The Rise of Popular Antimodernism in Germany : the Urban Master Artisans, 1873-1896

412 Pages·1978·18.252 MB·English

by  Shulamit Volkov

THE RISE OF POPULAR ANTIMODERNISM IN GERMANY

The Rise of •
Popular Antimodernism in Germany
The Urban Master Artisans, 1873-1896
Shulamit Volkov
Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey
Copyright © 1978 by Princeton University Press
Published by Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey
In the United Kingdom: Princeton University Press, Guildford, Surrey
All Rights Reserved
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data will be
found on the last printed page of this book
This book has been composed in Linotype Caledonia
Printed in the United States of America by Princeton
University Press, Princeton, New Jersey
Contents
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS vii
BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ABBREVIATIONS ix
INTRODUCTION 3
Problem, Method, and Approach 3
The Master Artisans: A Preliminary Sketch 16
1. THE IMPACT OF INDUSTRIALIZATION 32
Demarcating the Task 32
Changes in the Volume and Nature of Demand 38
The Extent and the Role of Domestic Industries 43
Economic and Social Effects of the Rise of
Large-Scale Mechanized Industry 53
2. THE EFFECTS OF THE GREAT DEPRESSION 61
A Historiographical Note 61
Prices, Machinery, and Employment 67
Structural Changes in the Handicrafts 75
Income and Standard of Living 84
3. THE BREAK BETWEEN MASTERS AND MEN 95
A Comparison with England 95
1848-49: Widening the Gap 100
The Decline of the Traditional Apprenticeship 109
Masters and Journeymen 114
4. MITTELSTAND AND MASTER ARTISANS 123
Mittelstand: Diversity and Unity 123
Master Artisans and Other Mittelstandler 131
Status Inconsistency and Social Isolation 139
5. APATHY, FRAGMENTATION, DISORIENTATION 147
The Breakdown of Traditional Associations 147
Organizational Fragmentation 151
Prepolitical Group Action: 1848 157
The Masters' Ambivalent Liberalism 163
6. THE DESERTION OF LIBERALISM 172
Liberalism on the Defensive 172
Holding on to Liberalism 178
Breaking the Ties 186
V
CONTENTS
7. COMPETITION FOR THE MASTERS' VOTE 192
The Liberals React: The Administrative Approach 192
The Liberals React: The Legislative Approach 197
Social Catholicism and Social Conservatism 203
Efiorts at Building an Independent Political Party 211
8. THE APPEAL OF THE EXTREMES 215
Anti-Semitism: Berlin and the Protestant North 215
Anti-Semitism: The Mixed Catholic-Protestant West 223
Social Democracy and the Small Masters 229
9. THE ISOLATION OF INTEREST-GROUP
POLITICS 237
Social and Political Background 237
The Master-Artisans' League 241
The Reorganization of the Guild Movement 247
The Scope and Composition of the Guilds 253
Influence and Limitations 260
10. POLITICAL HOMELESSNESS 266
Adjustment to Political Change 266
The Government Discredited 273
Alienation from the Parties 282
Bitterness, Defiance, and Discord 290
11. POPULAR ANTIMODERNISM 297
Social and Sociopsychological Background 297
Opposition to Political Liberalism and Democracy 303
From Anticapitalism to Antisocialism 307
Anti-Semitism and Militant Nationalism 313
The Popular Antimodern Ideal 319
EPILOGUE 326
The Conditions for Popular Antimodernism:
The Bipolar Model 326
The Conditions for Popular Antimodernism:
Regional Variations 335
A Prelude to Fascism 343
BIBLIOGRAPHY 355
IiiDEX 387
vi
Acknowledgments
MY interest in social history, in Imperial Germany, and in
the fate of the German artisans was first aroused in a
graduate seminar conducted by Prof. Hans Rosenberg in
Berkeley almost ten years ago. Since then he has continu
ously directed my efforts with endless suggestions and crit
ical advice. Without his personal support and encourage
ment I could never have completed this book.
Maura Kealey, whose friendship overcame the geo
graphical distance between us, assisted through years of
correspondence in refining this study in many different,
subtle ways. Prof. Jiirgen Kocka read the entire manuscript
with critical care, and his comments proved essential for the
final revision. At different stages of the work discussions
with Profs. Wolfgang Sauer, Gerald D. Feldman, and G. A.
Ritter have greatly helped in clarifying obscure issues.
Other colleagues in the United States, in Germany, and in
Israel offered critical suggestions throughout these years.
Naomi Hendleman in Tel-Aviv and Barbara Westergaard
in Princeton did the enormous job of editing my style and
correcting innumerable inaccuracies. The responsibility for
all the remaining shortcomings of this book is naturally
only mine.
A special Graduate Career Prize from the University of
California enabled me to carry on the initial research, and
grants from the Institute of International Studies in Berke
ley, California, and from the Aranne School of History at
Tel-Aviv University helped me complete it.
My daughter, TaI, virtually grew up with this book, and
her tact and good sense made the experience of combining
motherhood with scholarly work a real pleasure.
vii

Bibliographical Abbreviations
AHR American Historical Review
AHZ Allgemeine Handwerker Zeitung
Am. J. of Soc. American Journal of Sociology
Am. Soc. Rev. American Sociological Review
ASS Archiv fur Sozialwissenschaft und Sozialpolitik
DHZ Deutsche Handwerker Zeitung
EHR Economic History Review
GG Geschichte und Gesellschaft
HBS Handworterbuch der Staatswissenschaften
Int. Rev. of
Soc. Hist. International Review of Social History
JCH Journal of Contemporary History
JEH Journal of Economic History
JMH Journal of Modern History
JNS Jahrbucher fur Nationalokonomie und Statistik
RZ Kreuzzeitung
PVS Politische Vierteljahrsschrift
Schmollers JB Jahrbuch fur Gesetzgebung, Verwaltung und
Volkswirtschaft im deutschen Reich
Schriften Schriften des Vereins fur Sozialpolitik
St.d.R. Statistik des Deutschen Reichs (New Series)
Steno. Berichte Stenographische Berichte iiber die Verhand-
lungen des deutschen Reichstags
VSWG
Vierteljahrschrift fur Sozial- und
Wirtschaftsgeschichte
VZ
Vierteljahrshefte fiir Zeitgeschichte
ZG
Zeitschrift fiir Geschichtswissenschaft
ZGS
Zeitschrift fiir die Gesammte
Staatswissenschaft
IX