German Angst

By Frank Biess,

Book cover of German Angst: Fear and Democracy in the Federal Republic of Germany

Book description

German Angst analyses the relationship between fear and democracy in postwar West Germany. While fear and anxiety have historically been associated with authoritarian regimes, Frank Biess demonstrates the ambivalent role of these emotions in a democratizing society: in West Germany, fear and anxiety both undermined democracy and stabilized it. By…

Shepherd is reader supported. When you buy books, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Why read it?

1 author picked German Angst as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

What I admire about this book is the courage to break with the standard narrative of West Germany from 1949 to 1989 as a success story. West Germans did not just settle down in prosperity and comfort but had plenty of angst and fear.

The book does a great job of showing how we can write a history of emotions.

Want books like German Angst?

Our community of 10,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like German Angst.

Browse books like German Angst

5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in Adolf Hitler, Germany, and presidential biography?

10,000+ authors have recommended their favorite books and what they love about them. Browse their picks for the best books about Adolf Hitler, Germany, and presidential biography.

Adolf Hitler Explore 122 books about Adolf Hitler
Germany Explore 468 books about Germany
Presidential Biography Explore 19 books about presidential biography