137:, wrote in his review that this work was "one of the most readable and enlightening" books written about Germany after 1945, when the Nazi government ended. Kohn agreed with the majority of Mayer's analysis of German history, though Kohn disagreed with Mayer's belief that militarism is inherently a problem in Germany.
105:
wrote "Had they known they would not have spoken frankly to him." Pisko concluded that therefore the relationship built by the author and the interviewees was on "false pretenses." At the time of the interviews the interviewees were still not in favor of the democratic Bonn government. Pisko added
98:
as evil, and they perceived themselves as having a high degree of personal freedom during Nazi rule, with the exception of the teacher. Additionally, barring said teacher, the subjects still disliked Jewish people. Mayer found that he sympathized with the personable qualities of his interviewees,
90:
wrote that the interviewees were from a pro-Nazi bloc that was the "anti-labor, anti-capitalist, and anti-democratic lower middle class". The tailor had served a prison sentence for setting a synagogue on fire, but the others were never found to have actively attacked Jewish people. Mayer read the
156:
praised the "strong appeal" and "conviction" of the book as its "strength", although he criticized the small sample size and the fact that there was a language barrier between Mayer and the subjects. Adler also stated that there was "an abandoned freedom and high disregard for detail" in the
187:
argued that the book is "very readable and penetrating", though he argued that the interviewees "do not sound convincing" and are not "representative" of the entirety of German people, who
Wagener argues "knew they were not free" although they still complied with the Nazi government.
45:, wrote that the book "suggests how easy it is for human beings in any society to fall prey to a dynamic political movement, provided their lives are sufficiently insecure, frustrated or empty." He stated that the book is simultaneously a discussion on ethics, on "how political
170:, praised how the author had a distanced, non-passionate view at looking at his subjects, although he criticized the small sample size from a particular rural town, which Muhlen compared to using a sample of people from "Middletown, Mississippi" to characterize the
590:
253:
166:
149:
Dorn argues that the book is "certainly one-sided" and "pleasantly discursive, not unsympathetic". Dorn explains that the "muscular punch" comes from "scrupulous fairness and unsparing honesty."
84:
The interviewees had the following occupations: baking, cabinetmaking, clerking at a bank, collecting of bills, police, sales, studying, tailoring, and teaching. Walter L. Dorn of the
106:
that the interviewees could have objected to political developments that came had they known they would come, but that they failed to foresee how Nazi rule would develop.
174:. Muhlen also criticized Mayer's analysis of the Cold War armament of West Germany, arguing that Mayer mischaracterized German newspapers' political stances.
704:
504:"'Best Time of; Their Lives' THEY THOUGHT THEY WERE FREE: THE GERMANS 1933-45. By Milton Mayer. 346 pp. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. $ 4.75"
503:
99:
though not their beliefs. Mayer did not disclose to the interviewees that he read their case files, nor that he was Jewish. Ernest S. Pisko of the
191:
In sum, Pisko stated that the book "is a fascinating story and a deeply moving one." Heckscher argued the book is an "important contribution".
350:
699:
223:
171:
412:
86:
109:
The end of the book describes how the post-World War II United States took a pro-militarization stance, in the context of the
69:. The real name and location of the town of 20,000 residents, which contains a university, are not disclosed. The town was
319:
214:
328:
29:
595:
142:
474:
101:
81:. All ten were in the lower middle class. The author was not a German speaker and the men did not speak English.
554:
134:
674:
380:
258:
70:
41:
289:
153:
661:
522:
198:
criticized the book for being "representative of the confused subject matter and its confused student."
195:
656:
184:
74:
694:
559:
509:
340:
301:
262:
235:
94:
The author determined that his interviewees had fond memories of the Nazi period and did not see
78:
410:
Dorn, Walter L. (1955-07-16). "Review of They
Thought They Were Free: The Germans, 1933-1945".
353:
332:
293:
227:
122:
314:
73:
during the postwar period of occupation. The interviews occurred during Mayer's term at
417:
666:
688:
161:
378:
Heckscher, August (1955-05-29). "Ex-Nazi
Psychology Throws Light on Germans Today".
280:
179:
95:
66:
33:
25:
423:
65:, which the book calls "Kronenberg", to gauge how ordinary Germans felt about
679:
146:, described the book as "informal but in places penetrating and sensitive".
481:
110:
472:
Pisko, Ernest S. (1955-04-21). "From the
Bookshelf the Little Germans".
305:
275:
344:
266:
248:
239:
209:
62:
46:
49:
is established", and on issues in
Germany and the "German mentality".
297:
231:
57:
In 1953, Mayer interviewed ten male residents of a town, located in
336:
249:"They Thought They Were Free: The Germans, 1933-45 by Milton Mayer"
210:"They Thought They Were Free: The Germans 1933-45. by Milton Mayer"
276:"They Thought They Were Free. The Germans 1933-45 by Milton Mayer"
254:
The Annals of the
American Academy of Political and Social Science
167:
The Annals of the
American Academy of Political and Social Science
58:
32:. It describes the thought process of ordinary citizens during
113:, after initially rejecting the idea of militarizing Germany.
157:
translated material, originally from German, in the book.
121:
In 2017, the book was re-published with an
Afterword by
39:
August
Heckscher, the chief writer of editorials of the
315:"They Thought They Were Free: The Germans, 1933-45"
591:"They Thought They Were Free: the Germans 1933-45"
502:
675:They Thought They Were Free: The Germans, 1933–45
21:They Thought They Were Free: The Germans 1933-45
8:
433:
431:
384:. Vol. 115, no. 39641. p. D3.
534:
532:
530:
445:
443:
373:
371:
369:
548:
546:
544:
91:official case files of each interviewee.
467:
465:
463:
461:
459:
457:
455:
365:
496:
494:
492:
490:
405:
403:
401:
399:
397:
395:
393:
391:
257:. 301, Higher Education under Stress.
77:'s Institute for Social Research as a
24:is a 1955 nonfiction book written by
7:
589:Roberts, Henry L. (October 1955).
274:Wagener, Siegfried (Spring 1956).
14:
705:University of Chicago Press books
247:Muhlen, Nobert (September 1955).
224:American Sociological Association
553:Sunstein, Cass R. (2018-06-28).
71:controlled by the United States
140:Henry L. Roberts, writing for
133:Hans Kohn, a professor at the
1:
320:American Journal of Sociology
288:(2). Board of Regents of the
208:Adler, Franz (October 1955).
215:American Sociological Review
657:They Thought They Were Free
329:University of Chicago Press
30:University of Chicago Press
721:
501:Kohn, Hans (1955-05-08).
475:Christian Science Monitor
102:Christian Science Monitor
700:Books about Nazi Germany
135:City College of New York
381:New York Herald Tribune
313:Wolff, Kurt H. (2002).
259:Sage Publications, Inc.
183:, Siegfried Wagener of
42:New York Herald Tribune
484:Historical Newspapers.
290:University of Oklahoma
154:University of Arkansas
662:University of Chicago
196:Ohio State University
555:"It Can Happen Here"
185:Allenspark, Colorado
75:Frankfurt University
560:The New York Review
152:Franz Adler of the
28:, published by the
615:Muhlen p. 246-247.
579:Adler, p. 595-596.
510:The New York Times
424:Record on ProQuest
160:Norbert Muhlen of
79:visiting professor
420:. pp. 31–32.
194:Kurt H. Wolff of
712:
643:
640:
634:
631:
625:
622:
616:
613:
607:
606:
604:
603:
586:
580:
577:
571:
570:
568:
567:
550:
539:
536:
525:
520:
518:
517:
506:
498:
485:
479:
469:
450:
447:
438:
435:
426:
421:
407:
386:
385:
375:
348:
309:
298:10.2307/40095605
270:
243:
172:Democratic Party
123:Richard J. Evans
720:
719:
715:
714:
713:
711:
710:
709:
685:
684:
652:
647:
646:
641:
637:
632:
628:
623:
619:
614:
610:
601:
599:
596:Foreign Affairs
588:
587:
583:
578:
574:
565:
563:
552:
551:
542:
537:
528:
515:
513:
500:
499:
488:
471:
470:
453:
448:
441:
437:Muhlen, p. 246.
436:
429:
413:Saturday Review
409:
408:
389:
377:
376:
367:
362:
312:
273:
246:
232:10.2307/2092579
207:
204:
143:Foreign Affairs
131:
119:
87:Saturday Review
55:
17:
12:
11:
5:
718:
716:
708:
707:
702:
697:
687:
686:
683:
682:
671:
670:
669:
651:
650:External links
648:
645:
644:
642:Wolff, p. 389.
635:
626:
624:Muhlen p. 247.
617:
608:
581:
572:
540:
538:Adler, p. 596.
526:
486:
451:
449:Adler, p. 595.
439:
427:
418:Washington, DC
387:
364:
363:
361:
358:
357:
356:
337:10.1086/221788
310:
271:
244:
203:
200:
164:, writing for
130:
127:
118:
115:
54:
51:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
717:
706:
703:
701:
698:
696:
693:
692:
690:
681:
677:
676:
672:
668:
665:
664:
663:
659:
658:
654:
653:
649:
639:
636:
630:
627:
621:
618:
612:
609:
598:
597:
592:
585:
582:
576:
573:
562:
561:
556:
549:
547:
545:
541:
535:
533:
531:
527:
524:
512:
511:
505:
497:
495:
493:
491:
487:
483:
477:
476:
468:
466:
464:
462:
460:
458:
456:
452:
446:
444:
440:
434:
432:
428:
425:
419:
415:
414:
406:
404:
402:
400:
398:
396:
394:
392:
388:
383:
382:
374:
372:
370:
366:
359:
355:
352:
346:
342:
338:
334:
330:
326:
322:
321:
316:
311:
307:
303:
299:
295:
291:
287:
283:
282:
277:
272:
268:
264:
260:
256:
255:
250:
245:
241:
237:
233:
229:
225:
221:
217:
216:
211:
206:
205:
201:
199:
197:
192:
189:
186:
182:
181:
175:
173:
169:
168:
163:
162:New York City
158:
155:
150:
147:
145:
144:
138:
136:
128:
126:
124:
116:
114:
112:
107:
104:
103:
97:
92:
89:
88:
82:
80:
76:
72:
68:
64:
60:
52:
50:
48:
44:
43:
37:
35:
31:
27:
23:
22:
673:
655:
638:
629:
620:
611:
600:. Retrieved
594:
584:
575:
564:. Retrieved
558:
514:. Retrieved
508:
478:. p. 9.
473:
411:
379:
324:
318:
285:
281:Books Abroad
279:
252:
219:
213:
193:
190:
180:Books Abroad
178:
176:
165:
159:
151:
148:
141:
139:
132:
120:
108:
100:
96:Adolf Hitler
93:
85:
83:
67:Nazi Germany
56:
40:
38:
34:Nazi Germany
26:Milton Mayer
20:
19:
18:
331:: 388–389.
261:: 246–247.
226:: 595–596.
695:1955 books
689:Categories
602:2022-07-02
566:2022-07-02
516:2022-07-02
202:References
680:DeGruyter
351:Listed at
129:Reception
16:1955 book
633:Wagener.
523:PDF here
482:ProQuest
354:OpenAire
306:40095605
111:Cold War
53:Contents
667:Excerpt
480:- From
345:2773558
292:: 230.
267:1032591
240:2092579
117:Release
63:Marburg
47:tyranny
343:
304:
265:
238:
360:Notes
341:JSTOR
302:JSTOR
263:JSTOR
236:JSTOR
222:(5).
59:Hesse
333:doi
294:doi
228:doi
177:In
691::
678:-
660:-
593:.
557:.
543:^
529:^
521:-
507:.
489:^
454:^
442:^
430:^
422:-
416:.
390:^
368:^
349:-
339:.
327:.
325:61
323:.
317:.
300:.
286:30
284:.
278:.
251:.
234:.
220:20
218:.
212:.
125:.
61:,
36:.
605:.
569:.
519:.
347:.
335::
308:.
296::
269:.
242:.
230::
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.