From craftsmen to capitalists : German artisans from the Third Reich to the Federal Republic, 1939-1953 / Frederick L. McKitrick.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

McKitrick, Frederick L.

Contributor:

Adam H. Fetterolf Fund.

Series:

Monographs in German history ; v. 37.

Monographs in German history ; volume 37

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Artisans--Germany--History--20th century.

Artisans.

Artisans--Political activity--Germany--History--20th century.

Handicraft industries--Germany--History--20th century.

Handicraft industries.

Democratization.

History.

National socialism.

Social change.

Artisans--Political activity.

Germany--Economic conditions--1918-1945.

Germany.

Economic conditions.

Germany--Economic conditions--1945-1990.

Social change--Germany--History--20th century.

National socialism--History.

Democratization--Germany--History--20th century.

Germany--Politics and government--1933-1945.

Politics and government.

Germany--Politics and government--1945-1990.

Economic history.

Genre:

History.

Physical Description:

xx, 286 pages ; 24 cm.

Place of Publication:

New York : Berghahn, 2016.

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.

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.

Local Notes:

Acquired for the Penn Libraries with assistance from the Adam H. Fetterolf Fund.

ISBN:

9781785332487

1785332481

OCLC:

933719555