February 1933

The Winter of Literature

Uwe Wittstock, Daniel Bowles

• Publisher: Polity
• Year: 2023
• Print ISBN:
  9781509525515
  9781509553792
• Edition: 1
• eBook ISBN:
  9781509553808
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: 20th Century History
• Index: History

It all happened in a flash. February 1933 was the month in which the fate of German writers, as for so many others, was decided. In a tensely spun narrative, Uwe Wittstock tells the story of a demise which was predicted by some but also scarcely thought possible. He reveals how, in a matter of weeks, the glittering Weimar literary scene gave way to a long, dark winter, and how the net drew ever closer for Thomas Mann, Bertolt Brecht, Else Lasker-Schüler, Alfred Döblin, and countless others.

Monday, January 30: Adolf Hitler is sworn in as Chancellor of Germany. Joseph Roth cannot wait any longer to learn what today's paper will report. He leaves for the station early in the morning and takes the train to Paris; bidding Berlin farewell comes naturally to him. Meanwhile, Thomas Mann barely spares a thought for politics during the next ten days, focusing instead on his forthcoming speech on Richard Wagner.

Weaving an intimate portrait of the major figures whose lives he follows day by day, Wittstock shows how the landslide of events which immediately followed Hitler's victory spelled disaster for the country's literary elite. He resurrects the atmosphere of the times, marked by anxiety for many, by passivity and self-betrayal for some, and by grim determination for others. Who will applaud the new dictator, and who will flee, fearing for their life? 

Drawing on unpublished archival material, this important work is both a meticulous historical narrative and a timely reminder that we must remain vigilant in the face of the forces that threaten democracy, however distant the prospect of totalitarianism may seem.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Table of Contents
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Acknowledgments
• Figures
• Dedication
• Stepping off the Cliff * The month in which the die was cast
• The Republic’s Last Dance * Saturday, January 28
• Hell Reigns * Monday, January 30
• Axes at the Door * Tuesday, January 31
• Inferior Foreign-Blooded Trash * Thursday, February 2
• Tongue-Tied * Friday, February 3
• Not Sure What to Do * Saturday, February 4
• Burial in the Rain * Sunday, February 5
• Meeting Routine * Monday, February 6
• Hideous, Violent Little Creatures * Friday, February 10
• Schutzstaffel for Writers * Sunday, February 12
• Men in Black * Monday, February 13
• Fever and Flight * Tuesday, February 14
• Slamming the Door * Wednesday, February 15
• The Little Schoolteacher * Thursday, February 16
• I’m Leaving. I’m Staying * Friday, February 17
• No Treasure in the Silver Lake * Saturday, February 18
• What’s the Point of Writing? * Sunday, February 19
• Pay up! * Monday, February 20
• Pretty Good Cover * Tuesday, February 21
• Surviving the Coming Weeks * Wednesday, February 22
• A Minister in the Audience * Friday, February 24
• Civil War Tribunal and Police Protection * Saturday, February 25
• Travel Advice * Monday, February 27
• Dictatorship Is Here * Tuesday, February 28
• Fading from the World * Wednesday, March 1
• The Fake Mother * Friday, March 3
• Don’t Open the Door! * Saturday, March 4
• Casting a Ballot * Sunday, March 5
• The Emigrant’s Solitude * Monday, March 6
• Courage, Fear, and Fire * Tuesday, March 7
• Nothing but Goodbyes * Wednesday, March 8
• Unexpected Attacks * Friday, March 10
• Final Days * Saturday, March 11
• Departures * Monday, March 13
• The Sight of This Hell * Wednesday, March 15
• What Happened Afterward * 33 Life Sketches
• Afterword
• Bibliography
• Index
• End User License Agreement