Episode 107: Interpreting the European Parliament Elections
From June 6 to 9, citizens across the European Union’s 27 member states voted for the 720 seats in the European Parliament. The center-right had the strongest result, with the …
Episode 106: LGBTQIA+ Inclusion and the Economy
On this episode of The Zeitgeist, guest host Dr. Eric Langenbacher speaks with two participants of the AGI exchange program, “Building LGBTQ+ Communities in Germany and the United States.” Simon …

Will A Beautiful Summer Follow Germany’s Winter of Rage?
The mood in Germany right now is as bleak as a Berlin winter. Things are indeed not going so well in this “winter of rage” (Wutwinter). The economy contracted by …
Episode 100: The Enduring Allure of Weimar Music and Culture
Max Raabe & the Palast Orchester have been playing the music of and inspired by the 1920s and 30s for almost forty years, to enormous success in Germany and internationally. …
Episode 98: 2023 in Review
2023 was a tumultuous year in German politics and foreign policy. Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s coalition government is polling at record lows following a series of unpopular policies and setbacks in …
Episode 97: LGBTQ+ Spaces, Public Art, and Memory
Public memorials have many functions: honoring victims, acknowledging history, or symbolizing values. After the 2016 mass shooting at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida, the site was transformed into an …

Publication Preview: The German-Israeli Special Relationship
In the coming weeks, the American-German Institute will publish “The German-Israeli Special Relationship: A Chronicle of Four Decades, 1983-2023” from Senior Fellow Dr. Lily Gardner Feldman. In light of the …
Episode 94: The German-Israeli Relationship Following the October 7 Terror Attacks
On October 7, Hamas terrorists carried out a surprise attack that killed 1,400 people—the deadliest day in Israel’s history. Over 200 people remain hostages. One of the first foreign leaders …
Episode 93: Sahra Wagenknecht Tries to Shake Up German Politics with a New Party
On October 23, one of Germany’s most popular politicians Sahra Wagenknecht announced that she would leave the Left Party and form a new political party. The “Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance” (BSW) …
Episode 92: State Elections in Bavaria and Hesse
Two German Länder elected their state parliaments on Sunday, October 8: Bavaria and Hesse. In both states, it appears that the current coalitions will continue, led by center-right parties (the …
Episode 91: After the Zeitenwende: Is Germany’s Military Measuring Up?
Dr. Eva Högl is the German Bundestag’s Parliamentary Commissioner for the Armed Forces, assisting the Parliament in their oversight of the German military. She is working to ensure that everyone …