- Summary
- "Politically adrift, alienated from Weimar society, and fearful of competition from industrial elites and the working class alike, the independent artisans of interwar Germany were a particularly receptive audience for National Socialist ideology. As Hitler consolidated power, they emerged as an important Nazi constituency, drawn by the party's rejection of both capitalism and Bolshevism. Yet, in the years after 1945, the artisan class became one of the pillars of postwar stability, thoroughly integrated into German society. From Craftsmen to Capitalists gives the first account of this astonishing transformation, exploring how skilled tradesmen recast their historical traditions and forged alliances with former antagonists to help realize German democratization and recovery; 'Among historians, German Handwerker have typically been treated only in terms of their presumed Nazi sentiments or persistent economic backwardness. This extensively researched, well-written volume shows that these artisans were neither exclusively reactionary in their politics nor cynically sacrificed by the Nazis at the altar of the war economy'--Jay Lockenour, Temple University; 'This is an impressive study that bears directly upon important scholarly debates. McKitrick's sympathy for the plight of tradespeople in a rapidly changing society is palpable, and he rightly handles their history with a due consideration of its complexity, rather than treating them as reactionary caricatures'--Perry Biddiscombe, University of Victoria"--From publisher's website.
- Series
- Monographs in German history ; volume 37
Monographs in German history ; volume 37.
- Format
- Book
- Author/Creator
- McKitrick, Frederick L.
- Published
- New York : Berghahn, 2016
- Locale
- Germany
- Contents
-
Note on the Handwerk trades
Part I. Handwerk in crisis, 1918-1933
From Zünfte to Nazism : German Handwerk to 1939
Part II. Handwerk at war : 1939-1945
Handwerk in the war economy, 1939-1941
The Speer ministry : the coordination of industry and handwerk, 1942-1945
Part III. The occupation period, 1945-1949 : the confrontation with the American free market
The occupation
The legal consolidation of Handwerk corporatism in the British zone
Developments in the U.S. zone leading up to the introduction of Gewerbefreiheit
The role of organization and leadership in the modernization of Handwerk
Part IV. The early federal republic, 1949-1953
The effects of Gewerbefreiheit on Handwerk
The integration of Handwerk organizations into the political fabric of the Federal Republic
Changes in structure and outlook in Handwerk
Conclusion: Revolution in handwerk?
- Notes
-
Includes bibliographical references (pages 253-275) and index.
Note on the Handwerk trades -- Part I. Handwerk in crisis, 1918-1933 -- From Zünfte to Nazism : German Handwerk to 1939 -- Part II. Handwerk at war : 1939-1945 -- Handwerk in the war economy, 1939-1941 -- The Speer ministry : the coordination of industry and handwerk, 1942-1945 -- Part III. The occupation period, 1945-1949 : the confrontation with the American free market -- The occupation -- The legal consolidation of Handwerk corporatism in the British zone -- Developments in the U.S. zone leading up to the introduction of Gewerbefreiheit -- The role of organization and leadership in the modernization of Handwerk -- Part IV. The early federal republic, 1949-1953 -- The effects of Gewerbefreiheit on Handwerk -- The integration of Handwerk organizations into the political fabric of the Federal Republic -- Changes in structure and outlook in Handwerk -- Conclusion: Revolution in handwerk?
