The Weimar Republic (Germany, 1919–1933) was a turbulent period in the 20th century. While tensions were evident, many of the ideas and debates that emerged, along with the era’s extraordinary creative legacy, remain relevant today. The Weimar Republic was seen as a time of upheaval in what had been a stable, secure, and rational world. It represented a fleeting moment of brilliance amid the darkness between two world wars. Yet, it was also marked by conflicts and tensions of all kinds, and it ultimately came to an end with Adolf Hitler’s rise to power as the leader of Germany.
Weimar, tiempos inciertos (Weimar, Uncertain Times) begins with a stranger bursting into the home of the dying Thomas Mann, the renowned German author of Buddenbrooks, Death in Venice, and The Magic Mountain. Drawing inspiration from The Magic Mountain, the graphic novel brings to life key historical figures from that era—individuals whose influence on culture and science has endured beyond their time. Among them are physicist Albert Einstein, architect Walter Gropius (founder of the Bauhaus school), playwright Bertolt Brecht, and historian Aby Warburg, famous for the Warburg Library. A central role is also played by Ernst Cassirer, the library’s director.
The story follows Hans Neumann, a young soldier wounded in World War I who has lost his memory. His search for his identity takes him on a journey through postwar Germany, where he encounters the artistic, philosophical, and scientific circles of the time. As he pieces together his fragmented past, he struggles to rebuild his life—torn between memories of the past and the uncertainty of the future.
The graphic novel concludes with an extensive, nearly 30-page epilogue that provides in-depth explanations of the cultural figures featured in the story. The authors illustrate how, after World War I and the collapse of four empires, Weimar became a hub of creative energy rivaling that of Periclean Athens or Renaissance Florence. The Weimar Republic aspired to a new world founded on reason, democracy, and equality—regardless of gender, faith, or ethnicity. However, it was also an era defined by contrasts: hope and fear, order and revolution, stability and economic crisis, technology and art, determinism and chance.
Authors Martín, Pedragosa, and Morata conclude that, a century later, our world is again in a time of transition, emerging from the ruins of the past into an uncertain future. Understanding the Weimar Republic—its achievements and its failures—can help us better understand our own time and ensure that history’s darkest moments, such as Auschwitz, are never repeated.
Special thanks to Alejandro Luque for the press release on ‘Weimar, tiempos inciertos,’ José Bermúdez from Norma Editorial for providing resources for this article, and Elizabeth Ambrose for her editorial work in English.
FOR YOUR DIARY
Rafael Morata will present Weimar, tiempos inciertos (Weimar, Uncertain Times) in Geneva in October 2025, at the Ferme Pommier (7, chemin du Pommier, Le Grand-Saconnex). This event will be organized by the Association of Spanish International Civil Servants and Palabras+ and will be moderated by Gemma Capellas Espuny and Jesús Guerrero Buitrago.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Txuss Martín is a Professor of Romance Linguistics at the University of Cambridge (UK). He holds a BA in Linguistics and Philosophy from the University of Barcelona and a PhD in Linguistics from New York University. His multidisciplinary research explores the relationships between language (theoretical grammar, semantics), cognition (including pathologies), and consciousness, as well as the evolution of language in the human species. He has published in national and international journals and books in both English and Catalan. Professor Martín is also experienced in presenting academic research through unconventional, creative formats, such as exhibitions, comics, and games. Along with Pau Pedragosa, he curated the exhibition ‘Tiempos inciertos. Alemania entre guerras’ (Uncertain Times: Germany Between Wars), displayed at CaixaForum Madrid and Barcelona.
Pau Pedragosa is an architect and philosopher. He holds a degree in Architecture from the Polytechnic University of Catalonia and a BA and PhD in Philosophy from the University of Barcelona. He has lectured in the Department of Theory and History of Architecture (ETSAB-UPC) and is currently a faculty member at the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya’s Faculty of Arts and Humanities. His research focuses on philosophy (phenomenology, hermeneutics, and aesthetics) and the history of art and architecture. He has published books and works in national and international journals. Passionate about making academic research accessible to a broader audience, he engages with creative and educational formats, including non-specialist courses, public lectures, and the ‘Tiempos inciertos. Alemania entre guerras’ exhibition, which he curated alongside Txuss Martín.
Rafael Morata is a professional translator, a trained musician, and a passionate cartoonist. Under the pen name Fel, he has contributed satirical cartoons to newspapers and digital media, such as La Directa and Núvol. Weimar, tiempos inciertos marks his debut in the world of graphic novels.
MORE INFO
Association website: afie.es
Instagram: @palabras_mas /@espera_que_te_lo_cuento
Facebook: Palabras+ and X (Twitter): AFIE_ES