View Table of Contents

Of Related Interest

Reviews

“With innovative methodology and conceptualization, Gehrig analyzes legal-political debates that will be of interest to historians of modern Germany and to scholars interested in the history of both decolonization and the global human rights regime within which his story plays out.” • Young-sun Hong, SUNY Stony Brook

“Legal Entanglements is a welcome addition to the literature of postwar German history, covering a very interesting aspect of this period in-depth for the first time.” • Armin Grünbacher, The University of Birmingham

Description

Of all the dramatic ruptures occasioned by the division of East and West Germany, one of the most consequential was in the realm of law, as two nations scrambled to put the Nazi past behind them and forge new legal regimes. Legal Entanglements gives a comprehensive account of this often-overlooked chapter in postwar history, showing how the GDR and FRG established mutually incompatible legal frameworks that premised each state as the sole legitimate successor to the German Reich. Drawing on wide-ranging archival research and recently declassified documents, it follows the politicians, intellectuals, and other historical actors who helped their nations to navigate volatile legal circumstances.

Subject: History: 20th Century to Present

Area: Germany