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 …
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 …
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Support Our WorkThe 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 …
State Elections as a Celebration of Democracy
Refugees decided the weekend’s state elections. The refugee politics were the 2016 power issue in competition between parties. All three incumbents were confirmed as minister-president in Rheinland-Palatinate, Baden-Württemberg, and Saxony-Anhalt, because they have showcased superior competence in the face of epochal challenges.
Super Sunday Was Not Black Sunday
In spite of the wide-spread, largely foreign, media reaction to the three state elections, the sky did not fall on March 13. Chancellor Merkel’s unprecedented decision to welcome over one …
