HCA Annual Report 2005/06
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Annual Report 2005/06 Special Feature: Harold James: “Europe: Cultural Adjustment to a New Kind of Capitalism?“ Ruprecht-Karls - Universität Heidelberg, est. 1386 Annual Report 2005/06 1 Editorial Editor: Additional Contributors: Detlef Junker Manfred Berg Vasiliki Christou Jana Freihöfer Editorial Staff: Pierre Hagedorn Mischa Honeck Wilfried Mausbach Harold James Anthony Santoro Martin Klimke Onno Schroeder Dirk Lutschewitz Daniel Sommer Elena Matveeva James Sparks Dietmar Schloss Holly Uhl Maik Hendrik Sprotte Alexander Vazansky Ole Wangerin Rebekka Weinel Joseph Windsor Heidelberg Center for American Studies (HCA) Coverdesign: Curt und Heidemarie Engelhorn Palais Bernhard Pompeÿ Hauptstraße 120 D-69117 Heidelberg Germany Layout: T +49 6221 / 54 37 10 Onno Schroeder F +49 6221 / 54 37 19 Daniel Sommer [email protected] www.hca.uni-heidelberg.de © Heidelberg Center for American Studies (HCA) 2006. All rights reserved. The HCA Annual Report is published yearly and is available free of charge. ISSN 1862-1201 2 Contents Rector‘s Welcome ......................................................................................... 5 Preface .......................................................................................................... 6 Introduction Mission Statement ........................................................................................10 Foundation and Development of the HCA ...................................................10 Organization and Staff .................................................................................12 HCA Board of Directors ................................................................................13 HCA Board of Trustees .................................................................................16 The Curt and Heidemarie Engelhorn Palais .................................................21 An Institute for Higher Education The Master of Arts in American Studies (MAS) ...........................................28 MAS Course Outline ....................................................................................30 MAS Teaching Staff .....................................................................................44 MAS Class of 2006 ......................................................................................52 MAS Social Activities ...................................................................................60 Ph.D. in American Studies............................................................................63 Special Feature Europe: Cultural Adjustment to a New Kind of Capitalism.......................... 66 A Center for Advanced Research The HCA Spring Academy ...........................................................................82 Research Framework “Varieties of Democratic Order“.................................93 Eu-Project “European Protest Movements since the Cold War“ ..................94 Research Project “Deliberative Democracies“ .............................................96 Conference “State and Market in a Globalized World“ ............................... 98 Colloquium: “The Russo-Japanese War (1904/05)“ ...................................102 IFK Conference: “Between the ‘Prague Spring‘ and the ‘French May‘“ .......105 Research Fellows at the HCA 2005/06 .......................................................106 Selected Publications .................................................................................109 3 A Forum for Public Debate Lecture Series “Typisch Amerikanisch” .......................................................116 Academic Ceremony of the 80th Anniversary of Curt Engelhorn............. 124 MAS Commencement 2006 .......................................................................129 Keynote Address by U.S. Ambassador William R. Timken, Jr. ....................132 Lecture: “Cross Burning, Hate Speech, and Free Speech in America”.........135 Visit by Minister of State Willi Stächele...................................................... 136 Further Activities Fundraising ................................................................................................140 The Alumni-Network for American Studies ................................................141 Media Coverage .........................................................................................142 Cooperation and Support .......................................................................... 143 HCA Interns................................................................................................ 143 Athena Wissenschaftsmarketing: The University‘s Newest Spin-Off..........144 4 Rector‘s Welcome Dear Reader, The Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg has a rich tradition of close ties to the United States. For the past 75 years these have been most clearly visible in the “New University” lecture hall. It was built with funds raised in the U.S. in 1928 by Jacob Gould Schurman, an alumnus of the Ruperto Carola and U.S. Ambassador to Germany from 1925 to 1930. In 2006, the close relations to the U.S. have become manifest with yet ano- ther prominent building. Curt Engelhorn, Honorary Senator of the University, bought a 300-year-old town house right off University Square, and dedi- cated it to the Heidelberg Center for American Studies (HCA). The HCA has already moved into its new home, renovations are almost complete, and the baroque splendor of the Palais shines anew. This generous donation enables the HCA to live up to its name and to become a real “Center” with an open door to all who want to study, do research on or debate about the United States and transatlantic relations. I am also very grateful to the many other benefactors who supported the HCA during the last year. Without their patronage the continuous success of the HCA would not have been possible. And a success it was. The M.A. in American Studies graduated its second class. The third class has already en- rolled. Applications came in from 45 countries and four continents, clearly indicating that the University of Heidelberg remains to be a top-choice for students from abroad. This also holds true for the newly established Ph.D. in American Studies program, marking another step in the progress made at the HCA in 2006. To fi nd out more about the activities and the success of the HCA, please enjoy reading this report. Or visit the HCA in its new home, the Curt and Heidemarie Engelhorn Palais. Kindest regards, Prof. Dr. Dres. h.c. Peter Hommelhoff Rector of the University of Heidelberg 5 Preface Dear friends, colleagues and students, The last year was one of excitement and successes for the HCA. Staff, students, and faculty have worked very hard and invested a lot of time exhibiting a great degree of commitment. Therefore, the HCA looks back at the previous year’s work with great pride and a feeling of accomplishment. The biggest event of the year was of course the move of the HCA from its previous location in the Schillerstraße to Hauptstraße 120 into the Curt and Heidemarie Engelhorn Palais. At the end of May we were all honored and moved to be a part of the 80th birthday celebration of Curt Engelhorn, Honorary Senator of the University, in which he offi cially dedicated the Palais to the HCA. Immediately following the move, the exceptional potential of the building became abundantly clear. It is situated in the heart of the old city center, 50 meters away from University square, in direct vicinity of the most important libraries, lecture halls and only a hop, skip and a jump away from the local student cafes, taverns and bars. Our M.A. and doctoral candidates, tutors, teaching staff and lecturers have profi ted immensely from the creative atmosphere of the Palais. We are delighted to have been able to inaugurate the new Ph.D. in American Studies program in this wonderful setting. The Palais also is a great asset for the HCA in its role as a public forum to host guest lectures. We have introduced a new tradition to our lecture series “Typically American”: our own fi reside chats in the Palais’ beautiful Bel Etage. The year started out with the third successful organization of the HCA’s international Ph.D. conference, the HCA Spring Academy. Since May the HCA has been involved in organizing a major EU-funded research project entitled: “European Protest Movements Since the Cold War.“ 6 Another milestone was the formation of our Board of Trustees in June of this year. During the inaugural meeting the idea of a “Matching Fund” was born, which we are currently incorporating. Beginning next year, the state of Baden-Württemberg in cooperation with the University of Heidelberg and private donors, will work together in order to help fi nance the further development of the HCA. The month of October was particularly hectic. It saw the end of renovations in the Plalais, the hosting of a large international conference “State and Market in a Globalized World: Transatlantic Perspectives”, supported by Manfred Lautenschläger and featuring a keynote address by U.S. Ambassador to Germany William R. Timken, Jr., and it saw the graduation of the M.A. in American Studies Class of 2006. In closing I would like to emphasize that the basic and, as far as the German educational system is concerned, unique concept of the HCA has been a proven success. Institutionally we are a central academic institute belonging to the University of Heidelberg, but fi nancially a public-private partnership. Our courses are offered in English, tuition fees for the M.A. program have been set at 5,000