Issac Butler and I recently discovered that we read the same book. So we decided to write a review of it on our respective blogs. Here's my review. His review can be found at Parabasis.
In Europe: Travels Through the Twentieth Century, by Geert Mak, translated from the Dutch by Sam Garrett. Pantheon Books. 896 pages. $35
In 1999, Geert Mak embarked on a journey, searching for the new Europe. The Euro had officially launched and talk was high that these cultures could meld into a cauldron of superpower strength. His yearlong series for the Dutch newspaper, NRC Handelsblad provided a means for Europeans to reflect on their past and their future. These observations have been culled into a book, “In Europe: Travels Through the Twentieth Century.”
Part travelogue and historical memoir, the book begins at the 1900 Paris World Fair, he slides his way through cities that experienced great moments in time. Queen Victoria’s funeral in London dissolves into a three dimensional literary portrait of Kaiser Wilhelm. Berlin shifts to Vienna, followed by World War I. There are no central characters, other than the continent itself.
The settings are ample backdrop for the speaking parts of its citizens. Plain-spoken and at times harsh, these quotes provide insight into a very different mindset. People who have lived through a multitude of political regimes are allowed to question everything and accept nothing. It is a sensibility that is both intensely practical and world-weary.
For the early part of the book, Mak relies on voices from history to get a feeling for what life was like in the early century. People speak through quotes from letters and other documents. As he reaches World War II, citizens begin to discuss their memories.
Perhaps this is reason that World War II is underscored so heavily. There are close to 400 pages alone on World War II, with heavy emphasis on Nazi Germany. Mussolini appears briefly, and the problems in Basque get short shrift. But it is here that Mak’s attention to the issues of European identity begin to crystallize before dissipating again into Nazi history.
The central question to Mak’s book is whether Europeans can grow beyond a history of genocide that extends from concentration camps to “ethnic cleansing” in the former Yugoslavia. Unfortunately, the genesis of this problem is never fully uncovered. It may be wrong to ask Mak to answer it. After all, it seems that every place has a difficult history. Each city, state or country has an “other” who becomes the focal point for all that is wrong in that society.
Rather than diagnosing the problem, Mak provides a forum for acknowledgment. How present citizens contend with that history provides debate today. Some residents would like to build monuments to their challenging past, while others would prefer to close their eyes and proclaim it finished.
One of the most memorable chapters is “Himmlerstadt,” which explores Birkenau, a concentration camp in Poland.
Mak vividly describes the crumbling remains of the camp: “Swallows dip and soar above the few barracks that have been left standing, the bare red smokestacks, the groves of birch that grow on human ashes. A bird has built its nest amid the rubble of Crematorium III. Above the gate one can still see the soot from hundreds of steam locomotives that pulled in here.”
Mak then moves on to historical documentation. In this case, it’s a diary of an Auschwitz camp physician. Snippets are used to illustrate what life was like then. Mak juxtaposes this with reflections on what Birkenau means now, especially to those who live in the area.
For them, Birkenau is a place that draws tourists. A resident of the small Polish town says, “Everyone here knew what was going on in the camp, you could see it, or smell it at least. But no one thinks about that anymore.” She goes on to express resentment against the visitors. “You don’t hear anything from the real victims and their families. But you should see the rest of the people who come here.” She continues, “They all claim Auschwitz for themselves. They’ve never suffered for a moment themselves, but my, how they’d like to hitch a ride with the real victims! It’s enough to make you sick.”
Europe has tried nearly every other form of government: socialism, communism, fascism, Nazism, and constitutional monarchy. But ultimately, it’s the actions of its citizens that create a country. Mak’s book reveals that Europe has come a long way, and it has a long way yet to go.
