July 23, 2014, by H Cotterill

The German perspective on the First World War

The final lunchtime talk held in connection with our current exhibition ‘All Quiet in the Weston Gallery’ takes place tomorrow.

With the nation gearing up to commemorate the 100 year anniversary of the First World War, through exhibitions, tv and radio programmes, books and articles, debate is, unsurprisingly, focused on British involvement in the war. British attitudes, both contemporary and 100 years on from the conflict, are under the spotlight. But what about the other side of the story? How did ordinary Germans view their nation’s involvement in the war? And how did these attitudes change depending on a person’s class, political stance, or war-time experience? In his talk ‘The First World War: a test of manhood or the collapse of humanity?’ Professor Roger Woods attempts to answer these questions. He will explore how German accounts, written in the immediate post-war period, offer unique and often surprising insights into a nation’s attitude to the First World War.

Postcard sent by a German soldier on the front line

The talk complements material currently on display in the ‘All Quiet in the Weston Gallery’ exhibition which explores both the local and the international impact of the war. Items on display include diaries written by an Austrian soldier interned in a Russian prisoner of war camp and notices put up by the German authorities during their occupation of the French town of Lille.

The All Quiet in the Weston Gallery exhibition in the Lakeside Arts Centre

The lunchtime talk takes place in the Djanogly Theatre, Lakeside Arts Centre on Thursday 24^th July at 1pm. The talk is free. To reserve your place please telephone the Box Office on 0115 846 7777.

The exhibition runs in the Weston Gallery, Lakeside Arts Centre until Sunday 17^th August. Further information about the exhibition can be found on our website at http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/manuscriptsandspecialcollections/exhibitions/westongalleryexhibition.aspx

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