Aristocracy and Exclusion

Reunion

The contrast between the Schwarz and Hohenfels households reveals how inherited status shapes Hans’s admiration, embarrassment, exclusion, and understanding of social power.

increasing

Bearing strength in each event

decreasing

The Name’s Prestige The Name’s Prestige from "Reunion". The Name’s Prestige A historical aura Hans knows the Hohenfels family through stories of ancestry and military distinction.

The Name’s Prestige from "Reunion". The Name’s Prestige A historical aura Hans knows the Hohenfels family through stories of ancestry and military distinction.

The Name’s Prestige A historical aura Hans knows the Hohenfels family through stories of ancestry and military distinction. Admiration becomes inequality The name makes Konradin appear to Hans as a figure from another world, turning a school encounter into a class-conscious fascination.

Hans’s Social Ambition Hans’s Social Ambition from "Reunion". Hans’s Social Ambition A wish to be chosen Hans works to distinguish himself in class and physical education, hoping to gain Konradin’s attention.

Hans’s Social Ambition from "Reunion". Hans’s Social Ambition A wish to be chosen Hans works to distinguish himself in class and physical education, hoping to gain Konradin’s attention.

Hans’s Social Ambition A wish to be chosen Hans works to distinguish himself in class and physical education, hoping to gain Konradin’s attention. Status internalized His effort shows how deeply he has accepted the Hohenfels aura, even as he knows that he and Konradin come from different social worlds.

The Father’s Deference The Father’s Deference from "Reunion". The Father’s Deference A formal performance Dr. Schwarz greets Konradin with elaborate respect and military stories meant to honor his family.

The Father’s Deference from "Reunion". The Father’s Deference A formal performance Dr. Schwarz greets Konradin with elaborate respect and military stories meant to honor his family.

The Father’s Deference A formal performance Dr. Schwarz greets Konradin with elaborate respect and military stories meant to honor his family. Class enters the home Hans feels embarrassed by his father’s behavior and recognizes his own snobbery. The social hierarchy affects both generations differently.

The Hohenfels Threshold The Hohenfels Threshold from "Reunion". The Hohenfels Threshold A guarded household Hans repeatedly approaches the gates of Palais Hohenfels but remains outside the family’s inner circle.

The Hohenfels Threshold from "Reunion". The Hohenfels Threshold A guarded household Hans repeatedly approaches the gates of Palais Hohenfels but remains outside the family’s inner circle.

The Hohenfels Threshold A guarded household Hans repeatedly approaches the gates of Palais Hohenfels but remains outside the family’s inner circle. Wealth cannot guarantee welcome The house’s scale and history deepen his fascination while its closed door makes exclusion concrete. Social prestige does not make friendship equal.

Status Meets Antisemitism Status Meets Antisemitism from "Reunion". Status Meets Antisemitism The real boundary named Konradin explains that his mother sees Jewish friendship as disgraceful to the family.

Status Meets Antisemitism from "Reunion". Status Meets Antisemitism The real boundary named Konradin explains that his mother sees Jewish friendship as disgraceful to the family.

Status Meets Antisemitism The real boundary named Konradin explains that his mother sees Jewish friendship as disgraceful to the family. Affection cannot dissolve hierarchy Hans insists on his equal dignity, but the Hohenfels household remains closed to him. Class prestige and racial prejudice reinforce one another.

February 1932, when Konradin arrives at school

Early spring 1932, as Hans tries to attract Konradin

Spring 1932, during Konradin’s first visit to Hans’s home

Spring 1932, after Hans discovers he cannot meet Konradin’s parents

After the opera encounter, in Hans and Konradin’s conversation