West Germany: A Society in Motion, 1949-89

Julia Sneeringer’s book provides a concise overview of developments in the Federal Republic of Germany from the end of the Second World War and Germany’s division, to the unification of East and West Germany in 1990. Within the framework of key political and economic moments, it illuminates how West Germans experienced social, economic, and cultural change across four decades.

Chronologically structured and supplemented with timelines, each chapter in the book presents the major themes, events and developments occurring during the period. A focused bibliography is also included to offer guidance on further reading. Among the notable topics covered are:

- The redefining of German identity after Nazism
- Democratization
- The explosion of consumer culture
- The protest movements of 1968
- Changing gender and sexual roles
- Immigration and multiculturalism
- Pop culture
- Environmentalism
- Terrorism
- The return of the right in politics

West Germany in Focusis a peerless introduction to West Germany for anyone looking to understand the complexities of German history since 1945.

Julia Sneeringer is Associate Professor of History at Queens College and the Graduate Center, City University of New York, USA. She is the author of A Social History of Early Rock ’n’ Roll in Germany (Bloomsbury, 2018) and Winning Women’s Votes: Propaganda and Politics in Weimar Germany (2002).