This book explores the German idea of federalism denoting 'diversity within unity'. Historians, linguists and political scientists examine how federalism emerged in the Holy Roman Empire, was re-shaped by nineteenth-century cultural movements, and was adopted by the unified state in 1871 and again after 1945. The myth of federalism as a safeguard against totalitarianism is tested in regard to the Third Reich and the GDR. The book concludes with an outlook on German federalism's future in Europe.

'This authoritative and stimulating examination of an important but neglected problem is one of the most important books on German history to have been published in recent years.' - Professor T.C.W. Blanning, F.B.A., Sidney Sussex College, University of Cambridge

'A unique exploration of the cultural meanings of federalism which have informed political and administrative debates in Germany. Federalism emerges as a constantly changing, frequently renewed political tradition - and as a persistent cultural idiom, embodying fundamental collective attitudes and experiences of the nation. Anyone interested in understanding why Germany continues to be a place where political unity can never be taken for granted must read these insightful essays.' - Celia Applegate

'This rich, multidisciplinary collection examines the important tension between historical contingency and continuity in the practice of German federalism from the Holy Roman Empire to the present.' - Professor Simon Bulmer, Head of the Government Department, University of Manchester

'This remarkable book offers an alternative reading of German history. It denies the traditional arguments about the inevitability of the national state in German history but also questions fashionable ideas about the role of federalism. It question all the orthodoxies. A must for all those interested in the German past, present or future.' - Jonathan Steinberg, Walter H. Annenberg Professor of Modern EuropeanHistory, Philadelphia

Autorentext
ALON CONFINO Associate Professor, History Department, University of Virginia, USA MARY FULBROOK Professor of German History, University College London MARTIN DURRELL Henry Simon Professor of German, University of Manchester CHARLIE JEFFERY Professor of German Politics, University of Birmingham ANTHONY NICHOLLS Professor of Modern History, University of Oxford JEREMY NOAKES Professor History, University of Exeter WOLFGANG RENZSCH Professor of Politics, Otto-von-Guericke Universität, Magdeburg HAGEN SCHULZE Professor of History, Free University Berlin JOACHIM WHALEY Lecturer, German Department, University of Cambridge

Inhalt
Foreword: H.Schulze Notes on the Contributors Introduction: German Federalism in Historical Perspective; M.Umbach Federal Habits: The Holy Roman Empire and the Continuity of German Federalism; J.Whaley History and Federalism in the Age of Nation-State Formation; M.Umbach Federalism and the Heimat Idea in Imperial Germany A.Confino Political Unity and Linguistic Diversity in Nineteenth-Century Germany; M.Durrell Federalism and the Nazi State; J.Noakes Democratic Centralism and Regionalism in the GDR; M.Fulbrook Federalism from Cooperation to Competition; C.Jeffery Challenges and Perspectives of German Federalism; W.Renzsch German Federalism in History: Some Afterthoughts; A.J.Nicholls Index