230152 British Writing about Nazi Germany (S) (WiSe 2024/2025)

In the 1930s, a war-weary and economically unstable Britain was watching the Nazis take over power in Germany and start the persecution of Jews, Communists, Sinti and Roma, homosexuals, persons with disabilities, and other minority groups. They watched the "Anschluss" of Austria and the occupation of Czechoslovakia in 1938. The vast majority of the British population did not want another war with Germany, and they agreed with their government, which tried to "appease" Hitler by throwing him bone after bone. PM Neville Chamberlain's promise of "Peace for our time" was shattered when Germany invaded Poland. On 3 September 1939 Chamberlain informed the nation via radio announcement that Britain was at war with Germany.
Throughout the 1930 and early 1940s, British people travelled to Germany, lived in Germany, wrote about Germany publicly and privately. How did they represent Germany and the Germans at this time? We will read a variety of sources together, both fictional (e.g. Christopher Isherwood's novel I am a Camera, which was later turned into the musical Cabaret) and non-fictional.