Munich 1919

Victor Klemperer was one of the most famous chroniclers of 20th century German history. His diaries, published in three volumes covering the Third Reich and its aftermath, are bestsellers and a standard source for historians of the period.

"Klemperer guides us through the confusion of those troubled days in Munich with empathy, subtlety and a perceptive eye." - Christopher Clark, University of Cambridge, UK"Klemperer has once again proven himself to be a brilliant reporter and an intelligent essayist. A sensational testimony. - Die Zeit"With his talent for dramatic portrayals, for reflection, and his knack for boiling things down to their essence, Munich 1919 gives us a more intimate view of Klemperer than we've ever seen before." - Die Welt"Klemperer's ability to grasp moods and attitudes has a truly Dickensian quality." - Los Angeles Times"A message in a bottle, with real immediacy." - Sydney Morning Herald"A compelling chronicle" -  The Times Literary Supplement“This account needs to be read for itself and its dramatic descriptions of chaos and political madness. But it also needs to be read as a harbinger of the future — and attitudes that shaped German acquiescence in, and belief in, the violent antisemitism of Nazi ideology" - The Jewish Chronicle"Klemperer’s diary provides an invaluable, unique perspective on the creation and suppression of the Munich Soviet Republic. Observing and recording how events unfolded from his university perch, Klemperer’s account conveys the sense of confusion, of isolation, and of uncertainty that pervaded… Born in Prussia to Jewish parents, Klemperer uneasily records how Bavarian particularism blurred anti-Prussianism, anti-Semitism, and anti-Bolshevism into a toxic brew of resentment, fear, and loathing. Klemperer’s Munich 1919. Diary of a Revolution will become essential reading for those interested in the Weimar Republic, Bavarian identity, and the backstory to the rise of Hitler and National Socialism." - H-Net: Humanities & Social Sciences Online‘a sobering glimpse into an uncertain time when history might have tilted in a different direction. Through [Klemperer’s] writings, we can come to see how those first violent months of the Weimar Republic were only a prelude to the later catastrophe.’The Nation"This is a gem of a book."Journal of Modern History

• ForewordChristopher ClarkNotes on the textMunich 1919Diary of a RevolutionPolitics and the Bohemian WorldFebruary 1919RevolutionTwo Munich CeremoniesFebruary 1919RevolutionMunich After Eisner's AssassinationFebruary 22, 1919RevolutionThe Events at the University of MunichApril 8, 1919RevolutionThe Third Revolution in BavariaApril 9, 1919Revolutionary DiaryApril 17, 1919April 18, 1919RevolutionRevolutionary DiaryApril 19, 1919RevolutionRevolutionary DiaryApril 20, 1919April 21, 1919April 22, 1919RevolutionRevolutionary DiaryApril 30, 1919RevolutionRevolutionary DiaryMay 2, 1919May 4, 1919May 10, 1919RevolutionMunich TragicomedyJanuary 17, 1920AppendixThe German Revolution of 1918-9: A Historical EssayWolfram WetteChronologyAbout this editionPicture creditsNotesIndex