In a Berlin panel discussion in the run-up to the “year of Germany USA” it was a question of the correct approach between the Germans and the Americans. The answer is easier than you might think.
“Wonderful together”, the relations between Germany and the USA be characterized? The Motto of the Federal foreign office initiated the “year of Germany USA”, a series of events to promote transatlantic relations, suggests it at least.
Before the official kick-off at 3. October took place in Berlin a discussion held under the title “Germany and the USA – foreign friends? What do politics, economy and culture now.” Because even if the “year of Germany USA” was not a direct response to the election of Donald trump to the US President, has been in the past, that the good relations between the two countries are not self-evident.
The participants of the panel discussion (from l. to R.): Goethe-Institut President Klaus-Dieter Lehmann, author, Cornelia Funke, Journalist Christoph von Marschall, entertainer Gayle Tufts, Dieter Kempf (President of the Federal Association of German industry), New-York-Times-correspondent Melissa Eddy and re:publica-founder Markus Beckedahl
Offers beyond the big cities
The Moderator of the round, Christoph von Marschall, was for many years Washington correspondent for the “daily mirror”. He wanted to know from the panelists, as they could not reach with the “year of Germany United States,” even those Americans who were already in Germany-affine.
The President of the Goethe-Institut, Klaus-Dieter Lehmann, said that he would like to, apart from the already existing locations in major cities such as Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco and Washington in areas where the people are rarely faced with an international culture.
Writer Cornelia Funke
For example, there is the student exchange GAPP (German-American Partnership Program), the only schools from the cities and municipalities that have less than 50,000 inhabitants. “There, the approach is particularly successful, because the Knowledge about Germany is at its lowest,” explains Lehmann.
The best-selling author Cornelia Funke, who has lived for years in California, responded enthusiastically to this proposal: “This is a fantastic project. Because in small towns people feel to forget – the people noticed the Brexit”.
All would have to do something against the growing nationalism, the writer. “He shows himself to the world, almost like a sea monster.”
Each type of exchange is important
Despite the growing nationalism in the United States, many Americans have a connection to Germany. Almost a quarter (58 million people) consider their origin as German or partly German. Many of them live in the country inside of the USA. The Minnesota-born journalist Melissa Eddy, who works in Berlin as a correspondent of the “New York Times”, tells her that her told at each visit in their home, many Americans are proud that they were English: “I’m German!”, it would be often, then often that the people knew only superficially about Germany to know.
Entertainer Gayle Tufts
“The want to always talk about German beer, or football. It is often embarrassing, German clichés, but it at least into the conversation,” says Eddy. Each exchange between the cultures was important, even if the starting point is beer.
Beer, it is also the “year of Germany USA”. With the “Oktoberfest-in-a-Box”project by the Goethe-Institut small Oktoberfest take place anywhere in the country-to celebrate – of course with German beer, explains Klaus-Dieter Lehmann.
Cultural Ambassador Heidi Klum and Rammstein
The American entertainer Gayle Tufts is living since 25 years in Berlin and makes the cultural differences between her adopted home and the country of their birth to the theme of their Comedy programme. Especially on the event that had changed over the years, Germany’s Image in the United States. There is a new Generation of cultural ambassadors, who may apply in Germany, almost as a stereotype, but in the United States is quite popular.
“I’m sorry, but I can only say: ‘Rammstein’. This Band has contributed so much to the spread of the German language in the United States. People can even sing along to their lyrics by heart,” says Tufts. Supermodel and TV Star Heidi Klum as one of the major German idols in the USA, and your nieces are huge Fans of the national football team of the women are mentioned. The Generation of your mother to see, however, as Tufts, in the German the “villains from the James Bond films”.
Icons also in the United States: the German Band “Rammstein”
“In pop culture, we can find each other”
With names like Klum and Rammstein, some German may distort not only the eyes; Germany is much more sophisticated, you might think.
But it is precisely the distinction between High and popular culture is something very German, says Cornelia Funke. You often get visitors from Germany, the views then something pejorative to the US culture. You remember the people then that in the USA, numerous quality produced in series and in the world successful films. “After a week you can then choose your own Green Card.”
Tufts emphasizes that one should not also forget that for the masses culture could offer a door-opener for new interests. “We need to find out what unites us.” The United States is a huge country, where there are, as in Germany – many different cultural characteristics. “But in pop culture we can find each other”.
In addition to movies, music, art and literature, things like football, beer or German food, should be taken as opportunities to interact with the Americans and the world in the dialogue will be used. “It means, ‘love goes through the stomach’. Friendship also.”