The War in Their Minds

German Soldiers and Their Violent Pasts in West Germany

Nonfiction, History, Germany, Military, World War II
Cover of the book The War in Their Minds by Svenja Goltermann, University of Michigan Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Svenja Goltermann ISBN: 9780472122516
Publisher: University of Michigan Press Publication: January 9, 2017
Imprint: University of Michigan Press Language: English
Author: Svenja Goltermann
ISBN: 9780472122516
Publisher: University of Michigan Press
Publication: January 9, 2017
Imprint: University of Michigan Press
Language: English

Historians are increasingly looking at the sacrifices Germans had to make during World War II. In this context, Svenja Goltermann has taken up a particularly delicate topic, German soldiers’ experience of violence during the war, and repercussions of this experience after their return home. Part I of her book explores the ways in which veterans’ experiences of wartime violence reshaped everyday family life, involving family members in complex ways. Part II offers an extensive analysis of the psychiatric response to this new category of patient, and in particular the reluctance of psychiatrists to recognize the psychic afflictions of former POWs as constituting the grounds for long-term disability. Part III analyzes the cultural representations of veterans’ psychic suffering, encompassing the daily press, popular films, novels, and theater.

Originally published in German as Die Gesellschaft der Uberlebenden, The War in Their Minds examines hitherto unused source material—psychiatric medical files of soldiers—to make clear how difficult it was for the soldiers and their families to readjust to normal, everyday life. Goltermann allows these testimonies of violence, guilt, justification, and helplessness speak for themselves and sensitively explores how the pension claims of returning soldiers were to compete with the claims of the Holocaust victims to compensation.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Historians are increasingly looking at the sacrifices Germans had to make during World War II. In this context, Svenja Goltermann has taken up a particularly delicate topic, German soldiers’ experience of violence during the war, and repercussions of this experience after their return home. Part I of her book explores the ways in which veterans’ experiences of wartime violence reshaped everyday family life, involving family members in complex ways. Part II offers an extensive analysis of the psychiatric response to this new category of patient, and in particular the reluctance of psychiatrists to recognize the psychic afflictions of former POWs as constituting the grounds for long-term disability. Part III analyzes the cultural representations of veterans’ psychic suffering, encompassing the daily press, popular films, novels, and theater.

Originally published in German as Die Gesellschaft der Uberlebenden, The War in Their Minds examines hitherto unused source material—psychiatric medical files of soldiers—to make clear how difficult it was for the soldiers and their families to readjust to normal, everyday life. Goltermann allows these testimonies of violence, guilt, justification, and helplessness speak for themselves and sensitively explores how the pension claims of returning soldiers were to compete with the claims of the Holocaust victims to compensation.

More books from University of Michigan Press

Cover of the book American Jewish Identity Politics by Svenja Goltermann
Cover of the book Schoolbook Nation by Svenja Goltermann
Cover of the book Capitol Investments by Svenja Goltermann
Cover of the book Unleashing Rights by Svenja Goltermann
Cover of the book Law in Everyday Life by Svenja Goltermann
Cover of the book Making Men Ridiculous by Svenja Goltermann
Cover of the book Idlewild by Svenja Goltermann
Cover of the book Unsettled History by Svenja Goltermann
Cover of the book The Rise of the African Novel by Svenja Goltermann
Cover of the book Animal Acts by Svenja Goltermann
Cover of the book Causal Case Study Methods by Svenja Goltermann
Cover of the book Jazz and Machine-Age Imperialism by Svenja Goltermann
Cover of the book Digital Rhetoric by Svenja Goltermann
Cover of the book A Setting For Excellence, Part II by Svenja Goltermann
Cover of the book Three-Way Street by Svenja Goltermann
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy