The Rhythm of Eternity : The German Youth Movement and the Experience of the Past, 1900-1933 / Robbert-Jan Adriaansen

IllustrationsPrefaceIntroduction: The German youth movement and the problem of historyChapter 1. Wandervogel, Freideutsche Jugend and the Spirit of 1813Chapter 2. The experience of the pastChapter 3. The post-war crisis of experience and the religious turnChapter 4. Immanent eschatology and medieval formsChapter 5. In search of the spiritual motherlandConclusionSources and literatureIndex

The Weimar era in Germany is often characterized as a time of significant change. Such periods of rupture transform the way people envision the past, present, and future. This book traces the conceptions of time and history in the Germany of the early 20th century. By focusing on both the discourse and practices of the youth movement, the author shows how it reinterpreted and revived the past to overthrow the premises of modern historical thought. In so doing, this book provides insight into the social implications of the ideological de-historicization of the past.