Germany in Europe: Political Transformation and Social Change
JSIS A 494/PolS 447B Sabine Lang
University of Washington
salang@uw.edu
Class times
M W 3:30 – 5:20
THO 231
Office hours
Monday 11:30 – 12:30 in THO 208 and by appointment
Course Canvas: https://canvas.uw.edu/courses/1779901
DESCRIPTION
Germany has gone through major transformations since 1945, emerging from its aggressor role in WWII and from Nazism as a divided and economically, politically, and psychologically devastated nation. During the Wirtschaftswunder and the Cold War, many Germans focused on the trope of ‘never again’ – never again being involved in war, never again to starve, never again to give in to Nazism. Today, the Russian war on Ukraine, some Germans reactivate collective memory tropes from this past, but we also see the rise of a new radical rightwing party. We will explore how this legacy informs the political and social transformations leading from Bonn to Berlin and Brussels.
Taking the division of East and West Germany as a starting point, we will address the different economic and political trajectories of the two countries and analyze the fall of the wall, unification, and their repercussions almost three decades later. After focusing on the politics of unification, we will trace dynamics of change and adaptation in the new ‘Berlin Republic’, such as the renegotiation of East and West German identities, the push for welfare and labor market reform, the political cultures of gender and ethnicity, as well as immigration and integration. Finally, we will address the new identity of Germany in international relations. How can we explain Germany’s path from being a historically careful background player in the European Union to becoming its central actor in the Euro crisis since 2008? How did the rift between Germany and other members of the EU regarding asylum and refugee policies emerge and where will it lead Europe?
ASSIGNMENTS AND GRADING
- Class participation means regular and active involvement in class discussion (please notify me in advance if you can’t come). Second, pick one week in which you will give introductions to the required reading and initiate the discussion. Class participation accounts for 20% of your grade.
- THREE times during weeks 2 through 10, submit a critical summary including two research questions related to ALL the required readings of the week (about 500 words). A critical summary does not recapture the assigned texts in full. It addresses two or three main points of the weekly readings and makes the readings’ arguments speak to each other where possible.
Submit the summary and the questions to Canvas no later than 8pm the Sunday before Monday’s class. These submissions will be graded on a check/revision/no check basis. For each successful submission you will receive a check. If the submission needs more work, I will return it to you with suggestions for resubmission and you can turn in a revised summary by midnight on Wednesday of that week. Successful resubmission will result each time in a 0.3 reduction of your overall summary grade. If you decide to not resubmit or if the resubmission does not strengthen your argument, this will result each time in a 0.5 reduction of your initial 4.0 grade. Submission of fewer than two summaries will result in a 1.5 deduction from your initial 4.0 grade for each missing entry. Summaries will account for 15% of your grade.
- QUIZ: On Wednesday, February 5,, we will have an in-class quiz. You will get a study guide a week before, on January 29. The quiz will test your knowledge of specific terms, concepts, and ideas that you will have learned by then and will include short answer identifications as well as short essay questions. The quiz will account for 25% of your grade.
- CAMPAIGN project: Follow a German party and write a campaign strategy for that party. A handout with instructions will be passed out during week 2. You will present that strategy with a powerpoint in the week before the German elections, on Wednesday, Feb. 19, in class. Following the election results, write an assessment of the success/failure of your party’s campaign strategy with suggestions on what could have been done better. The final campaign summary paper, CONSISTING OF YOUR STRATEGY, A COMPARISON TO THE ACTUAL PARTY STRATEGY, AND AN EVALUATION OF BOTH, is due on Wednesday, March 19 at midnight on Canvas. The campaign powerpoint for 2/19 is worth 20%, the written campaign summary paper an additional 20% of your grade = A TOTAL of 40%.
Summary:
Participation: 20%
Critical Summary: 15%
Quiz: 25%
Campaign project: 40%
Important Course Policies
Please note that late assignments will NOT be accepted and make-up assignments will NOT be given except in cases of documented emergency or with the express advance permission of the instructor. In the absence of these provisions late or missing assignments will receive a grade of “0”.
Required readings and materials
- Simon Bulmer/William E. Paterson (2019) Germany and the European Union: Europe’s Reluctant Hegemon? Springer.
- Christiane Lemke/Helga A. Welsh (2018) Germany Today. Politics and Policies in a Changing World. Rowman & Littlefield. (UW E-book)
- Jana Hensel (2008) After the Wall: Confessions from an East German Childhood and the Life That Came Next, Perseus.
- Rent and watch the movie THE LIVES OF OTHERS (2006) by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck.
Articles will be available as pdfs on Canvas.
WEEK 1 (January 6 and 8) Germany before 1989
After the end of the Nazi regime and the division of Germany, two states were founded, embracing different political structures, ideologies, economies and cultures. Yet the ‘German question’ penetrated all aspects of public life. How did the GDR and the FRG conceptualize their relationship and identities in different historical periods? What was the impact of the Cold War and of Willy Brandt’s ‘Ostpolitik’ in the 1970s and how did this pave the way for revolution of 1989?
Monday, Jan. 6: Introduction
Wed., Jan. 8: German Post-War History to 1989
Readings:
Bulmer/Paterson, pp. 1-38
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Optional
Fulbrook, Mary 1991, The Two Germanies Between 1945 and 1989.
WEEK 2 (January 13 and 15) THE FALL OF THE WALL AND UNIFICATION
The opening of the wall in Berlin on November 9, 1989 was a historical accident. Neither the political elites of the GDR nor the FRG were expecting it, nor were they prepared to deal with the repercussions of sudden free movement between the two countries.
German unification has been called a “unique case of fusion in a decade of fission”. Even though German unification presented a special case in the larger context of unifying Europe, it could only be achieved within the context of Europeanization. How did the Germans cope with unification and its aftermath? What were the roles and attitudes of the former allied powers towards a unified Germany? How did unification impact Germany’s role in Europe?
Monday, Jan 13: The Fall of the Wall
Wednesday, Jan 15: Unification and the Aftermath
Readings:
- Bulmer/Paterson pp. 39-52
- Timothy Gordon Ash (2014) The fall of the Berlin Wall: What it meant to be there in: The Guardian, available at http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/nov/06/-sp-fall-berlin-wall-what-it-meant-to-be-there
- David Childs (2001), The Fall of the GDR. Germany’s Road to Unity, Harlow: Pearson Education, ch. 6, pp. 77 – 81.
- David Blackbourn (2023) “From the Fall of the Wall to the Millenium”, in: Germany in the World. New York: WW Norton, pp. 626-645
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Optional:
- Richard T. Gray/Sabine Wilke (eds./transl.) (1996), German Unification and its Discontents, Documents from the Peaceful Revolution, Seattle: University of Washington Press, doc. 1 – 7, pp. 3 – 15, doc. 17, pp. 47 – 52.
- Dirk Philipsen (1993), We Were The People. Voices from East Germany’s Revolutionary Autumn of 1989, Durham: Duke UP, part II: ‘Democracy – Now or Never’, pp. 195 – 216
WEEK 3 (January 22). DEALING WITH THE PAST IN UNITED GERMANY
The GDR had one of the most pervasive surveillance systems in the Eastern bloc. How did the dismantling of the Stasi system and the discoveries that were made in the process affect the transformation processes in the Neue Laender?
The Oscar winning movie The Lives of Others by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck explores how citizens in the GDR culture sector deal with the experience of being under the Stasi’s watchful eyes and how the Stasi operates. Please watch and bring your insights and, ideas to discuss. More specifically, please explore how the system of state security is portrayed and what kind of acts of resistance the movie showcases.
Readings:
- Catherine Epstein (2004) “The Stasi: New Research on the East German Ministry of State Security”, in: Kritika, vol. 5, No. 2, pp. 321-348.
- NPR 2018 The World’s Largest Puzzle: Recreating Germany’s Destroyed Stasi Files at
Optional:
- Dominic Boyer (2003) “Censorship as Vocation: the Institutions, Practices, and Cultural Logic of Media Control in the GDR”, in: Comparative Studies in Society and History, Vol. 45, No.3, pp. 501-545
WEEK 4 (January 27 and 29) THE GERMAN POLITICAL SYSTEM
Germany has for most of the post-1945 era been labelled a ‘semi-sovereign’ state. Political scientist Peter Katzenstein attributed Germany’s post-war rise to a mix of consensus-oriented politics, a fragmented polity, and incremental policy change. How hast this German system changed over time? What are the tenets of Germany’s federalist polity and how does the mixed-member proportional electoral system work to ensure equity of participation? What have been the major challenges to this system of governance?
Monday, January 27: The Political Institutions: Government and Parties
Wed., January 29: Elections and Federalism
Readings:
- Peter Katzenstein (1987) The Taming of Power: West Germany’s Semi-Sovereign State, ch. 1, pp. 3-51
- Bulmer/Paterson ch. 3, pp. 78-110.
- Lemke/Welsh ch. 2, pp. 17-48
WEEK 5 (February 3 and 5) THE GERMAN ECONOMY AND WELFARE STATE
The ‘Modell Deutschland’ has traditionally involved corporatist decision making, powerful unions and employers’ associations as well as a strong social welfare state. After unification, high unemployment and collapses of whole industries in the Neue Länder resulted in increasing worries about the slow erosion or even active dismantling of the welfare state. How does the unified Germany cope with the economic and social restructuring processes and how do they relate to globalization? What are the causes of the current recession in Germany?
Monday, February 3: Social Market Economy and Trade Unions
Wed., February 5: The Welfare State, Hartz Reforms and Bürgergeld
Feb.5: 45 MINUTES: QUIZ
Readings:
- Lemke/Welsh chapter 6, 129-156.
- Zatlin, Jonathan (2013) Getting Even: East German Economic Underperformance after Unification. In: Konrad Jarrausch (ed.) United Germany: Debating Processes and Prospects. New York: Berghahn, pp. 119-128.
- Fulda, Andreas (2024) The Demise of Germany’s Solar Industry and Volkswagen’s China Conundrum” in: Fulda 2024: Germany and China. Bloomsbury Publ.: pp. 207 – 125.
Optional:
Caldwell, Peter C. (2019) From Solution to Problem: The Welfare State as a System. In: Caldwell, Democracy, Capitalism, and the Welfare State. Oxford: Oxford UP, pp. 163-193.
WEEK 6 MIGRANTS AND RIGHTWING EXTREMIST CHALLENGES TO INCLUSION AND DEMOCRACY
Monday, February 10: Migration
Wed, February 12: Rightwing extremist parties
The realization that Germany is an “immigrant society” has only slowly penetrated the civic culture. During the refugee ‘crisis’ of 2015, for the first time a German Chancellor acknowledged that in fact Germany IS an immigrant society. Yet the issue has been marginalized for many decades: Children of migrants attend advanced schools and universities at a much lower rate than German born children. Second or third generation migrant communities, such as the children and grandchildren of Turkish migrants, do not feel welcome. And this sentiment is being reinforced by the Alternative for Germany, an extreme rightwing party that was founded only a decade ago. Why do extreme righwing populist messages gain ground?
Readings:
- Ireland, Patrick (2014) Becoming Europe. Ch. 2 Germany: Social Policy and the Construction of Ethnic Identities, pp. 17-59.
- Schuster-Craig, Johanna (2024) One Word Shapes a Nation. Integration Politics in Germany, Toronto: U Toronto Press. Ch. 8: “Muslims Who Integrate Themselves”. Integration and the Extreme Right., pp. 207 – 235.
- Berbuir, Nicole, Marcel Lewandowsky and Jasmin Siri (2015) “The AfD and its Sympathisers: Finally a Right Wing Populist Movement in Germany”, in: German Politics 24(2) pp. 154-178.
- American-German Institute Washington D.C. (2024) The continued strength of the AfD. Podcast at https://americangerman.institute/podcast/episode-110-the-continued-strength-of-the-afd
Optional:
- Piper, Nicola (2000), Citizenship and National Identity in Reunified Germany: The Experience of the Turkish Minority. In:. Williams, N. Kapferer, and C. Wight (eds), Political Thought and German Reunification: A German Identity? Basingstoke: Macmillan, pp. 96-115
- Herbert, Ulrich/ Hunn, Kathrin (2001) Guest Workers and Policy on Guest Workers in the Federal Republic. In Hanna Schissler (ed.), Miracle Years: A Cultural History of West Germany, 1949-1968, ch. 8, 187-218.
- Wilpert, Czarina (2013) “Identity Issues in the History of Postwar Migration from Turkey to Germany”, in: German Politics and Society 31(2) 108-131.
- Ostrand, Nicole (2015) “The Syrian Refugee Crisis: A Comparison of Responses by Germany, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States” in: Journal on Migration and Human Security 3(3), 255-279.
WEEK 7 (February 19) THE ELECTIONS 2025
Wed., February 19
YOUR CAMPAIGN PRESENTATIONS
WEEK 8 (February 24 and 26) GERMANY IN EUROPE
Germany has long been considered a conservative male-breadwinner regime. After unification, East and West differences in gender relations collided and led to more progressive policies. Moreover, with the advent of the Green Party, many marginalized gender issues have come to the forefront of political mobilization. Some of these issues are: publicly financed childcare, quotas in politics and public administration, the headscarf debates, and LGBT rights.
Monday, February 24: The election results and what they mean for Germany and Europe
Wednesday, February 26, Germany’s policies in Europe: The Case of Gender Policies
Readings:
- Bulmer/Paterson, ch. 5, pp. 142 – 166.
- Golesorkhi, Lara –Zuzan (2017) “Unveiling Structural Challenges: The Headscarf and Employment Integration in Germany”, in: Journal of Muslim Minority Affairs 37(2) pp. 164-182
- Hauschild, Anna/Stamm, Leonie (2024) From feminist questions towards feminist processes: strengthening Germany’s feminist foreign policy. In: European Journal of Politics and Gender 20(5), 1-5.
WEEK 9 (March 3 and 5) GERMANY’S ZEITENWENDE(N)
One of the biggest projects in the post-Merkel era was the ‘energy transition’ to sustainable and renewable energy sources. How did Germans imagine this transition and how was it realized? A second ‘change of an era’ (Zeitenwende) occurred with the Russian aggression against Ukraine and the necessity to rethink defense and security in Germany. What are the parameters for a new security and defense architecture in Germany and Europe?
Monday, March 3: Climate Change and Energy Policy
Wed., March 5: Security, Defense, and NATO
Readings:
- Renn, Ortwin/Marshall, Jonathan (2016) Coal, nuclear and renewable energy policies in Germany: From the 1950s to the “Energiewende”. Energy Policy 99, 224-232.
- Lontay, Oliver (2024) Germany’s Energy Crisis: Europe’s Leading Economy is Falling Behind, in: Harvard International Review, access at https://hir.harvard.edu/germanys-energy-crisis-europes-leading-economy-is-falling-behind/
- Bulmer/Paterson ch. 7, pp. 201-237
Week 10
35 YEARS AFTER -- WHERE IS EAST AND WEST AND WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD?
35 years after the fall of the wall, East and West Germany still are divided by different economic outlooks, social conditions, and political identities. East and West, according to some commentators, are drifting apart and “ostalgia” is resurfacing, combined with a voter identity that supports an extreme rightwing political party. How do new and old faultlines between East and West define German identity?
Monday, March 10: Old and new East/West divides and scenarios for the future of Germany
Wednesday, March 12: Guest lecture Prof. Joyce Mushaben, Georgetown University: Merkel’s legacy and the future of Germany.
Readings;
- Jana Hensel (2008) After the Wall: Confessions from an East German Childhood and the Life That Came Next, Perseus.
- Timothy Garton Ash (2024) Big Germany, What Now? In NYROB May 23, 2024.
- Bulmer/Paterson (2024) Conclusion, pp. 238-261
FINAL PAPER DUE ON WEDNESDAY, MARCH 19 AT MIDNIGHT ON CANVAS
Appendix: University and JSIS Policies on Grading, Courses, and Academic Conduct
Plagiarism
Plagiarism is defined as the use of creations, ideas or words of publicly available work without formally acknowledging the author or source through appropriate use of quotation marks, references, and the like. Plagiarizing is presenting someone else’s work as one’s own original work or thought. This constitutes plagiarism whether it is intentional or unintentional. The University of Washington takes plagiarism very seriously. Plagiarism may lead to disciplinary action by the University against the student who submitted the work. Any student who is uncertain whether his or her use of the work of others constitutes plagiarism should consult the course instructor for guidance before formally submitting the course work involved. (Sources: UW Graduate School Style Manual; UW Bothell Catalog; UW Student Conduct Code
Incompletes
An incomplete is given only when the student has been in attendance and has done satisfactory work until within two weeks of the end of the quarter and has furnished proof satisfactory to the instructor that the work cannot be completed because of illness or other circumstances beyond the student’s control. (Source: UW General Catalog Online, “Student Guide/Grading”)
Grade Appeal Procedure
A student who believes he or she has been improperly graded must first discuss the matter with the instructor. If the student is not satisfied with the instructor’s explanation, the student may submit a written appeal to the director of the Jackson School with a copy of the appeal also sent to the instructor. The director consults with the instructor to ensure that the evaluation of the student’s performance has not been arbitrary or capricious. Should the director believe the instructor’s conduct to be arbitrary or capricious and the instructor declines to revise the grade, the director, with the approval of the voting members of his or her faculty, shall appoint an appropriate member, or members, of the faculty of the Jackson School to evaluate the performance of the student and assign a grade. The Dean and Provost should be informed of this action. Once a student submits a written appeal, this document and all subsequent actions on this appeal are recorded in written form for deposit in a School file. (Source: UW General Catalog Online, “Student Guide/Grading”)
Concerns About a Course, an Instructor, or a Teaching Assistant
If you have any concerns about a Jackson School course or your instructor, please see the instructor about these concerns as soon as possible. If you are not comfortable talking with the instructor or not satisfied with the response that you receive, you may contact the Office of Student Services, Thomson Hall 111.
If you have any concerns about a teaching assistant, please see the teaching assistant about these concerns as soon as possible. If you are not comfortable talking with the teaching assistant or not satisfied with the response that you receive, you may contact the instructor in charge of the course.
For your reference, these procedures are posted on a Jackson School bulletin board in the Student Services Office, Room 111 Thomson Hall.
Religious Accommodations
Washington state law requires that UW develop a policy for accommodation of student absences or significant hardship due to reasons of faith or conscience, or for organized religious activities. The UW’s policy, including more information about how to request an accommodation, is available in the Office of the University Registrar’s website, under Syllabus Guidelines and Resources for Faculty and Staff. Accommodations must be requested within the first two weeks of this course using the Religious Accommodations Request form available at https://registrar.washington.edu/students/religious- accommodations-request
Disability Resources for Student (DRS):
Your experience in this class is important to me. It is the policy and practice of the University of Washington to create inclusive and accessible learning environments consistent with federal and state law. If you have already established accommodations with Disability Resources for Students (DRS), please activate your accommodations via myDRS so we can discuss how they will be implemented in this course.
If you have not yet established services through DRS, but have a temporary health condition or permanent disability that requires accommodations (conditions include but not limited to; mental health, attention-related, learning, vision, hearing, physical or health impacts), contact DRS directly to set up an Access Plan. DRS facilitates the interactive process that establishes reasonable accommodations. Contact DRS at disability.uw.edu.
Campus Resources: Safety & Mental Health
Title IX makes it clear that violence and harassment based on sex and gender is a civil rights offense subject to the same kinds of accountability and support applied to offenses against other protected categories such as race, national origin, etc. If you or someone you know has been harassed or assaulted, you can find the appropriate resources here:
- https://www.washington.edu/titleix (Title IX Resources at UW) - Title IX and other federal and state laws collectively prohibit discrimination based on sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender expression, pregnant or parenting status, and LGBTQ identity. These laws impose legal requirements and protections that serve as a foundation from which UW has created policies, practices, services, and programs that work in concert to advance equity for students, staff, and faculty of all identities.
- https://livewell.uw.edu/ (LiveWell) - LiveWell empowers individuals with the skills and knowledge to make informed decisions about their health and well-being while at UW and beyond. LiveWell uses both the expertise of professional staff and passion of Peer Health Educators to provide evidenced-based health promotion, advocacy education, and prevention services.
- https://www.washington.edu/counseling (Counseling Center: Mental Health) – Husky Helpline Counselling center and other resources to help students.
- http://www.washington.edu/safecampus (SafeCampus) - Call SafeCampus – no matter where you work or study — to anonymously discuss safety and well-being concerns for yourself or others.