The twentieth century was an era of change. In European politics, and particularly in German politics and its self-understanding, the past hundred years have left deep and significant marks: from the constitutional monarchy to the first German Republic, the mutation of Weimar democracy into an authoritarian presidential regime, the subsequent National Socialist dictatorship, a constitutional democracy under the guidance of the Allied occupying armies at mid-century, and a long continuity of representative democracy with the now emerging transition to supranational European governance. However, the twentieth century was also an era of comprehensive simultaneity. For even at its monarchical beginning, specific democratic voices were already being heard, such as Max Weber, Hermann Heller, or Hans Kelsen, who matured into classics over the course of the century and still receive attention in current debates. On the other hand, even today, some still seek solutions to pressing problems by reverting to either national state or even authoritarian models, as were already prevalent during the time of the First World War.