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Homework  14:  due  3/17  

 

How  are  the  Germans’  relations  with  the  US?  

I. Bring one important observation about the topic to class II. Review the information below and choose a few videos to watch.

III. Review current events (link on our website: http://homepages.utoledo.edu/bsulzer

and then click on course icon or go directly to:

http://moderngermanculture.yolasite.com

IV. Write your summary (100 words): focus on a few interesting „observations‘ you

make and a few questions you want to ask in class.    

Possible  topics:  

Why  should  it  be  possible  to  have  good  relations  between  the  US  and  Germany?  

What  are  possible  obstacles  to  good  relations  and  in  which  area  can  they  be  found?  

US  and  Germany  in  NATO  

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Germany%E2%80%93United_States_relations  

 

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QUOTE FROM WIKIPEDIA ARTICLE:

German–American relations are the transatlantic relations between Germany and the United States. Today, the United States is regarded as one of the Federal Republic of Germany's closest allies and partners outside of the European Union.[1]

For  over  three  centuries,  immigration  from  Germany  accounted  for  a  large  share  of  all  American  immigrants.  As  of  the  2000  U.S.  Census,  more  than  20%  of  all  Americans,  and  25%  of  white  Americans,  claim  German  descent.  German-­‐Americans  are  an  assimilated  group  which  influences  political  life  in  the  US  as  a  whole.  They  are  the  most  common  self-­‐reported  ethnic  group  in  the  northern  half  of  the  United  States,  especially  in  the  Midwest.  In  most  of  the  South,  German  Americans  are  less  common,  with  the  exception  of  Florida  and  Texas.  

1683–1848

The first records of German immigration date back to the 17th century and the foundation of Germantown near Philadelphia in 1683. Immigration from Germany to the US reached its first peak between 1749 and 1754 when approximately 37,000 Germans came to North America.

1848*–1914

In 1848, six million Germans emigrated to the United States. Many of these Germans settled in the cities of Chicago, Detroit and New York. The failed German Revolutions of 1848 accelerated emigration from Germany. Those Germans who left as a result of the revolution were called the Forty-Eighters. Between the revolution and the start of World War I over one million Germans settled in the United States.

These Germans endured hardship as a result of overcrowded ships; Typhus fever spread rapidly throughout the ships due to the cramped conditions. On average, it took Germans six months to get to United States and many died on the journey to the New World.

By 1890 more than 40 percent of the population of the cities of Cleveland, Milwaukee, Hoboken and Cincinnati were of German origin. By the end of the nineteenth century, Germans formed

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the biggest self-described ethnic group in the United States and their customs became a strong element in American society and culture.

Political participation of German-Americans was focused on involvement in the labor movement. Germans in America had a strong influence on the labor movement in the United States. Newly founded labor unions enabled German immigrants to improve their working conditions and to integrate into American society.

Since 1914

A combination of patriotism and anti-German sentiment during the two world wars caused most German-Americans to cut their former ties and assimilate into mainstream American culture. During the time of the Third Reich, Germany had another major emigration wave of German Jews and other political refugees.

Today, German-Americans form the largest self-reported ancestry group in the United States[5] with California and Pennsylvania having the highest number of German Americans.

Perceptions  and  values  in  the  two  countries  

Germany and the United States are civil societies. Germany's philosophical heritage and American spirit for "freedom" interlock to a central aspect of Western culture and Western civilization. Even though developed under different geographical settings, the Age of Enlightenment is fundamental to the self-esteem and understanding of both nations.

It can also be observed that both countries have experienced the ideology of white supremacy. When the Congress of the Nazi Party met in 1935 to pass their Nuremberg Laws, they were in many ways modeled on the Jim Crow laws which were in place in the USA from 1877 to 1954.[6]

Both countries value work ethic and respect a sense of right and order. The image of an Ugly American corresponds to the "Ugly German".[7] A high level of cultural exchange has led to relatively strong views of each other, both positive and negative. Americans tend to view Germans as efficient and orderly, yet routinely mock them for their Nazi past.[citation needed] German views of Americans on the other hand often resemble those of Canadians toward Americans.[citation needed] Nevertheless, both Americans and Germans visit each other's countries routinely, for business or study.**

The U.S.-led invasion of Iraq has also changed the perception of the U.S. in Germany significantly. A recent BBC poll shows that 20% of Germans think the US has a mainly positive influence in the world, while 72% think it is mainly negative[citation needed]. Both countries differ in many key areas, such as energy and military intervention.

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A survey conducted on behalf of the German embassy in 2007 showed that Americans continued to regard Germany's failure to support the war in Iraq as the main irritant in relations between the two nations. The issue was of declining importance, however, and Americans still considered Germany to be their fourth most important international partner behind the United Kingdom, Canada and Japan. Americans considered economic cooperation to be the most positive aspect of U.S.-German relations with a much smaller role played by Germany in U.S. politics.[8]

Post war

Following the defeat of the Third Reich, American forces were one of the occupation powers in postwar Germany. In parallel to denazification and "industrial disarmament" American citizens fraternized with Germans which was – despite an initial partly based on ancestor relations, among other reasons. The Berlin Airlift from 1948–1949 and the Marshall Plan (1948–1952) further improved the Germans' perception of Americans.

Cold War

 

 

John  F.  Kennedy  meeting  with  Willy  Brandt,  in  the  White  House,  March  13,  1961.  

The emergence of the Cold War made the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany) the frontier of a democratic Western Europe and American military presence became an integral part in West German society. During the Cold War, West Germany developed into the largest economy in Europe and West German-U.S. relations developed into a new transatlantic partnership. Germany and the U.S. shared a large portion of their culture, established intensive global trade environment and continued to co-operate on new high technologies. However, German-American cooperation wasn't always free of tensions between differing approaches on both sides of the Atlantic. The fall of the Berlin Wall and the subsequent reunification of Germany marked a new era in German-American relations.

Post 1990

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German  chancellor  Angela  Merkel  with  U.S.  President  George  W.  Bush  in  January  2006  

During the early 1990s the reunified Germany was called a "partnership in leadership" as the U.S. emerged as the world's sole superpower.

Germany's effort to incorporate any major military actions into the slowly progressing European Security and Defence Policy did not meet the expectations of the U.S. during the Gulf War. After the September 11 attacks, German-American political relations were strengthened in an effort to combat terrorism, and Germany sent troops to Afghanistan as part of the NATO force. Yet, discord continued over the Iraq War, when then German chancellor Gerhard Schröder and foreign minister Joschka Fischer made efforts to prevent war and consequently did not join the U.S.-led multinational force in Iraq.[13][14]

Military  relations  

 

 

Statue  of  Steuben  at  Valley  Forge  in  Pennsylvania  

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German-American military relations date back to the American War of Independence when German troops fought on both sides. Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben, a former Lieutenant General in the Prussian Army, was appointed Inspector General of the Continental Army and helped form the rough militia into a proper military force during the winter of 1777–1778 at Valley Forge. Von Steuben is considered to be one of the founding fathers of the United States Army.

Another German that served during the American Revolution was Major General Johann de Kalb, who served under Horatio Gates at the Battle of Camden and died as a result of several wounds he sustained during the fighting.

About 30,000 German mercenaries fought for the British, with 17,000 coming from Hesse, amounting to about one in four of the adult male population of the principality. Generally referred to as Hessians, these German auxiliaries swore allegiance to the British Crown, but without renouncing their allegiance to their own rulers. Leopold Philipp von Heister, Wilhelm von Knyphausen, and Baron Friedrich Wilhelm von Lossberg were the principal generals who commanded these troops with Frederick Christian Arnold, Freiherr von Jungkenn as the senior German officer.[15]

German Americans have been very influential in the United States military. Some notable figures include Brigadier General August Kautz, Major General Franz Sigel, General of the Armies John J. Pershing, General of the Army Dwight D. Eisenhower, Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitz, and General Norman Schwarzkopf, Jr..

Germany and the United States are joint NATO members. The U.S. currently has approximately 50,000 American troops stationed in southern Germany. During the Cold War the number of U.S. troops based in West Germany was much higher. Both nations have cooperated closely in the War on Terror, with Germany providing more troops than any other nation. The two nations; however, have opposing public policy positions in the War in Iraq. While Germany may have blocked U.S. efforts to secure UN Resolutions in the buildup to war, they continued to support U.S. interests in southwest Asia quietly. German soldiers operated military biological and chemical cleanup equipment at Camp Doha in Kuwait; German Navy ships secured sea lanes to deter attacks by Al Qaeda on U.S. Forces and equipment in the Persian Gulf; and soldiers from Germany's Bundeswehr deployed all across southern Germany to U.S. Military Bases to conduct Force Protection duties in place of German-based U.S. Soldiers who were deployed to Operation Iraqi Freedom. The latter mission lasted from 2002 until 2006. As of 2006 nearly all these Bundeswehr have been demobilized.[16]

Economic  relations  

The two nations' economies are mutually important to each other both in the areas of investment and trade: 50% of German foreign direct investment goes to the United States. German investment in the United States amounts to over 100 billion euros. The United States is the largest investor in the European Union with almost 50% of all investment and in Germany with

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total investment amounting to 100 billion dollars, of which about 10% are in the new Federal Länder (former East Germany), making the U.S. the largest foreign investor there.

German companies employ over 800,000 people in subsidiaries in the United States and U.S. companies have the same number of employees in Germany. This makes Germans the third largest group of foreign employers (after Canada and the United Kingdom) and the U.S. the largest inter-continental foreign employer in Germany.

Cultural  relations  

Karl May was a prolific German writer who specialized in writing Westerns. Although he only visited America once towards the end of his life, May provided Germany with a series of frontier novels, which provided Germans with an imaginary view of America.

Famous German-American architects, artist, musicians and writers:

• Josef  Albers  • Albert  Bierstadt,  known  for  his  lavish,  sweeping  landscapes  of  the  American  West  • Walter  Gropius,  architect  • Albert  Kahn,  architect  • Ludwig  Mies  van  der  Rohe,  architect  • Paul  Hindemith,  composer  • Philip  Johnson  • Otto  Klemperer,  conductor  • Les  Paul,  guitarist  • Carl  Schurz  • Dr.  Seuss  • Alfred  Stieglitz,  photographer  • Kurt  Vonnegut  

German takes third place after Spanish and French among the foreign languages taught at American secondary schools, colleges and universities. Conversely, nearly half of the German population can speak English well.

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Research  and  academic  exchange  

 

 

Albert  Einstein  

The contributions of German and American scientists to various fields of science are numerous. The cooperation between academics from both countries is extensive. Since the middle of the 20th century, German scientists have provided invaluable contributions to American technological advancement. For example, Werner von Braun was important in helping to start the American space exploration program.

Researchers at German and American universities run various exchange programs and projects, and focus on space exploration, the International Space Station, environmental technology, and medical science. Import cooperations are also in the fields of biochemistry, engineering, information and communication technologies and life sciences (networks through: Bacatec, DAAD). The United States and Germany signed a bilateral Agreement on Science and Technology Cooperation in February 2010.[17]

American  cultural  institutions  in  Germany  

In the post-war era, a number of institutions, devoted to highlighting American culture and society in Germany, were established and are in existence today, especially in the south of Germany, the area of the former U.S. Occupied Zone. Today, they offer English courses as well as cultural programs.

END OF QUOTE FROM WIKIPEDIA ARTICLE

Notes:

*The  March  Revolution  of  1848:  many  Germans  emigrated  after  the  revolution:  

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Revolutions_of_1848_in_the_German_states  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forty-­‐Eighters    

**Germans  vacation  in  the  US:    Florida  

http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/1994-­‐10-­‐02/business/9409300117_1_fort-­‐myers-­‐german-­‐lee-­‐county  

Video:    Germans  pump  euros  into  SWFL  real  estate  http://www.fox4now.com/multimedia/videos/?bctid=1740113577001  

 

 

 

____________________________________________________________________________

NATO:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NATO

Article:  Unreliable  Partners?:  Germany's  Reputation  in  NATO  Has  Hit  Rock  Bottom  

http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/criticism-of-germany-s-military-role-in-the-nato-alliance-a-833503.html

___________________________________________________________________________

http://history.state.gov/countries/germany

International Recognition of Reunified Germany, 1990-91.

Following the collapse of one-party rule in East Germany in late-1989, the signing of a Unification Treaty by East and West German Governments on August 31, 1990, and a series of meetings between the foreign ministers of East and West Germany, the United States, Great

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Britain, France, and the Soviet Union in Bonn, Berlin, Paris, and Moscow, a Treaty on the Final Settlement with Respect to Germany (the so-called “Two Plus Four Agreement”) was signed in Moscow on September 12, 1990.

On September 25, 1990, President George H.W. Bush submitted the treaty for ratification, and the U.S. Senate obliged unanimously on October 10. The treaty finally went into effect on March 15, 1991. Since the five constituent federal states of the German Democratic Republic were technically absorbed by the Federal Republic of Germany under the terms of Article 23 of the “Basic Law” (which was subsequently abolished under the terms of the Unification Treaty so as to limit any further changes to the borders of Germany), there was no reason for the United States to recognize the reunified Germany as a “new state.” The United States maintained its embassy in Bonn; however, it closed its embassy in Berlin on October 2, 1990.

http://history.state.gov/countries/german-democratic-republic

Recognition of the German Democratic Republic, and the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations and the American Embassy in Berlin, 1974.

In response to the improvement of relations between the two German governments, representatives of the United States and GDR negotiated arrangements for U.S. recognition of the GDR and the establishment of diplomatic relations, which occurred on September 4, 1974, when the United States and East Germany released a joint communiqué to that effect. Despite this step taken to deal with the reality of the German situation, the United States continued until German reunification in 1990 to view the FRG as the sole legitimate successor government of the historical German state and a future reunified Germany.

______________________________________________________________________________

http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2011/06/07/fact-sheet-us-germany-cultural-relations

Nearly one-quarter of all Americans trace their ancestry to Germany. Many traditions and institutions have become so accepted as parts of the American way of life – Christmas trees, Broadway musicals, kindergarten and graduate degrees – that many people do not realize their German origins. Germany today is at the forefront of the Euro-Atlantic relationship, and organizations such as the Atlantic Council, the Atlantik-Bruecke, the German Marshall Fund, the American Council on Germany, and the American Academy in Berlin energize frequent and productive exchanges on shared values, responsibilities and policies.

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Cultural connections between the United States and the Federal Republic are dynamic. The immensely popular Amerika Haus public diplomacy program brought America to Germany with speakers, exhibits and concerts. Many Amerika Haus centers are now German-American Institutes, supported by German local, state and federal governments, as well as by the U.S. Embassy and corporate sponsors. The Berlinale Film Festival, established in 1950 with Marshall Plan funding, helped revive the German film industry. Today, the Berlinale is a major event on Germany’s cultural calendar and a prominent part of the international film circuit. For its part, Germany has seven Goethe Institutes across the U.S., augmenting the cultural diplomacy work of its Embassy and eight consulates.

Educational Exchanges

The United States is the top-ranked destination for German high school students studying abroad with a 47% share; and Germany is the top-ranked host country for American high school students studying abroad with a 19% share. Germany is the second-ranked European country of origin of all international college-level students in the United States.

The U.S. and German governments support many bilateral exchange programs. The German-American Fulbright Program is one of the largest bi-national educational exchange programs in the world. Over 40,000 Americans and Germans – students, teachers, researchers and professors – have been awarded Fulbright grants, supplemented by a new short-term Fulbright program that highlights cultural diversity. The German American Partnership Program, an exchange of high school students, is the largest government-supported program of its kind. The Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange Program annually selects 700 German and American young people to represent their nation in reciprocal visits.

People-to-People Contacts

Private programs through institutions and sister cities, German-American clubs, sports and cultural groups far exceed government-sponsored exchanges. Over 1300 American and German institutions of higher education have partnerships; 170 German and American cities have partnerships, with 31 in eastern German states since unification. Cultural and educational institutions regularly produce cooperative exhibits, performance series, research projects, sport events and other initiatives. German and American institutions that are focused on music and dance, art, sports and environmental issues connect young audiences, especially through YouTube, Facebook and other social media portals.

________________________________________________________________________

Amerika-Haus:

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http://www.culturaldiplomacy.org/amerikahausberlin/index.php?en_about_us-german-relations

For more than 400 years Germany and the United States have been cultivating a transatlantic relationship. United States’ presidents, John F. Kennedy, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton and, at the time, presidential candidate - Barack Obama - have given speeches in Berlin to the German public. Although content varied due to the time of each speech, one theme held consistent and that was the durability of a strong relationship between the US and Germany. Whether Germany was divided or united, the US always felt drawn to express its faith in not only a positive US/German relationship but also the vitality of Germans themselves. One of the greatest contributors to the everlasting connection between the United States and Germany ignited with German immigration to the United States. Due to the large number of German immigrants to the US during the seventeenth century, whole German communities were established such as Germantown near Philadelphia. By the end of the nineteenth century, metropolitan cites such as Cincinnati, Cleveland, and Milwaukee estimated 40% of their population to be of German heritage. Consisting of such a large percentage of the population throughout the US, their influence became apparent. Politically driven German Americans were mostly involved in the labor movement. Through the establishment of labor unions, German immigrants were able to improve their working conditions which also aided their integration into American society.

…..

Even though the collapse of the Berlin Wall in 1989 created new hope for East and West, the close and intertwined societies have also given rise to threats which seem impossible to contain by borders and oceans. More than ever, the German-American relationship, especially in light of the current global situation marked by economic instability, terrorist threats, climate change and increasing poverty demands even more cooperation and partnership between the each other. These global challenges gave reason for the, at the time, presidential candidate – Barack Obama – to visit Berlin. His visit recognized the need to improve the US reputation in Germany and enhance German-American cooperation and partnership.

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_______________________________________________________________________

Articles on the German-American Relationship:

Catherine  Cheney:  The  German-­‐American  Relationship:  In  the  Name  of  What?    

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/catherine-cheney/german-american-relationship_b_983692.html

QUOTE:

In abstaining from the Libya vote, Germany acted alone, but not in a way that reflected leadership to an America that seeks a partner it can count on. Germany now finds itself in a damned if you do, damned if you don't position that America has grown used to. Washington demands that Berlin show more leadership, but when Germany tries to exert its influence, it is criticized for having a haphazard foreign policy. "Germany was getting to a point where it felt really good about where it was," Janes said of the years preceding the Libya decision and the criticism that followed. "Germany has got to get used to that. They can't just sit around and say, 'We're the nice guys."

The Libya abstention was inconsistent with the German foreign policy maxim of acting with its allies, or as Janes put it, "seeking to express any of its interests under the cover of the European idea." And for America, inconsistency is a cause for concern. Washington is watching and waiting, losing patience as German action -- or inaction, for that matter -- fails to fulfill American expectations.

"There will be more Libyas," Janes explained, and "less capacity" for America to address global issues without help. But does Germany necessarily want the role that America envisions for it? As I look back at the initial question in my notebook, consider the Germany? note next to it, and reflect on eight weeks of observations and interviews, it becomes very clear that the American answer, and approval from Washington, may not be the be all end all as Germany seeks to answer "in the name of what?" for itself.

END OF QUOTE

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Example of anti-American propaganda by Nazis:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-Americanism#The_.22Liberators.22_poster

see “The Liberators Poster”

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The  People’s  Opinions:  

Americans:  

 

Video:  what  high  school  students  think  of  Germany:  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jvIZk3v1vs  

Video:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0eEWfPGK2Us  

 

What  Germans  think  of  Americans:  

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080116064641AAC3p65  

 

_________________________________________________________  

Exchange,  common  projects:  

 

http://germany.usembassy.gov/events/archive/  

 

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U.S. Embassy Berlin partnered with the Department of the Interior, Department of Commerce, Brand USA, Visit USA, and the German-American Institute/American Space Hamburg to highlight off-the-beaten paths and national parks during the March 5 – 10, 2013 International Tourism Trade Show(ITB) Fair in Berlin.

As part of the campaign National Park Service Supervisory Park Ranger and Program Manager for Education and Interpretation in the Southeast Region, Donald Wollenhaupt, travelled to Berlin to provide advice on how to help plan visits to our beautiful national parks and to formally launch the Department of Interior’s German landing page, “natuerlichusa.de.”

Student Exchange through DAAD:

https://www.daad.org/

The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) is a publicly-funded independent organization of higher education institutions in Germany. Each year DAAD, its Regional Branch Offices, its Information Centers, and DAAD Professors around the globe provide information and financial support to over 67,000 highly-qualified students and faculty for international research and study. Located in New York, San Francisco, and Toronto, DAAD North America is here to advise students, faculty and current DAAD fellows in the US and Canada. How can we help you?

_________________________________________________________________________  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZ-­‐Nmd88x5U  

German  Foreign  Minister  Franz-­‐Walter  Steinmair  in  US  -­‐  2014  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mx5ebiZkAfw  

Steinmair  speech  by  Steinmair  from  last  year.  

 

 

 

 

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High-­‐Level  Political  Meetings:  

http://germany.usembassy.gov/events/archive/  

February  26  2013:  Secretary  Kerry  visits  Berlin  

 

Secretary Kerry engages with youth at BASE_camp

Secretary of State John Kerry visited Berlin, where he held bilateral meetings on issues of mutual interest, as well as making a number of public appearances.

Kicking-off his first overseas public engagement event, "Youth Connect: Berlin," Secretary Kerry engaged with a packed house of over 100 German students and young professionals, including many from immigrant backgrounds as well as US exchange alumni. "BASE_camp," a trendy mobile phone store/cafe, offered a perfect setting.

Following brief, informal remarks, including a few introductory words in German, the Secretary answered questions on a wide range of topics ranging from the enforcement of the international rule of law, the role of technology in organizing opposition movements globally, the importance of educational exchange programs, the current crisis in Mali, U.S. policies in the Middle East, and the need for international norms governing the protection of the environment.

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Popular German TV host Cherno Jobatey moderated the event, entertaining and energizing the audience prior to the Secretary's arrival. In addition to the presence of 40 members of the U.S. and German press, participants posted Facebook entries and tweeted throughout the event, passing on photos, impressions and the Secretary's remarks to their families, friends and colleagues in real time.

Also Secretary Kerry held a press conference with German Foreign Minister Dr. Guido Westerwelle and met with Chancellor Angela Merkel. His visit to Berlin also gave him the opportunity to reconnect with the city in which he lived as a child.

Video:  Facebook  Berlin  Talk  with  U.S.  Secretary  of  State  John  Kerry  at  BASE_camp  Berlin.  (He  speaks  German,  wow!)  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bRG7TlSfT0g&feature=youtu.be

• You  can  follow  Secretary  Kerry's  visit  on  our  dedicated  Storify  page.    • Video  of  Youth  Connect  event  • Embassy  photo  gallery  |  State  Dept.  photo  gallery  

 

Pictures  and  more  videos  from  Kerry’s  visit:  

http://storify.com/usbotschaft/john-­‐kerry-­‐visits-­‐berlin  

 

Video:    press  conference  with  Bundeskanzlerin  (Chancellor)  Merkel:  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rRczzaQfFs&feature=player_embedded  

 

Merkel  mentions  Afghanistan  as  a  mutual  task  and  that  she  wants  to  continue  the  good  collaboration  with  the  American  administration  and  is  grateful  for  Germany’s  leadership  in  Europe.  

Kerry  expresses  the  good  and  warm  relationship.  

 

 

 

 

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Video:    press  conference  with  Foreign  Minister  Dr.  Guido  Westerwelle:  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=x0z_ygE9_d8  

Westerwelle  appreciates  Kerry’s  immediate  visit  to  Europe  after  he  took  office  as  Secretary  of  State.  Westerwelle  points  to  Value  and  strategic  partnership  us  is  the  most  important  partner  outside  of  Europe.  Transatlantic  relationship  should  be  developed  further  (crisis  locations,  transatlantic  free  trade  agreement  for  growth  and  new  jobs  without  debt  is  something  germany  wants.  Negotiations  hopefully  this  summer.  

Syrian  situation  –  international  community  must  do  what  is  necessary  to  end  the  conflict.  

Political  solution  desired.  American  nuclear  program:  Iran  should  accept  talks  –  substantial  progress  is  required;  Germany  cannot  accept  nuclear  armament  Iran’s.  It  would  threaten  international  security  structure.    

Afghanistan:  US,  Germany,  and  Allies  work  towards  handing  everything  over  to  the  Afghan  authorities.  Westerwelle  appreciates  Kerry’s  background  –  he  lived  here  as  a  child.  His  dad  was  a  diplomat  here  in  the  1950’s.  

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Video:  People  &  Politics  |  60  years  of  German-­‐American  relations    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2MxV3Qy1T8  

The  presence  of  US  occupation  forces  in  western  Germany  after  World  War  Two  was  a  culture  shock  for  Germans.  The  American  occupation  brought  freedom  of  the  press  and  a  democratic  constitution,it  also  introduced  swing  music,chewing  gum,Wild  West  romanticism  and  CARE  packages.  But  while  the  post-­‐war  German  population  may  have  loved  the  American  way  of  life,many  disapproved  of  the  superpower's  foreign  policy.  During  the  student  revolts  of  the  1960s,rearmament  of  Europe  in  the  1980s,or  the  Iraq  War  in  2003,the  US  was  always  the  main  target  of  protests.  Kurt  Biedenkopf,a  former  premier  of  the  state  of  Saxony,was  one  of  the  first  German  exchange  students  to  go  to  the  US  in  the  late  1940s.  John  Kornblum,a  former  US  ambassador  to  Germany,was  able  to  help  shape  German-­‐American  relations.  Our  report  talks  with  both  about  their  impressions.  

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurt_Biedenkopf  

and  what  about  Germany’s  relation  with  the  UK?  See:  

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Video:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmusV-­‐7BMzM  

Good-­‐humored  and  respectful  introduction  of  Chancellor  Merkel  to  British  House  of  Commons  (Lower  House  of  Parliament)  and  the  House  of  Lords  (Upper  House  of  Parliament)  

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Additional  information,  optional:  

Video:    

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5t1wZNx4pFs&feature=youtu.be  

at  3:00:  met  with  members  of  the  “Bundestag”  and  other  people  to  learn  what  is  going  on  in  Germany.  

Germany  has  made  progress.  Good  legislation  in  many  areas.  

Number  of  disabled  children  attending  segregated  schools  and  disabled  adults  working  in  segregated  environments  is  still  a  problem  but  solutions  are  sought.  

 

English  in  Germany:  

Video:    More  or  less  English  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pyqDd4FKLsg  

Increasingly,  English  seem  to  be  encroaching  on  the  German  language.  The  German  Language  Association  has  registered  some  6000  pseudo-­‐anglicisms  and  is  determined  to  stop  the  invasion.  Its  campaign  is  supported  by  a  number  of  companies  such  as  Dr.Oetker  and  Porsche,  which  are  now  dispensing  with  Anglicisms  in  their  advertising.  Members  of  the  German  Parliament  are  also  fleshing  out  strategies  to  protect  the  German  language.  Ultimately,  they  want  to  see  this  enshrined  in  the  Constitution.  

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolfgang_B%C3%B6rnsen  

 

Video:  Angela  Merkel  on  the  Hill  before  a  joint  session  of  House  and  Senate:  Nov.  7th,  2009  

The  occasion  of  her  address  is,  of  course,  the  twentieth  anniversary  of  the  fall  of  the  Berlin  Wall  on  November  9,  2009.    partial  

http://anthonyclarkarend.com/humanrights/angela-­‐merkel-­‐on-­‐capitol-­‐hill-­‐tearing-­‐down-­‐todays-­‐walls/  

complete,  with  welcome:  

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Part  I:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2W2qGDRHU8  

Part  II:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&v=PMP2G97yR_g&NR=1  

Part  III:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DT_30ycasyw&NR=1&feature=endscreen  

Part  IV:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fIhFhnPPxHk&NR=1&feature=endscreen  

2009:  

Video:  Visit  of  President  Obama  Germany  in  2009.  Press  Conference  with  Angela  Merkel  and  Barack  Obama.  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5QeqxbeAzEo  

The  same  year,  later:  

Video:  Merkel  visit  in  the  US.  Press  Conference  with  Chancellor  Merkel  and  President  Obama  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5DS0yXc48A  

President  Obama  expresses  admiration  for  German  foresight  and  commitment  to  clean  energy  and  he  hopes  the  US  will  match  that  commitment.  

Video:  2011:  Official  visit  in  the  US:  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfDSfKBHgj8  

 Video:  60  years  NATO:  2012  (in  German)  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKRM0HB0ZB8  

 

2013:  

Video:  Joe  Biden  in  Munich  (Security  Conference):  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7T-­‐iUb9VGbA  

outlining  policy:    

Video:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&v=WHoyAtGZfI4&NR=1  

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Other  interesting  links:  

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Video:  Philip  D.  Murphy  -­‐  What  Germans  don't  understand  about  America!  -­‐  2/2    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-­‐EQE8S_pLe8  

 

German-­‐American  Relations:  Twenty  Years  Later  :  http://www.transatlanticacademy.org/blogs/stephen-­‐f-­‐szabo/german-­‐american-­‐relations-­‐twenty-­‐years-­‐later  

The  Seven  Personality  Traits  of  a  German    

http://schnitzelrepublic.blogspot.com/2010/07/seven-­‐personality-­‐traits-­‐of-­‐german.html