Healy History 226 Fall 2022: Encyclopedias

A handy English-language information resource whether you are interested in the first unification of the Germanic states in 1871, the present-day reunified Germany, the Weimar Republic, or the third Reich, here is the first English-language quick-reference guide on this major European power. The Encyclopedia covers every major aspect of German culture and society for the past century. Its broad spectrum of information is presented in entries that range from essays to brief paragraphs and encompass subjects from Konrad Adenauer to Helene Weber, from zoological gardens to aeronautics, from poetry to policing, and much more.

With more than 1,100 entries written by an international group of over 150 contributors, the Encyclopedia of Contemporary German Culturebrings together myriad strands of social, political and cultural life in the post-1945 German-speaking world. With a unique structure and format, an inclusive treatment of the concept of culture, and coverage of East, West and post-unification Germany, as well as Austria and Switzerland, the Encyclopedia of Contemporary German Cultureis the first reference work of its kind. Containing longer overviews of up to 2,000 words, as well as shorter factual entries, cross-referencing to other relevant articles, useful further reading suggestions and extensive indexing, this highly useable volume provides the scholar, teacher, student or non-specialist with an astonishing breadth and depth of information.

Eastern Europe has been in ongoing crisis since the breakup of the Soviet Union. This important book provides basic, up-to-date information on the events and background that have led up to the current crisis, and the volume includes helpful maps and photographs of key figures and scenes of everyday life. Librarians will value this reference tool as a reliable, informative source for students and others trying to understand today's conflicts. The volume covers all of the countries that formed the colonial empire of the Soviet Union--Albania, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, the German Democratic Republic (East Germany), Hungary, Poland, Romania, and former Yugoslavia. In an introductory essay, Held begins with an overview of the region's general characteristics and history prior to 1945. The volume is then divided into separate sections on each country. Each section includes basic information about the country, a map, and a chronology followed by entries, arranged alphabetically, on people, places, political parties, and the events that have shaped the country's history since 1945. The book is the only comprehensive one-volume dictionary on East European personalities, politicians, and history since 1945.