Historical Memory and the Plea for a National Interests Based German Foreign Policy

Abstract

The events of 1989 & unification changed the Federal Republic of Germany's position in Europe significantly, & have forced the nation to reorient its foreign policy. Here, the relationship between historical memory & contemporary foreign policy in Germany is explored, both in terms of how remembering the past influences ideas about contemporary politics, & the role of the debate on a new German foreign policy in the ongoing struggle in the interpretation of the German past & national identity. This question is especially relevant in light of the renewed vigor evident in the battle for cultural dominance since unification.