[gothic-l] Sturm ueber Europa - Storm over Europe

[andreas.schwarcz at UNIVIE.AC.AT]

On 25 Mar 2002 at 3:43, keth at online.no wrote:
> >
> >In all,  this was a fine series and I think Professor Herwig Wolfram
> >can be proud of his contribution to the series.
> 
> Yes, but does he subscribe to the image of the "Scandinavian giant"?
> 
Dear Keth,
Wolfram is very proud of his contribution to the series, but he is quite aware to the fact 
that he could not completely alter the scenario the producers had already prepared 
before they contacted him and he did not write the book accompaning the series. In 
fact, he is not presented even once personally in one of the four parts, only mentioned 
as scientific adviser in the end of each part, which is strange enough, when so many 
other specialists are presented with pictures and interviews. So I would not 
overestimate his actual contribution. And I have the pleasure of having known him now 
for nearly thirty years and still meeting him every day at our common institute, of which 
he is the director.  

And he does surely not subscribe to the image of the "Scandinavian giant". To cite 
from his book "Das Reich und die Germanen", p.440 f:

"The Germanic peoples did not destroy the Roman world and they did not renovate it, 
they found their place in it like Spaniards, Gallic peoples and Illyrians before them."...
"The dream of Empire and the identifcation with the Germanic peoples have become 
museum pieces in the cabinet of horrors of history. Too many suffered under them, 
paid for them with their lives. We people of today must not base identities upon 
backwards looking hopes and diffuse pictures. That does not mean that we should 
forget or are allowed to do it. 'The far mirror' (Barbara Tuchman) of history throws light 
and knowing in every presence and therefore also in our time, if we use it rightly. That 
means for our theme: We must know the Germanic past as well as the history of the 
Empire, to accept the European continuity as a whole, to keep it for good, but to avoid 
at the same time to fall under  its terrible dreams, wrong convictions and awful deeds; 
in short: to pass the test before history, and, if necessary to resist history."

I think that speaks for itself and should answer your question.
Kind regards
                        Andreas
  Ao.Univ.Prof.Dr.Andreas Schwarcz
Institut für österreichische Geschichtsforschung
Universität Wien
Dr.Karl Lueger-Ring 1
A-1010 Wien
Österreich
Tel.0043/1/42-77/272-16
Fax 0043/142-77/92-72



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