Creating Germans Abroad FROM THE PUBLISHER
"In Creating Germans Abroad, Daniel Walther examines this discourse and provides striking new insights into the character of the German populace in both Germany and its former colony, Southwest Africa, know today as Namibia. In addition to German colonialism, Walther considers issues of race, class, and gender and the activities of minority groups. He offers new perspectives on German cultural and national identity during the Empire, the Weimar Republic, and the Third Reich." In a larger context, Creating Germans Abroad acts as a model for investigating the strategies and motivations of groups and individuals engaged in national or ethnic engineering and demonstrates how unforeseen circumstances can affect the nature and outcome of these endeavors.
SYNOPSIS
In the 1880s, the Federal Republic of Germany began colonizing an area of Southwest Africa that is today known as Namibia. When German colonial rule ended after WWI, many Germans stayed on. This study examines the role of settlers in the region from 1894 to 1939, examining how they tried to construct their ideals of citizenship and the nation in a region with a large indigenous population. Walther teaches history at Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa. The text is based upon his dissertation. Annotation (c)2003 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR