German Travel Cultures

Description

Travel guidebooks are an important part of contemporary culture, but we know relatively little about their history and importance to the evolution of tourism. Germany not only produced the first international standard for travel handbooks, the Baedeker, but also became a major tourist destination early in the twentieth century. This is the first comprehensive discussion of the history of tourist guidebooks for any modern nation. Selecting representative texts - the first Baedeker to unified Germany, guides to Berlin sex life and sites of Nazi martyrdom, a tour guide for the German worker and American tourbooks to West Germany - this fascinating study relates the history of tourist literature to the formation of distinct 'travel cultures' oriented to specific audiences, tastes and ideologies.

Rudy Koshar DAAD Professor of German and European Studies,University of Wisconsin at Madison

'Erudite, well-written and stimulating ... The author argues convincingly that tourist literature does lead to the formation of distinct travel cultures directed to specific travelers with specific tastes and social backgrounds. The two bibliographies include one of primary sources, a gold mine of information for collectors of travel literature, and one of secondary literature. In every respect this volume may be considered an important contribution to the "Leisure, Consumption and Culture" series.' Choice 'The first comprehensive discussion of the history of travel guides for any modern nation ... This is an excellent book. It is beautifully written, seamlessly combining historiography and cultural analysis. The selection of illustrations featuring travel posters, maps and pictures from guides offer further insights. Whilst the title may suggest a specialist readership, the book will prove fascinating to anyone interested in the sociology of leisure, modern German history ... And even a few tourists too.' German Politics 'A comprehensive history of the emergence of modern, twentieth-century leisure and tourism.' International Review of Social History 'A source of valuable material on modern German domestic tourism.' German Studies Review 'Koshar's study achieves its aim of being a scientific description of travel guides between the beginning and the middle of the twentieth century. It is fully researched, well illustrated and pleasurable to read.' Heike Wolter, The Journal of Transport History