Episode 151: Soccer and Society
The 2026 World Cup has been bigger than ever before; an expanded tournament of forty-eight teams has brought record-breaking audiences. On this episode of The Zeitgeist, Andrei Markovits discusses soccer …
Building LGBTQ+ Communities in Germany and the United States: Past, Present, and Future
A Three-Year AGI Project – Final Conference Summary The American-German Institute held a final conference in Washington, DC, for the three-year project, “Building LGBTQ+ Communities in Germany and the United …
Episode 150: Valuing Civil Society Organizations
Civil society organizations are funded differently in the United States and Germany, and LGBTQ+ organizations must take different approaches when seeking financial support from the public and private sector. Preston …
Heated Relations
The Past, Present, and Future of the LGBTQ+ Community in Germany and the United States For over a century, LGBTQ+ communities in Germany and the United States have fought for …
Episode 149: Forgotten LGBTQ+ Histories
The Stonewall Riots are known worldwide as a starting point for LGBTQ+ activism, and musicals like Cabaret have shared the story of the queer experience in Weimar Berlin. But the …
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When Your Ally Is Not an Ally Anymore
Recently, the United States has seen immense turnover in policies and practices toward the LGBTQ+ community. One such reversal was the exclusion of transgender persons from the U.S. military. Alone, …
Building on Legacy
Generational Differences Within the Queer Community In 1980s Berlin, queer life existed largely in the shadows. While reforms to Paragraph 175 in 1969 and 1973 partially decriminalized sex between men, …
Episode 147: Merkel, Leadership, and Crisis
Why are some women leaders hailed as brilliant crisis managers while others draw widespread criticism? Louise K. Davidson-Schmich’s new book Gender, Leadership, and Crisis: Possibilities and Perils for Women Leaders (Oxford University Press, …
Zsuzsanna Végh, DAAD/AGI Research Fellow
AGI is pleased to welcome Zsuzsanna Végh as a DAAD/AGI Research Fellow in Spring/Summer 2026. Zsuzsanna Végh is a program officer with the European Resilience program of the German Marshall …
AGI Profiles: Leif-Erik Holm
Member of the Bundestag; AfD State Chairman in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania Leif-Erik Holm is a father, politician, loyal party member, local celebrity, and a “nice guy.” A founder of the Alternative …
Time for a Change?
Thoughts on the National Anthem of Germany The story of the Deutschlandlied (song of Germany) is one of turbulence and shifting perceptions. It was written in 1841 by August Heinrich …
Episode 142: The AfD and the 2026 State Elections
Five state elections will be held in Germany in 2026. The Alternative for Germany (AfD) enters this “super election year” in a strong position: it is the largest opposition party …
Gender-Blind, Not Gender-Neutral
Friedrich Merz and Pension Reform Hoping, for the third time, to become CDU party chair, Friedrich Merz declared in January 2021: “I know that we have to be better and …
AGI Profiles: Bärbel Bas
Federal Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Over the last few years, Bärbel Bas has emerged as one of the more prominent figures in German politics. At the 2025 party …
