Germany

Historic Networks

German national identity formed in the years after the German-French War 1870–71, which led to the formation of the first German national state under the rule of Emperor Wilhelm I and his chancellor, Otto von Bismarck. The first institutions of social welfare were then created to evoke political loyalty among German citizens of the newly formed German Empire (Deutsches Reich), with a system of insurances covering healthcare and accidents and a basic pension scheme. With the emergence of a system of social welfare institutions, the extended family lost its role as the primary guarantor of social security. From then on, Germans in need would be able to turn to institutions of the welfare state, the Sozialstaat. For a long time, the welfare state has been a key factor in creating a German national identity.

During the Hitler dictatorship (1933–45), most social networks were exploited for political reasons. Membership in the Hitler Youth (Hitlerjugend) for boys and the Union of German Girls (Bund Deutscher Mädel) for girls was compulsory. The National Socialists, organized in the National Socialist German Workers' Party (NSDAP) party, rose from 850,000 members when Hitler took power in 1933 to 5.5 million in 1939, when Germany started World War II. Notable resistance against the Nazis from within Germany came from organized groups like Die Weisse Rose (The White Rose), which had to communicate, gather, and publish their calls for resistance against the Hitler regime in secret.

After World War II, West Germany (with help from the international community) transformed its industrial economy to a postindustrial and service-based society, with export-oriented branches like the auto industry, where strong unions and other work-related networks played a pivotal role in both work and leisure activities. In socialist East Germany, public life was heavily infiltrated by the Stasi secret police (Staatssicherheit), mongering a social climate of distrust. Some churches provided safe havens for subcultures and other networks of political dissidents, yet until the peaceful revolution in 1989, most social networks in the socialist German Democratic Republic (GDR) were monitored to prevent uprisings.

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