Ohio State hosts conference on German-American relations

As the United States searches for allies in a possible war against Iraq, the relationship between Germany and America is as important as ever. But since German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder recently was re-elected in part because of his criticism of a possible U.S.-led war against Iraq, some experts say relations between the countries are tense.

The Ohio State University will help to explore this relationship, and how each country’s culture affects it, by hosting an international conference, “Americanization and Anti-Americanism: The Impact of American Culture on Germany,” from Friday (10/18) to Sunday (10/20) at the Mershon Center, 1501 Neil Ave.

The conference will focus on how the United States exported cultural and political values to Germany since the Second World War. In an era when the United States wants to promote democratization elsewhere, such as in the Middle East, it is critically important to understand how the process of cultural transmission works and can be pursued without generating anti-Americanism.

Among the conference’s dignitaries are: Bowman Miller, the director of the Office of Analysis for Europe in the U.S. Department of State; and Karsten D. Voigt, the coordinator for German-American Cooperation of the German Foreign Office in Berlin. Scholars from Ohio State, Stanford University, Columbia University, Dartmouth College and several German universities will speak.

The conference is free and open to the public. For more information about the conference, see: http://germanic.ohio-state.edu/faculty/AS/.

WHAT: International conference on “Americanization and Americanism: The Impact of American Culture on Germany.”

WHEN: Friday (10/18) to Sunday (10/20).

WHERE: Mershon Center, 1501 Neil Ave.

WHY: To explore the relationship between Germany and the United States and each country’s culture.