Berlin Before the Wall: A Foreign Student's Diary with Sketches

by Hsi-Huey Liang

Overview

In the 1950’s, Berlin had come under four-power occupation while still struggling to recover from the war. It had also become the object of a fierce ideological conflict between Stalinist Communism and capitalist democracy, between traditional German values and hopes for a new and better Europe. From these years, when the inhabitants of Germany’s Old Reich capital re-evaluated their past and tried to set their hopes for the future, comes the diary of an expatriate Chinese student, himself in search of a new spiritual homeland and as anxious to learn from the victors as from the vanquished.

First published in 1990, Berlin Before the Wall is an account of life in Berlin recorded in the form of a diary and sketchbook kept by Hsi-Huey Liang, a young graduate student, while researching his dissertation in 1954. Capturing a pivotal moment of the Cold War, Liang provides a wealth of detail about a city that has been the subject of enduring fascination. As a historical document, the diary records the political events of the time with an engaging style and compelling immediacy. As a sketchbook, it captures the rhythms of the city, with its witty pencil drawings of people, places, and events. Liang’s pencil moves with ease and intelligence from street cleaners to diplomats, and his drawings exhibit not only an extraordinary sensitivity but are also astonishing in their sheer variety and keen insight into the culture of Berlin.

This book will be a fascinating read for anyone interested in the Cold War period, student life, and all things German.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781032844312
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	09/30/2024
Series:	Routledge Revivals
Pages:	262
Product dimensions:	6.12(w) x 9.19(h) x (d)

About the Author

Hsi-Huey Liang was Chairman of the Department of History and Professor of Modern European History at Vassar College, USA. A prolific author and a talented visual artist, Liang, who had lived on three continents, brought an extraordinarily cosmopolitan, compassionate, and witty sensibility to the craft of history.

Table of Contents

Introduction 1. Arrival (Fall 1953) 2. Winter 1953-1954 3. Spring 1954 4. Summer/Fall 1954 Epilogue

Editorial Reviews

The Berlin Wall and the dramatic events following its collapse in November 1989 are certain to be the subject of many new books. Surprisingly, one of the first entries, Berlin before the Wall , is a diary written in 1953-54 by a Chinese-American student, now a professor of history at Vassar College. The author's journeys about town, his meetings with an unending succession of Berliners at all levels of society, and his shrewd observations of the occupied capital of the former Reich form the substance of this narrative. Sketches by the author further enhance this delightful and very readable book. In After the Wall , Borneman quickly cuts through all the hoopla surrounding German reunification to examine the impact of this momentous event on the lives of Berliners. East Germany's rapid demise is likened by the author to a corporate takeover, the former West Germany being the new controlling power. Conver sations with Berliners reveal euphoria mixed with concern about mundane mat ters such as jobs and housing. Both of these books convey a real sense of Berlin, each in its own time.-- Ian Wallace, Agriculture Canada Lib., St.-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec

Library Journal

Liang's (history, Vassar) account of Berlin life begins with his arrival in the Fall of 1953 and concludes in October of 1954. It records the political events of the time in diary form, mixed with evocative pencil drawings. No index or references. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

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