Vertigo

A gripping story of hope, courage and the birth of modern democracy

Germany in 1918: defeat in World War I, revolution and the birth of the Weimar Republic - a bold democratic project that promises both freedom and a new beginning. In the second half of the 1920s, during a brief period of boom and stability, the country is changing beyond recognition. Cities pulsate with energy, culture blossoms and society experiments with freedom without boundaries. Women are conquering sport and public space, changing fashion, relationships and everyday life. A modern lifestyle full of movement, fun and belief in progress is being born.

But beneath the surface of this flowering, tensions persist. Inflation, social uncertainty and political clashes are undermining the fragile foundations of the new democracy. A part of society is unable to find itself in this rapid change and is increasingly vocal in its rejection of a world that is alienating it. With the economic crisis, hope is turning into disillusionment. Society is becoming deeply polarised, democracy is weakening and the Weimar Republic is beginning to collapse. The rise is followed by a fall and the country finds itself on the brink of disaster.

Harald Jähner presents a gripping picture of an era that was at once a period of dazzling prosperity and tragic failure. The story of Germany in 1918-1933 thus stands as a cautionary tale of how fragile democracy can be in times of crisis.

Translated by Nina Fojtů.

About the author:

Harald Jähner was born in 1953. From 1997 to 2015 he worked as an editor at the Berliner Zeitung. He was also a freelance contributor to the cultural section of the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. Since 2011 he has been Honorary Professor of Cultural Journalism at the University of the Arts in Berlin. His next book, Time of the Wolves, was also published by Edition N.