Akron & Chemnitz
Reflections on Social Divisions & Questions of Identity in Germany and the United States
In November 2019 and March 2022, the inaugural cohort of the AGI Social Divisions and Questions of Identity program convened in Akron, Ohio, and Chemnitz, Saxony, to explore communities, cultures, and group dynamics in these sister cities. This StoryMap, written by the participants in the project, shares the group’s observations and insights about the challenges both cities face due to political, economic, and cultural division.
The group shares insights from the city’s stakeholders and offers recommendations for building social cohesion that can be applied not only in Akron and Chemnitz, but in cities across the United States and Germany. They advocate for policymakers to invest in communities economically and culturally. They also recommend continued transatlantic exchange to promote better understanding between individuals and societies and to enhance social cohesion.
The project Social Divisions and Questions of Identity in Germany and the United States is supported by the Transatlantic Program of the Federal Republic of Germany, funded by the European Recovery Program (ERP) of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK).
