The failure of Germany's first republic after World War I has aroused several decades of concentrated study. Synthesizing much of that study, this historical dictionary will enhance an understanding of the Weimar Republic. It includes entries on individuals as diverse as Bertolt Brecht, Adolf Hitler, the physicist Lise Meitner, and the film director Georg W. Pabst. There are also entries defining such events as the Beerhall Putsch and the French occupation of the Ruhr; various organizations and institutions, such as the Frankfurt School; the complex array of political parties; and treaties and agreements, such as the Locarno Treaties of 1925 and the 1929 Young Plan.
Arranged as an A to Z reference source for the study of modern German history, the dictionary gives substance to cultural terms (such as Dada), to film and music, and to concepts, such as Anti-Semitism and Justice, deemed vital to an understanding of the period. All entries conclude with bibliographic references.
Reviews
This reviewer is impressed with its comprehensiveness as well as the conciseness and clarity of the entries....An especially full index shows all the locations where the subject is mentioned.—Choice
Paul Vincent has provided us with an invaluable reference, one which should be seen as essential for anyone who is interested in the Weimer Republic. His dictionary is much more than a compendium of information about Weimar. Each of the entries is a thorough introduction to its subject and is carefully cross-referenced to related articles in the book. The source references at the end of each entry are invariably well chosen. The dictionary offers a ruly panoramic view of Weimar with articles on everything from party politics to popular entertainment, from Adolf Hitler to Marlene Dietrich. The breadth of reference is never at the expense of careful research; the scholarly craftsmanship and authority are evident throughout, as is balance....There is also a refreshingly straighforward character to the writing Vincent does not shy away from controversy, nor does he avoid coming to his won conclusions when it seems appropriate to do so.—german studies review
Endorsements
This is an impressively well researched and thought through directory to the world of the German (Weimar) Republic....It should serve as a helpful handbook for teachers as well as an ideal introduction for undergraduate students and general readers.—K. von Klemperer^LL. Clark Seelye Professor of History, Emeritus^LSmith College
It is painstaking, readable, thorough, and authoritative. It is a unique book that fills a gaping research hole.—Robert G.L.Waite^LProfessor of History, Emeritus^LWilliams College
[T]his will be a book which will be of immense value to all interested in German history in general, and the Weimar Republic in particular. Students, undergraduate and graduate, and their teachers will find it to be extremely useful.—Robert A. Pois^LProfessor of History^LUniversity of Colorado, Boulder
[This work is] accurate, readable, and highly informative for the general reader.... Vincent does a good job in avoiding the greatest danger of historical dictionaries, namely that each entry is presented virtually ^Isui generis^R--that is, in isolation from all the others. This is not the case with his ^IHistorical Dictionary^R. Each entry is placed in its appropriate context, and Vincent sometimes goes out of his way to cite a telling detail...when that helps identify his subject.—David Gross^LProfessor of History^LUniversity of Colorado, Boulder
