German Empire period (1871–1918)

The German Empire period (1871–1918) enters the novel chiefly as a historical reference carried by a song: an explanatory note identifies “Heil dir im Siegerkranz” as Germany’s unofficial national anthem from 1871 to 1918, during the reign of Kaiser Wilhelm II. The reference gives the period a specific cultural emblem rather than presenting it as a setting for the principal city scenes.

Historical Reference

The note places the song’s national role within the imperial years while also reaching further back: Heinrich Harries wrote it in 1790, and its tune is the same as that of “God Save the Queen.” The song therefore links the period to a political symbol with a history that predates the empire itself. Its designation as unofficial is significant: the novel’s historical marker is a widely recognized anthem, but not an official state anthem.

The Imperial Past and Urban Life

The period’s reference appears alongside scenes of a different kind of public culture. The city is shown through a picture house where a crowd watches a film, an amusement outing to the Neue Welt, and a coffee-shop gathering; elsewhere, people stop to watch a pile driver at work on Alexanderplatz. These episodes do not depict the imperial years. Their montage of entertainment, crowds, construction, and everyday observation helps distinguish the novel’s urban present from the earlier period recalled by the anthem.

Significance

The German Empire period is thus present as historical memory rather than sustained political narrative. The anthem note supplies a precise date range and associates it with Kaiser Wilhelm II, while the surrounding urban material locates the book’s attention in public life and mass culture. This brief allusion lets a familiar song carry the weight of an earlier national order without turning the modern city scenes into a direct account of imperial history.