American Institute for Contemporary German Studies

12/02/2022

Dortmund & Buffalo

Dortmund & Buffalo: Reflections on Social Divisions & Questions of Identity in Germany and the United States

In March and June 2022, the second cohort of the AICGS Social Divisions and Questions of Identity program convened in Dortmund, Germany, and Buffalo, New York, to explore communities, cultures, and group dynamics in these rust-belt sister cities. This StoryMap, written by the participants in the project, shares the group’s observations, insights, and thoughts for the future.

Read more: https://www.aicgs.org/2022/12/dortmund-buffalo/

Reflections on Social Divisions & Questions of Identity in Germany and the United States In March and June 2022, the second cohort of the AICGS Social Divisions and Questions of …

12/01/2022

Feet to the Fire

Feet to the Fire: Critique, Accountability, and Evolution in Germany’s Emerging Security Policy Debate

by Hari Choudhari, AICGS/Halle Foundation Intern

If, after his Zeitenwende speech on February 27, Chancellor Olaf Scholz believed he had done enough to cement his legacy as the arbiter of Germany’s new security policy, he would have been sorely mistaken. Criticism of his government’s sluggish progress towards arms provision to Ukraine has permeated recent German media and political discourse, with the loudest voices originating from his own party and coalition partners.

Read more: https://www.aicgs.org/2022/12/feet-to-the-fire/

Critique, Accountability, and Evolution in Germany’s Emerging Security Policy Debate If, after his Zeitenwende speech on February 27, Chancellor Olaf Scholz believed he had done enough to cement his legacy …

11/29/2022

is here! Can you invest in the German-American partnership by supporting AICGS today? AICGS is a policy research center dedicated to better understanding the challenges facing Germany and the United States together. This year, AICGS has held over 25 events; published over 100 podcasts, articles, and publications; hosted 10 fellows, and engaged 48 young leaders in this relationship. Our numbers show that our small team has a big impact, and your continued support helps make this possible.

Give today: https://www.aicgs.org/support/

11/15/2022

U.S.-German Futures Forum: U.S. Department of State Announces Partnership with American Institute for Contemporary German Studies at Johns Hopkins University

U.S. Department of State Announces Partnership with AICGS for U.S.-German Futures Forum

The U.S. Department of State will partner with the American Institute for Contemporary German Studies at Johns Hopkins University (AICGS) for the U.S.-German Futures Forum. The inaugural Futures Forum took place in Münster, Germany, on November 2-3 on the topic of “The Future of Democracy in a Digital World,” hosted by the German Federal Foreign Office and Bertelsmann Stiftung. This innovative forum brings together key decision makers from the public and private sectors along with experts and emerging leaders to address crucial global challenges and recommend shared solutions.

https://www.aicgs.org/2022/11/u-s-german-futures-forum-u-s-department-of-state-announces-partnership-with-american-institute-for-contemporary-german-studies-at-johns-hopkins-university/

The U.S. Department of State will partner with the American Institute for Contemporary German Studies at Johns Hopkins University (AICGS) for the U.S.-German Futures Forum. The inaugural Futures Forum took …

10/26/2022

Join our team!

AICGS is seeking an Operations Coordinator to support the financial and administrative operations of the Institute. The Operations Coordinator at AICGS works closely with the Director of Finance and Operations to provide day-to-day administrative support to AICGS staff and fellows.

Learn more and apply today: https://www.aicgs.org/job/operations-coordinator/

08/18/2022

We're hiring!

AICGS is looking for a Program Coordinator to manage its seminars, workshops, conferences, and symposia within the Foreign & Security Policy and Society, Culture & Politics Programs.

Learn more and apply today!
http://ow.ly/bMYW50Knl8g

07/27/2022

DAAD/AICGS Research Fellowship Program in 2023

AICGS is now accepting applications for the DAAD/AICGS Research Fellowship Program in 2023.

The DAAD/AICGS Research Fellowship Program, funded by a generous grant from the Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst (DAAD), is designed to bring both senior and junior scholars and specialists working on key issues of central importance to the German-American relationship to AICGS for research stays of between two to four consecutive months each. AICGS offers several fellowships, which include a monthly stipend of up to €3,204 (depending on the seniority of the applicant); transportation to and from Washington, DC; financial support for research-related travel to institutions within the DAAD center network (Centers for German and European Studies) in North America; and office space at the Institute.

The deadline to apply is October 1, 2022. For more information on the fellowship and how to apply, visit our website: https://www.aicgs.org/job/daad-aicgs-research-fellowship-program/

The DAAD/AICGS Research Fellowship Program, funded by a generous grant from the Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst (DAAD), is designed to bring both senior and junior scholars and specialists working on key issues of central importance to the …

05/16/2022

Germany and the United States: Partners in Shaping a New International Order?

Join us in New York City on May 26 for our symposium

Germany and the United States: Partners in Shaping a New International Order?

Thursday, May 26, 2022, 10:00 am - 1:00 pm, Deutsche Bank Center

Keynote remarks by Tobias Lindner, Minister of State, German Federal Foreign Office

and panel discussions with Sheri Berman, Professor of Political Science, Barnard College; John Lipsky, Peter G. Peterson Distinguished Scholar, Kissinger Center for Global Affairs, Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS); Brett Ryan, Senior U.S. Economist, Deutsche Bank, and Ellen Ueberschär, President, Heinrich Böll Foundation

The transatlantic agenda for President Joe Biden and Chancellor Olaf Scholz was already ambitious. When the two leaders met in February 2022 as Russia massed troops on the Ukrainian border, they also discussed managing global competition with China, recovering from the pandemic, and using transatlantic formats to support democracies around the world. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, followed by Chancellor Scholz’s announced Zeitenwende in German foreign policy, has reinforced the need for a strong German-American partnership in a world in flux. This AICGS symposium will examine how transatlantic cooperation can address the challenges we face at home and abroad.

View the agenda and register: https://www.aicgs.org/events/2022/05/germany-and-the-united-states-partners-in-shaping-a-new-international-order/

AICGS Symposium The transatlantic agenda for President Joe Biden and Chancellor Olaf Scholz was already ambitious. When the two leaders met in February 2022 as Russia massed troops on the …

05/09/2022

The Current “Bouleversement” in the German Public’s Political Perceptions: Smoke and Mirrors or Real Change? - Tocqueville21

AICGS contributor and The Passport as Home: Comfort in Rootlessness author Andrei Markovits has written a new article for Tocqueville 21. Read "The Current “Bouleversement” in the German Public’s Political Perceptions: Smoke and Mirrors or Real Change?" on their blog: https://tocqueville21.com/tribunes/the-current-bouleversement-in-the-german-publics-political-perceptions-smoke-and-mirrors-or-real-change/

There can be no doubt that February 24, 2022 will enter into the annals of caesura-creating dates alongside such perennials as September 1, 1939, December 7, 1941, November 9, 1989 […]

05/04/2022

www.aicgs.org

Transatlantic Security Strategies: Germany, Europe, and the United States

Thursday, May 5, 2022, 9:00 – 10:15 am EDT // 15:00 – 16:15 CEST

On February 27, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced a Zeitenwende—a Sea Change in German security and defense policy—in response to Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. The threats to thirty years of European order underscore the importance of the strategic adaptation of the transatlantic community. This year, NATO will adopt a new Strategic Concept, and the European Union has approved its Strategic Compass. In the United States, the Biden administration will release its new strategic documents. Germany’s governing coalition has launched the process to develop a National Security Strategy, as promised in the coalition agreement.

At this crucial moment, AICGS will convene a webinar to assess Germany’s view of its role in European security and the expectations from the European and transatlantic partners for Germany’s more robust defense policy. Where will Berlin place its national priorities? How do the NATO and EU strategies interact? How should Germany’s leadership role evolve?

Register: https://www.aicgs.org/events/2022/05/transatlantic-security-strategies/

05/03/2022

Public Health and Public Trust

Public Health and Public Trust: Transatlantic Challenges in Health Policy

Wednesday, May 4, 2022, 11:00 am - 12:00 pm EDT // 17:00 - 18:00 CEST

As the COVID-19 pandemic has illustrated, public trust in government decision-makers is as important as public health policies. In the United States and Germany, health experts were thrown into the limelight as they advised politicians on strategies to mitigate the spread of the novel coronavirus. Changing messaging and policies, resentment toward regulations that restricted travel and behavior, and a misunderstanding of how exactly public health experts advised the government on policies all contributed to a growing distrust of not only health experts and policymakers, but democratic processes in general. How can the United States and Germany build better communications infrastructure that supports public health and ultimately trust in leadership? How have health care experts and workers been affected, and what can be done to support them? How can governments lift the veil on decision-making processes to restore faith in democratic institutions? What transatlantic lessons can be learned from these shared experiences?

Register: https://www.aicgs.org/events/2022/05/public-health-and-public-trust/

Transatlantic Challenges in Health Policy As the COVID-19 pandemic has illustrated, public trust in government decision-makers is as important as public health policies. In the United States and Germany, health …

05/02/2022

Global Infodemic

Global Infodemic: Transatlantic Communities and Disinformation

Tuesday, May 3, 2022, 1:00 - 2:00 pm EDT // 19:00 - 20:00 CEST

Disinformation campaigns are nothing new; foreign and domestic actors have used such campaigns to influence voter behavior and recruit followers to political extremes. Following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, similar tactics were used to push false information about the virus, its origins, and national and international health policies. Since its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Russia has also waged a disinformation war at home and abroad. This AICGS webinar will examine various threats that disinformation poses to the United States and Germany. What limits the government’s regulation of information? What tools are available in our liberal democratic societies to counteract the spread of disinformation?

Register: https://www.aicgs.org/events/2022/05/global-infodemic/

Transatlantic Communities and Disinformation Disinformation campaigns are nothing new; foreign and domestic actors have used such campaigns to influence voter behavior and recruit followers to political extremes. Following the outbreak …

04/13/2022

German Policymakers Beyond the Cabinet

German Policymakers Beyond the Cabinet

by Eric Langenbacher, Senior Fellow; Director, Society, Culture & Politics Program, AICGS

Similar to any modern democratic political system, power in Germany is concentrated in the cabinet—currently with fifteen ministers controlling various policy areas and respective bureaucracies. There is, of course, also the chancellor exercising oversight over the entire government and setting the policy course (Richtlinienkompetenz) and a rather powerful minister-level head of the chancellery (Wolfgang Schmidt). Within this cabinet of seventeen, there is also an explicit and implicit hierarchy. The vice chancellor, who always has his/her own portfolio—presently Robert Habeck with the Economics Ministry–comes just after the chancellor, followed by the powerful finance minister, the interior minister, and the foreign minister. (The British tellingly deem these ministries the Great Offices of State.) And the politicians who hold these offices are usually the most prominent politicians from their respective parties, exemplified by FDP leader and Finance Minister Christian Lindner. But this is not always the case as shown by current Interior Minister Nancy Faeser, who was little known outside of her home state of Hesse until taking over this powerful portfolio.

Read more: https://www.aicgs.org/2022/04/german-policymakers-beyond-the-cabinet/

Similar to any modern democratic political system, power in Germany is concentrated in the cabinet—currently with fifteen ministers controlling various policy areas and respective bureaucracies. There is, of course, also …

04/11/2022

Episode 54: Diverse Communities, Questions of Identity, Polarization of Societies

The Zeitgeist Episode 54: Diverse Communities, Questions of Identity, Polarization of Societies

with Dillon Cathro, Elizaveta Firsova, and Elizabeth Hotary

On this episode of The Zeitgeitst, AICGS President Jeff Rathke talks with participants in the AICGS project on social divisions in Germany and the United States, which recently visited the German city of Chemnitz. Elizaveta Firsova, research associate and PhD student at the Institute for Didactics of Democracy at Leibniz University of Hanover, Dillon Cathro, Community Research Coordinator for the University of Michigan School of Social Work, and Elizabeth Hotary, AICGS Program Officer for Foreign & Security Policy and Society, Culture & Politics shared their impressions and findings. The AICGS project “Social Divisions and Questions of Identity in Germany and the United States” seeks to establish new connections within and between communities. In Chemnitz, participants from Germany and the United States met with representatives of local government and civil society organizations to learn about the experience of social and economic changes and the challenges for politics and society. How has Chemnitz tried to attract growth amid loss of industry, demographic decline, and a growing far-right movement in society and government? Elizaveta Firsova and Dillon Cathro discuss initiatives in Chemnitz to promote a diverse and inclusive society in Saxony’s third-largest city.

Listen: https://www.aicgs.org/2022/04/episode-54-diverse-communities-questions-of-identity-polarization-of-societies/

On this episode of The Zeitgeitst, AICGS President Jeff Rathke talks with participants in the AICGS project on social divisions in Germany and the United States, which recently visited the …

03/28/2022

Living (up to our) Constitutions?

There's still time to register! Join AICGS and Georgetown Government Department for a conversation with the President of the German Constitutional Court Stephan Harbarth and Dr. Catherine Lotrionte in-person tomorrow at 6:30 pm on Georgetown's campus:

President of the German Federal Constitutional Court Stephan Harbarth, in conversation with Dr. Catherine Lotrionte, will discuss current dynamics of constitutional law and the similarities and differences between the German …

03/21/2022

Living (up to our) Constitutions?

Upcoming Event | Tuesday, March 29, 2022, 6:30-8:00 pm EDT

President of the German Federal Constitutional Court Stephan Harbarth, in conversation with Dr. Catherine Lotrionte, will discuss current dynamics of constitutional law and the similarities and differences between the German and the American legal systems and constitutional jurisprudence. He will delve into the notion of a “living constitution,” what this means in the German context, and how it compares to interpretations in the United States. Other topics might include the relationship between the Constitutional Court and the Court of Justice of the European Union, the jurisprudence around vaccination mandates, and the new precedent of intergenerational justice as exemplified in the Court’s 2021 ruling necessitating changes to the German government’s climate legislation.

More information and registration: https://www.aicgs.org/events/2022/03/living-up-to-our-constitutions/

President of the German Federal Constitutional Court Stephan Harbarth, in conversation with Dr. Catherine Lotrionte, will discuss current dynamics of constitutional law and the similarities and differences between the German …

03/16/2022

The German Approach to the COVID-19 Pandemic: Failure or Success?

by Johanna Siegert, University of Fulda, and Sophie Stützle, University of Bremen

As we are heading into the third year of the COVID-19 pandemic, we must admit that the Coronavirus remains a sticky challenge—locally and globally. As of the beginning of March 2022, Germany is reporting a seven-day incidence rate of 1439. By the time you are reading this article, the number most likely will have increased. Almost 400 million people have been infected worldwide thus far. It is a good time to take a deeper, critical look at different approaches to the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany and beyond and to ask: What can we learn today that will prepare us for tomorrow? What can we learn by looking across borders?

Over the past two years, countries within the European Union (EU) have continuously found themselves in the position of becoming COVID epicenters. They differ widely in terms of public health measures, such as vaccination rates, monitoring, testing capacities, and generally the implementation of “non-pharmaceutical-interventions,” such as mandates for wearing masks. Vaccination rates range from 89.4 percent and 80.9 percent in the western European countries Portugal and Spain to 41.4 percent and 29 percent in the eastern European countries of Romania and Bulgaria. With a population of nearly 75 percent fully vaccinated citizens, the vaccination rate in Germany certainly is not at a rate where both health experts and the government want it to be. The explanation for such low vaccination rates turns out to be quite complex.

Read more: https://www.aicgs.org/2022/03/the-german-approach-to-the-covid-19-pandemic/

02/24/2022

The End of Europe as We Know It?

The End of Europe as We Know It? Germany’s Obligation to Reinforce Europe’s Political-Security Order

by Jeffrey Rathke, AICGS President

Just a few days ago in Munich, Western leaders proudly proclaimed their solidarity in the Russia crisis and their resolve to impose massive consequences in response to any Russian aggression against Ukraine. It was an impressive demonstration from countries that since the 2014 Russian invasion of Ukraine often settled for half-measures. But the Munich solidarity in many ways was inwardly directed—a commitment to act in unison within NATO and the European Union to impose punishment after a potential Russian attack. Only for some did it extend to assisting Kyiv in bolstering its self-defense capacity, as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy bitterly reminded them.

There will be enough time for analysis, recriminations, and self-criticism: Western policy has failed to deter Russia from a brutal, comprehensive assault on its peaceful Ukrainian neighbor and the decades-old foundation of peace in Europe. But most important is to translate this shock into action and resolve, nowhere more urgently needed than in Germany, and to communicate the need for shared sacrifice among Western publics that will be crucial to sustaining a long-term reconstruction of deterrence in Europe.

Read more: https://www.aicgs.org/2022/02/the-end-of-europe-as-we-know-it/

Germany’s Obligation to Reinforce Europe’s Political-Security Order Just a few days ago in Munich, Western leaders proudly proclaimed their solidarity in the Russia crisis and their resolve to impose massive …

01/27/2022

On the Possibilities and Pitfalls of German Holocaust Memory Today

On the Possibilities and Pitfalls of German Holocaust Memory Today

by Michael Rothberg, University of California, Los Angeles

In the past week, we marked the eightieth anniversary of the Wannsee Conference, in which N**i bureaucrats coordinated the murder of millions of European Jews in a beautiful villa outside Berlin, and the seventy-seventh anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, the largest of the N**i killing centers. With each anniversary, the number of eyewitnesses of the events of the Second World War and Holocaust gets smaller. Such anniversaries are not only occasions for remembering, but occasions for reflecting on how and why we remember. Such reflection is especially urgent in today’s Germany, as it is in many other societies around the world.

Read more: https://www.aicgs.org/2022/01/on-the-possibilities-and-pitfalls-of-german-holocaust-memory-today/

In the past week, we marked the eightieth anniversary of the Wannsee Conference, in which N**i bureaucrats coordinated the murder of millions of European Jews in a beautiful villa outside …

01/24/2022

AICGS Project: Social Divisions and Questions of Identity in Germany and the United States

Deadline in One Week: Apply for the AICGS Project: Social Divisions and Questions of Identity in Germany and the United States

AICGS is recruiting sixteen participants (eight from Germany, eight from the U.S.) per year who have been active in the service of communities that have experienced societal division and/or marginalization in the United States and Germany to participate in its project “Social Divisions and Questions of Identity in Germany and the United States.” Participants ideally will be involved in regional politics, schools and education, civil society organizations, the media, or social and economic efforts that benefit their communities. The deadline for applications is January 31, 2022.

Learn more: https://www.aicgs.org/job/aicgs-project-social-divisions-and-questions-of-identity-in-germany-and-the-united-states/

AICGS is recruiting sixteen participants who have been active, professionally or on a voluntary basis, in the service of communities that have experienced societal division and/or marginalization in the U.S. and Germany.

01/18/2022

Lessons from Afghanistan

Lessons from Afghanistan

The Future of German International Engagement This AICGS webinar will consider the lessons for German foreign and security policy from twenty years of engagement in Afghanistan. The networked approach guided …

01/13/2022

Lessons from Afghanistan

Lessons from Afghanistan: The Future of German International Engagement

Wednesday, January 19, 2022, 1:00 - 2:15 pm EST//19:00 - 20:15 CET

with:
Roderich Kiesewetter, Member of the German Bundestag (CDU/CSU)
Magdalena Kirchner, Country Director Jordan, Friedrich Ebert Foundation
Siemtje Möller, Parliamentary State Secretary, Federal Ministry of Defense; Member of the German Bundestag (SPD)

This AICGS webinar will consider the lessons for German foreign and security policy from twenty years of engagement in Afghanistan. The networked approach guided Germany’s involvement and influenced Berlin’s view of crisis management and stabilization in other theaters such as the Sahel. The newly formed government of the SPD, Greens, and FDP has promised a parliamentary inquiry into the 2021 evacuation operation and an Enquete Commission to assess the entire twenty-year mission in Afghanistan. At the same time, security challenges closer to home, such as Russia’s military buildup and its massing of forces around Ukraine along with demands for a renegotiation of the European security order, increasingly dominate the transatlantic security policy discussion. What are the implications for German and European policy and how will the Afghanistan experience impact German strategy in the future?

Register: https://www.aicgs.org/events/2022/01/lessons-from-afghanistan/

The Future of German International Engagement This AICGS webinar will consider the lessons for German foreign and security policy from twenty years of engagement in Afghanistan. The networked approach guided …

01/11/2022

Another Unmasterable Past?

Another Unmasterable Past? The Humboldt Forum Part II

by Eric Langenbacher, Senior Fellow; Director, Society, Culture & Politics Program, AICGS

As I wrote over a year ago, the new museum and cultural complex in central Berlin, the Humboldt Forum, has gradually opened since late 2020 in the midst of the pandemic. In that article, I described the numerous debates and controversies over the building itself, namely the partially reconstructed baroque facades of the former Hohenzollern city palace. Unsurprisingly, these controversies have continued.

Read more: https://www.aicgs.org/2022/01/another-unmasterable-past/

The Humboldt Forum Part II As I wrote over a year ago, the new museum and cultural complex in central Berlin, the Humboldt Forum, has gradually opened since late 2020 …

12/16/2021

Olaf Scholz’s New Cabinet

Olaf Scholz’s New Cabinet: Something Old, Something New, Lots of Colors but no Blue

by Isabelle Hertner, King’s College London

For some, Olaf Scholz’s new ‘traffic light’ coalition government is no more than a marriage of convenience. After all, the three parties that form this coalition—the Social Democrats (SPD, color red) and their two ‘junior’ partners, the Green Party (Bündnis 90/die Grünen, color green) and the Free Democrats (FDP, color yellow) differ too much in their worldviews. Still, after two months of intense negotiations, the parties first presented and then ratified the 177-page coalition agreement. On December 8, 2021, Olaf Scholz, a social democrat and former finance minister, took over the chancellorship from Angela Merkel. In his acceptance speech at the Chancellery, Scholz stressed that there is a great deal of consensus between Germany’s democratic parties and that this would continue to be one of Germany’s strengths. Scholz himself is often described as a consensus-maker, and this quality will be necessary for the management of his new government. In the following, I will describe Scholz’s new cabinet and discuss the allocation of ministerial posts. As we will see, there is ‘something old’ (experienced cabinet ministers), ‘something new’ (new cabinet ministers), ‘lots of colors’ (red, yellow, green), but nothing blue, in the sense that for the first time since 2005, the (blue) Conservatives aren’t part of the coalition. Blue is the color of the Christian Social Union in Bavaria, which forms a union with the Christian Democrats (CDU).

Read more: https://www.aicgs.org/2021/12/olaf-scholzs-new-cabinet/

Something Old, Something New, Lots of Colors but no Blue For some, Olaf Scholz’s new ‘traffic light’ coalition government is no more than a marriage of convenience. After all, the …

12/09/2021

Xenophobia in East Germany

Xenophobia in East Germany: A commonality found between the former communist state and a current AfD stronghold?

by Jaylin Small, Halle Foundation/AICGS Intern

In recent years, global politics has seen a rise of far-right and far-left ideologies that seek to overtake the center-right and center-left in many countries. East Germany is no stranger to these trends; during the last century, the region has experienced political swings from the extreme right to the extreme left and now back to the extreme right. This political trend in East Germany is particularly fascinating because both the far-left and far-right shared similar populist rhetoric. Xenophobia has been a major link between the policies advocated for by the former communist state and the Alternative for Germany, a far-right nationalist party that is extremely anti-immigrant. Due to this, it is important to consider how xenophobia has been a major problem that has persisted in East German political rhetoric.

Read more: http://ow.ly/Gl5Y50H7hQE

A commonality found between the former communist state and a current AfD stronghold? In recent years, global politics has seen a rise of far-right and far-left ideologies that seek to …