non-contemporaneity. He explores the idea that "not all people exist in the same now" 15 -
which sounds vague on the surface, but his work is in fact, littered with political undertones and
in essence, became a political slogan.
The theory explores the frustration of the middle classes. Bloch believed that the middle class
would have favoured the pre-war period as they would've been more affluent, and society
would have been more beneficial towards them. Hence, the nostalgic feelings towards that
particular period in history. However, I understand that it is important to bear in mind that his
work was written in 1932 before the Harzburg Front had taken Hitler on board - which marks
the beginning of the end of Germany’s affluent Weimar period.
As a result, I believe that what Bloch is trying to illustrate in his theory of non-contemporaneity
is the idea that the youth of the post-war period have an almost nostalgic feeling towards the
more affluent pre-war period. David Bowie was a part of the bourgeoisie which (according to
Bloch) explains his intense fascination with the expressionist and Weimar period. However,
Bowie no longer lived in a society that was beneficial towards the middle classes. So, this
collapse of strict class structures within Germany's post-war society was what enabled Bowie to
live a ‘simple’ life as ‘regular’ man during his time in Berlin.
On the other hand, I would argue that Bloch’s work on "Non-contemporaneity" becomes a
perfect reflection of Bowie's fragmented identity when in Berlin. He was drawn in by the
innovative sounds of Kraftwerk but discovered that he was also surrounded by the artefacts of
the past that had interested him throughout his life. The remains of Nazism and expressionists
15
Ernst Bloch, The Heritage Of Our Times ([Place of publication not identified]: Polity Press, 2015).