Contemporary History Podium 2020: "Beyond Donald Trump. Contemporary Historical Approaches to German-American Relations since 1945 "

The “Contemporary History Podium” takes a critical look at German-American relations since the end of the Second World War. In this process, it identifies factors of stability and change, investigates continuities and caesuras, measures the specific weight of organisational structures in international politics, critically examines the influence of the compatibility of personalities and fathoms the limits of transatlantic understanding. The “Contemporary History Podium” thus presents five sectoral analyses of fields with special importance: One, the bilateral political relations in the context of international politics (Philipp Gassert); two, partnership and controversies with special emphasis on security and alliance policy (Andreas Etges); three, economy, trade and finance as both stabilising and conflict-laden pillars of transatlantic exchange (Stormy-Annika Mildner); four, boom and bust of conservatism as a measure for communication channels and blockages between Germany and the USA (Michael Hochgeschwender); five, mutual perceptions, images and stereotypes, whose deconstruction allows for a better understanding of the degree of proximity or unfamiliarity (Reinhild Kreis and Jan Logemann).