Interpretation of German Culture

Author: Xing Lai-shun
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-05-01
Features: Germany is truly a riddle of a country. It was the main instigator of two world wars, its terrifying military power once shocked and frightened the world; after its devastating defeats in the two wars, it rose again like the mythical phoenix from the ashes, quickly regaining its status as a major influential country in the world today. How much do we really know about Germany and the Germans? How can we truly understand them? The author of this book believes that interpreting Germany and the Germans from a cultural perspective captures their national characteristics, thereby grasping the source of the long-standing vitality of the German people. American scholar Gordon A. Craig remarked: "To generalize about Germany is difficult for everyone, perhaps because the Germans do not always follow the logic of other peoples." German philosopher Nietzsche also said, "The moral soul of the Germans is multiple, multi-sourced, and layered, not truly established—yet at the same time, they are a central nation. Therefore, the Germans are more elusive, complex, contradictory, unknowable, unpredictable, astonishing, and even frightening compared to other peoples." Due to these contradictions, the author argues that calling the fascinating yet enigmatic German culture the "twin stars" of the human cultural sky is a very apt description.