ever read— and I majored in history in college and then taught it for 10 years， so that’s saying something。 It’s a fascinating study of postwar Germany that explains the experience of living through the transformation of a devastated nation from a Nazi dictatorship to （in the West） a liberal democracy。 Filled with fascinating tidbits of information （like the fact that the task of removing war time rubble in bombed-out Dresden was not completed until 1977） and individual life stores that illustrate larger themes， it’s a gripping read （even if there are occasional awkward translations）。 It pays special attention to how and why the nation essentially refused to come to grips with the crime of the Holocaust until recent times。 This is simply an amazing read I recommend to any history lover。 。。。more
Ceil
，
Lugubrious but insightful survey of what it was like for Germans to emerge from the rubble of the second world war。 What's fascinating are the multiiple perspectives - the physical rubble， of course， but also cultural， political， philosophical， sexual， civic， aesthetic， and community rubble。 Throw in a large dose of the human capacity for papering over the dark side， and it becomes even more interesting that Germany emerged as successfully as it did。 Lugubrious but insightful survey of what it was like for Germans to emerge from the rubble of the second world war。 What's fascinating are the multiiple perspectives - the physical rubble， of course， but also cultural， political， philosophical， sexual， civic， aesthetic， and community rubble。 Throw in a large dose of the human capacity for papering over the dark side， and it becomes even more interesting that Germany emerged as successfully as it did。 。。。more
Ron Seckinger
，
Aftermath recounts in fascinating detail the efforts of Germans to rebuilt their shattered nation after the Second World War。 Jahner discusses not only seemingly prosaic activities such as rubble removal and both forced and voluntary migration， but also sex and relationships， the intricacies of black market commerce， and other topics。 Throughout， he emphasizes cultural and psychological dynamics， how the Germans coped with war guilt and sought to define their national character in the post-War e Aftermath recounts in fascinating detail the efforts of Germans to rebuilt their shattered nation after the Second World War。 Jahner discusses not only seemingly prosaic activities such as rubble removal and both forced and voluntary migration， but also sex and relationships， the intricacies of black market commerce， and other topics。 Throughout， he emphasizes cultural and psychological dynamics， how the Germans coped with war guilt and sought to define their national character in the post-War environment。 In short， this is a thoughtful and insightful book。 。。。more
Paul Janiszewski
，
Harald Jahner - AftermathConsidering the wealth of literary work available covering the immediate post war period in Germany， Jahner has made great effort to focus on the evidence of the aspects of everyday life of the ordinary German in situations not often covered， and therefore possibly assumed to be of negligible importance。 In this respect it has great value。 The post war behaviours of the Germans are illuminated from the immediate period of surrender， the rebuilding within the ruins， the p Harald Jahner - AftermathConsidering the wealth of literary work available covering the immediate post war period in Germany， Jahner has made great effort to focus on the evidence of the aspects of everyday life of the ordinary German in situations not often covered， and therefore possibly assumed to be of negligible importance。 In this respect it has great value。 The post war behaviours of the Germans are illuminated from the immediate period of surrender， the rebuilding within the ruins， the plight of expellees and migrations， the resurgence of social activity and love， the exigencies in a black market economy， the economic revival， the re education and denazification， the mirror of art and culture and finally the democratic reform。 The resultant determination that he postulates， which might not be so apparent in the Preface， is revealed in the Afterward， entitled 'Happiness'， but I fear that his exposition of the material in between does not necessarily lend itself well to the seeming conclusion of a value judgement that he draws:"The intention of this book has been 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。"That the Germans were able to rid themselves of the workings of the Nazi regime is undoubted。 In the same way a repression， or propensity to block out from their minds and everyday lives forthwith the horrific practices they were party to is also understandable， but to surmize that because of this there was "a stubborn rejection of individual guilt" might only be a decidedly gloomy explanation for their outward actions。 These very same actions may just as easily be attributed to the very opposite; in that they were critically aware internally of at least the notion of their collective guilt， which in turn they understood had serious ramifications as to their individual guilt。If we return to the Preface， Jahner provides some indication as to how he was to bring to light the validity of that contentious portion of his conclusion: "One reason。。。 lies in the widespread need among Germans who had not been persecuted by the Nazi regime to see themselves， nevertheless， as victims。" Clearly such a broad assertion does not take into account individual circumstances， and a debate would certainly issue as to the nature of persecution parse， and whether that persecution be overt or simply as a result of the forced positions many found themselves in。 It could be argued at the most extreme that the Germans were all a victim of the Nazi world view， which captured， encompassed， and held to ransom their very notion of self， belonging and righteousness。 Once again in the Preface Jahner continues with this line of argument and is persistent in attempting to present a shadowy view of the German condition: "The survival instinct shuts out feelings of guilt - a collective phenomenon that can be studied in the years after 1945 and must be deeply unsettling to anyone with faith in humanity"。 It is hard not to take this as a judgement of Germans that presumes the repression of guilt was tantamount to not holding guilt， and therefore in some way is a damning dehumanization of the German people of that time。 Of course， only those righteous would have acted otherwise （Jahner seems to infer）。Jahner's final chapter entitled "The sound of Repression" attempts to， in some way connect and therefore validate the relevance of the preceding chapters， bringing the reader to the seemingly intended conclusion that the German people of the time， through their outward repression of guilt was proof that they inwardly rejected guilt， and therefore resorted to the excuse that they too were victims of the Nazis purely for the purpose of avoiding blame。 Unsurprisingly Jahner had omitted any discussion of the plague of mass German suicides at the time， of which the reckoning of guilt must have played some part。 Instead， Jahner leads the reader to entertain a predetermined judgement of Germans as inhuman beings bereft of guilt， acting without heart or soul， as if non other than purely vessels of self interest。 Jahner presents the example of their supposed inexplicable behaviour （understood in the current world view of a post modern world） for which one must fail to find any other explanation:"The surprising thing was that after the battle was over， barely a shot was fired。。。 The invading soldiers couldn't understand it: these Germans who had gone on fighting furiously long after the situation had been proven hopeless， were revealed as the tamest of lambs as soon as they had capitulated。。。 It seemed only logical that they should continue raging with the same contempt for humanity。。。 Most of them had dropped their loyalty to the fuhrer as if flicking a switch。。。" Indeed something miraculous did happen at that time。 The world for the Germans had changed。 The Germans referred to it as "Stunde Null" （Zero Hour）， everything changed， the slate was to be wiped clean， a new perception， a new consciousness had now overtaken the German people。 Hitler was dead and his constituents had been released from their bond of belonging: 'ein Volk， ein Reich， ein Fuhrer' （one People， one Nation， one Leader）。 The Nazi world view had collapsed and ostensibly the Aryan racial delusion of twisted Darwinian notions of eugenic principle， and conscripted brand of ethics with nullifying excuse， beholden to the concept of "the common good"， had disappeared。 There was a new world order in town， and by now， in some way the German people realized they had been duped， probably more so because of their inability to act than their inability to think， or indeed， their inability to be human。 Historian Ian Kershaw provides this more plausible explanation that does not point the finger of blame at an ethnic group but rather seeks to understand how any ordinary people， no matter what race or creed， could slip innocuously into a spiral ending in the holocaust。 Kershaw never doubted the deep vein of antisemitism （which was not exclusive to Germany） but argued that the apathy of most allowed such shocking ends to eventuate: "The road to Auschwitz was built by hate but paved with indifference"。 Such an explanation does not necessarily seek to avoid blame and thereby excuse guilt， nor does it consolidate ones evil nature through an accusation of an outward apparent lack of guilt， nor does it paint a particular ethnic group as exceptionally evil。 It must be understood that victims not only exist as an outcome of malicious intent but also as a matter of circumstance。 Clearly Jahner does not adhere to such a view: "The collective agreement of most Germans to count themselves among Hitler's victims amounts to an intolerable insolence。 Seen from the perspective of historical justice this kind of excuse - like the overwhelmingly lenient treatment of the perpetrators - is infuriating。"The being of righteousness as envisaged by Jahns unequivocal statement leaves no room for uncertainty as to what might be defined as right or wrong （an assumptive arrogance presuming a superior omnipresent world view）。 He seemingly proposes that we should intrinsically realize such things or maybe that our moral compass leaves no room for recalibration or reinterpretation， as if a monolithic worldview pervades。 As honourable as that may seem， it remains an ideal in a real world where ethical standards are tossed about as the need arises。 The arbiter of such variance is the omnipresent tussle between the rights of the "collective" and the rights of the "individual"。 Both are inextricably intertwined。 The balance of the line of morality and ethical principle between the two is precipitous and sways between the obligations each demands of each other。 On the one hand the individual is bound to obey the laws and be a contributing member of the collective。 On the other hand the collective is bound to uphold the rights and protections of the individual。 Burdened with an existential threat （imagined or real） from within and in the east， Germans were convinced they had to act， in solidarity （blind or otherwise）， in maintenance of their obligation to self and community， and in doing so， slowly and increasingly turned their back on， closed their eyes to， basic ethical principles and the rights of their fellow human beings。 Controversially， you can look no further than the instance of our collective consciousness today whereby the existential threat of a disease， and the enforced prescribed response， has recalibrated the worlds ethical barometer。 The right to an individuals bodily autonomy has been relinquished in open disregard to those principles enshrined in the code of human rights that came as a response to the human catastrophe of the last century。 The Nuremberg code was to be the worlds unwavering bible of righteous governance from hence the time of its inception。 Ironically no world body， government or majority of peoples have dared to challenge this inconsistency， no matter how minor in degree （the restriction of rights of an "offending" minority） to the unparalleled horror leading up to the holocaust。 It might well be said， if not now but in the future， the world again has become a victim of its own crime。The question of German victimhood does not deny the horrific crimes that were committed against the Jewish people and others considered "untermensch" by the Nazi regime， nor could one deny the degree of the unambiguous depths of immorality that eventuated in the death camps of the holocaust， but there are problems in coming to a value judgement of individuals （or a people） without consideration of the context of changing world views （encapsulating the relinquishing of ethical standards） that attempted to overturn， justify and therefore redraw much of the ethical principles that we as a species have since come to accept as core values of the human condition。It is not for historians to dwell on questions of guilt in the recounting of history， but rather to present the story and let those who judge draw their own conclusions。 To that end Jahner did well to refer to and quote a primary source of the time， an essay written by 26 year old Wolfgang Borchert entitled 'Generation Without Farewell'。 The tone of victimhood is unquestionable， the denial of guilt can only ever be assumed:"We are the generation without ties and without depth。 Our depth is an abyss。 We are a generation without happiness， without a home and without farewell。 Our sun is narrow， our love cruel， and our youth is without youth"。"We are a generation without a homecoming， because we have nothing that we could come home to。 But we are a generation of arrival。 Perhaps we are a generation filled with arrival on a new star， in a new life。 Filled with arrival under a new sun， to new hearts。 Perhaps we are filled with arrival to a new life， to a new laughter， a new god。 We are a generation without farewell， but we know that all arrival belongs to us。" 。。。more
Sandra
，
I was a history major and have read many books about WWII。 This book offers a unique perspective: It explores the aftermath of the war in W。 Germany--not much about the Russian sector。 The author uses diaries， interviews， newspapers， etc。 It is very interesting。 The last few chapters were not as personal and were not as strong--at least for me。
Linda
，
I picked up this book to read after an interesting biography of George C。 Marshall and the experience of the displaced persons after World War II。 This one is a good follow-up。 Viewed mainly through the lens of popular culture of the time， such as newspapers， music， art， etc。 this book looks at how homeless people living in rubble-- most of them women， children and the elderly-- were able to start rebuilding their lives。 It surprised me that facing huge deprivation， Germans became less united an I picked up this book to read after an interesting biography of George C。 Marshall and the experience of the displaced persons after World War II。 This one is a good follow-up。 Viewed mainly through the lens of popular culture of the time， such as newspapers， music， art， etc。 this book looks at how homeless people living in rubble-- most of them women， children and the elderly-- were able to start rebuilding their lives。 It surprised me that facing huge deprivation， Germans became less united and were hostile to those from another part of Germany or rural areas unhappy with city dwellers who had come looking for safety。 I remember Arnold Schwarzenegger reminding Americans a couple years ago that the proud Nazis were defeated men， and this book confirms that as surviving veterans slowly made their way home to very changed wives。 The author does a great job explaining people's psychology and how quickly they rejected any guilt of having been affiliated with Nazis or accepting of them。 。。。more
Ron Brown
，
The early post war years in Germany have always fascinated me but there hasn’t been a great deal written about it。 The Australian journalist Osmar White wrote a brilliant account of the fall of the third Reich in Conquerors’ Road。 I remember parts dealt with Germany in the immediate aftermath of the war。Jahner works through a range of themes that Germany and Germans faced in the early days of May 1945。 Firstly， there were the millions of tonnes of rubble “the war had left about 500 million cubic The early post war years in Germany have always fascinated me but there hasn’t been a great deal written about it。 The Australian journalist Osmar White wrote a brilliant account of the fall of the third Reich in Conquerors’ Road。 I remember parts dealt with Germany in the immediate aftermath of the war。Jahner works through a range of themes that Germany and Germans faced in the early days of May 1945。 Firstly， there were the millions of tonnes of rubble “the war had left about 500 million cubic metres of rubble behind， that had to be moved before the rebuilding process could begin。 Jahner ventures into the art world of post-war Germany。 The changing role of women is explored。 I had recently finished Anthony Beevor’s “Berlin: The Downfall” where he describes in detail the Red Army soldiers’ practice of raping German women。 Jahner deals with this as well。 There were incidents of bad behaviour of the allied troops， but these were far fewer and because of their behaviour and “style” the allied， especially the American troops were popular with many German women。 The figure of seven women for each man in parts of Germany is mentioned。The role and character of the German ex-soldiers is discussed。 Many returned broken and ashamed。 Divorce rates increased sizeably。 The great migration took place in the immediate years after 1945。 Many Germans were displaced in the east and began moving。 They lost land that had been occupied by Germans for generations。 There were millions of displaced foreign nationals displaced in Germany。 Many had no home to return to。 Many did not want to return to where they lived before the war。Change took place in German society。 Women become more forthright， sexual mores changedThe allies， and especially the Americans frowned on any fraternisation between their soldiers and German civilians。 The Russians did not have this view。 Naturally， relationships between soldiers and German women did eventuate。Jahner skilfully blends personal stories and anecdotes to illustrate the themes that he writes about。The question of how much the German people acknowledged and accepted blame for the Holocaust， the starting of the war and other atrocities committed by the Nazis was upper most in many peoples’ minds in the years after the war。 I always ask me myself how much have Australians accepted their country’s guilt in the treatment of the Aboriginal people， the Americans in the treatment of their indigenous people and the slaves that were brought to America。 Have the English ever felt guilt by the way they treated the Irish？ Today， reflect on the Israelis past and present treatment of the Palestinians。 I am not sure if many of us can climb onto a too large soap box and lecture the Germans。 Of course the Holocaust was the most horrendous act in the history of humans。A fine book， well written with detailed research about a fascinating time in German history。 。。。more
Andy C。
，
I could not put this book down。 It is an astounding commentary on the post-war German experience， with many lessons for today。 The experiences outlined and described are not unique in human history， and this book shows how they work and why。 To the author， thanks。
Kim Williams
，
I've often wondered how Germany became the powerful nation it now is after the devastating effects of the war they were responsible for。 I mean， it doesn't seem ALL that long ago。 Like most Americans， our world history knowledge is embarrassingly lacking so I learned a ton from this book。One very surprising thing to me was the fact that Germany's population actually INCREASED by 10% after it was all over。 The author goes into great detail about the many "Displaced Persons" camps that were set up I've often wondered how Germany became the powerful nation it now is after the devastating effects of the war they were responsible for。 I mean， it doesn't seem ALL that long ago。 Like most Americans， our world history knowledge is embarrassingly lacking so I learned a ton from this book。One very surprising thing to me was the fact that Germany's population actually INCREASED by 10% after it was all over。 The author goes into great detail about the many "Displaced Persons" camps that were set up to deal with the great influx of German Expellees from surrounding countries and how these people were treated。 （As foreigners， not Germans）。I found the details of setting up the new monetary system， and how wealth was redistributed and equalized just fascinating。This book was amazingly researched and covers the gamut of topics from rationing and the black markets， to dancing， art， sexuality and feminism， some chapters more interesting than others。Everyone should read this。 My only frustration was that the profusion of names of people and places was overwhelming for one who has little familiarity with European History。 A map would have been a great addition for me。 。。。more
Trina Bryant
，
3。5
Jim
，
Fascinating， but extremely discursive exploration of the way Germany progressed after its devastating defeat in the Second World War。 It covers a much wider range of topics than one might imagine upon entering into its reading， including de-Nazification， physical reconstruction of the country， the importance of modern art to the CIA's plans for rebuilding the nation as it wished， and the rebirth of literature。 The translation from the original German is elegant。 Fascinating， but extremely discursive exploration of the way Germany progressed after its devastating defeat in the Second World War。 It covers a much wider range of topics than one might imagine upon entering into its reading， including de-Nazification， physical reconstruction of the country， the importance of modern art to the CIA's plans for rebuilding the nation as it wished， and the rebirth of literature。 The translation from the original German is elegant。 。。。more
Brandon
，
Very interesting
Nigel
，
Not to be confused with the more serious “Star Wars Aftermath”
Bob Crawford
，
I sought out this book for a personal reason。 In the early 1950s my Aunt and Uncle adopted a toddler from Germany， who even as a three-year-old had experienced deprivations of post-war Germany。 He struggled into middle life。This book is not an easy read， but it explains a lot。 I’ve only known personally two Germans who lived under Hitler’s rule。 But of course， both protested nobody in their family was a party member or fellow traveler。 This book explains the underpinnings of that denial， so it i I sought out this book for a personal reason。 In the early 1950s my Aunt and Uncle adopted a toddler from Germany， who even as a three-year-old had experienced deprivations of post-war Germany。 He struggled into middle life。This book is not an easy read， but it explains a lot。 I’ve only known personally two Germans who lived under Hitler’s rule。 But of course， both protested nobody in their family was a party member or fellow traveler。 This book explains the underpinnings of that denial， so it is helpful in a quest to understand。It also offers some parallels to social unrest in modern America， but just like post-WWII Germans， most Americans prefer to deny rather than confront our ills。 。。。more
Marshall
，
*4。5 stars* A much-needed and excellent history of the immediate post-war German period through a decidedly cultural lens。 Too often histories of the post-war in Germany start with the economic miracle of Adenauer’s Federal Republic and the tightening Sovietization of Ulbricht’s East。 Here we have life for Germans right after the end of the war。 From black market profiteering， to rubble clearing， to the CIA funded literary and philosophical discussions。 This would receive 5 stars if perhaps if t *4。5 stars* A much-needed and excellent history of the immediate post-war German period through a decidedly cultural lens。 Too often histories of the post-war in Germany start with the economic miracle of Adenauer’s Federal Republic and the tightening Sovietization of Ulbricht’s East。 Here we have life for Germans right after the end of the war。 From black market profiteering， to rubble clearing， to the CIA funded literary and philosophical discussions。 This would receive 5 stars if perhaps if the book included more on daily life in the East during this time。 There’s a little here but it’s very West heavy。 A good balance would be welcome。 Or maybe that should be the next endeavor。 Overall， an excellent read。 。。。more
Connie
，
Insightful， well written。
Okami
，
Doskonały opis życia w powojennych Niemczech。 Autor obala wiele mitów i wyobrażeń o tym jak wyglądał świat po wojnie。 Całość uzupełniona wieloma wspomnieniami i relacjami。
Kendy
，
Was bleibt ist die Frage， warum er denn unbedingt gleich mehrfach das N**** Wort reproduzieren muss meine Güte ey
Judith Johnson
，