Aumrita Savdharia

  

Volume 8 | Issue IV | December 2024

Fairmont Preparatory Academy ’25

California, USA

  

Growing up, I struggled to reconcile the fact that history was not simply a collection of names and dates; it baffled me that there was never a simple answer in the humanities. Through the years, however, I have come to appreciate the open-ended nature of this study due to my experience in debate. Debate has taught me to seek answers from different perspectives, but also to be comfortable in embracing ambiguity. Carefully crafting arguments from different perspectives fosters a level of critical thought that is entirely necessary for the study of history and politics. Realizing there would be no clear answers in the study of history, I found myself pursuing nontraditional historical methods; in the case of this essay, I used these nontraditional historical methods to answer complex cultural questions about how collective memory shaped German history. I drew upon literature and the visual arts to capture the zeitgeist and better understand the German psyche after World War I. The consumption and creation of art is largely indicative of the state of a society and German society following World War I is an incredible example of how cultural imaginings create new political spheres. Although these kinds of historical analyses invite more speculation, I can appreciate that when analyzed in conjunction with concrete historical facts, there can be a clearer picture of the psychology and decision-making processes of the people and governing bodies. The experience of writing this essay has been incredibly rewarding because it has allowed me to delve into varying historical perspectives in an equally academic and creative environment. I am grateful for the opportunity to submit my essay to The Schola!