GER 422 - When African Americans Came to Berlin

The course explores the presence of African-Americans in Berlin and the social, historical contexts in which these transcultural exchanges took place. It looks at the fascinating history of African Americans in Berlin from artists and musicians to writers, scientists and political activists; when African Americans came to Berlin, life for them at home and abroad changed forever.
Questions of race, gender and cultural interactions throughout the twentieth century are investigated. Germany will be looked at through the encounter with African-Americans and the discourses of celebration and/or fear that emerged.