The Disappearance of the Present

Christian Meier believes historians should step forth from the ivory towers of academia to contribute actively to public discourse. But what qualifications does the historian have for such a role? Meier’s collection of essays provides answers to this crucial question. They deal with the difficulty of remembering Auschwitz and the NS regime, comment upon the process of German and European unification, reflect the necessity for prognosis and try to explore the prospects of historical thinking in an epoch that is in danger of failing to perceive even its own present.