Die Schöne Heimat? Depictions of Germany in a popular photobook from the Second Empire to the Federal Republic

While existing studies of twentieth-century German photobooks have understandably sought out volumes by the most iconic photographers, with the most innovative typography, or the most radical political messages, no photobook series better documents the continuities and ruptures of modern German history than the conventional and highly commercial Blauen Bücher, published by Karl Robert Langewiesche since 1907. Die Schöne Heimat, first published in 1915, was the series’ best-selling title. By the time its 619,000th copy appeared in 1971, Germany had changed fundamentally, yet the book was still recognizable as the one dedicated to “those who have defended their homeland and ours” during World War One. This article explores the remarkable longevity of this popular but problematic publication.