History of Pre-Modern Chinese Studies in Germany

Research into traditional China at German universities began in the early nineteenth century. It took several decades, however—until after the unification of Germany in 1871—positions at the universities of first Leipzig and then Berlin and Hamburg to be established in order to professionalize traditional China studies. The third and fourth decades of the twentieth century saw a rapid expansion, but Nazi rule between 1933–1945 led to massive emigration of German sinologists. This article looks into the details of this development and the disastrous consequences it had for German sinology. It then proceeds to the new beginnings made after World War II when some emigrants returned to Germany from China. East Germany lost many sinologists, who left the GDR when the Berlin wall was built. The article finishes with the challenges that a politically important China presents to traditional sinology

Authors Take Sides on the Spanish War: a dossier

The editors of Authors Take Sides on the Spanish War, which was published in London by the Left Review in 1937, posed two questions to a list of writers: "Are you for, or against, the legal Government and the People of Republican Spain? Are you for, or against, Franco and Fascism?" The question was distributed by mail to hundreds of writers in the United Kingdom to solicit responses for publication. The editors' appeal closes: "We wish the world to know what you, writers and poets, who are amongst the most sensitive instruments of a nation, feel." Authors Take Sides on the Spanish War consists of brief remarks from 148 contributors in a "10,000 word" pamphlet. Authors Take Sides on the Spanish War contains many influential writers' opinions on one of the most significant conflicts of the twentieth century, but the publication has since received almost no editorial attention. The pamphlet was reissued in 2001 as a photoduplication of the original--without commentary or annotation--and due to a printer's error, it is missing two leaves. This annotated edition of Authors Take Sides on the Spanish War includes an archive of related correspondence, articles, and other writings pertinent to the pamphlet and the political, social, and cultural climate of Europe around the Spanish Civil War. Of particular interest are unpublished documents related to the publication of the pamphlet from the Nancy Cunard archive at the University of Texas-Austin's Harry Ransom Center for the Humanities, as well as an examination of textual decisions and revisions within the work of Arthur Koestler and six other authors who wrote on the Spanish Civil War. It is in this way that this edition of Authors Take Sides on the Spanish War also takes on many of the qualities of a dossier in that it brings together documentary evidence of a certain kind to provide a range of perspectives on this cultural and historical moment.2016-11-01T00:00:00

Chicora research contribution 461

This is a very preliminary effort to explore the stories of those buried at Randolph Cemetery and understand what they can tell us about the cemetery and African American life in Columbia during the late nineteenth century through the Depression. It also seeks to give a face to those buried at Randolph, reminding us that they were real people, with real lives; sometimes tragic, sometimes noble, but also possessing great dignity as they lived and struggled – just as we do today

Daniel Prenn–From Germany’s First Man in the Top Ten to ‘“No Nationality” Man’?

This biographical study thematizes the life of Daniel Prenn, Germany’s first male tennis player in the world’s top ten ranking. Emigrating from St. Petersburg to Berlin as an adolescent, he soon developed a great talent in tennis, became Germany’s number one player and represented the country in the Davis Cup before in 1933–at the height of his success–he became a famous victim of the sport segregation by the National Socialists due to his Jewish background. Subsequently, Daniel migrated to the United Kingdom and was able to continue his tennis career. This article explores his story and contextualizes it before the historical background, as his life is connected to numerous contemporary developments of the time such as antisemitism, emigration, naturalization and more. Further, the study provides insights into the role of sports regarding processes of integration and identification. It looks at the trajectory of an early sports migrant, his motivations, experiences, obstacles and successes. So far, Daniel Prenn’s story has been absent from (sports) history, and his life has not yet been studied in detail nor remembered comprehensively. This biographical account is a first attempt at changing this.</p