The Language of Human Rights in West Germany

Reviews / Votes

"In this excellent, precise, and sovereign book, Lora Wildenthal brings new and welcome nuances to the existing historiography and also breaks new ground. . . . An important study that is likely to remain a central reference point for future work not only on the politics of human rights in post-1945 Germany but also on histories of pluralism and civility." (American Historical Review) "Wildenthal has written an elegant and thoughtful book that makes several major contributions to the history of both human rights and West Germany. By emphasizing the strategic use of human rights language, Wildenthal helps move us away from a focus on abstract norms, and she not only returns questions of agency to the history of human rights but also puts the question of audience at the center of the analysis. . . . This is a new and productive way of thinking about the political culture of postwar Germany." (Journal of Modern History) "Wildenthal's tightly written study . . . presents the reader with a finely honed and extensively researched analysis that tells the stories of key, yet less well-known, people involved with the postwar development of West German human rights organizations." (Human Rights Review) "This is a special book: well-grounded, thoughtful, polished, and responsible. Lora Wildenthal has written an important work that goes far beyond the usual praise and will be greatly appreciated as a landmark study about both postwar German history and about human rights history." (Samuel Moyn, Columbia University) "The crimes of Nazi Germany were one of the major reasons for the spread of the international movement for human rights after World War II, but until now no one has told the story of the movement in Germany itself. Lora Wildenthal does so with erudition and grace, and she shows us how important it is to situate the human rights movement in specific contexts of time and place. Along the way, she brings to light dedicated activists and fledgling organizations that deserve to be restored to history. This is a valuable read for anyone interested in human rights and international justice." (Elizabeth Heineman, Iowa University) "An elegant and thoughtful book that makes several major contributions to the history of both human rights and West Germany. By emphasizing the strategic use of human rights language, Wildenthal helps move us away from a focus on abstract norms, and she not only returns questions of agency to the history of human rights but also puts the question of audience at the center of the analysis. . . . This is a new and productive way of thinking about the political culture of postwar Germany." (Journal of Modern History)