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

Human remains of Ovaherero and Nama: Transnational dynamics in post-genocidal restitutions

Former DAAD/AGI Research Fellow Elise Pape’s latest article is now available. Published in Volume 4, Issue 2 of Human Remains and Violence: An Interdisciplinary Journal, the article builds on Dr. Pape’s …

Mothers: Remembering Three Women on the 80th Anniversary of Kristallnacht

Ida was terrified. She figured she would never see either her husband or brother ever again. For several days she fretted, not knowing what to do. While desperately trying to …

Germany’s Confrontation with Its Colonial History:  Are There Lessons from Grappling with the Nazi Past?

The anti-immigrant riots in Chemnitz at the end of August 2018 with their expressions of hate, intolerance, and xenophobia, including Nazi salutes, have led observers to question the depth of …

The First Genocide of the Twentieth Century

The recent handover of the remains of 27 individuals from Namibia that took place at the French Friedrichstadt Church in Berlin marked an important milestone in the process of questioning …

Shedding Light on War’s Victims

Historical memory and the experiences of war’s victims continue to emerge more than seventy years after the end of World War II. AGI’s focus on reconciliation between former enemies in …

Do Disputes over History Define German-Polish Relations?

Three recent or upcoming events remind us of the centrality of history in the German-Polish partnership: foreign minister Heiko Maas’ visit to Auschwitz on August 20, the 79th anniversary of …

Memory, Identity, and Commemorations of World War II

Anniversary Politics in Asia Pacific Edited by Daqing Yang and Mike Mochizuki Why do some governments and societies attach great significance to a particular anniversary year whereas others seem less …

The Robustness of Franco-German Relations in an Unstable Europe

The European Union faces an existential crisis of dramatic proportions, occasioned by Brexit; nationalism and populism in several member states; internal sclerosis; and challenges from a chaotic international system created …

Engaging the Next Generation of Leaders

The AGI project “A German-American Dialogue of the Next Generation: Global Responsibility, Joint Engagement” engages young Americans and Germans in discussions of current issues of concern for the transatlantic relationship. …

The Story of Bert Reiner, the Toy Maker, or: An Appreciation of the Individual Experiences of Former Shanghai Jewish Refugees

During the 1983 Christmas season, Coleco Industries, Inc. took the world by storm with a novel concept for a doll:  Each doll was unique and would be adopted by a …

The Mantra of “Special Relationships”

One should be skeptical if there is a consensus across party lines in the Bundestag. On the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the founding of the State of Israel, …

Arise and Shine! The Role of Korean Protestant Churches in a Time of Conflict

In world history, Christianity was sometimes a source of conflict as shown in the cases of the Crusades and the Thirty Years’ War. On the other hand, Christian churches also …