Die Deutschen und ihre Mythen. By Herfried Münkler. Berlin: Rowohlt. 2009. Pp. 606, ill. Cloth €24.90. ISBN 978-3-87134-607-1.

摘要

In this rich, wide-ranging study, Herfried Mu ¨nkler, professor of politics at thernHumboldt University, addresses the nature of cultural and political myths andrntheir part in German history, and does so from a dual perspective. His discussion,rnwhich makes full use of the literature that has grown up around individual myths,rnmoves between past and present, and simplifies neither. Central to his analysis ofrnthe workings of myths through history is his understanding that they are elasticrnnarratives, the message of which may change over time. As they influence, theyrnare influenced; they undergo iconic compression into monuments and images,rnwhich are resistant to revision, but also ritual staging, which lends itself tornchange. His recognition of the complexity of his subject results in a stimulatingrnwork that crosses the boundaries of time and of disciplines.