75th Anniversary of the German Democratic Republic

Panelists:
Mary Fulbrook, Professor of German History in the Department of German, School of European Languages, Culture and Society
Julie Ault, Professor, Department of History, University of Utah
Andrew Port, Professor, Department of History, Wayne State University

Moderator:
Eric Langenbacher, Senior Fellow and Director of the Society, Culture, & Politics Program, AGI

Founded on October 7, 1949, the communist regime in the German Democratic Republic was both a consequence of and contributor to the Cold War confrontation between East and West. Although the Federal Republic of Germany absorbed the country through the reunification process of 1989-1990, a distinct eastern identity had developed and persists into the present. This identity was formed by both the highs (a degree of gender parity, an encompassing welfare state) and lows (the Berlin Wall, environmental degradation) of that political system. The American-German Institute has invited three leading historians to interpret and analyze the complexities of the GDR on the 75th anniversary of its founding for this session on Tuesday, October 7.

Mary Fulbrook
Mary Fulbrook, FBA, is Professor of German History at University College London (UCL). Her current research is on experiences and legacies of Holocaust survival in different societies across Europe. Her many publications include pathbreaking monographs on the GDR, most notably Anatomy of a Dictatorship: Inside the GDR, 1949-1989 (OUP, 1995), and The People’s State: East Germany Society from Hitler to Honecker (Yale UP, 2005), as well as Dissonant Lives: Generations and Violence through the German Dictatorships (OUP, 2011). Recent books include: Bystander Society: Conformity and Complicity in Nazi Germany and the Holocaust (OUP, 2023); the Wolfson History Prize-winner Reckonings: Legacies of Nazi Persecution and the Quest for Justice (OUP, 2018); the Fraenkel Prize-winning A Small Town near Auschwitz: Ordinary Nazis and the Holocaust (OUP, 2012); and the forthcoming Ten Moments that shaped Berlin (CUP, 2024). Among other commitments, Mary Fulbrook has served as Dean of the UCL Faculty of Social and Historical Sciences, and Chair of the Modern History Section of the British Academy, as well as serving on numerous international academic advisory boards across a range of fields.

Julie Ault
Julie Ault is an Associate Professor of History at the University of Utah, where she specializes in East German history and its global connections. Her scholarly contributions have been featured in prominent journals such as German History, Central European History, and the Journal of Modern European History, alongside several book chapters. Dr. Ault is currently working on her second book-length project, which explores the role of East German scientific and technological experts abroad. This research delves into the environmental impacts of their work and the long-term legacies of these international interactions. Her broader research interests encompass East Germany, environmental history, transnational networks, socialism, and the Cold War. Ault’s academic foundation includes a BA in History and German Language and Literature from Grinnell College, an MA in History from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and a PhD in History from the same institution. Her educational background underpins her extensive research into the intersections of history, environment, and international relations.

Andrew Port
Andrew I. Port is a professor of history at Wayne State University in Detroit, specializing in modern German history. His notable works include Never Again: Germans and Genocide after the Holocaust, which explores Germany’s post-Holocaust identity, and Conflict and Stability in the German Democratic Republic, a study of East German political and social dynamics. He also co-edited Becoming East German: Structures and Sensibilities after Hitler with Mary Fulbrook, examining the formation of East German society. Dr. Port holds degrees in history from Yale University and Harvard University. He has received the DAAD Prize for Distinguished Scholarship in German and European Studies for his significant contributions to the field. Additionally, Port served as editor-in-chief of Central European History, the flagship journal in his field, where he shaped important scholarly conversations. His work continues to influence the understanding of German and East European history.

This event is supported with funds from The Harry and Helen Gray Humanities Program.