Images of the Past: Introduction to Walter Benjamin and “Berlin Childhood Around 1900”

Abstract

In “Images of the Past” we introduce the times, life and philosophical formation of the early twentieth century German Jewish philosopher and pioneering cultural critic Walter Benjamin. We discuss his theories of experience and nonsensuous similarities and refer to his masterpiece “Berlin Childhood around 1900” to examine these and other key concepts in his work. Representing a peak in his exceptionally fecund and still immediately relevant contribution, the book is a profound meditation on childhood, memory, language and long experience (Erfahrung), and a vivid illustration of his concept of the “social unconscious.”.