Willkommenskultur in East and West Germany: Examining through protest how and why levels of xenophobia and acceptance of refugees/migrants vary between the former GDR and FRG

Presenter's Name(s)

Anna RyanFollow

Conference Year

January 2019

Abstract

This thesis aims to evaluate the successes and setbacks of the German willkommenskultur in terms of the levels of xenophobia and acceptance of recent migrants in the former East and West German territories. This will be accomplished through the lens of a comparative analysis of the major protests concerning immigration that happened across the country in the years 2015 and 2018, paying special attention to the ways sentiments of xenophobia and welcome clash within the public sphere. It will also offer theory for these why these differences occur in connection to Germany’s divided history from 1949-1990. The outcome of this study will not only provide a new insight on Germany’s willkommenskultur, but will also lay foundation for further assertions about attitudes towards migrants in relation to state histories.

Primary Faculty Mentor Name

Pablo Bose

Status

Undergraduate

Student College

College of Arts and Sciences

Program/Major

Global Studies

Primary Research Category

Social Sciences

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Willkommenskultur in East and West Germany: Examining through protest how and why levels of xenophobia and acceptance of refugees/migrants vary between the former GDR and FRG

This thesis aims to evaluate the successes and setbacks of the German willkommenskultur in terms of the levels of xenophobia and acceptance of recent migrants in the former East and West German territories. This will be accomplished through the lens of a comparative analysis of the major protests concerning immigration that happened across the country in the years 2015 and 2018, paying special attention to the ways sentiments of xenophobia and welcome clash within the public sphere. It will also offer theory for these why these differences occur in connection to Germany’s divided history from 1949-1990. The outcome of this study will not only provide a new insight on Germany’s willkommenskultur, but will also lay foundation for further assertions about attitudes towards migrants in relation to state histories.