GERMAN LOCAL-HISTORY AS METAPHOR AND SANCTION

Analysis of historical narratives produced in a German community shows them to be metaphors for a range of issues touching on the general th eme of local autonomy. The tendency of home town historians to invoke a medieval golden age is reminiscent of nationalist historiographic co nventions, but variations in social context raise questions about the precise nature of the relationship between these two traditions. When viewed from different perspectives, home town history may appear to re present either accommodation or resistance to dominant ideologies; but it is best viewed as a variety of essentialist rhetoric, which serves to establish distinct yet communicable identities for various local g roups.