Things of the Bundeswehr

The Bundeswehr has existed nearly as long as the army of the Empire, the Reichswehr, and the Wehrmacht combined. Political and societal changes have left traces in it. A book about selected objects that are as diverse and colorful as the organization itself is now approaching the history of the Bundeswehr.

If one wants to narrate the tumultuous history of the Bundeswehr in summary, this can be done with regard to equipment, scope, and personnel or from the perspective of its tasks and principles of deployment. Important constants are the primacy of politics and the concept of Inner Guidance with its guiding image of the citizen in uniform. Both continue to significantly shape the spirit and self-understanding of the Bundeswehr to this day. Historical representations and studies allow for tracking these developments, but they often remain analytically abstract. This can be an advantage when it comes to maintaining professional distance from the subject of investigation.

A "Poetry of Things"

Museums and collections, on the other hand, focus on object-based learning. With the help of exhibits, complex events and everyday life from long ago become directly tangible, as historical connections are also apparent in ordinary everyday objects. The "poetry of things" can create a very own, personal access and allow the small and special to stand out as the great and universal.

This is also the aim of the book "History of the Bundeswehr in 100 Objects," edited by Brigadier General Sven Lange and Lieutenant Colonel Heiner Möllers. The volume published by BeBra Verlag approaches various themes, aspects, and connections from the history of the Bundeswehr through objects and makes them tangible. It aims to evoke memories and invites exchange and storytelling.

HERE you can take a look inside the book. 

The book has 410 pages and costs 39.10 Euro – HERE on Amazon.