Tourists in their own time: German experiences of modernity at the international exhibitions, 1851-1904

Abstract

This thesis looks specifically at the experience of modernity for German and Austrian populations because of the influence which these empires had on the development of the rest of Europe. As historian John Davis explained in his study of German influences on Victorian Britain, "…beginning shortly after the turn of the nineteenth century, curiosity grew in British intellectual circles regarding German philosophy, literature and theology…by the 1840s this developed into a more widespread interest in German culture among the educated classes, and the widely held belief there that Germany led Europe intellectually. German publications became crucial reading for humanities scholars generally. Meanwhile, in science, German research and publications began to set the pace." The influence of Germany and Austria on the development of nationalism, industrialization and modernity merits further study. The exhibitions provide us with opportunities to study how the German and Austrian empires understood and represented the modern world to their own populations and to other European nations.