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36 Works 125 Members 11 Reviews

About the Author

Works by Sven Felix Kellerhoff

Berlin Under the Swastika (2006) 12 copies
Die NSDAP (2017) 5 copies
Pocket Guide to Germany (2008) 2 copies

Tagged

Common Knowledge

Other names
KELLERHOFF, Sven Felix
Birthdate
1971
Gender
male
Nationality
Germany
Birthplace
Stuttgart, Germany
Places of residence
Stuttgart, Germany
Berlin, Germany
Education
Freie Universität Berlin
Berliner Journalisten-Schule
Occupations
historian
journalist
Awards and honors
Ehrenpreis der Gedenkstätte Berlin-Hohenschönhausen
Short biography
Laureato in Storia. Giornalista responsabile della redazione Storia e Cultura del quotidiano "Die Welt"

Members

Reviews

I got so mad at the selfishness of the RAF terrorists that I couldn't make it past the first generation. It was very interesting but I just couldn't stand to go any farther. Murderers.
 
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blueskygreentrees | 1 other review | Jul 30, 2023 |
The Reichstag Fire: The Case Against the Nazi Conspiracy, by Sven Felix Kellerhoff and translated by Karina Berger, is a detailed and very convincing argument against the popular idea that the fire was a Nazi plot. Even more disturbing is what it says about the way history is sometimes done, even by established historians, when the desire to place blame outweighs, for them, the desire to seek the truth.

This reprint brings together most of the available information about the fire, the investigation, and the various conspiracy theories that surrounded it from the beginning. I am familiar with other accounts that make good cases for this being the act of a single man, but those accounts largely focus on a single perspective, bringing into the argument what fits in their larger narratives. This book tries, and succeeds quite well, in bringing everything into a narrative that is strictly about the fire, with the other narratives (Nazi, communist, workers, etc) playing supporting roles. This makes for the most convincing presentation that I have come across.

While this contains a lot of detail and makes several arguments, this is not an academic work, it is a detailed work for a broad readership, but a readership that wants to think as they read rather than just be fed a lot of information. So if your interest lies in this area, no matter what amount of formal or informal background you may have, this is accessible.

The fact that nothing seemed to support any of the conspiracy theories beyond the fact the Nazis did work it to their advantage, yet professional historians insisted on speculating as though the theories had some evidence to support them, makes one wonder just how much of history is equally misguided. We know that the "victors" write the histories, and they skew it to their benefit, but skewing and totally ignoring the facts before you are two different things.

Recommended for anyone with an interest in the early years of the Nazi regime, as well as those who may only remember the brief account of the fire likely offered in any kind of survey course.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.
… (more)
 
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pomo58 | Mar 29, 2023 |

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Statistics

Works
36
Members
125
Popularity
#160,151
Rating
4.0
Reviews
11
ISBNs
45
Languages
3

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