September 14, 1963

Mr. Klaus Epstein
Brown University
Providence, Rhode Island

Dear Klaus:

I trust that you have returned from the Fatherland
for one of your occasional sebaticals in the United States. I
hope that we will have a chance soon to get together.

The reason for my writing you is a project that
Stanley Hoffmann, Bob Bowie and I are thinking of starting at
the Center. We feel that in many respects less is known about
trends in European societies after the war than about most other
topics. We are, therefore, trying to publish a series of books
about those features of various European societies particularly
relevant to an understanding of their present dynamics. We have
published one book about France. We are now thinking of doing
one on Germany.

The proposed book will seek to analyze the situation
of the Federal Republic of Germany and project trends into the
future. The purpose would be to understand the nature of politics
in the Federal Republic, the sociological structure, the nature
of its economy, how the new Germany conceives its role in the
world and the impact of the division of the country on its future
course. An attempt should be made to determine the historical
roots of contemporary conditions and by definition to assay the
vitality of the new elements.

In the past we have found it useful to assign a
topic and then assemble the group of authors to meet for four to
six weeks to discuss their papers. In this way, we hope to avoid
the danger that the book turns into a series of disconnected articles.
It occurred to me that you might be willing to undertake a paper on
German intellectual life since the war.

October 10, 1963

Professor Klaus Epstein
Department of History
Brown University
Providence 12, Rhode Island

Dear Klaus:

As you may know, I have been in Europe for the past three weeks including a brief visit to the Fatherland where I found everybody cutting everybody else's throat just like in the good old days.

I am delighted that you are interested in our German project. To answer your questions:

(1) I would define intellectual life for the purpose of this contribution to include books, theater, press, etc. I do not mean to include architecture or painting. Moreover what I have seen of German architecture makes it just as well that we are not going to cover it.

(2) The other participants of the project include Bracher, Dahrendorf, probably Klaus Mehnert, Henry Wallich from Yale and perhaps Mel Croan.

(3) The length of your chapter should conform to those of our French book of which I am sending you a copy under separate cover. We should have a first draft of your chapter in time for our Seminar next March and April. We would expect to send it to the press by the end of the summer.

I would love to get together with you either here or at Brown. It has been much too long since we have had a chance to talk. Incidentally, would you tell Elizabeth that no matter what she may have heard she is one of my very favorite people.

Could you let me know as soon as possible whether you are agreeable to participate in our project?

Warm regards.

Henry V. Klaeujer

Sincerely yours,

Warm regards.

she may have heard she is one of my very favorite people.
talk. Incidentally, would you tell Elizabeth that no matter what
Brown. It has been much too long since we have had a chance to
I would love to get together with you either here or at

in time for our Seminar next March and April. We would expect
several covers. We should have a first draft of your chapter
of our French book of which I am sending you a copy under

bergehe Mei Croen.

Bahrberg, expressly Klaus Mennert, Henry Waller from Yale and

(3) The other participants of the project include Bracher,

what I have seen of German architecture makes it just as well
I do not mean to include architecture or painting. Moreover
of this contribution to include books, theater, press, etc.

in the good old days.

I found everybody cutting everybody else's throat just like
two weeks including a brief visit to the Fatherland where
You may know, I have been in Europe for the best

Dear Klaus:

Providence 13, Rhode Island
Brown University
Department of History
Professor Klaus Ebstein

October 10, 1963

# Intellectual Currents in Contemporary Germany

## I The Transformation of Political Attitudes

- Quasi-unanimous acceptance of democratic constitutional state.

- Decline of self-centered, claustrophobic, "romantic nationalism"

- Rapprochement with skeptical pragmatic, materialistic West

- Repudiation of militarism, reluctant acceptance of "citizen soldier"

## II Attitude towards Nazi Past/influential voices

General repudiation by

Public encouragement of *Zeitgeschichte* in schools and scholarship but

1. national weariness with unpleasant subject

2. deliberate Adenauer policy of not ripping open wounds of past

3. noisy minority of "qualified apologists"

not everything bad under Nazis (Kleist)

Germany not guilty of World War II (Taylor and Hoggan)

Nazi crimes equalled by Allied Powers (and not just Russians)

Minimising the roots of Nazism in German history (e.g. Ritter blaming ideas of 1789)

Continued cult of Bismarck

## III Great interest in Jewish people and Israel--virtual elimination of anti-Semitism--but pathetic and artificial condition of surviving Jews

## IV Religion

Religious revival an important minority phenomenon

Catholicism has lost its ghetto complex

Protestantism has lost its previous ascendancy

Political exploitation of Christianity by CDU

Political exhortation of Christianity by CDU

Protestantism has lost its previous hegemony

Religions revisal on important minority phenomenon

## IV Religion

envaiving Jews

of anti-Semitism--put bathetic and artificial condition of

III Guest interest in Jewish people and Israel--virtual elimination

Continued out of Biamarck

planning ideas of 1980)

Minimizing the roots of Nazism in German history (e.g. Ritter
Nazi crimes edulified by Allied Powers (and not just Ruaisaia)
Germany not guilty of World War II (Taylor and Hoggan)

3. noisy minority of "dualified ideologists"

S. deliberate Agenser policy of not ribbing oben wonge of bad
f. national weariness with unpleasant subject

put

Bumpie encroachment of *Seitgeschichte* in schools and schools
Gesetzle Lektionen PA

II Attitude towards Nazi State\influential voices

Reconciliation of militiam, reluctant acceptance of "citizen soldier"

Rabbochement with skeptical pragmatist, materialistic West

Decline of self-centered, mechanistic, "romantic nationalism"

Omnivorous, omnivorous acceptance of democratic constitutional state.

Intelectual Currents in Contemporary Germany

2

IV cont.

Wide spread anti-religiousism in SPD and FDP

Significance of the Hochth discussion

V Rise of the "sceptical generation"

The supersession of the youth movement

The "privatisation of life"

The new pragmatic temper and indifference to romantic idealist past

The role of the schools

VI The Role of the Universities

New problems straining traditional forms

Survival (and revival) of anachronistic elements (few professors,
enslaved assistants, revival of Korps and fencing)

Proposals for University Reform

VII The Role of the Press

Factual survey, circulation, ownership

Reliable pro-democratic attitudes--variegated points of view--but
over-all provincialism

VIII Trends in Literature

The Domination of a Leftist clique (Group 47)

The Attempt to deal with the Nazi past (from Salomon to Gunther
Grass)

The insignificant role of literature in contemporary Germany

IX Summary and Historical Perspective

"The Americanisation" of German life : part slogan, part
misconception

balanced by "restoration elements"

The Decline of German Cultural Influence in the World

Aftermath of Nazism--but also a part of <u>world-wide</u> triumph of
philistine, materialistic "mass civilisation".

philosophy, materialistic "mass civilisation".

Aftermath of Nazism--but also a part of world-wide triumph of
The Decline of German Cultural Influence in the World
balanced by "restoration elements"

mischief

IX <u>Simmerly and Historical Perspective</u>
The insignificant role of literature in contemporarily Germany

(Grass)
The Attempt to deal with the Nazi past (from Salomon to Guttner
The Domination of a Leftist oligue (Gron 43)

VIII <u>Trends in Literature</u>
over-all provincialism
Reliable pro-democratic attitudes--arrested points of view--put
Factual survey, circulation, ownership

AII <u>The Role of the Press</u>

Proposals for University Reform
enlarged associations, revival of Korbe and Lencing)
Revival (and revival) of synchronistic elements (few professors,
New problems attaining traditional forms

AII <u>The Role of the Universities</u>

The role of the schools
The new pragmatic temper and inditference to romantic idealist beat
The "priastiation of life"

A <u>Rise of the "acceptable Generation"</u>
Significance of the Hochthron discussion

Wide spread anti-religiousism in SPD and SPD

A. conf.

3

Henry V. Klaasen

Dear regards,

to fix a date for coming to see you.
I will call you within the next week

interesting as they are.
it, I would suggest the first three portions,
It you have to cut any part or condensate
so much material in spite of 12,000 words.
My only question is whether you can cover
3rd. I think your cline is excellent.
Thank you for your letter of December

Dear Klaus:

December 10, 1963

June 18, 1964

Dear Klaus:

I am sending you Karl Kaiser's
summary of our meetings in April. It
is not extremely illuminating but whatever
use it is to you in making your revisions,
I wanted you to have it.

Could I have the next version of your
manuscript by the middle of September?

It was good to see you last week.

With warm regards.

BROWN UNIVERSITY
*Bicentennial 1764-1964*

PROVIDENCE 12, RHODE ISLAND

October 16, 1964

DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY

Professor Henry Kissinger
Harvard Center of International Affairs
5 Divinity Avenue
Cambridge 38, Massachusetts

Dear Henry:

Enclosed please find the second edition of my piece on *The German Cultural Situation*. I have made endless minor and a few major changes, and am reasonably well satisfied with the end result. My main purpose has been to tie the previously too miscellaneous strands together around two major themes:

1. The contrast between the expectations of 1947 and the reality of 1964, with special emphasis upon the confrontation with Nazism and the competing fears of "Americanization" and "restoration."

2. Closely connected therewith, the prevalent pattern of mediocrity to be found in literature, religion, science, and governmental effort to alleviate "cultural shortages."

Could you get this "second edition" mimeographed so that it can be discussed once more, or I can get at least some comments in writing? (I found written comments by Bracher and Scheuch valuable in my revisions.) It would not be at all surprising to me if additional changes would be required to coordinate my chapter with the other contributions to the volume. Your typist will find that the MSS copy enclosed, while it looks messy, is in fact "clear" with new pages retyped and corrections on the old pages printed rather than in my "impossible" handwriting.

Please call me when you can come down for an evening (401-861-7281) and let me know whether (and when) group meetings are planned for later this month.

KE:wb

University Hall, 1770, A National Landmark

HARVARD UNIVERSITY

CENTER FOR INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

ROBERT R. BOWIE, Director
ALEX INKELES
HENRY A. KISSINGER
EDWARD S. MASON
THOMAS C. SCHELLING
RAYMOND VERNON

6 DIVINITY AVENUE
CAMBRIDGE 38
MASSACHUSETTS

December 31, 1964

Karl Kaiser

Comments on revised edition of Epstein

1. K.E. has made quite a number of alterations that have taken off some edges (incidentally, taking into account my detailed comments on the original version)

2. As it stands the paper is not bad at all but still sometimes rather narrative. However, I wonder whether this can really be changed without writing a new one.

3. The running themes are all treated, although they could come out more strongly.

4. I think a paper on this subject _must_ include a chapter on theater and musical life which is more flourishing in Germany than any other country of the West.

5. Suggestions

It could write to K.E. and suggest (a) going over the paper once again and trying to bring out more clearly the three running themes. (b) He should add a five - six page chapter on theater and musical life.

26 February 1965

Dear Klaus:

After having contacted all participants of our projected
conference about the book on Germany, Friday, March 19 has
appeared as the most convenient date for all concerned.
Accordingly, we plan to assemble at 9:30 A.M. at the Center
for International Affairs. The meeting will probably go
through the day, adjourning around 5 P.M. All sessions will
be held in the Seminar Room of the Center.

Since the participants should receive the papers a few
days before the conference, please let us have your paper by
March 12 at the latest. Since we are not sure whether we
have enough secretarial help to produce mimeographed versions
of all papers, we might have to xerox them, and for that
reason a readable copy will be greatly appreciated.

In discussing you paper, there is one addition which I
believe would be extremely helpful: a discussion of German
theater and musical life. In both categories the Federal
Republic is more active than almost any country in Western
Europe. Also we might keep in mind the running themes of the
essays. But perhaps this could be done in a later revision.

I look forward to seeing you on the 19th.

Best regards.

BROWN UNIVERSITY

Bicentennial 1764-1964

PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND 02912

April 16, 1965

DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY

Professor Henry Kissinger
Center of International Affairs
Harvard University
Cambridge, Massachusetts

Dear Henry:

Enclosed please find the third version of my paper. The whole has been rewritten and now reads, I think, more smoothly than the preceding versions. I obviously could not follow all the (sometimes contradictory) suggestions for improvement offered; you will find the following specific changes.

1. The first four sections, which Grosser and others criticised as "too historical," have been shortened.

2. A section on popular culture (film, radio, theatre, music) has been added.

3. More frequent comparisons with America and other European countries have been introduced.

Please let me know what you think of the paper as now written, and whether you want to go ahead with your proposal (which I think is excellent) of (1) omitting my section on literature (where I painfully feel my lack of special competence) and asking an "expert" to do it. (2) having me expand the sections on education and religion.

When can you come down for an evening to talk about this and other matters?

I append a brutally frank criticism of Friedrich.

KE:wb

Critique of Friedrich -- "Germany and Europe"

The main trouble with Mr. Friedrich's paper is that it consists of a miscellaneous collection of commonplaces without adequate connecting links or a clearly expressed theme. The historical survey pp. 2-8 is sketchy and pretentious at the same time, and tends to illustrate Bacon's dictum that "truth emerges more easily from error than confusion." (The section on the Slavic ingredient of German culture is especially useless.) Section 6 on the old and new elites is so unspecific as to be worthless. Sections 7 and 8 are OK but undistinguished, section 9 on the SPD fails to make a case for "strangeness" and exaggerates the importance of the Berlin question in shaping SPD thought. Sections 10 and 11 are workmen-like though written in a dull and wooden manner, section 12 drags in East Germany and fails to come to any specific conclusion. The footnote apparatus is miscellaneous and pretentious and includes too many works by Carl Friedrich.

I append a few more specific criticisms.

p. 7 1. 8 from bottom: "The inherently anti-democratic implication of Prussia's very existence." It was not just purely expedient considerations, but the determined effort of the SPD, which prevented the breakup of Prussia in 1919.

p. 11, 1. 10 full sovereignty was achieved in 1955, not 1954.

p. 12, last 3 lines: some pretty categorical judgments on Russian foreign policy; in fact its "sincerity" was never put to the test because most Russian proposals were turned down without further discussion.

p. 14 1. 8 neither Reuter nor Suhr became national party leaders of the SPD.

June 3, 1965

Professor Klaus Epstein
Department of History
Brown University
Providence, Rhode Island

Dear Klaus:

I am enclosing some xeroxed copies of the pages of your manuscript on which I made some suggestions. These are ideas which occurred to me as I read your paper and some of them are dealt with a little later. I am, nevertheless, sending them on for whatever they may be worth.

As for substantive comments, my impression is that the paper starts very strongly and then sort of peters out towards the end--partially because you have scrupulously taken the advice we all gave you.

Also, I wonder whether the material on literary criticism would not be strengthened if pages 31-35 were moved up to page 23 and perhaps expanded a little bit. I think it would set the framework more effectively. You would then require a concluding paragraph or two on page 31.

My other suggestion would be to expand somewhat your section on the religious situation, perhaps including some of the material from your review article on Hochhut. Also, I think the section on Universities could stand some expansion. I am indifferent about the material on popular culture. I think we should wait with making a decision on that until we have had a chance to read your revisions.

....

BROWN UNIVERSITY

Bicentennial 1764-1964

July 19, 1965

DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY

Professor Henry A. Kissinger
Center for International Affairs
Harvard University
6 Divinity Avenue
Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138

Dear Henry:

I am mailing to you early this week the fourth, and I trust final, edition of my masterpiece. I have followed most of your suggestions in reworking the piece, especially your call for a slight expansion of the chapters dealing with universities and with religion; for the introduction of specific illustrations to buttress several generalisations; for the translation or explanation of technical German terms; and for some softening of language (e.g. concerning your friend Adenauer). A paragraph has also been added in the section on group 47 (p. 31a), but I found it inexpedient to move pp. 31-5 to the beginning of Chapter V because the discussion presupposed the prior treatment of group 47.

The decision of what to do about Chapter IX (Popular Culture) I leave in your editorial hands. I agree that it is something of a hodge-podge, but so is the popular culture which it faithfully represents. The chapter has the merit, I think, of saying everything that is worth saying, and _perhaps_ something more.

Your criticism of the weak and rambling conclusion was entirely justified. I have made it stronger and more effective by transferring much of the descriptive material to Chapter VIII (where it more properly belongs). It now (1) summarizes the main themes of the essay (2) deliberately ends with a series of question marks appropriate to the present German situation.

I hope that you can arrange for early payment of the remaining $750, as I am just about to embark upon a refinancing of the mortgage of our house.

We can take up any matters which may require further discussion when you come down on Friday July 30. I will be at the station at 6:00 P.M. It will be _so_ nice to see you again.

KE:wb

BROWN UNIVERSITY Providence, Rhode Island • 02912

March 25, 1966

MAR 28 1966

DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY

Professor Henry Kissinger
Center of International Affairs
5 Divinity Avenue
Cambridge 38, Massachusetts

Dear Henry:

This is just a note to tell you that I have received my Guggenheim Fellowship for next year and will therefore proceed to Europe on June 15th with the prospect of finally finishing the second volume of my *Conservatism*. The first volume will appear this summer and since I will be in Germany at that time I will ask the publisher to send you a copy directly. I am very grateful to you for writing me a recommendation for the third time, and always with success.

May I use this occasion to ask about the present state of our Germany book? I would, of course, like to do the proofs before I go off to Germany; but perhaps this implies too optimistic a view of the condition of the enterprise. Please let me know where matters stand.

I hope very much that we will have a chance to see you before we get off to Germany; Stephen has whetted our appetite by his secondhand account of your recent visit to Germany. Please feel free to invite yourself, at whatever short notice, for supper and an evening (telephone 401-861-7281) any time.

KE:wb

April 8, 1966

Professor Klaus Epstein
Department of History
Brown University
Providence, Rhode Island 02912

Dear Klaus:

Thank you for your letter of March 25th.

We will proceed with the Harvard University
Press now and I hope to book will appear in a
reasonable time.

I am delighted that you received the Guggenheim
Fellowship which is due entirely to your merit and
not to my recommendation.

I haven't forgotten your nice invitation to come
down. The problem is that I have been away so much
that I have been hoarding the few days that I am here
in order to do my work. But I will certainly call you
within the next few weeks to arrange an evening.

With kind regards.

Henry V. Klaasen

Sincerely yours,

With kind regards.

within the next few weeks to arrange an evening.
in order to do my work. But I will certainly call you
that I have been boarding the few days that I am here
down. The problem is that I have been away so much
I haven't forgotten your nice invitation to come
not to my recommendation.

Fellowship which is due entirely to your merit and
I am delighted that you received the Gudmundsson
reasonable time.

Press now and I hope to look will appear in a
We will proceed with the Harvard University

Thank you for your letter of March 5th.

Dear Klaas:

Providence, Rhode Island 02913
Brown University
Department of History
Professor Klaas Ebelin

April 8, 1968