Suchergebnisse

The article is devoted to one of the aspects of the complex ethnic identity of Russian Germans, namely, its negative inversion. Events of the second half of the 20th century. in the ethnic history of the German community (deportation, labor army, special settlement) became factors in the formation of negative identity. It was expressed in public contempt, insults and humiliation towards the Russian Germans. In this regard, the Germans renounced their ethnicity, changed their personal names and surnames, and rewrote their nationality. The Germans turned out to be the only people who were not fully rehabilitated among those who were subject to repression and deportation, since the territorial autonomy, lost in 1941, was not restored. The negative identity of Russian Germans is a situational phenomenon that is associated with the influence on it, firstly, of historical events, secondly, the political actions of the authorities, and thirdly, public mood and opinion. The article is based on materials from field ethnographic expeditions, archival data and sources of personal origin.

In September 1929, a group of Russian German farmers who were dissatisfied with conditions under Soviet rule traveled to the suburbs of Moscow and demanded that they be allowed to emigrate. The gathering of ethnic Germans, most of whom were Mennonites, grew rapidly and numbered more than 13,000 people at its height. Their demands were widely reported in the German press and brought the subject of Soviet collectivization into the public eye in Germany. The effect of this event on German-Soviet diplomatic relations, which became increasingly strained as Stalinism took hold, is well known. Although studies of the gathering mention the public outcry in the press, they have generally assumed that the German public's identification with the Russian Germans was self-evident and not in need of explanation. In fact, public interest in and government concern for the Russian Germans was a relatively recent phenomenon. In the post-World War I era, Germans came to understand the Russian Germans as emblematic of Germany's fate—as innocent, hard-working farmers who were loyal to Germanness and who worked tirelessly to expand German culture in the world. The Russian Germans also came to represent the larger crisis of legitimacy that affected the Weimar Republic in which parliamentary government was increasingly perceived as not being able to protect the German people and its interests, whether in Germany or abroad.

German Diaspora played and plays significant role in Russian-German relations. It is very important for cooperation in humanitarian sphere, education and culture. Key actors are Germany as «the external homeland», German diaspora and Russia as «the accommodation country». In the activity concerning the Russian Germans all three parties are guided by various principles and purposes that sometimes leads to tensions and the conflicts. But as a whole we have to note that the Russian Germans became a constructive link between Germany and Russia.

Discusses role of public opinion, mutual perceptions, and media coverage in bilateral relations.

Obwohl die alten Feindbilder mit Ende des Kalten Krieges weitgehend beseitigt sind, herrscht in den Meinungen von Russen und Deutschen wieder ein gewisses Mißtrauen gegenüber den jeweils anderen; dies, obwohl in den letzten Jahren eine Reihe von gesellschaftlichen, vor allem kulturellen, partnerschaftlichen Kontakten intensiviert wurden. Auf russischer Seite fehlen jedoch die finanziellen Mittel, um die Darstellung Rußlands in Deutschland zu intensiveren; mit Bedauern wird hier ein gravierender Informationsmangel festgestellt. Auch im zweiten Teil befaßt sich der Autor jeweils kurz mit Einzelheiten der deutsch-russischen Kultur- und Bildungspolitik. (BIOst-Rgl)

An abridged version of a round table conference on Russian-German relations -- A discussion to which more than 40 people contributed.