ABSTRACT
This chapter traces the emergence of the German middle-class ideal in the middle of the nineteenth century through a close reading of Gustav Freytag’s bestselling novel Debit and Credit (1855). The chapter examines the economic, social and cultural transitions of the period that were instrumental in the development of German middle-class self-identity as well as the emergence of the German sociological tradition. In the process, it engages with theorists including Max Weber, Werner Sombart, Karl Marx and Heinrich Riehl. Key themes examined include the work ethic, family life, industrialisation, capitalism, urbanisation, German nationalism and anti-Semitism. The chapter concludes with an outline of the middle-class value system that emerged in late-nineteenth-century Germany.
