Table of Contents

Preface Christof Mauch; Part I. Cities as Capitals on a Global Scale: 1. Capitals in modern history: inventing urban spaces for the nation Andreas W. Daum; Part II. The Capital in the Nation: 2. Siting the capital: between Bundesdorf and Metropolis Ken Bowling and Ulrike Gerhard; 3. Written capitals: national images and capital topography in travel literature Walter Erhard; 4. Prime meridians, national time, and symbolic authority of capitals in the nineteenth century Martin H. Geyer; 5. Washington and Berlin: national capitals in a networked world Carl Abbott; Part III. Architecture, Memory, and Space: 6. Monumental architecture and national identity in Berlin: the case of national socialism Dietmar Schirmer; 7. Memorializing the Holocaust in Berlin and Washington Janet Ward; 8. Capital Gardens: the Mall in Washington and the Tiergarten in Berlin Christof Mauch; 9. Socialism on display: East Berlin as a capital Brian Ladd; Part IV. Political Power and Capital Functions: 10. Washington, D.C. under Federal Rule, 1871–1945 Alan H. Lessoff; 11. 'Everyday' protest and the culture of conflict in Berlin Belinda Davis; 12. Marches on Washington and the creation of National Public Spaces, 1894 to the present Lucy Barber.

Promotional Information

This collection provides a comparative cultural history of the urban spaces of Berlin and Washington.

Reviews

"...the fascinating essays in this volume approach from multiple perspectives the question of how these cities attain symbolic importance in the performance of national identity.... With its thoroughly researched, original, and well-written contributions, the book models the rich insights that comparative cultural history, competently executed, can yield. It can be read with profit and pleasure by specialists and generalists alike, some of whom might be inspired to take a comparative look at the very real challenges faced by these cities today."
--Patricia Herminghouse, University of Rochester, German Quarterly Book Reviews

"...a valuable contribution that complements the extensive literature on Berlin and Washington, rounding off existing debates." -H-German, Daniela Sandler