Living with the enemy – German immigrants in Nottingham during the First World War

Braber, B. (2017) Living with the enemy – German immigrants in Nottingham during the First World War. Midland History, 42(1), pp. 72-91. (doi: 10.1080/0047729X.2017.1298935)

Abstract

This article uses primary sources to examine German immigrants and their descendants in Nottingham during the First World War. This review is placed in a British context with the aid of secondary sources. It finds that a major provincial city with a relatively very small German population replicated what happened across Britain, but with fear for repercussions contributing to an almost total lack of local support and a failure of the migrants to speak out. It also establishes that the business boycott and exclusion that occurred all over Britain came much later in Nottingham, while anti-German violence was less severe and sustained than elsewhere. In Nottingham well-connected migrants in the lace industry continued to prosper. However, many working and lower middle class migrants were interned and deported or left the city, which resulted in a remarkable decline of the German population of Nottingham.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Braber, Dr Ben
• Authors: Braber, B.
• College/School: College of Arts & Humanities > School of Humanities
• Journal Name: Midland History
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis
• ISSN: 0047-729X
• ISSN (Online): 1756-381X
• Published Online: 10 April 2017