Nation, Identity, and German "Particularities" The Case of the Ruhr, 1871-1908 Open Access
Hein, Benjamin Peter (2010)
Abstract
To Germans in the heavily industrializing region of the Ruhr,
the creation of the German
nation in 1871 was not merely an abstract vision that needed to be
dealt with on a
theoretical level, but a tangible reality that was taking a
significant toll on the
socioeconomic and cultural make-up of the region. Beginning in the
1860s and 1870s,
industrialization would draw approximately 450,000 migrant workers
of Polish ethnicity into the
region by World War I. To the German nationalists of the empire,
this apparent
"Polonization" of the urdeutsche German "heartlands" was a
cause of grave concern, and
by the 1890s, they introduced the policy of Germanization to
repressively assimilate the
Polish newcomers and protect the local Deutschtum. While the
plight of the Polish
migrants has been examined extensively, this study directs its
attention towards the
indigenous population of the Ruhr and examines how the local
Germans themselves may
have reacted to Germanization. Can we assume that being "German"
automatically
translated into support for a German nationalist idea? Such a
presumption favors the
theory that there was widespread consensus on what it meant to be a
German nationalist.
During the late nineteenth century, however, that concept was
anything but clear. This
study then seeks to investigate how natives perceived an
essentially alien nationalist
policy, in what ways they challenged the measure with their own
visions of a German
nation, and how they came to support it eventually.
Table of Contents
Preface / 1
Introduction / 2
I. The Ruhrgebiet During the Long Nineteenth Century: A Brief
History / 10
II. Origins of the "Polish Question" and Its Meaning for the
German Nation / 18
III. The "Polish Question" and Germanization in the
Ruhrgebiet / 28
IV. Germanization: Its Supporters and Opponents / 45
V. Convergence Along National Lines and Insights into German
"Particularities" / 67
Conclusions / 89
Bibliography / 92
About this Honors Thesis
| School | |
|---|---|
| Department | |
| Degree | |
| Submission | |
| Language |
|
| Research Field | |
| Keyword | |
| Committee Chair / Thesis Advisor | |
| Committee Members |
Primary PDF
| Thumbnail | Title | Date Uploaded | Actions |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
Nation, Identity, and German "Particularities" The Case of the Ruhr, 1871-1908 () | 2018-08-28 11:02:42 -0400 |
|
Supplemental Files
| Thumbnail | Title | Date Uploaded | Actions |
|---|