Planned Memory
The History Boom Surrounding the First World War
Deutsche Fassung
Abstract
The 100th anniversary of the start of the Great War has brought a flood of new releases. General overviews such as Christopher Clark’s "Sleepwalkers" or Herfried Münkler’s "Der Große Krieg" have achieved enormous print runs. Oliver Janz’s "14" wins over readers with its concise analysis, while Jörn Leonhard’s Büchse der Pandora surprises with its innovation und synthetic power. "The Cambridge History of the First World War" is trailblazing, both qualitatively and quantitatively. This boom in history and remembrance is more than media hype. It also reflects the sense of crisis surrounding Europe’s present.
(Osteuropa 2-4/2014, pp. 351–368)