Language of the Third Reich
LTI - Lingua Tertii Imperii
Published on 10. March 2005
Book
Paperback/Softback
304 pages
978-0-8264-7917-4 (ISBN)
Description
Under the Third Reich, the official language of Nazism came to be used as a political tool. The existing social culture was manipulated and subverted as the German people had their ethical values and their thoughts about politics, history and daily life recast in a new language. This Notebook, translated by Martin Brady and originally called LTI (Lingua Tertii Imperii) - the abbreviation itself a parody of Nazified language - was written out of Klemperer's conviction that the language of the Third Reich helped to create its culture. As Klemperer writes: 'it isn't only Nazi actions that have to vanish, but also the Nazi cast of mind, the typical Nazi way of thinking, and its breeding ground: the language of Nazism.' This brilliant, entertaining, profound and ultimately saddening and horrifying book, is one of the great Twentieth-Century studies of language and of its engagement with history.
Reviews / Votes
"'brilliantly conceived analysis that sought to crystallize the meaning of Nazism from its official language' Gordon A. Craig, Stanford University '... the most profound and entertaining study ever written in English of the impact of political tyranny on language. This book is a necessary and fascinating read.' Mark Mazower, New Statesman 'It deserves to be read by anyone interested in this period of history. A classic in the Literature on National Socialism.' Michael Burleigh, Times Literary Supplement 'valuable... compelling...classic' Hans Reiss, Emeritus Professor of German, University of Bristol in Times Higher Education Supplement"More details
Series
Edition
New edition
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Edition type
New edition
Dimensions
Height: 216 mm
Width: 138 mm
ISBN-13
978-0-8264-7917-4 (9780826479174)
Copyright in bibliographic data is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or its licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Victor Klemperer (1881-1960), a front-line veteran of the First World War, became Professor of French Literature at Dresden University. As a Jew, he was removed from his university post in 1935 and only survived thanks to his marriage to an Aryan. Throughout the years 1933 to 1945 he kept detailed diaries, which contain in note form some of the raw material for LTI, of the German edition of 1975. Dr Martin Brady is a film historian, lecturer and artist.
Content
Heroism (Instead of an Introduction); 1. LTI; 2. Prelude; 3. Distinguishig Feature: Poverty; 4. Partenau; 5. From the Diary of the First Year; 6. The First Three Words of the Nazi Language; 7. Aufziehen; 8. Ten Years of Fascism; 9. Fanatical; 10. Autochthonous Writing; 11. Blurring Boundaries; 12. Punctuation; 13. Names; 14. Kohlenklau; 15. Knif; 16. On a Single Working Day; 17. 'System' and 'Organisation'; 18. I Believe in Him; 19. Personal Announcements as an LTI Revision Book; 20. What Remains? 21. German Roots; 22. A Sunny Weitanschauung (Chance Discoveries Whilst Reading); 23. If Two People Do the Same Thing...; 24. Cafe Europa; 25. The Star; 26. The Jewish War; 27. The Jewish Spectacles; 28. The Language of the Victor; 29. Zion; 30. The Curse of the Superlative; 31. From the Great Movement Forward...; 32. Boxing; 33. Gefolgschaft; 34. The One Syllable; 35. Running Hot and Cold; 36. Putting the Theory to the Test; 'Cos of Certain Expressions' (An Afterword)