Culture

Weimar culture was more than entertainment: it expressed how Germans understood war, modern life and social change. Greater freedom of expression allowed artists to challenge authority and established values. Recovery, government support for cultural organisations, and technologies such as film and radio helped new work reach audiences.

Growing bacteria on culture media, including agar jelly, helped scientists study them under controlled conditions. Improved microscopes and these techniques made investigations more precise.

England on the eve of the Norman Conquest had an established culture expressed through buildings, decorated objects and literature. Culture was not confined to royal courts: houses, jewellery and stories also formed part of everyday life. Churches and wealthy patrons provided settings for particularly elaborate work.