AGI

Memory Politics

Germany’s approach to acknowledging and providing redress for past crimes has offered other nations around the world a guide to reconciliation. While Germany’s efforts resulted from a unique situation and are not considered a blueprint for other nations to emulate, they have nevertheless informed and impacted other countries dealing with the difficult processes of memory, commemoration, and rebuilding bilateral relationships.
Reset

Defining Dualities: Context, Content and Comparison in German-Israeli Relations in the Framework of Europeanization

German-Israeli relations against the background of Europeanization transpire at multiple levels. This essay begins with the context, and then turns to the content of the link between the German-Israeli relationship …

The Comparison between the Recent “Comfort Women” Deal and German Payments to Slave and Forced Laborers

The Japanese-Korean deal concerning “comfort women,” formulated by Japanese prime minister Shinzō Abe and South Korean president Park Geun-hye on 28 December 2015, included a pledge from Japan to provide …

The Lost Children of Europe: The Displaced Persons Children’s Centers in the U.S. Occupation Zone of Germany and the Challenges for Relief Workers

As Germany commemorates the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II and the Holocaust, we have an opportunity to reflect on life in the immediate postwar period for …

Chancellor Helmut Schmidt, His Policy toward Israel, and the German Responsibility for the Jewish People*

On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of German-Israeli diplomatic relations, we are pleased to present a younger scholar’s views on an important crisis in the relationship: the proposed German-Saudi …

“Grief” and “Remorse” Mark Japanese Remarks on the Anniversary of the End of World War II

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s statement last Friday on the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II expressed “feelings of profound grief” and his condolences for those who …

Mitsubishi Apologizes to Wartime American and Chinese Forced Laborers

Corporate and business interests impact countries’ willingness to engage in reconciliation with their former enemies, as Dr. Martina Timmermann discusses in her 2014 Policy Report.  Recently, Japan’s Mitsubishi Materials Corp. …

A Step Toward Democracy and Justice

Hafiza Merkezi’s collection of information on memorial projects in Turkey highlights examples of memorialization among the many groups and individuals that have suffered harm or grievance over the past 100 …

A Modern-day Massacre

The 1990s saw the biggest humanitarian crisis in Europe since the end of World War II when war erupted on the Balkan Peninsula. The war’s legacy continues to be a …

The Legacy of War

In the first half of the twentieth century, countries and nations were victims of an aggressive and brutal Germany. Since then, German leaders have sought to return to the circle …

Places of Memory: Speeches, Visits, and Sites in Three European Experiences

The twentieth century was a turbulent time on the European continent, and its history continues to reverberate today. In 2014 and 2015, nations across Europe marked the anniversaries of a …

Dealing with the Past in Spaces, Places, Actions, and Institutions of Memory: Site Visits

The guide for site visit tour was Elke Gryglewski, the head of the Education Department of the House of the Wannsee Conference. Conference participants visited the following sites: Wittenberg Platz …

Dealing with the Past in Spaces, Places, Actions, and Institutions of Memory: Conference

The meeting, supported by the Stiftung Mercator and organized by the American-German Institute and Hafıza Merkezi, comprised three different, related elements: a traditional conference of presentations and discussion; a series …