Book contents
- Invisible Fatherland
- Invisible Fatherland
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Figures
- Acknowledgments
- Prologue
- Introduction
- 1 From Kaiserreich to Reich
- 2 “Onwards over Graves”
- 3 Symbolics of Shared Hegemony
- 4 Anchoring the Nation in the Democratic Form
- 5 Political Violence and the Inversion of Gewalt
- 6 In Memoriam of Walther Rathenau
- 7 Constitutional Patriotism Avant la Lettre
- 8 Memory from Fragments
- Conclusion
- Bibliography
- Index
4 - Anchoring the Nation in the Democratic Form
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 18 December 2025
Book contents
- Invisible Fatherland
- Invisible Fatherland
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Figures
- Acknowledgments
- Prologue
- Introduction
- 1 From Kaiserreich to Reich
- 2 “Onwards over Graves”
- 3 Symbolics of Shared Hegemony
- 4 Anchoring the Nation in the Democratic Form
- 5 Political Violence and the Inversion of Gewalt
- 6 In Memoriam of Walther Rathenau
- 7 Constitutional Patriotism Avant la Lettre
- 8 Memory from Fragments
- Conclusion
- Bibliography
- Index
Summary
The fourth chapter of Invisible Fatherland examines the work of the Federal Art Custodian (Reichskunstwart). Led by art historian and Werkbund member Edwin Redslob, this government office played a pivotal role in shaping the Weimar Republic’s modern and functional representational style. Redslob’s responsibilities included designing federal service flags, seals, coins, and postage stamps, orchestrating nationwide festivities, and reimagining the architecture of railway stations, canals, post offices, and customhouses. His ambitious redesign of the republic’s official symbolism challenges the notion that Weimar democracy was deliberately anti-ritualist. Instead, his work demonstrates that Weimar republicans clearly recognized the importance of symbolically legitimating the nascent democratic state. While Redslob embraced modern design principles, he also wrestled with how to preserve elements of the Kaiserreich’s heritage. This tension in the republic’s official symbolism continues to resonate with contemporary debates about cultural heritage and the politics of memory.
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- Invisible FatherlandConstitutional Patriotism in Weimar Germany, pp. 111 - 129Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2026
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