In his latest book, German Angst: Fear and Democracy in the Federal Republic of Germany, Professor Frank Biess (University of California-San Diego) analyses the relationship between fear and democracy in postwar West Germany. In this event, Professor Biess will present opening remarks on the book and the ambivalent role of the emotions of fear and anxiety in a democratizing society. Response from Professor Geoff Eley (University of Michigan) followed by audience questions.
Frank Biess is Professor of History at the University of California-San Diego. He is the author of German Angst. Fear and Democracy in Postwar Germany (Oxford, 2020). A German version of the book Die Republik der Angst. Eine andere Geschichte der Bundesrepublik was published in 2019. His main research has focused on the post-1945 period with an emphasis on memory, emotions, gender, and political cultures. His new project explores the interwar Weimar Republic as a one of the first postcolonial states.