Figure 1.--.

After the War the impact on the Holocaust on Germany was also significant. The German post-War economic miracle has clouded the impact on Germany. German before the NAZIs was a world leader in many areas. This was true of many scientific disciplines as can be assessed by noting the number of nobel prizes won by German scientists. Germany had a leadership position in many areas like television, color film, and taking movies. Germany had a dynamic fashion industry. German film studios were some of the most important in the world. German artists were at the cutting edge of modern art. Look at Germany after the War. Many of these were areas in which Jews, before the NAZIs, played an important role. German industry staged an impressive recovery, but German companies were largely involved in craftmanship and building goods with basically old technology. None of the major advances in the world economy have come from Germany, such as transistors, computers, the internet, digital recording, ect. Nor has the German fashion industry, movie studios, artists, ect approched the status that they had before the NAZIs. There are a range of factors involved here. But surely the loss of a small, but educated, creative minority is one of the factors involved.

Overview

After the War the impact on Germany was also significant. A reader writes, "As far as the impact on Germany's artistic and intellectual society was concerned, you are right, the loss of so many Jewish lives was a tremendous blow for the country. But it is not true that there was no culture anymore after Hitler became the dictator." Of course are point is not that Germany became a scirentific and cultural wasteland without Jews, it is that the loss of the country's Jews did great damage to both German science and art as well as to many industries (like the fashion and movie industries) where Jews had been active.

German Economic Miracle--Wirtschaftswunder

The German post-War economic miracle has clouded the impact on Germany. German industry assisted by the the American Marshal Plan and European ecinomic integration (culminating in the European Union), recovered amazingly fast after the War given the devestation wreked by the Allied strategic bombing campaign, fighting in Germany, anf the Soviet stripping of economic asetts in their economic zone. The recovery brought economic prosperity and one of the highest living standards in the world--considerably exceeding living standards in Britain. West Germany's " Wirtschaftswunder " under Adenauer and Ludwig Erhard created a stable, healthy economy and a committed democracy. The Volkswagen Beetle (a design by party member Ferdinand Porsche) became the most popular car in the world. Another achievement was the assimilation of 12 million expelled ethnic Germans from East and Southeastern Europe. The high standard of living for German workers, however, obscured the fact that German industry while having exteremly high quality standards with established technologies was not establishing itself in new industries and technologies.

Specific Areas

German befofe the NAZIs was a world leader in many areas. This was true of many scientific disciplines as well.

Science

German was widely seen as the country with the world's most advanced scientific community, This can be roughly assessed by noteing the number of nobel prizes won by German scientists. Until 1933 Germans regularly won the most Nobel prizes each year. After the rise of the NAZIs this changed and Americans begin win the largest number of Nobel prizes.

Industries

Germany had a leadership position in many areas like television, color film, and talking movies. Germany had a dynamic fashion industry. German film studios were some of the most important in the world.

Art

German artists were at the cutting edge of modern art. Look at Germany after the War. Many of these were areas in which Jews, before the NAZIs, played an important role.

Music

I am less sure about music. A reader writes, "Even under Nazi rule Germany's musical genius never stopped producing fine opera and classical music performances. Famous composers as Richard Strauss, Franz Lehar and Carl Orff ("Carmina Burana") created masterpieces during those dark years. Conductors like Wilhelm Furtwängler, Karl Böhm and Herbert von Karajan directed the Berlin and Vienna Philharmonic Orchestras in splendid concerts all over the country. This is a best kept secret that the rest of the world does not want to acknowledge." As I say, my knowledge of music is very limited. But here the examples noted are musicians that were trained and begun their careers before the NAZI's seized power. Our general assessment is that Germany before the NAZIs and the Holocaust were at the center of the music world. Today Germany has a competent musical community, but hardly dominant or at the center of the music world.

Modern Germany

German industry staged an impressive recovery, but German companies were largely involved in craftmanship and building goods with basically old technology. None of the major advances in the world economy have come from Germany, such as transistors, computers, the internet, digital recording, ect. Nor has the German fashion industry, movie studios, artists, ect approched the status that they had before the NAZIs.

Causes

There are a range of factors involved here. We suspect that other factors are at play here with the declinr in German arts, science and industry. Certainly huge American government subsidies to its scientfic community is a factor. We suspect the decline in the German educational standards, both because of the NAZIs and then after the War socialist ideology is another factor. The German welfare state may be another factor, but here we see varying impacts. Our point is that the loss of a small, but educated, creative minority is one of the factors involved in the decline og German arts, industry, and science.

Other Historical Eras

There are other historical examples of the relationship of intolerance and artistic, economic, and scientific decline and visa versa. The Islamic world for centuries was far more advanced in art and science than Christian Europe. This was in part because of their relatively benign toleration of religious and cultural diversity. It was this diversity which was a factor which stimulated thought and inquiry. The Iberian Peninsula for many years was the most advanced area of Europe. Jews were tolerated in both Muslem and Christian kingdoms. Two things happened in 1492, Columbus discovered America and Ferdinand and Isbella expelled the Jews. The discivery of the Americas resulted in a flow of gold and silver into Spain makinging it the richest country in Europe. Even with all this wealth, the power of Spain decline. Here the major factors was intloerance (which included the expulsion of the Jews) and the supression of thought through the Inquisition. Many of the Jews went to the Netherlands and played a role in this small country becoming a European powerouse. The Jews also played a role in the American emergence as a wrld power. Small numbers of Jews came to America in the early 19th century. Tsarist pogroms, however, brought huge numbers of Jews to America in the late 19th and early 20th century. They and their descendents have played a role in America life out of all proportion to the numbers involved.

Created: 2:06 AM 7/6/2005
Last updated: 2:06 AM 7/6/2005