German Americana 1800-1955. Reference Guide 18 Genealogy and Historical Resource

Description: German Americana 1800-1955: Genealogical and Comprehensive Bibliography of German, Austrian, and Swiss books and Dissertations on the United States by Christoph Strupp Hardcover in very good condition with clean pages, tight binding, and glossy cover (as pictured) Free shipping anywhere in the United States Synopsis: Excellent resource for historians and genealogists alike. Few countries, if any, have held such fascination for Germans over the last two centuries as the United States of America. Famous quotes come to mind instantly. Goethe’s “Amerika, Du hast es besser . . .” is one of the earliest celebrations of the youth and freedom of the new country. Countless other Germans followed Goethe over the next two centuries in praising the opportunities in the “Land der unbegrenzten Mo¨glichkeiten.” But already in the Kaiserreich, this image was counterbalanced by sharp criticism of the lack of culture in America, and such criticism intensified during the 1920s and 1930s. German observers pointed to American materialism and the hectic pace of everyday life. America became the ambivalent symbol of “modernity,” admired and loathed at the same time. The darker sides of big cities such as New York and Chicago rivaled the vast open prairies and natural wonders in German perception. Ever since the inter-war years, the image of the United States in Germany has been conflicted and two-sided.1 The enemy in World War II became a close and admired ally shortly after: the “Flying Fortresses” that had brought death and destruction to German cities during the war were replaced by the cherished “Rosinenbomber” of the Berlin airlift. Outpourings of anti-Americanism in the 1960s and 1980s, fueled by the Vietnam war and the policies of the “cold warrior” Ronald Reagan, ran counter to an ever growing interest in American popular culture, to extensive business relationships, and to numerous successful student exchange and travel programs. The relationship between Germany and the United States has long been and remains complex, and “Americanization” continues to be more of a feared threat than a welcome prospect in the eyes of many Germans. Recently, we have witnessed one of the most radical swings in perception as the broad sympathy and support for the United States after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 were supplanted within a year by sharp criticism of the policies of the Bush administration and of the Iraq war of 2003. The general image of the United States in Germany and the German speaking parts of Europe has never been shaped by the printed word alone. Personal recollections of travel experiences, letters, paintings and photographs, movies and television have always competed with books in influencing the public. Nevertheless, the work of historians, philologists, geographers, economists, and jurists2 and the countless popular accounts and travel reports will always be at the center of research into the German image of the United States. So far there has been no bibliography that comprehensively covers the books and scholarship on the United States produced in the German speaking countries since 1800. This Reference Guide is the first attempt to fill this bibliographic gap.

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