Germany: Memories of a Nation

Germany: Memories of a Nation is a 2014 book by British historian and then director of the British Museum, Neil MacGregor. The work was published in conjunction with his BBC Radio 4 series and a major exhibition at the British Museum.

Germany: Memories of a Nation
First edition
AuthorNeil MacGregor
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish
SubjectHistory of Germany
PublishedLondon
PublisherAllen Lane; Penguin Books
Publication date
2014
Pages598
ISBN978-0-241-00833-1 (Hardcover)
943

Background and synopsis

Germany: Memories of a Nation explores the complex and disjointed history of Europe's foremost power. MacGregor argues that "uniquely for any European country, no coherent, over-arching narrative of Germany's history can be constructed". He also points to the changing borders of the German state: Königsberg, home to the greatest German philosopher, Immanuel Kant, is now Kaliningrad, Russia; Strasbourg, in whose cathedral Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Germany's greatest writer, discovered the distinctiveness of his country's art and history, now lies within the borders of France.[1] MacGregor focuses on objects and ideas, people and places which still resonate in modern Germany such as Johannes Gutenberg's printing press, the fairytales of the Brothers Grimm and Meissen porcelain.

Reception

David Blackbourn, an academic focusing on German history wrote in The Guardian that MacGregor's book was "immensely readable and sharply intelligent". Blackbourn wrote that MacGregor's choice of objects "serve to illustrate the historic fragmentation of the German lands". Blackbourn concluded that MacGregor "has written a remarkable set of reflections on the objects and places of German memory".[2]

Writing for The Independent Rebecca K Morrison praised Germany: Memories of a Nation. Morrison described the book as "an impeccably erudite cultural history of Germany". Morrison wrote that the "book is immaculately researched, timely and important".[3]

The Economist also received the book positively with the book described as "deeply felt, carefully conceived and an important addition to any consideration of the shape not only of modern Germany but of Europe as a whole".[4]

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References
  1. "Germany: Memories of a Nation by Neil MacGregor review – Germany's past is indeed another country | Books". The Guardian. Retrieved 2017-08-15.
  2. "Germany: Memories of a Nation by Neil MacGregor review – bold, fluent and sharply intelligent | Books". The Guardian. Retrieved 2017-08-15.
  3. "Germany: The Memories of a Nation by Neil Macgregor, book review: Past is another country". The Independent. Retrieved 2017-08-15.
  4. "Germany at the British Museum". economist.com. Retrieved 2017-08-15.
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