In Historical Turns (UC Press, 2024), Nicholas Baer (German Department) reassesses Weimar cinema in light of the "crisis of historicism" widely diagnosed by German philosophers in the early 20th century. Through bold new analyses of five legendary works of German silent cinema — The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, Destiny, Rhythm 21, The Holy Mountain, and Metropolis — Baer argues that films of the Weimar Republic lent vivid expression to the crisis of historical thinking. With their experiments in cinematic form and style, these modernist films revealed the capacity of the medium to engage with fundamental questions about the philosophy of history.

He is joined by Donna Jones (English).