The Anti-American as Americanizer: Revisiting the Anti-American Century in Germany
We kindly invite you to the guest talk of Prof. Dr. Phillip Gassert (Mannheim) on July, 4, 4-6pm, Schellingstr.3, room 201.
29.06.2023
Throughout the 20th century, the United States was a hotly contested political and cultural space in the German imaginary. Relating to or rejecting “America,” was central to the construction of German identities. Thus, even those who rejected the United States, unwillingly stood testimony to America’s continued influence and success. After all, anti-Americanism more often than not went hand in glove with “Americanization.” Frequently, anti-Americans were products of cultural transfer-processes across the Atlantic, as they allied with American anti-establishment forces. I will look at various moments of a heated German-American debate, with a particular focus on the Cold War period. I will conclude with the question, whether anti-Americanism still matters today.
The guest talk by Prof. Dr. Phillip Gaassert is part of the MA seminar "Through Good Times and Bad: German-American Relations since World War II" by Dr. Andreas Etges (AI München). Everybody is welcomed!
