Jahrbuch zur Liberalismus-Forschung

The emphasis of the 30th issue of this yearbook is very much on Rhenish liberalism as it publishes the contributions to a colloquium organised jointly by the Archiv des Liberalismus (Archive on Liberalism) and the Landschaftsverband Rheinland (Rhenish Countryside Association). The 15 authors whose works are compiled here deal with liberalism in the Rhine Province from a variety of perspectives during a time frame which stretches from the period preceding the 1848 March Revolution in Germany to the present. The subjects these studies address are, among others, the role of liberal employers and their influence on the ‘Märzministerien’ (March Governments), the performance of the liberal parties in the region in elections and their relationship to their ideological opponents (H. Rönz, J. Frölich, N. Schlossmacher), the significance of liberals for the region’s institutions (E. Grothe, D. Geppert) and the actions and behaviour of liberals in particular positions or under certain conditions (A. Olenik, K. K. Münster, V. Stalmann). Three of the studies focus on the FDP in North Rhine-Westphalia as the heir to Rhenish liberalism (K. Buchna, M. Schlemmer, J. Treibel), while two overviews of liberalism in the Rhineland by H. Türk and Chr. Nonn round off this subject. The book closes with eye-witness documents about how a liberal experienced and reacted to the peace negotiations at Versailles.