Cold War Culture. The Global Conflict and its Legacies in Germany since 1945

Konzept: Ulrich Herbert, FRIAS und University of Cambridge

Cold War Culture. The Global Conflict and its Legacies in Germany since 1945

Programm (PDF)

For a long time Cold War historians have primarily focused on the diplomatic history of the global confrontation. Recent years, however, have seen a significant diversification of thematic perspectives and methodological approaches. A great number of studies have further explored the various effects this political conflict had on the many different societies around the globe. Most prominent amongst these societies that were affected by the Cold War are the two Germanies that existed after 1945.

The workshop will be held at the FRIAS School of History in cooperation with the University of Cambridge, the Free University of Berlin and the University of Konstanz. Its main goal is to discuss current research on Cold War Germany from various thematic perspectives and to raise new questions on the societal impact of this global conflict. By approaching the Cold War as an all-encompassing, dichotomous cultural condition the workshop will highlight historically diverse phenomena such as the role of experts and elites, criminology and constitutional reform, development policies, the mass media and consumerism.