Roads not Taken

“It could have turned out differently” – from this perspective, the volume looks at fourteen caesuras in German history between 1848 and 1989. Here the real and crucial historical events are considered against the backdrop of other historical developments that were always possible – developments inherently present in decisive, often dramatic turning points. In this way new light is shed on what is already known, the essential openness of history made evident. What would have happened if the East German security services had violently turned on the demonstrators in 1989? If the USA had dropped atomic bombs on Germany in 1945? How would Germany have turned out if the effort to establish a constitutional monarchy had succeeded in 1848? This book accompanies the exhibition “Roads not Taken” in the Deutsches Historisches Museum, whose titel has a programmatic dimension: following a concept of the historian Dan Diner, he and the other authors focus on possible historical alternatives. What unexpected coincidences might have altered the real historical events? What role did the personalities involved play in their unfolding? Themes such as Germany’s Ostpolitik, the Berlin Wall, the Cold War, the Nazi rise to power, revolution and democratization in Germany are newly evaluated in this way.

Fritz Backhaus is director of collections at the German Historical Museum and project-director of the "Roads not Taken" exhibit. Dan Diner is a contemporary historian who has taught at the Hebrew University, Jerusalem and the University of Leipzig. He was most recently director of the Simon Dubnow Institute for Jewish History and Culture. Julia Franke is a collection-head in the everyday-culture division of the German Historical Museum and curator of the "Roads not Taken" exhibit. Raphael Gross is a historian and president of the German Historical Museum Foundation. He was previously director of the Jewish Museum Frankfurt and directed the Simon Dubnow In-stitute. Stefan Paul-Jacobs is a historian and curator of the “Roads not Taken” exhibit. Lili Reyels is head of the financial and economic history division at the German Historical Museum and curator of the "Roads not Taken" exhibit.

Preface Raphael Gross Roads not Taken Oder: Es hätte auch anders kommen können A Talk with Dan Diner on the Exhibition Concepts 1989 Stroke of Luck - Revolution What If: The Protests and Demonstrations Are Brutally Crushed Julia Franke 1972 Détente - Ostpolitik What If: Willy Brandt Is Voted Out of Office as Chancellor Stefan Paul-Jacobs April 1972: Rainer Barzel Becomes Chancellor Bernd Rother 1961 Fear - The Berlin Wall Goes Up What If: The Berlin Crisis Triggers a Nuclear Disaster Stefan Paul-Jacobs In the Government Bunker- The First Days of the Third World War Jörg Diester 1952 Lures - The Stalin Notes What If: The Path Leads to Reunification Stefan Paul-Jacobs Pictorial Space and Pictorial Time in a Socialist Utopia: Walter Womacka's Mosaic Our Life on the Haus des Lehrers in Berlin Oliver Sukrow 1948/49 Systems - Cold War What If: The Berlin Blockade Leads to War Stefan Paul-Jacobs 1945 Escaped - Atomic Bomb What If: Ludwigshafen Is Struck by an Atomic Bomb Stefan Paul-Jacobs 1944 Assassination Attempt - 20 July Too Late! Attempted Coup and Holocaust Julia Franke 1936 Va Banque - Rhineland What If: France Prevents Hitler's Expansion Stefan Paul-Jacobs 1933 "A Miracle" - 30 January What If: Military Dictatorship Instead of Nazi Dictatorship? Lili Reyels The Avoidable Catastrophe: 30 January 1933 Heinrich August Winkler 1929 Hardship - Economic Crisis What If: Brüning Succeeds in His Policy Change Lili Reyels Economic Policy Debate in the Journal Der deutsche Volkswirt during the Great Depression Roman Köster 1918 Unstable? Weimar What If: A Monarchy Provides the Footing for a Democratic Constitution Lili Reyels "But the Firm ... Can and Must Be Retained": The SPD and the Question of Monarchy versus Republic Walter Mühlhausen 1914 Abyss - August What If: Can the Social Democrats Prevent the War? Stefan Paul-Jacobs Street Protests against the War in July 1914 Stefan Paul-Jacobs 1866 Empire - In the Midst What If: A "Third Germany" Rises Stefan Paul-Jacobs 1848/49 Failure - Revolution What If: A Dream Comes True Lili Reyels Karl Biedermann's Account of the Journey of the Frankfurt Deputation Monika Wienfort Appendix Literature Authors Lending institutions and licensers Thanks Illustration credits Credits