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Genscher and Genscherism

The career and success of Hans-Dietrich Genscher, who died at age 89 on March 30, illustrate the strength of continuity in office. Such continuity has long been a feature of …

Remembering Lothar Späth: Former AGI Trustee, Minister-President of Baden-Württemberg, and Successful Corporate Leader

AGI was honored to have Lothar Späth as a member of its Board of Trustees from 1997 until 2009. Dr. Späth died on March 18, 2016. I had the honor …

Hans-Dietrich Genscher: A Life of Longing for Stability

The resounding response from the press to the death of Hans-Dietrich Genscher reminds us of how much German political equilibrium depends on the existence of central, idealized, larger-than-life figures.  Mr. …

Hans-Dietrich Genscher, Remembrance of a German Statesman

Hans-Dietrich Genscher was German foreign minister when I first met him.  On 1 October 1982, I was in Bonn to consult with Wolfgang Ischinger, his office director.  Our meeting was …

Hans-Dietrich Genscher: Recollections

Hans-Dietrich Genscher’s impact on politics in Germany did not begin with foreign policy but in domestic politics and that is where I met him first. As Minister of the Interior …

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Transportation Gets Tricky for Germany

From April 23 to May 8, German rail operator Deutsche Bahn is expected to close an important stretch of track between Hanover and Kassel for construction work. This closure will …

From the AGI Bookshelf: Black Earth: The Holocaust as History and Warning

Timothy Snyder’s latest book, Black Earth: The Holocaust as History and Warning, presents exactly those two narratives. His review of how the Holocaust emerged and evolved has been and remains …

The Refugee Crisis Confronts Germany’s Society with Three Major Challenges

The dominant theme of this year’s discussions is that of refugees. Factual debates have turned into power issues now. Who will win the fight about the implementation of “ceilings” for …

Die Bedeutung zivilgesellschaftlicher und staatlicher Institutionen: Zur Vielfalt und Komplexität von Versöhnung

Versöhnung – verstanden als ein Prozess der Umwandlung von Feindschaft in Freundschaft und der Aufarbeitung einer unmittelbaren deutschen Vergangenheit von Barbarei, vielfachen Kriegsverbrechen im Zweiten Weltkrieg und dem Holocaust – …

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 …

A Party System in Flux

Coalition governments in Germany have a long tradition, though more so at the federal level (where there have always been coalitions) than at the state level. These two or more party coalitions are as a rule not desired, but are generally forced by the election results or determined by the strength of the political groups after the election.

Germans Go To The Polls

While many Americans were focused on the primaries underway in the U.S., on March 13, Germans in three states went to the polls to elect their state governments.  The first …