The Center for German and European Studies at Brandeis University MS058, P.O
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The Center for German and European Studies at Brandeis University CGES In Review 2010 Climatechange Campusweeks: Our Choices Matter Right Wing Radicalism: A Transatlantic Perspective Since the end of the cold war right wing movements have seen a comeback in Germany and Europe. Xenophobic attacks on dark-skinned foreigners and desecrations of Jewish cemeteries regularly make headlines. Skinhead and neonazi movements, although deeply anti-international in their ideology, are organizing across borders in both Eastern and Western Europe, and even in the United States. The elections to the European A funny-looking half-open African The campusweeks series of events began house with a home-made stove and a with the ‘SEA coffeehouse’ organized by solar cell on the roof was the most Students for Environmental Action on visible sign that something was afoot: November 15th and culminated in a Brandeis was one of almost twenty festive Green Unity Gala with 200 guests campuses in the US invited by the in Levin Ballroom on December 3rd. German Embassy in Washington,D.C. Events included a conversation with Bob to participate in ‘Climatechange Lange and educator Joseph ole Tipanko Campusweeks’ in celebration of the from Kenya about the effects of climate 20th anniversary of German change on rural communities in Africa, a unification. Built with the help of panel discussion with German journalist Elisabeth von Thadden (DIE ZEIT), and parliament in June of 2009 sent a Brandeis professor of ecology Eric blow to the party establishment across Olson and African students in the Brandeis Dean of Arts and Sciences Adam Jaffe (Economics) about steps the continent, as right-wing extremist Sustainable International groups showed strong increases in Development program, the ‘Maasai developed societies must take to successfully lower their carbon voter support. Although small in House’ served as meeting point for a relative numbers, the absolute number number of events organized in con- emissions, and the screening of the movie A Sea Change about the of right wing extremists is on the rise junction with the 17-day program. It in many European countries. On April show-cased the work of Brandeis underreported problem of ocean acidification. A core group of students, 28, 2010 CGES invited experts who professor emeritus of physics Robert study radical right wing political Lange, whose work with the Maasai staff, and faculty began conceptualizing the campusweeks some time in the spring movements to discuss the motivation in Tanzania already spans more than and organizational methods of the three decades, and showcased the semester. After everyone returned to campus in August the group continued to movements. stove he designed for Maasai homes (Continue on: P.3) to dramatically reduce air pollution. grow. (Continue on: P.6) CGES In Review 2010 Greetings from the Director: Kilian Leibundgut, a graduate student CGES and the foundation’s interests: in political science, became the new “Driven from his native Bavaria by Nazi 2010 was a year of transition at CGES graduate assistant in the fall of hatred, Otto Walter became a powerful Brandeis, as Fred Lawrence was chosen 2010. Sarah Klapisch, ’12 joined voice for German-American as the university’s next president. Aaron Winckler,’10 and Jonathan reconciliation in the decades following Lawrence succeeds president Jehuda Jecker,’12 on the undergraduate team. World War II. Disbarred by Hitler’s anti- Reinharz, who led the university for CGES was proud to participate in the Jewish decrees from practicing as an over 16 years, and under whose German Embassy’s Climatechange attorney in Germany, he studied law leadership the Center for German and Campusweeks that brought exciting again in the United States and became a European Studies was founded in 1997. programming to campus from renowned international jurist. Confronted In the summer of 2010 CGES also November 15 through December 3rd. by ugliness, he became a patron of the moved into its beautiful new office on It owed its success to a lot of people arts. Persecuted, he responded with the third floor of the new Mandel —including faculty--Eric Olson charity.” Humanities Center. Sebastian (Ecology; Heller School), Melanie 2 Fohrbeck, Director of the DAAD Sherwood (German), Bob Lange [www.walterfoundation.org/History.html]. We (Deutscher Akademischer (Physics, emeritus) Laura Goldin are deeply grateful for the foundation’s Austauschdienst) in New York, (Environmental Studies), students— generous contribution of $30,000 to our Fiona Lockyer, Illona Yuhaev, and DAAD challenge grant. staff—Janna Cohen-Rosenthal, Heidi There are already many exciting plans in McAllister, and Charlie Radin. A big the works for 2011. First and foremost, thank you to all for their tremendous CGES is proud to be involved with support! Boston Lyric Opera’s performance of CGES executive committee member Viktor Ullmann’s The Emperor of Sharon Pucker Rivo,‘61 was featured Atlantis or Death Quits and Brandeis prominently in the Brandeis Ph.D. Richard Beaudoin’s The After- Magazine’s fall edition for her Image. We hope all Brandeis faculty and pioneering work at the National students who are in the Boston area in Center for Jewish Film. Go to early January will take advantage of free http://www.brandeis.edu/magazine/20 tickets to the Boston Lyric Opera’s 10/fall.to read the complete article. signature series event on January 9th at Please note that the National Center 2pm in the Museum of Fine Arts. For enjoyed a tour of the construction for Jewish film will be hosting its more details, see Upcoming Events on site during his first visit to the annual film festival Jewishfilm2011 in the last page of this newsletter. Brandeis campus. The CGES March this year—a month earlier than Here’s to wishing you all a fun and office can be found on Level 2 of in the past. Visit successful 2011! the new building, in what is called www.brandeis.edu/jewishfilm/ for up- “pod 225”. The new Mandel to-date information. Center building offers not only We are sorry to lose Nancy Angoff as adequate office space and a a member of our executive committee. conference room for staff and Nancy has been a steadfast supporter executive committee meetings. It of CGES in the office of corporate Sabine von Mering also has a beautiful reading room and foundation relations for many on the top floor adjacent to a small years. She will be starting her new roof garden where CGES position at MIT in January, for which celebrated its Welcome-Back- we wish her the best of luck! Nancy Reception with Bretzels, music, was instrumental in connecting Inside In Review 2010 and Apfelschorle on October 4th. Brandeis with the Otto and Fran Greetings from the Director 2 Other changes include transitions Walter Foundation, a foundation in our CGES team, as three of our dedicated to improving German- Stories from Front page 3 experienced student assistants, American relations. An excerpt from including Miranda Neubauer, ’10, the foundation’s website highlights Jewish German Dialogue 4 Larissa Liebmann, ’10, and the synergies between graduate student assistant Tim Climatechange Campusweeks 6 Neunzig, MBA’10 left us to pursue new adventures. Events Highlights 9 Upcoming Events 11 CGES In Review 2010 Right Wing Radicalism: A 3 Transatlantic Perspective communism is still experienced as a University of Nebraska, Omaha, has major defeat in parts of the former studied right wing extremist hate Othmar Ploeckinger opened the Soviet Union, and in times of economic groups up close and personal. As in conference with the question how to deal hardship and insecurity the traditional his book American Swastika: Inside with Adolf Hitler’s 1929 book Mein values of ethnic identity and solidarity the White Power Movement’s Kampf today. Ploeckinger is part of a espoused by the right wing extremists Hidden Spaces of Hate, Simi gave a team of experts at the university of make for a particularly fertile breeding chilling account of the everyday life Munich that are undertaking a critical ground. Peter Niesen, Professor of of white supremacist families. edition of the text in the hope of Political Theory and History of Ideas at Finally, Chip Berlet, Senior Analyst circumventing its utilization by young the Technical University of Darmstadt, at Political Research Associates in extremist groups. Copies of Mein Kampf who was a visiting fellow at the Center Boston, presented his assessment of are currently not available for purchase for European Studies at Harvard this the tea party’s recent arrival on the in Germany, but the copyright, currently year, described the controversies right wing political spectrum in the held by the Bavarian government, is due surrounding attempts to “ban the US. Berlet, who made it clear that he to expire in 2012. Historians in former ruling party” in countries did not intend to equate the tea party digging out of dictatorships. Such bans, movement with neo-Nazi Niesen explained, can backfire when organizations, showed instead the the movement is strong enough to boundaries between those who get reorganize. David Art, Assistant mobilized to fight against what they Professor in Political Science at Tufts perceive as “big government” and University, concluded the European panel with a comparison of successes and failures of different radical right movements in Europe. The groups’ organizational skills Ploeckinger’s group are urging the seemed often the most government to support their efforts. In his important determining overview of right wing populism in factor, Art said. Germany since WWII, Hans-Gerd Jaschke, Kathleen Blee, Professor of Political Science at the Berlin School of Business and Law explained how Distinguished Professor of Sociology at those who join organized militias. the movement had regrouped at different the University of Pittsburgh, opened the Berlet’s inclusion in the conference times due to legal restrictions and a American panel with a careful look at had drawn protests from tea party changing political landscape.