German, Russian, Japanese, and Chinese Studies
20 Years Fall of the Wall
Germany, a Sustainable Democracy?
The fall of the Berlin Wall in November 1989 was a transformative
cultural, political, and economic event, and its impacts extended well
beyond the borders of Germany. Although heralded at the time and even
still today as an unqualified triumph of Western democratic ideals, few
would argue that the transition was seamless or unproblematic.
The events of 1989 in Germany transformed not only the political world
order, but they also spawned a re-ordering of cultural identities and
economic systems throughout much of Central and Eastern Europe. The
fall of the Berlin Wall as an event therefore transcends the realm of
the mere political discourse within Germany. It also poses difficult
questions for the former Soviet States concerning national identity and
economic sustainability.
UNC Greensboro hosts in commeration of the Fall of the Berlin Wall
A Symposium on Friday, November 6, 2009 11-5:30 PM, Faculty Center
and
A Reading by Author Peter Schneider on Friday, November 20, 2 PM, Faculty Center
for directions click here, for a campus map click here (the faculty center is number 43)
Symposium Program
11 AM: Welcome: Dean Timothy D. Johnston
11:15 - 11:45 AM: Christian Moraru (English), "After the Fall: Late Globalization and Paradigm Shift in Post-Cold War U.S. Culture."
11:45 - 1:00 PM: Panel I: Cultural Representations of Germany
Jill Twark (German), "Humor, Satire, and Identity:Post-Unifcation Eastern German Literature."
Deborah Janson (German), "Sharing Illusions or Achieving Common Ground? An Ecofeminist Reading of Christa Wolf's Work."
Andreas Lixl (German), "Germany: Immigration and Integration after the Wall."
1 - 2 PM: Lunch Break - Happening I: Build the Wall!
2 - 3 PM: Panel II: History Revisited
Chancellor Linda P. Brady (Political Science), "Arms Control in the Post-Cold War World."
Karl Schleunes (History), "The Berlin Wall, the End of History and its Return."
Coffee Break
3:30 - 4:30 PM: Panel III: Global Perspectives, Germany's Future?
Jerry Pubantz (Political Science),"The Final Collapse of the Second Ring of Soviet Empire: Gorbachev and the Recurrent 'Problem' of
Communist Liberalization in Eastern Europe."
Corey Johnson (Geography), "20 Years On, 'Blooming Landscapes' in Eastern Germany?"
Penelope Pynes (IPC), "German Educational Reform: Understanding Bologna"
4:30 - 5:30 PM Reception, Book Launching Party, and Happening II: Tear Down the Wall
"Memories of Carolinian Immigrants," edited by Andreas Lixl.
Lanham, Boulder, New York, Toronto, Plymouth, UK: University Press of
America, July 2009.
"Postcommunism, Postmodernism, and the Global Imaginary," edited by
Christian Moraru forthcoming from Columbia University Press in the fall
of 2009. Presented by Aaron Chandler (English).
A reading by German author Peter Schneider
Friday, November 20, 2 PM, Faculty Center
The German writer Peter Schneider is particularly known for his partcipation in the sixties student movement and his subsequent engagement with political issues and their cultural representation in literature and film. He authored over 20 books, including novels, short stories and essays, including the following in English: "The Wall Jumper," "The German Comdey," "Eduard's Homecoming."
For more information about Peter Schneider click here
For information email
Corey Johnson, Geography, cmjohns8@uncg.edu
Arndt Niebisch, German and European Studies, a_niebis@uncg.edu
Susanne Rinner, German Studies, s_rinner@uncg.edu
We would like to thank the following organizations for their support:
The Center for Critical Inquiry at UNCG
the Federal Republic of Germany through the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD )
Kohler Fund
German Information Center
The Lloyds International Honors College
Center for Creative Writing in the Arts
Department of Geography
Department of German, Russian, Japanese and Chinese Studies
This project is made possible by a grant from the North Carolina Humanities Council, a statewide nonprofit and affiliate of the National Endowment of the Humanities
