Friedrich Meinecke. Vernunftrepublikaner aus Überzeugung

The documents collected here for the first time and carefully commented on – primarily by influential university professors – impressively demonstrate how liberal educated citizens fought for the preservation of the Weimar Republic against the contempt for the rule of law. They delve into the sharp, often very substantial controversies surrounding nation and nationalism, constitution and morality, the common good, responsibility, and individual freedom during the deep crisis in which the first German democracy collapsed and National Socialism triumphed. They illustrate, through the example of Friedrich Meinecke, how a great scholar also understood the importance of engaging as a public intellectual. Anyone interested in the role of science and politics during a profound crisis of the economy, society, and state will find countless insights, inspirations, and warnings in this book, despite the significant differences between the late Weimar Republic and the challenges of the present day.