Germany in Transit

This comprehensive sourcebook charts for the first time postwar Germany's irrevocable transformation into a multiethnic immigration country. More than 200 original German texts in English translation illuminate highly contentious debates about citizenship, human rights, multiculturalism, and globalization during the past fifty years---debates that resonate far beyond the country's borders. The book's eleven chapters cover incisive discussions about guest workers, foreigners in East Germany, xenophobia and racism, religion, literature, film, and everyday culture. Juxtaposing voices that range from statesmen and journalists to activists and artists, the collection chronicles utopian visions, violent setbacks, and unexpected consequences. It writes a cultural history of migration in documents. Germany in Transitoffers an indispensable resource for the comparative study of modern Germany against the backdrop of the rise of the European Union, the end of the Cold War, and transnational migration. The book includes a historical introduction, a chronology, a glossary, a bibliography, and a filmography. A companion website provides updated resources, additional documents, and a forum for discussion.