WEST GERMANY AN ECLIPSE OF PRINCES WHEN BRITAIN'S PRINCE PHILIP AND HIS 
DAUGHTER, PRINCESS ANNE, 12, CLAMBERED OUT OF THEIR RASPBERRY-PINK ROYAL PLANE 
AT FRANKFURT LAST WEEK, THERE WERE NO TOPHATTED OFFICIALS TO WELCOME 
THEM OR RESPECTFUL CROWDS CHEERING " ES LEBE HOCH .! " 
AFTER GREETING THEIR WAITING COUSINS, PRINCE LUDWIG AND PRINCESS MARGARET VON 
HESSEN, PHILIP AND ANNE GOT QUICKLY INTO THE RAKISH ALVIS SPORTS 
COUPE, WHICH HAD BEEN FLOWN AHEAD OF THE ROYAL PARTY FROM 
LONDON . THEN THEY HEADED DOWN THE AUTOBAHN TO DARMSTADT, WHERE 
THEY STAYED AT THE VON HESSENS' PALATIAL 18TH CENTURY SCHLOSS WOLFSGARTEN 
. THE BRITISH VISITORS' FOUR-DAY STAY MADE LITTLE STIR IN WEST 
GERMANY AS A WHOLE, BUT THEIR PRESENCE WORKED LIKE CHAMPAGNE ON 
THE ARISTOCRACY'S BATTERED MORALE . IN A SOCIETY WHERE MOST BLUEBLOODS 
FEEL THAT THEY ARE DISPLACED PERSONAGES (THERE HASN'T BEEN A KAISER 
SINCE 1918), THE ROMANTIK OF A ROYAL VISIT IS RARE INDEED 
. THANKS TO THE NATION'S MIRACULOUS ECONOMIC BOOM, WEST GERMANS TODAY 
ARE MORE CONCERNED WITH PAYCHECKS THAN WITH PRINCELY COMINGS AND GOINGS 
. BUT THE COUNTRY'S ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL TRANSFORMATION HAS FAILED NOTABLY 
TO PRODUCE A UNIFIED, NATIONAL FUHRUNGSSCHICHT (LEADERSHIP LAYER) IN PLACE OF 
THE OLD ARISTOCRATIC RULING CASTE . THE RESULT IS A CONFUSED 
AND CONFUSING SOCIETY IN WHICH, SAYS SOCIOLOGIST RALF DAHRENDORF, THERE IS 
NOT ONE CLASS OF PROMINENZ BUT " A MULTITUDE OF COMPETING 
GROUPS . " THE " PYRAMIDS OF POWER " INCLUDE THE 
CHURCH, THE MILITARY, LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND SUCH VENERABLE UNIVERSITIES AS TUBINGEN, 
GOTTINGEN AND HEIDELBERG, WHERE A HERR PROFESSOR COMMANDS UNDIMINISHED RESPECT FROM 
THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE . SALON FROM FORD ? BY FAR 
THE MOST POWERFUL AND CONSPICUOUS ELITE IN PRESENT-DAY GERMANY IS, OF 
COURSE, THE GELDARISTOKRATIE, THE NEW INDUSTRIAL PLUTOCRACY WHOSE YELLOW MERCEDESES AND 
CHRIS-CRAFT CRUISERS HAVE LARGELY REPLACED THE IRON CROSS AND THE DUELING 
SCAR AS STATUS SYMBOLS . THE NEW UPPER CRUST IS PERSONIFIED 
BY SUCH TYCOONS AS RUDOLF AUGUST OETKER, WHO PARLAYED A BAKING 
POWDER BUSINESS INTO A 100-COMPANY EMPIRE ; HANS GUNTHER SOHL, WHO 
AS BOSS OF THYSSEN SINCE WAR'S END HAS TURNED A FAMILY 
IRONWORKS INTO WEST GERMANY'S BIGGEST STEELMAKER ; AND MUNICH'S RUDOLF MUNEMANN, 
ONE OF THE NATION'S BIGGEST AND BOLDEST FINANCIERS . YET, FOR 
ALL ITS WEALTH, SAYS SOCIOLOGIST DAHRENDORF, THE GELDARISTOKRATIE " IS SEARCHING 
ABOVE ITSELF IN THE SOCIAL HIERARCHY FOR ITS BEHAVIORAL STANDARDS . 
BUT THE SPACE ABOVE IT IS EMPTY . " THIS, HE 
SUGGESTS, ACCOUNTS FOR THE JOYLESS, FRANTIC MATERIALISM THAT CHARACTERIZES MUCH OF 
POSTWAR GERMAN LIFE " THE MEDIEVAL CHOIR STALL IN THE DINING 
ROOM, THE CONSPICUOUS CONSUMPTION, THE COMPLETE LACK OF TASTE IN ART 
AND LITERATURE . " COMPLAINS ONE SOPHISTICATED YOUNG PRINCESS : " 
IF THE FORD FOUNDATION REALLY WANTS TO DO SOMETHING FOR GERMANY, 
IT SHOULD ENDOW A SALON IN BONN . JUST A LITTLE 
SALON . THE OLD SOCIETY IS DEAD NOW . " VONS 
IN VOLKSWAGENS . LIKE THE LAST GREAT AUKS WADDLING ACROSS THE 
TUNDRA, A FEW ANCIENT FAMILIES STILL SURVIVE IN THE FEUDAL SPLENDOR 
THEY ENJOYED WHEN GERMANY WAS A PATCHWORK OF PETTY PRINCIPALITIES . 
IN FRANCONIA, CONVIVIAL COUNT FRANZ ERBACH PRESIDES OVER THREE FAMILY CASTLES 
(ONE IS KEPT FOR HUNTING PARTIES) ; AT DINNER, HIS LIVERIED 
CHIEF HUNTSMAN STATIONS HIMSELF BEHIND THE COUNT'S CHAIR TO SUMMON A 
FOOTMAN WHENEVER HIS MASTER'S WINEGLASS IS EMPTY . PRINCE EMICH ZU 
LEININGEN, 36, WHOSE ESCUTCHEON IS AT LEAST 880 YEARS OLD, IS 
A GLOBE-TROTTING BIG-GAME HUNTER WHO HONED HIS MARKSMANSHIP AS A YOUTH 
BY TAKING POTSHOTS AT FAMILY PORTRAITS IN HIS HANDSOME BAROQUE PALACE 
AT AMORBACH . MANY OLD BAVARIAN FAMILIES STUBBORNLY RESISTED THE NAZIS 
AND WERE SINGLED OUT FOR PERSECUTION BY HITLER ; AFTER THE 
WAR, THEY WERE ABLE TO RECLAIM THEIR CONFISCATED HOLDINGS INTACT, AND 
EVER SINCE HAVE MANAGED TO KEEP THE BOAR FROM THE DOOR 
WITH CONSPICUOUS SUCCESS . ONE OF THEIR LIVELIEST MEMBERS IS HANDSOME 
PRINCE " ALFIE " AUERSPERG, WHO WAS DOWN TO HIS LAST 
SCHLOSS A FEW YEARS AGO ; TODAY HE BOASTS A PRICELESS 
COLLECTION OF FRENCH PAINTINGS AND A U.S . HEIRESS FOR A 
WIFE . BECAUSE THE BAVARIAN ARISTOCRATS HAVE TRADITIONALLY BEEN LESS EXCLUSIVE 
THAN PRUSSIA'S PATRICIANS, MUNICH TODAY IS ONE CITY IN WHICH THE 
RIVAL ELITES COME TOGETHER . MUNICH'S JET SET, COMPOSED OF THE 
NOUVEAU RICHE AND THE ANCIENT UPPER CRUST, SHUTTLES BETWEEN ST . 
MORITZ AND EGYPT'S RESORT OF HELWAN . ITS REIGNING BEAUTY IS 
THE STATUESQUE BLONDE DAUGHTER OF BANKER MUNEMANN, " ANTSCHI, " WHO 
HURTLES AROUND TOWN IN AN EGGSHELL-COLORED FERRARI ; HOWEVER, MANY FAMILIES 
WITH " VON " IN THEIR NAMES STILL PREFER TO DRIVE 
VOLKSWAGENS . " EVERYTHING, " SIGHS A JET-SET PRINCESS, " IS 
SO MIXED UP THESE DAYS . / TOP TEN THOUSAND . 
SCORES OF YOUNG BLUEBLOODS HAVE GONE TO WORK AND OFTEN BELIE 
THE ARISTOCRACY'S TRADITIONAL REPUTATION FOR STUPIDITY . THE BOARDS OF BIG 
INDUSTRIAL COMPANIES ARE LIBERALLY STUDDED WITH NOBLE NAMES . THE NAMES 
ARE PARTICULARLY IN DEMAND AS PUBLIC RELATIONS MEN . " I 
DO LIKE SNOBS, " EXCLAIMS ONE PRINCELY P.R . MAN . 
" THEY ARE ALL SO KIND TO ONE ! " TWO 
OF WEST GERMANY'S ABLEST JOURNALISTS ARE TITLED : COUNTESS MARION DONHOFF, 
POLITICAL EDITOR OF HAMBURG'S WEEKLY DIE ZEIT, AND COUNT HANS WERNER 
FINCK VON FINCKENSTEIN, A CORRESPONDENT FOR DIE WELT . SAYS ONE 
CORPORATE COUNT : " ALL YOU NEED TO GET AHEAD IN 
INDUSTRY IS REASONABLY GOOD LOOKS, SELF-ASSURANCE AND ORGANIZATIONAL TALENT . THIS 
THE NOBILITY HAD, AND NOW THE YOUNG ONES ARE ALL FAT 
PEOPLE IN THEIR FIRMS . " GERMANY'S NOBILITY WAS LARGELY TO 
BLAME FOR ITS OWN DECLINE . HOLDING THEMSELVES ALOOF FROM POLITICS, 
BUSINESS AND THE INTELLECTUAL WORLD, DIE OBEREN ZEHNTAUSEND (THE TOP TEN 
THOUSAND), AS BISMARCK CALLED THE ELITE, DEVOTED THEIR LIVES EITHER TO 
HUNTING OR TO THE ARMY ; WHEN HINDENBURG JOINED THE CADET 
CORPS IN 1859, 2,000 OF 2,900 PRUSSIAN OFFICERS WERE OF NOBEL 
BIRTH . HOWEVER, IN ITS EMPHASIS ON A " CITIZENS' ARMY, 
" WEST GERMANY'S GOVERNMENT HAS EVEN CLOSED OFF THIS TIME-HONORED AVENUE 
FOR " ARISTOCRATIC SERVICE . " AS FAR BACK AS 1826, 
THE YEAR THAT CANNON KING FRIEDRICH KRUPP DIED, GOETHE BEWAILED A 
NEW " CENTURY OF ABLE MEN, " PROTESTING : " IT 
IS RICHES AND SPEED THAT THE WORLD ADMIRES AND STRIVES FOR 
. " THE FIRST KRUPP AND THE OTHER NEW TYCOONS WERE 
ESSENTIAL TO THE KAISERS' DREAMS OF EMPIRE ; THE ARISTOCRATIC CLANS 
THAT ACCEPTED THEM WON NEW WEALTH AND A NEW LEASE ON 
LIFE . FINALLY DECIMATED BY TWO WORLD WARS, DENIGRATED BY HITLER'S 
FUNKTIONARSGESELLSCHAFT (SOCIETY OF FUNCTIONARIES), THEIR ECLIPSE WAS SEALED BY THE POSTWAR 
PARTITION OF GERMANY . WORST HIT OF ALL WERE THE WEALTHY 
JUNKERS, THE BRAHMINS OF TEUTONIC SOCIETY, WHO LOST THEIR VAST TRACTS 
OF LAND IN THE EASTERN TERRITORIES AND IN MOST CASES CAME 
TO WEST GERMANY AS PENNILESS REFUGEES . COMPANY COUSINS . EVEN 
TODAY MANY OLDER ARISTOCRATS REGARD A BUSINESS CAREER AS NOT QUITE 
SALONFAHIG (SOCIALLY DESIRABLE) . AT A DINNER PARTY IN BONN LAST 
WEEK, A BESPECTACLED COUNT DREW SYMPATHETIC CLUCKS WHEN HE DECLARED : 
" ALL MY YOUNG COUSINS ARE IN INDUSTRY NOW . INCREDIBLE 
! " ANOTHER ARISTOCRAT HARRUMPHED RECENTLY : " THE GREAT PROBLEM 
IN GERMANY TODAY IS THAT THERE ARE NO GENTLEMEN IN THE 
GOVERNMENT . " IT IS TO WEST GERMANY'S CREDIT NONETHELESS THAT 
NOWADAYS TALENTS ARE APT TO COUNT FOR MORE THAN TITLES . 
" HOW DO YOU GET AHEAD TODAY ? " ASKS A 
GREY-TEMPLED INDUSTRIALIST . " IT'S EASY PROFICIENCY AND ELBOWS . " 
THIS NEW, ASSERTIVE SENSE OF SELF-CONFIDENCE HAS PENETRATED TO EVERY LEVEL 
OF GERMAN SOCIETY . INSTEAD OF ACCEPTING THE OLD CLASS DIVISIONS 
AS PREORDAINED, SAYS SOCIOLOGIST HELMUT SCHELSKY, GERMAN WORKERS TODAY BELIEVE ALMOST 
RELIGIOUSLY IN THE SLOGAN : " ICH KANN DAS AUCH WERDEN 
(I CAN GET TO BE WHAT HE IS) . " THUS, 
DESPITE THE LAMENTS OF THE ARISTOCRACY, ARGUES SCHELSKY, THE END OF 
THE OLD ORDER MAY PROVE TO BE A BLESSING AFTER ALL 
. " IF YOU WANT DEMOCRACY, " SAYS HE, " YOU 
CAN'T COMPLAIN ABOUT THE LEVELING AND ATOMIZATION OF SOCIETY . I'M 
PRETTY OPTIMISTIC ABOUT THE FUTURE . / 