German Polycentrism and the Writing of History
H. Glenn Penny
Disillusion and optimism drive this essay. Specifically, I am disillusioned with the hegemonic position of nation state in writing history, teleologies that accompany dominance, deterrence they present to narrating experiences, trends, trajectories transformations do not fit neatly into rubric (especially those might upset it). There is no question being a Germanist makes disillusion especially palpable. German as must be clear anyone perusing shelves bookstore or talking publishing agent United States, dominated by twentieth century nationalism, National Socialism stories related Holocaust. Those are clearly important topics; but only ones field, longer convinced should at its centre.1 In wake World War II, scholars had good moral, political intellectual reasons for centring field history around problems. It seems me, however, necessity utility move have passed, ways which these topics continue hold sway over our inquiries symptoms kinds institutional thinking Mary Douglas once identified:2 we trained think within particular parameters often tend towards kind dynamic complacency stems from comfort familiar directions scholarly inquiry. That can too easily create an inertia difficult escape. Consequently, big shifts thought affect any discipline come outside it, although case.
German History