I’m reading an English-language book that touches on Prussian politics in the era of Bismark. One word I’m curious about is Dämmerungsliberale. Context is no help, since they only mention in passing that it was a word coined by a politician. From my hazy memory of college German, I suppose it literally means “twilight liberal,” whatever that’s supposed to mean. Can anyone supply the context?
According to Babelfish it literally means “Dawn Liberal” I can’t find anything on the net about it.
Hmm. Well, Dammerung is either dawn or dusk-- really any “dimly lit” time. I have no idea of a factual answer for this (and to think I took a 19th C German history class back in the day. . .) but I wonder if it is used in the same way or holds the same connotations as in Wagner’s Gotterdammerung-- if it has a sort of “downfall” or decline feel to it, sort of end-of-the-world-y, and could refer to pessimistic politicians of the “everything’s going to hell in a handbasket” sort.
Another possible cultural association could be Nietzsche’s Goetzen-daemmerung as well.
None of my dictionaries have it, though I wouldn’t expect it to be in a dictionary. So here’s some educated guesses, based on skimming my notes & texts.
Could be a disparaging reference to liberals ‘hiding in the shadows’, as it were. During the Kulturkampf of Bismarck (lasting the 15 years or so after unification), most liberals joined up with the more conservative groups in an anti-Catholic stance. I have Eduard Lasker mentioned as a notable exception, so perhaps he was the politician who coined it to describe his former allies who seemed to forsake their ideals.
Another possibility, I think less likely, is that it’s a description of a fringe. A lot of different factions arose towards the end of the century, so maybe this was about the perceived growing numbers of those at the political outskirts (except I’m not at all sure there were that many liberals – there were already a lot at the center holding power.)
I e-mailed a former professor of mine who specializes in German history, and he agreed with Panamajack, saying:
I believe “Dämmerungsliberale” -> “closet liberal,” more or less.
I think Truth Seeker is the closest, I talked to a German co-worker and he says think “liberal after hours”.