The Ber|in 1ourna|

Taklng on the 0uttake:

Jeffrey Eugenldes
Svetlana 8oym
Ellzabeth McCracken
Jonathan Safran Foer
Plerre Jorls & Paul Celan
Plus:
Josef Joffe
Wllllam Forsythe & Kendall Thomas
0leter 0rlmm
4 Vaa:.o- em |- 4m-.eao 4ea1-m, .o 8-|.o |om!- S-.-o a|| acc`

The Ber|in 1ourna|
|om!- S-.-o a|| acc`
0ur work |o Progress
lt has been a heady, improbable live years since
kichard lolbrooke, Stephen and Anna-Maria
lellen, and Michael Xaumann welcomed the lirst
class ol lellows, including writer Arthur Miller, eco-
nomic historian Cerald leldman, and poet C.l.
\illiams, to an American Academy still under con-
struction. 1hat ceremony was unlorgettable lor
many reasons, not least as the return ol the lamily
ol lans and Ludmilla Arnhold to the home where
they had last dined some o years belore. 1heirs is
a legacy the Academy, housed in the lans Arnhold
Center, has endeavored to keep alive: the cultural
and intellectual salon where |ca| 8cr/ir once met,
where liatigorsky played duets with lablo Casals.
1he Arnhold legacy was built on the dual lounda-
tion ol cultivation and philanthropy, an ethos the
American Academy has sought to adhere to in its
decision to remain private and independent.
live years later, as kichard lolbrooke joined
Senator lagel and Ambassador Coats in welcoming
a room almost lull ol private benelactors (there is
still room), we realized that a good idea had become
very real. \hat makes the American Academy so
special, even singular, in a world lull ol centers ol
excellence and lellowship programs is, lirst ol all,
its departure lrom the idea ol the academy as a ver-
itable monastery. 1he Academy's lellows consti-
tute a tangible expert resource, a kind ol inlormal,
independent, American intellectual presence in
8erlin. 1hey publish in Cerman newspapers, speak
out on the radio, and meet with public ligures. 1his
year has marked the Academy's political turn. 1his
means you will lind more policy experts and jour-
nalists alongside scholars, writers, and artists.
1he Academy has embedded itsell in the 8erlin
community in a dillerent way, too. All lellows
are paired with Cerman hosts, |a|cr even, who
introduce them to |/cir 8erlin, ensuring that our
American guests get as deep an understanding ol
8erlin's dillerent milieus as possible.
linally, the Academy is singular, in Cermany at
least, in that its trustees truly shape the institution.
\ithout the constant guidance and enthusiasm ol
kobert Mundheim, Cahl lodges 8urt, larl von der
leyden, kichard von \eizsacker, and many more
- all ol them seasoned veterans lrom the worlds
ol banking, law, education, and politics - the
Academy would still be more idea than reality. And
every benelactor also becomes a mentor, leading
the Academy through important translormations.
1he scholarly, literary, and political worlds ol
the lellows are always evolving, and the Academy,
like the locus ol the current issue ol the 8cr/ir
/carra/, is itsell a work-in-progress.
Cary Smith
A Vaa ine trom the
American Academy in Ber|in
Pub|ished semiannua||y at the
lans Arnho|d Center
|umber Seven - la|| 2OOJ
Cover.
Ben latchor
(Cuna Vundheim le||oW, 2OO2)
A|eanderp|at , 2OO2
d|tor
Cary Smith
Assoc|ate d|tor
Viranda Robbins
0es|go
Susanna 0u||inys and
united 0esiners |etWor|
Naoag|og d|tor
Teresa Co
0r|g|oa| 0raw|ogs
Ben latchor
EdWard loren
Advert|s|og
Renate Poppe|
Iraoscr|pt|oos
Vartha lynn Coon
Ihe Amer|cao Academy |o 8er||o
Am SandWerder I/-I9
I4IO9 Ber|in
Te|. (+ 49 JO) 8O 48 JO
la (+ 49 JO) 8O 48 JIII
Emai|. journa|Gamericanacademy.de
The Ber|in 1ourna| is hnanced entire|y
throuh advertisin and tadeduct
ib|e donations. A|| contributions are
very much appreciated, either by
chec| or by ban| tanster to.
American Academy in Ber|in
Ber|iner Spar|asse, Account no.
GGO OOO 99O8, BlZ IOO 5OO OO
A|| rihts reserved lSS| IGIOG49O
xecut|ve 0|rector
Cary Smith
0eputy 0|rector
Pau| Stoop
0eve|opmeot 0|rector
AnneVarie VcConnia|
xteroa| AIIa|rs 0|rector
Renate Poppe|
Fe||ows 5erv|ces 0|rector
Varie uner
Program 6oord|oator
ute Zimmermann
Press 6oord|oator
lnrid Vu||er
Fe||ows 5e|ect|oo 6oord|oator
li|y Saint
Irustees oI the
Amer|cao Academy
hooorary 6ha|rmaoo
Thomas l. larmer
lenry A. lissiner
Richard von \ei sac|er
6ha|rmao
Richard C. lo|broo|e
|ce 6ha|rmao
Cah| lodes Burt
Pres|deot
Robert l. Vundheim
Ireasurer
lar| V. von der leyden
Irustees
Cah| lodes Burt
0iethart Breipoh|
Cerhard Casper
l|oyd Cut|er
1onathan l. lanton
Thomas l. larmer
1u|ie lin|ey
Vartan Creorian
\i||iam A. lase|tine
1on Vanden leuve|
lar| V. von der leyden
Richard C. lo|broo|e
0ieter von lo|t brinc|
0ietrich loppenstedt
1oset 1otte
Stephen V. le||en
lenry A. lissiner
JoseI JoIIe descr|bes
6eorge w. 8ush's chaoce
to returo to the go|deo age
oI Amer|cao d|p|omacy.
3
osel olle is co-publisher
and co-editor ol the weekly
newspaper Dic zci|. le is
associate ol the 0lin lnstitute
at larvard, a trustee ol the
American Academy in 8erlin,
and a lrequent contributor
to the opinion page ol the
Nca cr/ 1ircs, in addition to
other American publications.
w||||am Forsythe
respoods to a guest|oo
oo daoce aod the aud|eoce
by keoda|| Ihomas.
4
Choreographer \illiam
lorsythe has directed the
8allett lranklurt since
198!. lendall 1homas
(Academy alumnus) teach-
es at Columbia Lniversity
Law School. 1he dancer and
the lawyer had a lot to say to
each other when they met
under Academy auspices lor
the lirst time this lall. 1heir
ongoing collaboration will
result in a perlormance at the
Staatsoper next year.
Iak|og oo the 0uttake:
a g||mpse oI the creat|ve
process.
3I
lrom the working dralt to
the reluctant discard, we
asked past and luture
Academy lellows to lead us
a lew steps down the road
not taken. ellrey lugenides
ollers a 8-Side" lrom his
lulitzer-lrize-winning novel
Mi/csc\. larvard literature
scholar Svetlana 8oym medi-
tates in words and images
on nostalgic technology
and the aesthetic errands ol
the amateur. llizabeth
McCracken shares the com-
pletely dillerent" beginning
to her novel Niaara |a//s
a// Jicr Aair, which won a
llX/\inship Award last
year. onathan Salran loer,
author ol the bestseller
|icr;|/ir is |//arira|c,
shares a selection ol exhib-
its lrom an imaginary ewish
Museum. linally poet and
translator lierre oris gains
insight into laul Celan's
poetics while translating the
dralts ol Celan's essay 1he
Meridian."
0|eter 6r|mm exp|a|os
the Amer|cao aod 6ermao
coost|tut|oos.
7
lieter Crimm, kector ol
the \issenschaltskolleg zu
8erlin, served lor 12 years as
a judge on Cermany's lederal
Constitutional Court and
today is on the laculty ol the
lumboldt Lniversity, XYL,
and teaches regularly at Yale.
kecent publications are
Dic za/arj| cr \crjassar
(199!) and Dic \crjassar ar
ic |c/i|i/ (2001).
lorst loh|er
1ohn C. lornb|um
0tto Crat lambsdortt
|ina von Va|t ahn
0eryc| Vauhan
l|aus Vano|d
Erich Var
\o|tan Vayrhuber
Robert l. Vundheim
1oseph |eubauer
lran Xaver 0hnesor
Robert Po en
Vo||er Sch|ondortt
lrit Stern
lurt Viermet
A|berto \. Vi|ar
Richard von \ei sac|er
l|aus \oWereit, e othcio
6ary 5m|th reports oo
the 6ermaoAmer|cao
work|og 6roup
P|us
ln this issue, we paint a
picture ol art historian 1..
Clark's new work on 8ruegel
and loussin, writer Christine
8rinck proliles Academy
trustee Cerhard Casper, 8en
latchor gives us a cover and
ldward loren contributes
original drawings, and, in the
/carra/'s newsletter section,
the American Academy in
8erlin shares the latest about
its visitors, lriends, alumni,
and current lellows.
THE
AMEBICAX
ACAIEMY
IX BEBLIX
uaos 4oe|1 6-o-
The 8erlln Journal 3
At least Cerhard Schroder and Ceorge 8ush are
talking again. 8ut why lidn't one win his election
on an anti-8ush platlorm while the other relegated
the Cermans to the dusty drawer ol 0ld lurope,"
where they would nnd themselves ignored" \hat
has changed lid new love somehow nare up during
the LX special assembly Xo. Such special leelings
never existed and will never be aroused. 1he mistrust
is too deep. lt is pointless to try to probe the souls ol
these men lor answers. kealpolitik delivers a lar
more reliable answer. 1he basic point is: Schroder
and 8ush need each other. 1he long estrangement
between old lurope" and America has given way to
the cool calculation ol national interests.
lor a whole long year Schroder was crscra
rcr ra|a in the \hite louse. 0n August 11 the
LS president ended the period ol excommunica-
tion with the words Cermany has taken on a very
active role in Alghanistan, and lor that we are very
gratelul." 8ush even took the trouble to oller the
8undeskanzler his personal thanks lor Cerman
participation abroad. \hence this sudden courtesy
Alter all, things do change," said a 8ush adviser.
The dazz||ng m|||tary
v|ctory over Saddam
husse|n has segued |nto
po||t|ca| horror story.
\hat an understatement! 8ush has lound himsell
sinking into a domestic and loreign policy debacle,
one that in any parliamentary democracy might
lead to the ouster ol the prime minister. lis daz-
zling military victory over Saddam lussein has seg-
ued into political horror story. lis triumphal con-
nrmation in the Congressional elections ol 2002
(when the kepublicans, against historical experi-
ence, gained seats in both houses) has been dis-
placed by the specter ol a one-term presidency. 1he
LS economy continues to grow, but the recovery
still looks like a jobless one while the lederal dencit
is exploding. 8ush wants $87 billion lrom Congress
to lund his occupation ol lraq, and the lemocratic
opposition is already rattling the saber, the money
will be approved only when other nations con-
tribute $!2 billion ol their own. (So lar, a paltry
two countries have signed up). 1he lorces ol real-
ity have set in," observed Senator Chuck lagel, a
prominent kepublican senator. A colleague scolled,
kumsleld lately has been as docile as a puppy."
Cerhard Schroder, too, is being bitten by real-
ity. le does not come up lor election lor another
three years, but this lall he laces three crucial voting
battles in the 8undestag and in the 8undesrat, the
upper house ol parliament, while rebellious depu-
ties on the lelt ol his own parties nex their muscles.
8etter to nght only on one lront than to have to
carry the extra burden ol an interminable squabble
with Ceorge \.
A heavier burden still is the high-stakes loreign pol-
icy Schroder launched in the summer ol last year
without hitting the jackpot. 1he revolt against big
brother - nineteenth-century balance ol power pol-
itics instead ol the alliance politics ol the last nlty
years - couldn't stop America lrom going to war,
nor chastise the lyper-lower." 0n the contrary,
the penalties ol overestimating Cerman power have
become ever more evident.
lnstead ol maintaining the traditional bal-
ance between lrance and the LS (a role Cermany
has always played well and prontably), Schroder
threw himsell into the arms ol America's eternal
rival, lrance, and in so doing radicalized Chirac's
own diplomacy. Abandoning the strategic mid-
dle ground didn't strengthen Cermany's bargain-
ing position. lence the lriendly peace ollering that
Schroder circulated in 1he Nca cr/ 1ircs just
belore his trip to Xew York City last September.
ln it he recalled his dilncult encounter with the
8undestag when he coupled the decision on sending
Cerman troops to Alghanistan with a vote ol conn-
dence in his own administration. Lnlike the lrench
- who sometimes speak as though they would have
prelerred an American deleat in lraq to seeing the
country's reconstruction - Schroder declared that,
we must work together to win the peace." le prom-
ised all kinds ol help in the name ol a prolound
lriendship," such as assistance in rebuilding the
lraqi police lorces.
ll old lriends come calling, old allies lend their
support. Yet the story goes much deeper. 1he high
priest ol kealpolitik, Lord lalmerston, lormulated
a lamous doctrine according to which nations have
neither perpetual allies nor permanent enemies, but
only eternal interests. 1oday the nineteenth-century
credo should actually be inverted, interests change,
lriends stay the same. 8ecause, in truth, lurope and
America can nnd no better ones.
1his message has hit hardest in \ashington.
lreed lrom the distractions ol countering a Soviet
threat and elated by the easy victory in Alghanistan,
the 8ushies believed that sheer military might and
a unique arsenal ol the world's cleverest weapons
would be the only hard currency required in the
global power economy. \ho needs allies or cooper-
ative institutions when you can buy everything you
need by yoursell 1he temptation turned out to be
an illusion.
Xow 8ush nnds himsell out on a limb. le is
slowly learning that the most pressing and most
interesting problems ol loreign policy cannot be
solved by going it alone. 1he war on terror ollers the
most emblematic example, without the close col-
laboration between America's police and intelli-
gence lorces and those ol many other countries, the
trag-edy ol the 1win 1owers might well have been
repeated again. And what ol the collapse ol the trade
talks at Cancun 8ilateral deals are no substitute lor
global lree trade, lrom which America, as the no. 1
export power, benents most. Currency crises that
threaten the dollar A current account dencit ol
$00 billion will eventually undermine the LS econ-
omy at home. \hat ol Xorth lorean and lranian
nuclear weapons 0nly stable coalitions can banish
this lrightlul scenario.
8ut the same lesson applies to the lesser pow-
ers, too. Simply to say black" when the superpow-
er says white" is the most sterile ol all diplomacies.
lt leads at best to sheer obstructionism, at worst to
total lutility, or even to the very solo ventures on the
part ol the superpower these strategies were sup-
posed to stop. And the good news A lot ol glass has
been broken, but a window ol opportunity remains
intact and wide open. 8oth sides have been chas-
tened, though not yet relormed, in the altermath ol
the lraq war. lven acques Chirac doesn't talk about
vetoing new lraq resolutions anymore. And no won-
der, lor it will be no help to lrance or the rest ol the
world il America loses the peace and the Sadamists
make a comeback. lven worse would be a war ol all
against all in contemporary lraq.
A h|stor|c opportun|ty:
to return to the go|den age
of Amer|can d|p|omacy.
1o be sure, the greater responsibility rests on the
shoulders ol the greatest player. Although his
speech belore the LX shows 8ush still unbowed, an
enormous historic opportunity stretches out belore
him. lt is to return to the golden age ol American
diplomacy, which began in the midst ol \orld \ar
ll. America stepped lorward as early as 19!! as the
architect ol a postwar order, whose pillars were the
LX and the world monetary system, lollowed by a
dozen international institutions that had one thing
in common: they served LS interests while also serv-
ing those ol all the others. 1hese organizations were
so successlul because they paid respect to the prin-
ciples ol multilateralism, they were institutions that
gave a voice and a vote to each and all.
1he legendary lormer LS Secretary ol State
lean Acheson, whose hard work was so crucial
lor postwar reconstruction, entitled his memoirs
|rcscr| a| |/c Crca|icr. 1he second volume needs
to be written right now, so to speak. \hat is called
lor is not narrow-minded haggling about lraq reso-
lutions but a grand design lor a luro-American alli-
ance in the twenty-nrst century. 0r to put it more
badly: ll America must learn to contain its vast
power, the luropeans must earn the voting rights
in the common enterprise that will not only serve
their interests but also help to protect the American
giant lrom its own lollies.
1his piece was originally published in Dic zci| on
September 2, 2003.
1rars/a|c o; /ar |isc/cr
After the Fraterna| wars
0|senchantment as a Creat|ve 0pportun|ty for 8ush and Schrder
by osel olle
The fo||ow|ng exchange between choreographer
w||||am Forsythe and |aw professor and Academy
a|umnus Kenda|| Thomas - the f|rst of severa| - took
p|ace on Saturday, September 20 at the hans Arnho|d
Center, dur|ng a pub||c d|a|ogue moderated by w|ebke
hster of the Fraokfurfer 4||geme|oe Ze|fuog. The
event co|nc|ded w|th a bouquet of performances by
Forsythe's company, the 8a||ett Frankfurt, wh|ch
opened the prest|g|ous 8er||ner Festwochen, an annua|
cu|tura| fest|va| organ|zed by Joach|m Sartor|us. A
pr|vate co||aborat|on between Forsythe and Thomas
was |aunched that weekend as we|| and w||| cu|m|nate
|n a jo|nt performance by the art|st and the |nte||ectua|
at the Staatsoper Unter den L|nden |n 2004.
Kenda|| Thomas
l want to ask a question about the social role ol the
choreographer. larlier you described choreography
as an organizational practice that puts itsell at the
service ol the desire to dance. lt is also, in cultures
like ours, an organizational practice that obviously
is itsell situated within a network ol organizational
practices, choreography, dancers, their perlor-
mances, and so lorth, are lunded in certain ways. l
buy a ticket to the 8erliner lestspiele. l want to see
dance - l have a desire to see dance. l get there and
this guy lorsythe is screwing around with the lights.
l can't see. 1here's this undulating screen. l think
there might be dancers back there dancing but l'm
not sure. l see these shadows. 1hen l don't see the
shadows, and l have this vertiginous, shall l say,
destabilizing experience ol my expectations and ol
my entitlements being subverted.
Xow surely you're aware ol the lact that there's
at least one person in the audience who is going
through this. low on your part does this awareness
ellect you - the lact that the bodies ol the people
who are sitting on the other side ol the proscenium
are bodies that are themselves situated on a kind ol
horizon ol prejudice," to use Coddamer's phrase
\e came with our prejudices, which were given to
us by a certain kind ol tradition.
we come w|th our
prejud|ces, wh|ch were
g|ven to us by a certa|n
k|nd of trad|t|on."
Are you and your dancers ever mindlully engaging
the social lact ol that prejudice 1hat sense ol the
spectator's entitlement-expectation 1he rights ol
the spectator, which are a consequence ol the lact
that your organizational practice is also situated
The Art|st and
the lnte||ectua|
Lega| scho|ar Kenda|| Thomas (fa|| '98) returned
to 8er||n |n |ate September for an unusua| co||ab
orat|on w|th Amer|canborn, Europebased cho
reographer w||||am Forsythe. ln pa|r|ng a d|st|n
gu|shed Amer|can |nte||ectua| w|th a |ead|ng f|gure
|n the arts, the event's organ|zers at the Academy
and Staatsoper Unter den L|nden wanted to see just
what k|nd of a|chemy wou|d resu|t. ln the course
of a weekend of pr|vate meet|ngs - and |n the pub
||c exchange recorded here - th|s odd coup|e"
turned out to have more to share w|th one another
than wou|d have |n|t|a||y been expected. Forsythe,
who has d|rected the 8a||ett Frankfurt s|nce 984,
|s one of the greatest th|nkers work|ng |n choreog
raphy today, a pract|ct|oner of pure, often abstract
movements that push the c|ass|ca| vocabu|ary of
ba||et to the ||m|t, somet|mes to the break|ng po|nt.
Thomas, a professor of Law at Co|umb|a known for
h|s work on subjects rang|ng from aff|rmat|ve ac
t|on, to hate speech, to the lnternat|ona| Cr|m|na|
Court, stud|ed theater as an undergraduate at Ya|e.
There was, |n add|t|on to the a|chemy of fr|endsh|p,
an a|most |nstant react|on on the part of two cur|
ous, open m|nds adept at the art of |mprov|sat|on.
ln the com|ng months, meet|ngs between the two
are schedu|ed to cont|nue |n 8er||n, London, and
hew York, and the fr|endsh|p that was born |n |ate
September dur|ng a weekend of d|nners, dance, and
d|a|ogue w||| cu|m|nate |n a jo|nt performance to
gether on the stage of the Staatsoper's Projektraum
|n 2004. The |nte||ectua| adventure was funded by
the 8er||n haupstadtku|turfonds.
in a network ol other organizational practices: the
market, the state, culture as an institution, and so
lorth.
w||||am Forsythe
1he artist kichard Serra once said ol his spectators
that he always assumes they are lar more intelli-
gent than he is. And that has become a sort ol guide-
line lor me. l assume that people out there are prob-
ably lar more intelligent than me. l always assume
that the role ol each piece is to reinvent the medi-
um to some degree, on some level, somehow. ll its
not directly in the dancing, it's in its presentation,
in its lormat. Actually, l didn't want to bring the
piece lnemy in the ligure" to the lestspiele this
time because l thought it was too old. So l was prob-
ably naively unaware ol people who might think
lnemy" was disturbing in some way, that it might
not be possible lor them to take in the entire event.
Strangely enough, l don't perceive the screen in the
middle ol the stage as a visual obstacle. lnstead ol
just having twenty lights, l use the whole stage as
a lighting instrument. lt locuses and renects light.
And so we have a very unlocused light that basically
uses the resident attributes ol whatever stage we're
on, including the wall, to create luminous qualities.
l th|nk l can g|ve peop|e
the g|ft of the|r own atten
t|on, mak|ng them pay
attent|on to where they are
at that part|cu|ar t|me."
1he movement is based on the hyper-curvature
inscribed between points on the body. \hat we're
trying to do in that piece is to blur. And to show you
the limits ol a single body's organizational velocity.
lor example, in 0ne llat 1hing, reproduced," we
try to reach the limit ol optical density in terms ol
what can be organized with 1 people. ln lnemy,"
also, there are points where l know the audience
can't keep track ol the motion. \hen you see it lor
the nrst time, you can't lollow it. And that is a way ol
directing your attention.
leople like to have something to pay attention
to. ln lile, there is plenty that doesn't get that sort ol
attention or that we're conlronted with all the time
and tune out. lt's a question ol what we can give to
people. l think we can give people the gilt ol their
own attention, making them pay attention to where
they are at that particular time. 0l course, l know
there are points in pieces where the cough network"
starts up. Like last night! 1he cough network began
0n 0anc|ng and
0raw|ng 8reath
w||||am Forsythe and Kenda|| Thomas: An Exchange
Number Seven Fall Z003

8a||ett Frankfurt, Enemy |n the F|gure," 989
Choreography: w||||am Forsythe
P
h
o
t
o
:
0
o
m
|
n
|
k
N
e
a
t
z
o
s

downstage and moved its way - cough," cough,"
cough" - across the audience. lt was interesting
(/aa/s). Some were actually sick, you know.
Kenda|| Thomas
\hat does a cough mean to you
w||||am Forsythe
Cough means that people are uncomlortable with
the quantity and the rate at which events are emerg-
ing, that events don't emerge at a comlortable rate.
1his produces anxiety. ln lnemy," lor example,
things reach an impossible density, and then comes
a very slow, dark section. And, ol course, it's hard
lor the people who have to dance it. 8ecause the pre-
ceding section is so riveting, it gives you the shilt,
the speed, the excitement. And all ol a sudden some-
thing comes along that isn't demanding your atten-
tion in the same way. 8ut this is, again, a device. \e
have to let the tension go down in order to take the
piece to the end. lt's like the classic tension in writ-
ing, or composing. 1he piece doesn't end on a bang.
lt sort ol lades away.
Aud|ences want to be
cha||enged"
lerhaps l naively assume that audiences want to
be challenged. l leel, lor example, that lnemy" is
not over-challenging to watch, that it actually gives
the sort ol libidinous, or visceral charge, that peo-
ple actually associate with entertainment. And in
some ways it is an extremely entertaining piece.
Quintett," on the other hand, is a dillerent kind ol
relationship to time and is a kind ol meditation on
events that treats stage time very dillerently. 1here's
a musical ngure that repeats over and over again:
sixty musical repetitions and sixty choreograph-
ic interpretations ol a single phrase. lt's a slow, solt
clock.
when the aud|ence
breathes w|th the dancers
- when a|| the boys go
nbub" (breafbes |o
sbarp|j) ||ke that, you a||
do too. And l hear |t, and l
|ove you a|| thenl"
Actually, l'm quite preoccupied with solt clocks. ln
the piece (X.X.X.X.)," the time ol events is deter-
mined by the nature ol morbid things like the body,
things that are not etched, like music is on a digital
Cl. A piece like (X.X.X.X.)" works on a dillerent
kind ol attention and draws attention to the body's
sources ol legibility, which also include its own
breathing. lancers time events with breath. laniel
Libeskind and l once had a very interesting talk
about drawing as breathing. Xo wonder we say you
draw breath." And dancing is breath drawn. 1his
drawing ol breath is the act ol dancing. lt's not only
the intake ol breath, but it's actually, literally, how
breath manilests itsell as inscription.
ldward lall's idea ol entrainment" is very
important to me. \hat l try to do is to get the audi-
ence to act as a collective. l try to get you all breath-
ing with us, to get you in the same tempo with us.
1hat's the most important thing. And, il this hap-
pens, you will be better readers. lt's a little cogni-
tive trick. 1he structure works so that you slowly
come with us, you - get - in - the - rhythm - with us,
and your reading level increases. ln other words,
lnemy" is harder to read il (X.X.X.X.)" doesn't
come belore it. Lsually (X.X.X.X.)" comes later
in the evening, alter we've introduced dillerent lev-
els ol inscription and legibility. And (X.X.X.X.)"
comes as sort ol the cumulative climax ol a very spe-
cinc kind ol inscription that's dependent upon the
audience breathing with. ln other words, when all
the boys go whuh" (breathes in sharply) like that,
you all go whuh." And l hear that - and l love you
all then! Yes! Come with, come with us!" So l would
say our tactics are inclusive. \e want you to be there
with us in the best way you can, which is by watch-
ing and listening.
Jr Ma; 1. 21. Acacr; |rcsicr| kcocr| n
Mar/cir ac/ccrc ar arccia|iic aaicrcc |c
|/c nars Arrc/ Ccr|cr jcr |/c iraaara/ |ri|: 3|crr
|cc|arc 1/c jc//cair rcrar/s /crcr |/c rar aj|cr
a/cr |/c /cc|arc is rarc ar ir|rcacc |/c rs|
|ri|: 3|crr /cc|arcr. Dic|cr Crirr
Th|s even|ng's aud|ence conta|ns so many fam|||ar
faces, so many d|st|ngu|shed guests. The Cha|rman
of the 8oard of Trustees of the Amer|can Academy
|n 8er||n, R|chard C. ho|brooke |s present, as are a
number of other Academy trustees. And why shou|dn't
a |arge number of d|st|ngu|shed peop|e be here? After
a||, th|s marks an |mportant occas|on. lt |s the f|rst
annua| Fr|tz Stern Lecture. hav|ng the |ecture as part
of the Academy's program adds an |mportant |nte|
|ectua| br|ck to the ed|f|ce that we're bu||d|ng at the
hans Arnho|d Center.
l am part|cu|ar|y p|eased that Fr|tz Stern h|mse|f |s
present. Ambassador ho|brooke once ca||ed Stern a
||v|ng nat|ona| treasure" |n both 0ermany and the US.
when you th|nk about a nat|ona| treasure you a|ways
th|nk of somebody who |s surrounded by secur|ty
guards, put beh|nd g|ass, so to speak. 8ut that |s not
the |mage of Fr|tz Stern that l have. he's a warm per
son, a de||ght to s|t next to at d|nner, and an |nsp|rat|on
to generat|ons of students. R|chard ho|brooke cou|d
just as eas||y have ca||ed h|m a nat|ona| p|easure. The
estab||shment of th|s |ecture ser|es at the Amer|can
Academy |s part|cu|ar|y f|tt|ng. Fr|tz Stern |s a pre
em|nent h|stor|an of 0ermany and 0ermans, whose
work was honored by Co|umb|a Un|vers|ty when |t
named h|m Un|vers|ty Professor - a des|gnat|on g|ven
to a very few of the un|vers|ty's tenured professors.
And h|s pr|zew|nn|ng book 0o|deo |roo: 8|smarck,
8|e|cbrder aod fbe 8u||d|og of fbe 0ermao Emp|re
takes us r|ght |nto the h|story of the f|rm of Arnho|d
8|e|chrder, wh|ch |n turn |eads us back to the Arnho|d
and Ke||en fam|||es - the pr|mary benefactors of the
Amer|can Academy. Th|s |ecture |s g|ven |n the former
hans Arnho|d house, where Nrs. Ke||en - AnnaNar|a
- ||ved as a g|r|. To comp|ete the c|rc|e, |t shou|d be
noted that henry Arnho|d was the major supporter of
th|s |ecture ser|es, a ser|es that was a|so funded by
the 8eck Ver|ag.
when R|chard ho|brooke became Ambassador to
0ermany, the person he |ooked to as h|s sen|or adv|sor
was Fr|tz Stern. Stern a|so p|ayed a ro|e |n shap|ng
the m|ss|on of the Amer|can Academy and |s one of
|ts found|ng trustees. The concept of the Amer|can
Academy as a cu|tura| embassy ref|ects one of Stern's
centra| concerns: the need to bu||d and nurture
strong bonds between Amer|cans and 0ermans on a
persona| bas|s. hav|ng estab||shed why a Fr|tz Stern
Lecturesh|p |s |mportant, the next quest|on |s: who
cou|d poss|b|y be the f|rst Fr|tz Stern Lecturer? You've
got to have a |ecturer w|th the rare attr|butes of a Fr|tz
Stern: erud|t|on, 0ermanAmer|can exper|ence, the
des|re to understand and promote 0ermanAmer|can
re|at|ons, and |ntense |nte||ectua| cur|os|ty. we were
fortunate to f|nd the answer to th|s d|ff|cu|t quest|on
r|ght here |n 8er||n: 0|eter 0r|mm.
when l to|d Fr|tz Stern that 0|eter 0r|mm was to be
the f|rst Fr|tz Stern Lecturer, he sa|d, you cou|d not
have found a better person." 0r|mm was educated
|n 0ermany. he has h|s doctorate |n |aw from Frankfurt
and an L.L.N. from harvard Law Schoo|. Today he
ho|ds appo|ntments at the humbo|dt Un|vers|ty, |s
on the facu|ty at hYU, and a|so teaches on a regu|ar
bas|s at Ya|e. For many years he was a professor
at 8|e|efe|d and 0|rector of |ts lnst|tute for lnterd|sc|-
p||nary Research. Today he |s a Permanent Fe||ow and
Rector of the w|ssenschaftsko||eg zu 8er||n, renowned
home to a d|st|ngu|shed |nternat|ona| group of aca
dem|cs who spend an academ|c year |n res|dence and
|n co||eaguesh|p |n 8er||n. Under h|s |eadersh|p, there
has been a broaden|ng and a deepen|ng of re|at|ons
between the w|ssenschaftsko||eg and the Amer|can
Academy. And that sp|r|t of cooperat|on between two
very spec|a| 8er||n |nst|tut|ons |s, l th|nk, an examp|e
of exact|y the r|ght way |n wh|ch we a|| shou|d be go|ng.
For 2 years 0|eter 0r|mm was a judge on 0ermany's
federa| const|tut|ona| court and was respons|b|e for
the sect|on that dea|t w|th what an Amer|can |awyer
wou|d ca|| F|rst Amendment |ssues, as we|| as med|a
and broadcast |ssues and pr|vacy r|ghts. h|s jud|c|a|
ro|e has forced 0|eter 0r|mm to take |nto account
pract|ca| consequences as we|| as conceptua| c|ar|ty.
he has chosen the top|c of 0erman and Amer|can
const|tut|ona||sm. The d|scuss|on of comparat|ve
const|tut|ona||sm prov|des an exce||ent opportun|ty to
|ook at cr|t|ca| va|ues for both 0ermany and Amer|ca
- a worthwh||e and exc|t|ng beg|nn|ng to the Fr|tz
Stern Lecture ser|es.
1hc Fisterian an! thc }a!,c
lictcr trinn inaa,aratcs thc lritz tcrn lcctarcs
8y Robert Nundhe|m
The 8erlln Journal y
8 Number Seven Fall Z003

lart l
wnr i :,,o the era ol constitutionalism began
at the periphery ol the \estern world, Cermany,
although quite interested in the revolutionary
events across the Atlantic, was unable to perceive
the innovative character ol a constitution, let alone
to adopt one at home. 1he old system stood nrm
without being petrined. oseph ll was emperor ol
the Cerman lmpire. lis mother Maria 1heresa
reigned over Austria and lrederick the Creat over
lrussia. \e associate these names with the era ol
enlightened absolutism when monarchs under
the innuence ol philosophic educators or advisors
agreed to limit their own power and the rule ol
law began to take shape. 1his happened not in the
lmpire, which had never developed into a modern
state and looked antiquated to most contempo-
raries, but in some advanced Cerman territories
such as lrussia and Austria.
Enlightened alsolutism
still remained alsolutist.
People were suljects.
not citizens.
Still, enlightened absolutism remained an absolut-
ist regime. leople were subjects, not citizens,
without representation and without rights vis-a-
vis the state. 1he leudal structure ol society and
economy remained untouched. Altogether, it was
the opposite ol constitutionalism. ligher law with
binding lorce lor the ruler was not completely
unknown, but usually it resulted lrom contracts
lorged between the monarch and inlluential
groups, primarily the aristocracy. Such contracts
did not constitute the power ol the ruler but modi-
lied it in certain respects and to the benelit ol
privileged classes only. 1he notion ol constitution
existed, but it had no normative meaning. kather
it relerred to the state ol a country as determined
by numerous lactors, among them its basic legal
rules and institutions. 8ut this basic legal structure
was not the constitution. lt only lormed a part ol
its constitution in a descriptive sense.
1he system lound growing criticism in theoretical
works alter 170. \ellare ol the people began to
replace the raiscr c|a| as the leading principle ol
political action. ln many treatises ol natural law
the list ol innate and unalienable human rights,
which the state had to respect and to protect, grew.
8ut all this was philosophy, not law, and even the
most progressive philosophers ol the time did not
arrive at an understanding ol the constitution as a
body ol legal norms regulating the organization and
exercise ol public power. All cherished the theory
ol the social contract. 8ut this contract was not
regarded as a historical covenant among lree people
antedating rulership but as a hypothetical test ol the
legitimacy ol political systems. A political system
was considered legitimate when organized in such a
way that it could have lound the consent ol lree and
reasonable people.
\hat was so new about the constitution and
the 8ill ol kights that originated in the American
colonies in 177o \ith the leclaration ol
lndependence the American colonists had lreed
themselves lrom lnglish rule and proclaimed sell-
government. 8y sell-government they did not
mean an exchange ol the lnglish monarchy lor an
American one. Sell-government meant popular gov-
ernment, and this could not coexist with a monar-
chy. Legitimate systems had to be republican and
democratic. lt was this option that developed a ten-
dency toward constitutionalism. lirstly, the break
with traditional lnglish rule lelt a gap that had to be
nlled. Secondly, the decision to nll it in accordance
with democratic principles made necessary an orga-
nizational scheme about the establishment, organi-
zation, powers, and accountability ol government.
1he plan developed in the colonies was deeply
innuenced by two experiences: nrstly that govern-
ment tends to corrupt il not sulnciently limited and
controlled, and secondly that majority rule does not
sulnciently protect individual lreedom. 1he lramers
therelore subordinated all political power to rules
emanating lrom the people. 1hese rules were based
on three principles. lolitical power was entrusted
to government by the people lor a limited period
ol time and its holders were held responsible to the
people. As a saleguard against corruption, checks
and balances had to be established within govern-
ment, which required a separation ol power. linally,
government activity lound its limits in the natural
rights ol the people. 1o secure these principles they
were laid down in a written document, endowed
with binding lorce lor the luture - a quality that
can only be conveyed by law, and this law was pro-
claimed paramount.
Consequently nobody could exercise public
power without being authorized by the constitu-
tion. Xo government act could claim binding lorce
unless it was compatible with the constitution. ln
short: it was a government ol laws and not ol men,
as Chiel ustice Marshall put it two hundred years
ago in the landmark case ol Maroar; i Maiscr.
1he question is still open ol whether judicial review,
which the Supreme Court exercised in this case lor
the nrst time, was provided lor, or at least implied,
in the constitution. 1he idea is clearly expressed in
the lederalist papers, but the lederalists were only
one party ol the lhiladelphia Convention, and the
anti-lederalists may have had dillerent views. ln any
case, either lrom the beginning or lrom 1803 on, the
task ol guaranteeing the constitution vis-a-vis gov-
ernment was entrusted to the judiciary, in partic-
ular to the Supreme Court. 1his was another great
achievement ol America.
1he characteristics ol constitutional govern-
ment as opposed to other lorms ol government
become clearer now. lirst ol all, the constitution
precedes government. lt brings lorth legitimate gov-
ernment instead ol merely modilying a pre-exist-
ing government not legitimized by popular consent.
Secondly, the constitution regulates the organi-
zation, the exercise and the limits ol government.
1hirdly, this constitutional regulation is compre-
hensive in the sense that no extra-constitutional
authority nor any extra-constitutional mode ol exer-
cising public power is recognized. lourthly, the con-
stitution is supreme law in the sense that it ranks
higher than government acts including ordinary
law, and the validity ol government acts depends on
their accordance with the constitution. linally, com-
pliance with the constitution is not lelt to the good
will ol government but is guaranteed by means ol
constitutional adjudication.
All this was without precedent, an achievement
ol the highest order - certainly in comparison with
the luropean continent including Cermany, where
monarchical absolutism prevailed, but also in
tcrnan an! /ncrican
tenstitatienalisn
/ tenparisen
0|eter 0r|mm
The 8erlln Journal
comparison with the so-called lnglish constitution.
Although dillerent lrom continental rule and, at
the time, the lreest country ol the world, lngland,
too, lacked precisely the characteristics ol a modern
constitution as invented in America. larliamentary
sovereignty was the highest principle, and as a
consequence, the rights ol lnglishmen" did not
enjoy supremacy but were subject to parliamentary
discretion. 1his weakness had prompted the colo-
nists to base their claims on natural law rather than
rely on the lnglish rights. Correspondingly, their
own bills ol rights dillered lrom the lnglish one in
rank, not in content.
1he American constitu-
tion was an achievement
ol the highest order
certainly in comparison
with the continent.
Including Germany.
where monarchical
alsolutism prevailed.
Cermany did not perceive the novelty ol consti-
tutionalism until it was adopted 13 years later in
lrance. ln contrast to Cermany, lrance had, on the
one hand, developed a strong and sell -conscious
bourgeoisie whose interests were served by constitu-
tional ideas. 0n the other hand, the lnlightenment
had not innuenced the state. 1hus, the lrench sys-
tem was under greater pressure lor relorm, and this
relorm could not be limited to the political sphere
as it was in America but had to encompass the
whole social order. \hen the pressure led to rev-
olution and the leclaration ol the kights ol Man,
the events were welcomed all over Cermany. 1he
notion ol constitutionalism changed rapidly. lt lost
its descriptive meaning and was used in a norma-
tive sense. A constitution and a bill ol human rights
became a general desire.
As a matter ol lact, it was not long belore con-
stitutions in the modern sense were proclaimed in
Cermany. 1he nrst serious attempt began a mere
twenty years alter lrederick's death in lrussia.
lrussia's deleat by Xapoleon in 180o had shown
the need to thoroughly modernize the country, and
relormers sought to crown their ellorts with a con-
stitution. 1he nrst constitution, however, was the
8avarian one ol 1808. 0thers lollowed in the
Cerman territories dominated by Xapoleon, partly
worked out in laris. Yet, the constitutional move-
ment did not stop alter Xapoleon's dominance came
to an end in 1813. Constitutions were regarded by
the population as the natural consequence ol the lib-
eration, which had been reached not by the princes
alone but with active popular support.
ln many Cerman states the desire lor a consti-
tution was indeed satisned. 8ut the motives were
quite dillerent lrom America, as was the concept.
1he Cerman constitutions were not won in revolu-
tion by the people against a monarch. lndeed, they
were granted by the ruling princes, not because the
princes were convinced ol the idea ol constitution-
alism, but because they wanted to avoid a revolu-
tion and secure their dynasties under changed con-
ditions. kather than adopt the lull constitutional
program, which would have put an end to monarchy
in the traditional sense, the early Cerman constitu-
tions did not constitute but merely modined govern-
ment. 1he basic maxim remained the monarchical
principle instead ol popular sovereignty. 1he princ-
es claimed to be the sole holders ol public power. ln
the constitution they voluntarily limited this power
in certain respects.
ln a number ol matters they agreed to legislate
only with the consent ol the newly established repre-
sentation ol the people. lurthermore, they granted
a number ol lundamental rights to the people,
although these rights dillered in origin, scope, and
lunction lrom those detailed in the American 8ill ol
kights. 1hey were not recognized as innate natural
rights but as rights granted by the state. lence, they
were not human rights but citizens' rights. 1hey
guaranteed a number ol liberties in the private and
economic sphere, but they were restrictive as lar
as political rights were concerned. Moreover, the
rights were not endowed with the lorce to derogate
the old laws. 1heir legal ellect was limited, enlorce-
ment in the absence ol judicial review inexistent.
Altogether these constitutions were a considerable
improvement compared to pre-constitutional
Cermany. Compared to the LS, however, they were
little more than semi-constitutionalism.
1his situation remained unchanged throughout
the nineteenth century, with an unsuccesslul inter-
val in 18!8. lor a short historical moment, it looked
as il Cermany could attain what America and lrance
had reached several decades belore. 1he revolu-
tionary assembly in lranklurt set out to dralt a
lull-nedged constitution lor all ol Cermany. ln many
respects the deputies were more innuenced by the
Lnited States than by lrance - the memory that the
lrench kevolution had led to terror and authoritar-
ian regimes was still very much alive. 1he American
political system, moreover, had meanwhile become
better known in Cermany. 1he |ccra/is| |acrs had
been translated in the 1830s, 1ocqueville's book
on America soon appeared in Cerman, and as early
as 182!, one ol the leading authorities in public law,
kobert von Mohl (a member ol the 18!8 Xational
Assembly), had published a treatise on the LS
constitution.
1he lranklurt assembly did not achieve the
majority lor a republic, but the majority ol its
deputies were prepared to abolish the monarchical
principle underlying all previous Cerman constitu-
tions. 1hey envisaged a monarchy based on popular
sovereignty. Xobody questioned the necessity ol
a comprehensive bill ol rights to remedy the dencits
ol the more or less inellective rights in the existing
state constitutions. Xonetheless, such lundamental
rights were not understood as being innate, with
origins in natural law. 1he majority ol the deputies
leared the extreme individualism manilested in
the lrench declaration ol 1789, which they saw as
responsible lor the lrench kevolution's destructive
elements. 1heir aim was to reconcile individual
rights with communal values, but they rejected
the Lelt's idea ol including social rights in the
constitution.
ln view ol the experience with largely inellec-
tive lundamental rights belore 18!8 the Xational
Assembly put great emphasis on making lunda-
mental rights matter. 1heir model was America. A
Supreme Court with ample powers to review
government acts, including laws, was emphatical-
ly recommended as America's most important con-
tribution to political institutions. ln the session
ol Xovember 27, 18!8, the deputy Mittermaier,a
leidelberg law prolessor, praised the Supreme
Court lor protecting the lile, strength, and security"
ol the LS constitution. Let us lollow the example ol
America, lor then we will harvest the most glorious
ol lruits."
1he lailure ol the 18!8 revolution - a conse-
quence ol dillerences in the revolutionary move-
ment which brought the princes back into the play
- delayed Cermany's unincation and prevented the
constitution lrom taking lorce. Xo Supreme Court
was established. 1he bill ol rights, which had been
enacted separately, was repealed. 1his experience
lelt deep marks in Cerman constitutional thinking.
1he middle classes that had led the revolution lost
conndence in their ability to reach their political and
constitutional goals on their own. Alter 18!9 they lelt
that a unined Cermany and more liberal political
system could only be attained with the help ol the
princes rather than against them. 1he postulate lor
democracy was abandoned. lndividual liberty retreat-
ed into the private and economic spheres.
lmphasis was now placed on a consolidation ol
the rule ol law (kcc/|ss|aa|), disconnected lrom
democracy.
1he lollowing developments connrmed the
post-revolutionary attitude ol the Cerman bour-
geoisie. Alter a harsh reactionary period, which
inspired a wave ol political emigration to the LS, lib-
eralization became a concern not only ol the middle
classes but ol the government as well. A period ol
law relorm started in the 18o0s. Moreover, the much
desired unity ol Cermany was reached by 8ismarck,
the lrussian lrime Minister, through three consec-
utive wars against lenmark, Austria, and lrance.
1he unincation reconciled state and middle classes.
1he 8ismarck Constitution ol 1871 was an impor-
tant step lorward in Cermany's constitutional devel-
opment but did not exceed the semi-constitutional-
ism ol the nrst hall ol the nineteenth century. lt was
lar lrom being democratic, did not contain a bill ol
rights, and its supremacy remained doubtlul.
Germany`s constitutional
lackwardness lecame a
precondition ol its social
progressiveness. Ro lileral
revolution had interrupted
the paternalistic tradition
ol the German state.
lt is noteworthy, on the other hand, that Cermany's
constitutional backwardness became a precondi-
tion ol its social progressiveness. Cermany was the
nrst country to tackle the social problem ol indus-
trialized societies. 1his did not happen on the con-
stitutional level but through a number ol ordinary
laws introducing a system ol social security vis-a-
vis the risks ol unemployment, industrial accidents,
and poverty alter retirement. Xo liberal revolution
had interrupted the paternalistic tradition ol the
Cerman state. Xo liberal constitution placed the
state in the hands ol the grand bourgeoisie, as it did
in lrance. Xothing thus prevented government lrom
intervening in the market when it saw that a pure
market economy produced detrimental side ellects.
Xo Supreme Court could nullily social measures
deemed necessary by the government. Liberalism
was adopted to the extent that it served state pur-
poses but did not become dogmatic, let alone the
olncial ideology ol the state.
\hen Cermany nnally turned democratic
this was not a result ol a triumphant victory ol the
democratic lorces but a consequence ol Cermany's
deleat in \orld \ar l and the ensuing collapse ol
the monarchy. Again the revolution was split, this
time between advocates ol a \estern style parlia-
mentary democracy and the kussian model. Yet,
in contrast to 18!8, the American innuence in the
debates ol the Constitutional Assembly in \eimar
was minimal. 1he \eimar Constitution established
a parliamentary democracy with a strong directly
elected president entitled to lorm the government,
dissolve parliament, and legislate in situations ol
emergency. A number ol social rights were added
to the traditional liberal rights, but their ellect
remained limited since they were not accompanied
by judicial review. lad it originally been deemed
incompatible with the monarchical principle, it was
now lound incompatible with democracy.
\hen the \eimar Constitution lailed alter less
than 1! years, the main reason was not its inherent
delects, as was widely presumed alter 19!. lt was a
modern constitution, and the provisions that were
later deemed responsible lor its lailure were present
in many loreign constitutions. kather, the lailure
was due to the lact that the constitution had to oper-
ate in an extremely dilncult environment. lt never
succeeded in becoming the common basis upon
which the competing political lorces agreed as a
shared basis ol their competition. 1he constitution
was contested lrom the right, lor whom the revolu-
tion had gone too lar, and lrom the lelt, lor whom
the revolution had not gone lar enough. lolitical
and economic instability discredited the system.
1he democratic parties that had voted lor the consti-
tution lost their majority as early as the nrst election
alter it was adopted. 1hey never regained it.
1he end was doubly tragic. lirstly, the agony
culminated when, alter the election ol uly 1932,
the two radical parties, Communists and Xational
Socialists, together held an absolute majority in the
keichstag. lt was an obstructive majority, able to
overthrow any government, unable to lorm one. 1he
state had become ungovernable. Xew elections did
not promise a way out ol the deadlock. 0nly a con-
stitutional amendment could have helped. 8ut the
organ that held the power to amend the constitu-
tion, the keichstag, was unable to act constructively.
Saving constitutional democracy as a whole would
have meant violating some constitutional provisions
ol minor importance. Concepts existed, but a pure-
ly lormalistic understanding ol democracy, ol con-
stitutionalism, and ol the rule ol law prevented this
solution.
Secondly, litler was called to power instead,
although this was not the only possible solution ol
the crisis. litler took over not by a revolution or a
violation ol the constitution but by the same pro-
cedure as twenty chancellors belore him. Yet, in
contrast to his predecessors, he immediately used
democratic procedures to abolish democracy and
civil rights. lemocracy lound no way to delend
itsell against its enemies. \ithout being lormally
repealed, the \eimar constitution was stripped ol
its signincant leatures and lost all normative impor-
tance. Many ol litler's lollowers hoped lor another
- in their view better - constitution. 8ut it became
soon clear that litler dened these plans, his inter-
est not being a dillerent constitution but abolishing
constitutional government altogether.
lart ll
1he present Cerman constitution, the 8asic Law,
like its predecessor, was the consequence ol a deleat,
a deleat even more catastrophic than that ol \orld
\ar l. 8ut in contrast to \eimar, the constitution
The 8erlln Journal
that emerged in this situation became a great
success. 1he American innuence on the 8asic Law
is lor the most part overestimated. lt is true that
without the pressure ol the \estern Allies, the LS in
particular, there would have been no \est-Cerman
constitution in 19!9. 1he prime ministers ol the
\est-Cerman |arcr whom the Allies had enjoined
to lorm a \est-Cerman state were alraid ol cement-
ing the country's division. 8ut once they had real-
ized that resistance was lutile, they took up the task.
Lnlike the apanese postwar constitution, which
was dralted in the lnglish language in \ashington,
the 8asic Law is a genuine Cerman work, written
with little interlerence by the Allied lorces.
lespite the initial reluctance to work out a
constitution, the nnal result was such that, lor the
nrst time, Cerman constitutionalism lully caught
up with what had started in America in 177o. 1his
does not mean that the two constitutions resem-
ble each other textually. 1he 8asic Law is much
more detailed than the LS constitution and has
been much less stable over time. 1here have been
1 amendments in ! years, some concerning more
than one article at a time, compared to 1o in 21o
years in the LS (counting the 8ill ol kights ol 1791 as
a single amendment). 8ut they share the same con-
stitutional spirit and belong to the same constitu-
tional lamily. 1he 8asic Law unmistakably declared
that the constitution was to be supreme and had to
be respected by all public power. 1ogether with the
adoption ol judicial review, this has made the 8asic
Law the nrst Cerman constitution that matters in
day-to-day political and social lile.
1he German constitution
symlolized more than
anything else the lreak
with Rational Socialism
and Germany`s re-entry
into the civilized world.
1he 8asic Law may not be holy writ," as Louis
lenkin has characterized the LS constitution. 8ut
like the American constitution, it succeeded in tak-
ing root in Cerman society. Lnder particularly
lavorable conditions, much ol the lederal kepublic's
identity centered on the 8asic Law. ln contrast to
\eimar, the lederal kepublic emerged during a
period ol continuous economic growth and politi-
cal stability. 1his contributed to the system's accep-
tance. 0n the other hand, the division ol the country
did not prevent its identity lrom being rooted in the
nation or its cultural heritage. ln this situation the
constitution symbolized more than anything else
the break with Xational Socialism and Cermany's
re-entry into the civilized world. At the same time,
the jurisprudence ol the Constitutional Court gave it
a degree ol relevance that no previous Cerman con-
stitution had had. 1he widely accepted term ol con-
stitutional patriotism" bears witness ol this success.
Yet, there are considerable dillerences with the
American constitution as well, some ol which are
rooted in Cerman constitutional traditions. 0thers
can be traced back to dillerent experiences, just as
the 8asic Law itsell is a mixture ol continuity and
break with the past. 1hese dillerences played a role
when, in recent years, countries that had lreed them-
selves lrom dictatorship turned toward democracy,
adopted new constitutions, and established consti-
tutional courts. Many ol these countries expected
guidance more lrom Cermany than lrom the LS,
as American scholars lamiliar with constitution-
al development abroad, such as 8ruce Ackerman,
Stephen lolmes, lonald lommers have observed.
1he dillerences discussed here concern the general
understanding ol constitutionalism. 0ther equally
important but more specinc dillerences, such as the
separation ol powers, lederalism, and the relation
between church and state, must be lelt out.
(1) 1/c rc|icr cj crccrac; lt was ol the highest
concern lor the lramers ol the 8asic Law to make
up lor the dencits, true or seeming, ol the \eimar
Constitution and to prevent 1933 lrom happen-
ing again. 1his attitude lound its most important
expression in the decision to put human dignity -
rather than sell-government and individual rights -
at the center ol the constitutional system. \hat had
separated the Xazi regime lrom \estern civilization
was its total neglect ol human dignity. 1his explains
the position human dignity was given in the 8asic
Law. 1he constitution starts by proclaiming the invi-
olability ol human dignity. 1he state's highest duty
is to respect and to protect it. lemocracy and civil
rights are seen as nowing lrom the concept ol digni-
ty and are to be interpreted in the light ol this high-
est maxim.
1his concept gave rise to a substantial rather
than a merely procedural understanding ol democ-
racy as it had prevailed in \eimar. lt nnds its most
prominent expression in the so-called eterni-
ty clause, which exempts some lundamental prin-
ciples ol the 8asic Law such as dignity, democra-
cy, the rule ol law lrom being altered, even by a 100
percent majority. ln addition, the constitution pro-
vides lor an active delense ol democracy against its
enemies. lolitical parties or associations seeking to
overthrow liberal democracy based on human dig-
nity may be eliminated lrom the political process.
lndividuals who use lundamental rights such as
lreedom ol speech in order to combat or overthrow
democracy lorleit these rights. 1his does not pro-
hibit criticism and even a rejection ol democracy but
rather all activities that intend to destroy the demo-
cratic system. 0ther provisions also renect the expe-
rience ol the \eimar kepublic and litler's ascent.
larliament may not delegate its lunctions to the
executive. 1he vote ol no conndence may be exer-
cised only in a constructive manner, it must be com-
bined with the election ol a new chancellor. 1he
government's ability to act without constitutional
limits in the state ol emergency is severely curtailed.
Most ol these measures have been barely or not at all
used in the history ol the lederal kepublic. As with
the \eimar Constitution, the 8asic Law had armed
itsell against menaces that did not materialize. 1his
does not mean, however, that they are obsolete law.
Some are dormant law. 8ut they retain a high sym-
bolic value insolar as they demonstrate Cermany's
nrm determination never again to allow a sell-
destruction ol democracy and a system disrespectlul
ol human dignity.
(2) |c/i|ics ar /aa: Constitutional democracy
subordinates politics to law. lt does not substitute
law lor politics. Yet, what has been decided in the
constitution is no longer open lor majority decision.
1he balance between the two is a delicate one, and
dillerent systems draw the line dillerently. ln con-
trast to the LS, Cerman constitutionalism was, lor
a long time, disconnected lrom democracy. \hen
a democratic constitution was nnally reached in
1919 and when, alter \orld \ar ll, the constitution
became increasingly relevant through the jurispru-
dence ol a powerlul Constitutional Court, the past
survived in that the constitution was understood
more as a limitation ol and directive lor government
than an instrument enabling sell-government.
Ceneralizing, one can say that Cerman society
trusts law more than the political process.
1his explains the readiness ol Cermans to turn
political questions into constitutional questions.
1hus, the political discourse is much more juridined
here than in the LS. lolitical plans that a party
pursues or that the government wants to realize are
not only recommended as sound, uselul, and neces-
sary. 1hey are also represented as constitutionally
required. lolitical plans that the opposition or
interest groups dislike are not only denounced
as unsound, detrimental, and costly, but also as
unconstitutional. Likewise the anticipation ol
Constitutional Court opinions strongly determines
political decision-making. 1his has ol course two
sides: on the one hand the question ol
a Number Seven Fall Z003

constitutionality is raised rather early and rather
neutrally in the political process, on the other hand,
the political process is olten curtailed prematurely,
and political responsibility is shilted to a large
extent to the judiciary.
1he Constitutional Court, in turn, was willing
to step in and developed a considerable activism,
active even compared to the most active periods ol
constitutional adjudication in the LS. 1he politi-
cal question doctrine practiced by the LS Supreme
Court has not been accepted in Cermany. 1he doors
to the Constitutional Court are wide open, and a
case that is brought in due cause must be decided.
ln spite ol its greater activism, the Cerman court
seems less politicized than the LS Supreme Court,
mainly due to the means by which the justices are
elected. A two-thirds majority is required, so the
major political parties must reach consensus on the
candidate. 1he court has acquired enormous pres-
tige in Cerman society. 0ne ellect is that the coun-
ter-majoritarian dilnculty - the perennial prob-
lem ol American constitutional law - plays no role
in Cermany. Criticism usually concerns individual
opinions, not the legitimacy ol the court or even that
ol judicial review in general.
1he Constitutional Court
developed a consideralle
activism. even compared to
the most active periods ol
constitutional adjudication
in the IS.
(3) 1/c rc/c cj |/c s|a|c: listrust in government
has been one ol America's characteristics lrom the
beginning. Constitutional law renects this attitude.
Americans speak ol government, while the Cermans
speak ol the state. 1his is more than a dillerence
in terminology. 1he Cerman state existed belore
its constitution. Lnlike the political parties and
individual political actors, the state is perceived as
neutral, elevated above the various interests and
devoted to the common good. 1he state always lelt
responsible lor the citizens' wellare, an idea that
was not given up even at the peak ol liberalism. 1he
American experience ol a lrontier where no govern-
ment protection could be expected and people had
to help themselves was not Cermany's. lhilosophers
always stressed the state's ethical mission. ln spite ol
a nrm decision in lavor ol a market economy, there
is a basic tendency in Cermany to expect a just social
order more lrom the state than lrom the market.
1his dillerence reappears in the understanding
ol civil rights. ln the LS these are seen as negative
rights only, limits to state action and the individu-
al's means ol delense. listory gives the explanation.
1he American colonists already lived under a more
or less liberal legal order when the kevolution broke
out. 1hey lought only to better protect their existing
liberty lrom an abusive government. ln lurope, lun-
damental rights, when they were nrst proclaimed in
1789, came up against an illiberal legal order so that,
here, their nrst lunction was to guide the legisla-
ture in relorming the laws ol the land. 1his gave civil
rights a positive lunction, and only when the legisla-
ture had lulnlled this task could they be limited to a
negative lunction. Later, the Cerman Constitutional
Court revitalized this idea by ruling that civil rights
are not only negative rights but also objective val-
ues, highest principles, which are to shape and per-
meate the whole legal order.
1he most important consequences ol this posi-
tive valorization is that lundamental rights protect
the individual not only against state action but also
against menaces stemming lrom other individu-
als and societal lorces. lence, the state is not only
obliged to omit certain actions detrimental to indi-
vidual liberty. lt is also obliged to take action in
order to protect constitutionally guaranteed liberties
against third parties or to maintain the lreedom ol a
social institution like the press in which lundamen-
tal rights are exercised. 1he obligation is enlorced by
the Constitutional Court. ln America no such obli-
gation is recognized. 1his was recently connrmed in
a Supreme Court case regarding a lather who had,
through repeated abuse, beaten his son into a state
ol mental retardation. 1he government, although
inlormed, had relused to intervene. 1he Supreme
Court lound no violation because there is nothing in
the language ol the due process clause, that requires
the state to protect the lile, liberty and property ol its
citizens against invasion by private actors."
(!) 8a/arcir as a ccrs|i|a|icra/ |cc/: \hen civil
rights are conceived not only as negative rights
applying vertically but also as positive rights with
horizontal application, connicts between various
rights are inevitable. lor most menaces to lunda-
mental rights stemming lrom third parties or
societal lorces are themselves the result ol an
exercise ol lundamental rights. Consequently, the
protection ol one person's right by the state means
at the same time the limitation ol another's right.
1he decision belongs to the legislature. 8ut in mak-
ing this decision it is under the double obligation
to respect and to protect lundamental rights. As
lar as this obligation extends, courts can check
whether or not the constitutional boundaries have
been transgressed. 8asically, two solutions exist.
0ne can either establish a hierarchy among the
connicting rights or try to reconcile them. 1he LS
Supreme Court tends toward the lormer, the
Cerman Constitutional Court toward the latter.
8ehind this approach stands the principle ol pro-
portionality, which the court derives lrom the mean-
ing and lunction ol lundamental rights. Xo single
right is per se superior to another. lach may be lim-
ited only to the extent necessary to protect another
right or an important communal interest. A reason-
able proportion has to be reached between protect-
ing and limiting a right. 1he method ol making this
principle operative is balancing. Xo right is to be
realized at the total expense ol another. 8oth must
be preserved as much as possible. 1hus, balancing
has become the most important and most lrequent-
ly used tool ol the Cerman court. 1he LS Supreme
Court, on the other hand, remains reluctant to rec-
ognize it. 1his was the case a lew months ago when
it upheld a state law requiring the courts to impose
a lile sentence il the ollence is the third one com-
mitted by the accused. ln the case at hand, the third
ollence consisted ol the thelt ol two goll clubs worth
about three hundred dollars.
ln Cermany, when it comes to reviewing laws
as to their constitutionality, balancing usually sub-
jects the legislature to a stricter scrutiny than the
American approach. 1his does not mean that the
legislature has no room lor risk assessments and
policy choices. 8ut the question ol whether a bal-
ance was properly reached may limit this room con-
siderably. ln addition, it olten happens that laws
are declared unconstitutional not because the leg-
islature went too lar in restricting a civil right but
because it did not go lar enough to protect a civil
right. 0n the other hand, the method ol balanc-
ing leaves more room to consider communal, as
opposed to purely individual, concerns. 8alancing
also tends to make court decisions less predictable.
0n the other hand, it gives more weight to the cir-
cumstances ol the individual case and allows a more
subtle calibration ol the various constitutionally
protected interests at stake.
() |crcir ar cjcrsc c/ic; ln reaction to the
militant nationalism ol the Xazis, the 8asic Law
opened itsell to international law to an unprece-
dented degree. 1he general rules ol public interna-
tional law were declared part ol domestic law and
ranked above parliamentary laws. 1he transler
ol sovereign powers to international organizations
was expressly permitted. 1he lederal kepublic ol
Cermany obtained the right to integrate itsell into
systems ol colletive security. lor this purpose, too,
sovereign powers could be given up. Later on when
it had become clear that the luropean
Communities were much more than a common mar-
ket and more than ordinary international organi-
zations, a special provision concerning luropean
integration was added. 1his enabled Cermany to
participate in the lurther integration ol lurope on
the condition that the principles contained in the
8asic Law's eternity clause" were also respected on
the luropean level.
0n the other hand, there was little doubt lrom
the beginning that loreign and delense policy did
not lall beyond the constitution's reach. 1he 8asic
Law provides that international treaties have to be
ratined by parliament in the lorm ol a law, and via
this law the content ol international agreements (or,
to be more precise: the right ol the lederal govern-
ment to conclude a treaty with a certain content)
becomes subject to constitutional scrutiny. 1his is
likewise true lor the employment ol the armed lorc-
es, lor which the 8asic Law contains some restric-
tions. 1hus, important political decisions - such as
the Cerman rearmament in the early 190s, the so-
called 0stvertrage in the 1970s, the deployment ol
atomic weapons on Cerman territory in the 1980s,
the Maastricht treaty translorming the luropean
Communities into the lL, the Cerman army's out-
ol-area" mission in the 1990s - took ellect only alter
review by the Constitutional Court.
1he German system has
lecome more interesting
to a numler ol new
democracies than the
American one.
1his is a consequence ol the assumption that the
8asic Law binds government however and wherev-
er it operates - an assumption not generally accept-
ed in the LS. 1he supremacy clause does not allow
exceptions. 1he constitution must be upheld in all
political nelds. 1he Constitutional Court is entitled
to review all acts ol government. 1he degree ol scru-
tiny may vary according to subject matter, and in
matters ol loreign and delense policy the discretion
ol government is wider than in matters ol domes-
tic policy. 8ut no neld is exempt lrom constitution-
al rules. Likewise, the constitution must be obeyed
domestically and abroad. lt protects citizens as well
as aliens. Lnder these circumstances, some ol the
measures taken by the LS government in reaction to
September 11 would pose a serious constitutional
problem in Cermany.
1he purpose ol this comparison is not to
declare one system superior to the other but to nnd
out why the two systems are as they are. Yet, regard-
less ol the question ol superiority or inleriority,
this incomplete comparison will make it easier to
understand why the Cerman system has become
more interesting to a number ol new democracies
than the American one. 1he reason is not only that
Cermany stood as a model lor successlul develop-
ment lrom a dictatorship to a stable and prosperous
democracy. 0ne must also mention the emphasis
Cermany places on the state - the only agent that,
in these countries, has a chance to establish and
secure the translormation to the new order. lurther-
more, the understanding ol civil rights not only in
negative but also in positive terms helped to achieve
the translormation ol their societies. linally, bal-
ancing and proportionality seemed a more suitable
way to reconcile individual liberties with commu-
nal interests.
lor many ol these countries, the question ol
whether the new democracies will succeed is still
open. 0ne question that was repeatedly asked
by every delegation ol constitution makers and
newly elected constitutional judges who visited the
Cerman Constitutional Court during the era ol tran-
sition was: low does one get politicians to comply
with constitutional requirements and obey consti-
tutional court decisions even when such require-
ments and decisions deeply disrupt their plans
Some ol my colleagues answered that the law on
the Constitutional Court gives the decisions bind-
ing lorce. 8ut this was not a helplul answer. 1wo
lactors are lar more important: whether constitu-
tionalism has been internalized by a country's gov-
ernment and citizens and whether the constitution-
al court enjoys such a degree ol social backing that it
becomes too costly lor politicians to disobey. Many
visitors were not happy with this answer. 1hey knew
that, in their countries, these conditions were still
lar lrom secure.
The 8erlln Journal g
wnr rorxrr srcrrrrv or srrr Ceorge Shultz
was in olnce, the relationship between the LS and
Cermany was very productive, constructive, and
tense." luring the past year, however, he and many
other political veterans - including lormer Stanlord
president Cerhard Casper and other Academy trust-
ees - have been concerned that the present trans-
atlantic rilt was dillerent in nature lrom past strains
in relations. 1hus Secretary Shultz convened a two-
day meeting in 8erlin, at the American Academy, to
allow a small group ol seasoned, high-level partici-
pants lrom the worlds ol education, business, and
politics to meet as private individuals and speak
lrankly with one another on matters ranging lrom
economic growth and military capabilities to the
luture ol cooperation between the countries.
Already, this meeting took place at a time ol
more sober and pragmatic political rhetoric, in
marked contrast to the caricatures that were circu-
lating on both sides ol the Atlantic just a lew months
ago. 1he participants dedicated their nrst evening
to a consideration ol whether or not the present rilt
between Cermany and America runs deeper than
the current tensions between their respective gov-
ernments. lt was noted that the widespread per-
ception ol the rilt has not always corresponded to
reality. Secretary Shultz underscored the Cerman
government's substantial and abiding contributions
to the global war on terrorism. lespite Cermany's
bruited opposition to military action in lraq, the
country provided over lour thousand 8undeswehr
security personnel to protect LS installations
throughout Cermany in addition to permitting
unrestricted overnight, rail, and transit authoriza-
tions during the military action in lraq, and deploy-
ing over seven thousand personnel in support ol
international operations in Alghanistan and else-
where. Cooperation between the intelligence com-
munities has also been exemplary.
Xonetheless, polling data connrm that the gen-
eral perception ol shared Cerman and American
interests, dangers, and values during the Cold \ar
is now history." 1he LS is losing its priority with a
signincant number ol Cermans, as their attention is
being locused on the luropean Lnion. 0ne partici-
pant even asserted that the LS has, as so olten, once
again become the 0ther."
1he reasons lor this shilt in public opinion are
legion: nawed leadership, old resentments, undiplo-
matic unilateralism, and media caricatures, among
others. Certainly Cermany's leadership has been
innuential. Chancellor Schroder's election cam-
paign seemed to legitimate expressions ol anti-
American sentiment. le understood that alter
the disappearance ol the 8erlin \all, the concrete
sign ol Cermany's strategic dependence on the LS,
Cermany could be assertive in loreign policy in ways
that had been unthinkable during the Cold \ar.
Secondly, a long dormant resentment ol
American innuence on the rest ol the world - what
some have recently characterized as the American
steamroller ol modernity" - is now conspicuous.
America is lorcing people to become more compet-
itive, it is causing enormous changes to economies,
and it is compelling numerous debates, be they on
university relorm or corporate responsibility, to be
conducted on American terms.
1hirdly, the current LS Administration has
exercised its power in ways that have troubled and
ollended our traditional allies. 1he operative term/
code has become unilateralism." \hether the
implications ol the new security doctrine ol pre-
emptive lorce, the lack ol serious strategic dia-
logue on security issues exemplined by the LS's
disregard ol ro's historic invocation ol Article
lollowing September 11, or the undiplomat-
ic abrogation/treatment ol international treaties
in the realms ol climate control and international
law, the current Administration's perceived unilat-
eralism has shaken the trust many Cermans had in
the benign American empire. ln the pointed words
ol one lormer LS diplomat: lor thirty years, we
said 'Multilateral when we can, unilateral when we
must.' Xow our motto has become: 'Lnilateral when
we can, multilateral when we must.'"
lt was suggested that Cermans did not really
locus upon issues such as American power, the bal-
ance ol powers, and the so-called values gap" until
the lraq crisis. 1his seemed to be the case despite
a substantial inventory ol issues where LS and
Cerman views had lor some time diverged: cap-
ital punishment, environmental protection, jus-
tice, genetic science, and pensions, to name the
most olten cited. 1he current crisis, however, rath-
er than the end ol the Cold \ar in general, has
brought to the lore questions that are lundamen-
tal. As a consequence, the Cerman government has
made use ol the issue ol lraq lor a historic reorien-
tation ol Cerman loreign policy," as lenry lissinger
observed last year in the was/ir|cr |cs|.
ln this respect, the present crisis does break
new ground. \hereas earlier crises were admitted-
ly severe - some Cermans thought the lershing mis-
sile debates might lead to war - the issue today is a
larger one: how to respond to the breakdown ol the
world order. 1he challenges ol global terrorism, in
addition to disease and hunger, have made govern-
ments insecure, and exacerbated the tensions which
resulted lrom imperlect leadership, communica-
tion, and public diplomacy.
An optimistic reading ol Cermany's new asser-
tiveness is that it is establishing a new loreign poli-
cy credibility - no longer is it the de lacto LS protec-
torate - that will enable it to have a constructive role
in adjudicating LS-luropean relations in the luture.
lurope is at a crossroads, and the path it takes
will depend in part upon Cermany's willingness
to become a leader in lurope. Lntil the Cerman-
lrench-American problem is resolved, however,
America will be increasingly disdainlul ol lurope.
lt is not that America has lost laith in luropean
integration. lor the time being it has lost respect lor
luropean leaders, nrst over 8osnia and now over
lraq. More acute is lurope's lailure to articulate a
vision that the LS can support ol what lurope is
going to become. low will the lL enhance the eln-
cacy ol the Atlantic alliance and share its respon-
sibilities lurope's eastward expansion is a bril-
liant project, but it is not entirely understood in the
Lnited States. lurope needs to communicate suc-
cesslully what it is trying to achieve, other than say-
ing that it is on its way to becoming more powerlul,
unined, and potentially capable ol blocking LS pol-
icies.

Fi,hlccl participants
nct as priatc in!ii!
aals an! spekc irankl,.

1here are other stones strewn along the path
toward Atlanticist consociation. Cermany and
lurope lace keen economic challenges such as the
globalization ol services and goods. Labor markets
were tight in the 1990s. low can Cermany nnance
necessary increases in salaries, and improve produc-
tivity without reducing pronts Can lurope change
in the same way as the LS, given the latter's diller-
ent commitment to the individual 1he LS should
still be able to grow laster than most luropean coun-
tries, with the exception ol the small ones. lurope's
aging population also keeps it at a disadvantage,
compared to America's higher birth rate and superi-
or management ol immigration.
lespite the immense economic achievement
represented by the luro - the currency is stable
alter merely two years, represents 20 percent ol the
world's exports, and has become a complement to
the dollar as a world currency reserve position - dia-
logue between the lederal keserve 8ank and the
luropean Central 8ank is virtually non-existent, in
lrellcn elin,
aitcr cptcnlcr ..
From the Protoco| of the 0ermanAmer|can work|ng 0roup 8y 0ary Sm|th
1he group led by statesman Ceorge l. Shultz included a number ol Academy trustees: Academy Chairman kichard C.
lolbrooke, lormer LS. Ambassador to Cermany and to the LX, Academy lresident kobert Mundheim, lormer general coun-
sel to the LS 1reasury, Cerhard Casper, president emeritus ol Stanlord Lniversity, osel olle, co-editor-in-chiel ol Dic zci|,
ohn C. lornblum, lormer LS Ambassador to Cermany, \ollgang Mayrhuber, Cl0 ol leutsche Lulthansa AC, and lurt
\iermetz, currently deputy chairman ol the Supervisory Committee, 8ayerische lypo- und \ereinsbank AC. 0ther partici-
pants were \. Michael 8lumenthal, director ol 8erlin's ewish Museum and a lormer secretary ol the LS 1reasury, writer lans
Magnus lnzensberger, lieter lastrup, lormer loreign policy and security advisor to Chancellor Schroder and lormer Cerman
Ambassador to the LX, kobert limmitt, lormer LS ambassador to Cermany and lormer general counsel, LS 1reasury,
kenate locher, Cl0 ol the Allensbach lnstitute lor 0pinion kesearch, Stephen lrasner, international relations specialist at
Stanlord, lubert Markl, lormer president ol the Max llanck Society, \illiam Mclonough, chairman ol the lublic Company
Accounting 0versight 8oard and lormer president ol the lederal keserve 8ank ol Xew York, rgen kuhlus, lormer Cerman
ambassador to the LS, and Anne-Marie Slaughter, dean ol the \oodrow \ilson School at lrinceton Lniversity.
6 Number Seven Fall Z003

dramatic contrast to the dialogue that used to exist
between the led and the 8undesbank. luropeans
will have to locus on the construction site ol lurope,
especially expansion into lastern lurope. 1he LS
should appreciate more what this means in terms in
terms ol luropean management locus.
1hese lactors remain all the more important,
as the LS cannot nnance its current account del-
icits at the present rate, and must be concerned
about maintaining conndence in its geo-econom-
ic leadership. \hat happens to the economy il con-
ndence is shaken again by a lurther exogenous
event like September 11 ln the LS, the rising bud-
get dencit and the very large current account den-
cit create a situation that economists can hardly pre-
dict. Markets may overshoot. \e must think hard
about how to shore up institutions lor internation-
al collaboration, especially in the lace ol the terror-
ist threat.

1hc c arrcnt crisis in
lra has pesc! senc
ian!ancntal acstiens.

1he past year has shown that Cermans and
Americans have very dillerent views on humanitar-
ian intervention. Cermans must understand that
in this day and age sovereignty is being redenned.
Stephen lrasner has already challenged the con-
sistency ol the very concept in his book 3cicrcir|;
Jrari:c n;ccris;. 1he consequences ol con-
temporary, real lailures ol governance are more
dire than ever, and thus our traditional model ol a
world with sovereign states has become outmod-
ed. Many states - Chad, lor example - are lailing,
such that the solution can only be greater intrusion
ol external actors into their governments. \hether
or not one agrees with the details ol how the 8ush
Administration is dealing with Alghanistan and
lraq, the prospects lor their citizens are hugely dil-
lerent now that a great number ol international
actors are present.
\hat has been conspicuously absent lrom
much recent transatlantic diplomacy is an active
problem-solving mentality. Many opportuni-
ties to reach common ground were squandered by
both the luropeans and the Americans. 1he 8ush
Administration's reaction alter September 11 was
entirely predictable, the lresident's intentions never
in doubt. \hen Chancellor Schroder and lresident
Chirac met at the end ol this uly, they made no
ellort to get others like 1ony 8lair on board. Xow
the LS nnds itsell in an awkward position, because
a member ol the Security Council and ro is con-
sistent in its opposition without respect to the issues
at hand. 1hus the current American administra-
tion's pragmatic interest in solving security prob-
lems through coalitions ol the like-minded rather
than through existing structures. 8ut there are many
more areas ol potential cooperation with Cermany
on areas that lie outside ol the luropean arena.
A second diplomatic problem also lends itsell
to a pragmatic approach: low can lurope achieve
a consensus with the LS that it can then sell to
luropeans lt will not work the other way around.
lntervention in the 8alkans was successlul because
there was a successlul subgroup to make and then
sell the decision. lt is not that lurope has to nrst
establish its view, and then talk to the LS 1here
needs to be an ellective subgroup. Somehow the lL
has to accept that some preliminary discussions take
place with Americans to establish the limits ol what
is possible. lurope has to have a rcac|iic approach
to America. A workable solution will not be another
statesman like Solana or a loreign Minister to rep-
resent all ol lurope but rather a discreet group lrom
national governments.
1he avenues ol transatlantic cooperation are
clearly marked. Some are named lnternational
1errorism," lrolileration ol \eapons ol Mass
lestruction," lailed States," and 0rganized
Crime." lor those who despair ol the possibility ol a
coherent luropean loreign policy, please note that
the lL loreign ministers agreed this past une to
give priority to such issues. lor advocates ol prob-
lem-solving, there are a host ol urgent problems,
lrom the global epidemic ol AllS to the connict
in the Middle last. And they must simultaneously
locus upon the so-called solt issues" ol internation-
al importance: drugs, law enlorcement, and alleviat-
ing humanitarian crises.
8eyond the integration ol lurope, the Cermans
will make it their mission to strengthen the hand ol
those who support multilateral institutions. 1heir
loreign policy priority will be to search lor more
ellective international regimes and tools to address
luture threats.
ro will have to be part ol that answer, but its
mission statement will have to be rewritten. At the
very least there must be more consistency between
words and deeds. 1he elncacy ol ro as a tool,
however, depends on sulncient commitment to its
principles and use by both the LS and lurope. \e
have also seen how kussian views can temper ro,
and therelore the kussians and apanese need to be
included in any new consultative structure.
Some problems are more conducive to joint
problem-solving than others. lran is a case in point.
lurope and the LS assess the threat ol lran's nuclear
program dillerently, although both discern the dan-
ger expressed in the lnternational Atomic lnergy
Agency nndings. Cermany's special relationship
with lran is helping Cermany develop a strategy,
together with innuential luropean partners, to nnd
a solution to the present impasse. 0nly by apply-
ing dillerent kinds ol pressure in tandem can lurope
and the LS persuade lran to accept more rigorous
inspections ol its nuclear sites and to continue
to slow lran's steady march toward becoming a
nuclear power.
1he \orking Croup was not very sanguine
about the subject ol possible LX relorm. ust how
problematic the LX has become is exemplined by
Libya's present chairmanship ol the Lnited Xations
Commission on luman kights. Security Council
relorm is highly unlikely, however, not least because
it would require a two-thirds majority ol all LX
nations as well as all the nve permanent members.
And voting rights cannot be withdrawn without
revising the charter.
1here must be a lorum lor relorm within the
LX. lt was suggested that a mechanism such as
a caacas be created in order to put the Security
Council under pressure and create a climate ol opin-
ion in lavor ol relorm. A caucus ol the lunction-
ing democracies in the LX, lor example, would
not replace the Security Council but oller a second
venue ol discussion and legitimacy. 1he lL, LS, and
a host ol other countries would be included, just as
Libya and Syria would be excluded. lt should be pos-
sible to boycott members within the LX il they are
prolilerating weapons ol mass destruction or abus-
ing human rights. 1his is not as easy as it sounds.
lormally the LX has standards, but it is extremely
dilncult lor it to lollow them. Moreover, the states
that one might wish to exclude are at present in the
majority.
1he deepest disagreements between the LS
and Cermany concern the Middle last. 1hey are
at the heart ol many other security disagreements.
Yet these are too olten used as an excuse with other
issues. 1he lsraeli-lalestinian connict remains vir-
tually intractable. 1he veto power" ol terrorism is
enormous. \hile it remains important to be work-
ing on the problem, one is working on possibilities,
not probabilities. According to Secretary Shultz, the
only viable strategy is to persuade lgypt and ordan
that they still have an obligation to work toward
peace. luropeans would have to stay on the side-
lines.
ls the Middle last nonetheless a good area in
which to work on LS-Cerman collaboration 0n
the one hand, lurope, and thus Cermany, and the
LS have dillering spheres ol innuence in the region,
and working together could be constructive. 0n the
other hand, there is little hope that the LS and key
luropean countries such as lrance will ever lorge
a common strategy. 1he dillerences over the treat-
ment ol Aralat are a case in point. 1he lrench strat-
egy is strongly supported by its population. lurope
also sullers lrom the lree-rider" problem: it can
allord to be anti-lsrael because America is there to
support it.

1hc acnacs ei 1rans
atlantic ceepcratien
arc clcarl, narkc!.

Although it was acknowledged by the Cerman-
American \orking Croup that the rilt between the
LS and Cermany has been serious, the conlerence
ended on a note ol constructive optimism that is
beginning to be borne out by the positive develop-
ments that have taken place this lall. 1he Cerman
participants had identined threats. American mem-
bers recommended developing a hands-on, prob-
lem-solving attitude. 1here was strong consensus
that lurope and the LS should locus on what we
have in common rather than the dillerences. And
there were quite a lew specinc recommendations
lrom both sides ol the Atlantic. As Secretary Ceorge
Shultz concluded, in my day Cermany and the LS
were really strong partners. Civen that - and this -
discussion, l don't see why that could not be the
case again."
The 8erlln Journal y
An American Success Story
The Academy Narks |ts F|fth Year
LeIt to r|ght: Senator Chuck hage| of hebraska, Academy V|ce Cha|rman 0ah| hodges 8urt, Academy Cha|rman R|chard C. ho|brooke,
US Ambassador to 0ermany 0an|e| Coats, 8aron Lothar von Na|tzahn, and 0ary Sm|th
P
h
o
t
o
s
:
N
|
k
e
N
|
n
e
h
a
n

NTIBh c1 1lc AABIh
1he Academy celebrated its lilth anni-
versary on 0ctober 7 with a lestive cere-
mony and reception at the lans Arnhold
Center. A donor's plaque honoring the
Academy's supporters was unveiled in
the presence ol LS Ambassador to
Cermany laniel Coats, Academy Chair-
man kichard C. lolbrooke, Senator
Chuck lagel ol Xebraska, Academy \ice
Chairman Cahl lodges 8urt, 8aron
Lothar von Maltzahn (representing
the Arnhold lamily), and an assembled
group ol distinguished guests, lellows,
and supporters ol the institution.
As Ambassador Coats remarked in his
upbeat welcoming statement, the current
anniversary is just the start ol a series ol
such celebrations."
kichard lolbrooke then took the
podium, describing how he and the other
lounding trustees, lenry lissinger and
kichard \eizsacker had, in September
199!, announced their plan to establish
an intellectual Lultbrcke" that would
bind the LS and Cermany. lour years
later the Academy opened its doors and
launched a program at the lans Arnhold
Center that has grown stronger with
each year. 1he plaque, lolbrooke said,
speaks lor itsell."
Crowning the plaque are the names ol
Anna-Maria and Stephen M. lellen and
the descendants ol lans and Ludmilla
Arnhold, who provided the Academy
with its lounding gilt. And best ol all, as
lolbrooke reminded the audience, this
plaque can be updated." leartlelt thanks
and happy birthday to all the individu-
als and corporations who have supported
the Academy with major gilts in the past
live years.
Ambassador R|chard ho|brooke and h|s w|fe, wr|ter
and h|stor|an Kat| Narton.
8 Number Seven Fall Z003

1wo new additions to the American
Academy 8oard ol 1rustees, lr. liethart
8reipohl and lr. \illiam A. laseltine,
will strengthen the institution's prolile in
the academic, loundation, business, and
philanthropic communities and steer it
into its exciting next phase.
Scientist, educator, and corporate
executive \illiam A. laseltine lirst came
into contact with the Academy in 1998
through Academy vice chairman Cahl
lodges 8urt. 1he Cl0 and chairman ol
luman Cenome Sciences, lnc., a presti-
gious biotechnology company, sees the
Academy as an exciting institution in
what is becoming one ol the world's most
important cities - a real center ol interna-
tional political and cultural lile. l thought
it was an important idea live years ago
and am very happy to see how it has
taken root and llourished."
laseltine has had a distinguished
career in both cancer and AllS research
and was a prolessor at larvard lrom
197o to 1993. le has lounded seven bio-
technology companies and, as an advisor,
has helped to create dozens more. le is
the lounder and president ol the Society
lor kegenerative Medicine and is current-
ly editor ol the online journal l-8iomed:
1he ournal ol kegenerative Medicine.
1he \illiam A. laseltine loundation lor
Medical Sciences and the Arts is active-
ly involved in public policy and philan-
thropy. laseltine serves on the boards ol
the 8rookings lnstitution, the 1rilateral
Commission, the Council on loreign
kelations, and the Xational lealth
Museum ol \ashington l.C., among
others. According to trustee Cahl 8urt, it
is precisely this blend ol academic, busi-
ness acumen, and culture that has been
so important to the Academy since we
opened our doors."
liethart 8reipohl joined the board ol
trustees last spring on the nomination
ol lurt \iermetz and Stephen lellen.
8oth praised what \iermetz has called
8reipohl's deep knowledge ol the Lnited
States and his impressive understanding
ol Cerman-American relations, particu-
arly his lorte in the linancial services
industry on both sides ol the Atlantic."
1he distinguished Cerman businessman
recently began a live-year term on the
supervisory board ol Allianz AC. le
is also a deputy chairman ol the board
ol the Allianz lulturstiltung. 8reipohl
Annals ol Hentorship
Academy we|comes Two hew 8oard Nembers
0|ethart 8re|poh| and w||||am A. hase|t|ne
studied business administration and law
at the universities ol lamburg, Mnster,
and 1bingen, earning a doctorate in law.
le began his career at the Compagnie
du Soleil (a lrench insurance company)
in 8aden-8aden and at the private bank
\arin-8ernier in laris.
8reipohl's longstanding connection
to the major Cerman insurance com-
pany Allianz dates back to 1970, when
he joined Allianz Lebensversicherungs-
AC in Stuttgart. le became a deputy
member ol the Allianz \ersicherungs-
AC 8oard ol Management in Munich in
198, and a lull member the next year.
le was responsible lirst lor asset man-
agement, then lor human resources, and
lrom 1991 to 1999, lor group linance.
le is a member ol other supervisory
boards in Cermany, including those ol
8eiersdorl, Continental, larstadt Quelle,
and lM luropa Metal AC, lor whom he
is chairman. le also serves on super-
visory bodies at Assurances Cenerales
de lrance, 8anco lopular lspanol, 8ll
8anco lortugues de lnvestimento, Credit
Lyonnais and luler s lermes.

w||||am A. hase|t|ne 0|ethart 8re|poh|

Senator Lagel Launches
1ransatlantic Policy Forum
Academy 8r|ngs Experts to 8er||n
Senator Chuck lagel ol Xebraska inau-
gurated the 1ransatlantic lolicy lorum
with a dinner lecture at the lans Arnhold
Center on 0ctober 7, the night the
Academy celebrated its lilth anniversa-
ry. \elcoming the kepublican Senator
were lresident 8ush's Ambassador to
Cermany, laniel Coats, and the lormer
LS Ambassador to Cermany kichard
C. lolbrooke. lagel's presence in 8erlin
honors the LS Cerman relationship,"
remarked lolbrooke, and indeed,
lagel's speech emphasized the shared
interest, shared burden, and shared
responsibility" ol the two countries.
1he major evening was generously sup-
ported by the Cerman Marshall lund
and the 8M\ Stiltung lerbert Quandt.
1he 1ransatlantic lolicy lorum
indents to loster constructive, high-level
exchanges ol views" among public olli-
cials, academics, and the media, and is
part ol the American Academy's abid-
ing, bipartisan ellort to bring distin-
guished American policy voices to 8erlin.
0ther speakers this lall included two cur-
rent cabinet members, LS Secretary ol
lnergy Spencer Abraham and LS 1rade
kepresentative kobert 7oellick. Secretary
Abraham used the occasion to articulate
the 8ush Administration's position on
global climate change, an issue that has
been a touchstone lor lurope's criticism
ol LS diplomacy. 7oellick, who serves
as the president's principal trade policy
adviser and chiel trade negotiator, has a
strong connection to Cermany, not only
as a lormer member ol the American
Academy's lellow Selection Committee.
As Lnder Secretary ol State lor lconomic
and Agricultural Allairs in the admin-
istration ol Ceorge l.\. 8ush, 7oellick
was the senior LS ollicial in the 1wo-
plus-lour" negotiations lor Cerman
unilication. Cermany awarded him the
lnight Commanders Cross lor his role in
developing the LS strategy toward uni-
lication.
ln the spring ol 200!, a series ol
experts on the Middle last - including
lormer LS ambassadors Martin lndyk
and lennis koss - will spend a week at
the Academy. 1hose discussions, too, will
be co-sponsored by the Cerman Marshall
lund, as part ol the CMl's ongoing
interest in lostering dialogue between
Cerman and American experts on the
subject ol Middle last.

P
o
r
t
r
a
|
t
:
N
|
k
e
N
|
n
e
h
a
n

The 8erlln Journal
ohn lluge, chairman and president ol
Metromedia Company and president
ol the ohn lluge loundation, was hon-
ored in a special evening organized by
Academy vice chairman Cahl lodges
8urt at the lans Arnhold Center on May
28, 2003. lluge, a pioneer in indepen-
dent television station ownership and
telecommunication ventures has been
no less ol a pioneer in supporting the
American Academy. According to Mrs.
8urt, he was, along with the lellen and
lans Arnhold lamilies, the lirst private
individual who came lorward to help us."
1hat was in 1997, when the institution
was still a |aj|sc//css - a castle in the air.
Almost six years later, the lluges made
their lirst visit to the Academy on a line
spring evening to see how the idea had
translated into brick and mortar. 1he
lluges recently buttressed the Academy
with another major gilt: a second million
lor the Academy's endowment.
Among the many distinguished guests
who came to toast lluge on May 28 were
trustees kichard C. lolbrooke, Cahl
lodges 8urt, osel olle, ohn lornblum,
Count 0tto Lambsdorll, Xina von
Maltzahn, and - the newest addition to
the board - \illiam laseltine. linner
was lollowed by a high-prolile dialogue
between Ambassador lolbrooke and the
Cerman minister ol the interior, 0tto
Schily, moderated by kichard 8ernstein
ol the Nca cr/ 1ircs 1he transatlantic
discussion was one ol several Academy
events intended both to probe the causes
ol the current tension in LS-Cerman rela-
tions and to take steps toward alleviating
that tension.
ln gratitude lor lluge's generous
gilt, the trustees have named legal histo-
rian lenneth Ledlord ol Case \estern
keserve Lniversity as the lirst ohn \.
lluge lellow. lrolessor Ledlord is under-
taking a study ol lrussian judges and
the rule ol law in Cermany between 18!8
and 191!.

1he \ager ol the

Philanthropist
John w. K|uge honored for Found|ng Contr|but|on
1his lall, artist ldward loren, musi-
cian Alvin Youngblood lart, and schol-
ar and public intellectual lenry Louis
Cates, r. are listinguished \isitors at
the lans Arnhold Center, joining the
semester's lellows in a variety ol seminars
and inlormal discussions and enhancing
the Academy program with a series ol lec-
tures and concerts. \illiam 1. \ollmann
was \riter-in-kesidence lor most ol the
month ol September.
Artist, cartoonist, and volunteer
lirelighter ldward loren has contrib-
uted covers and cartoons to the Nca
cr/cr magazine lor over lour decades.
le joined the lellows lor the month ol
0ctober and delivered a public talk 0ut
ol the lnkwell: 1he Light And lark ol
America's luman Comedy," moderat-
ed by ens 8alzer ol the 8cr/ircr zci|ar.
loren lilled his sketchbooks with a multi-
tude ol 8erlin ligures and subjects drawn
lrom the city's museums and architec-
ture and began work on a larger series
ol drawings. 1he cartoonist and illustra-
tor is also a printmaker who studied with
Stanley \illiam layter at Atalier 17 in
laris in the late 190s and continues to
work with drypoint, etching, and engrav-
ing lrom his print studio in \ermont.
8lues virtuoso Alvin Youngblood
lart will arrive at the lans Arnhold
Center in Xovember in time lor a special
screening ol 1he Soul ol a Man," direc-
tor \im \enders' contribution to the
l8S 1elevision series 1/c 8/acs, which
premiered on American public televi-
sion earlier in the lall. lart, who writes
his own work and interprets the classic
blues repertoire, is leatured in the lilm.
Alter the screening, he will treat the audi-
ence to a live concert. A lew nights later,
the man behind the Crammy-nominat-
ed album 8i Maras Dccr will give an
intimate concert at the lans Arnhold
Center, down in the alley" at a place
called \annsee.
As this issue ol the 8erlin ournal
went to press, the lans Arnold Center
was looking lorward to a briel visit
lrom the well-known scholar and writer
lenry Louis Cates r. 1he \.l.8. lu8ois
Guest Appearances
hotes from the Fa|| Program
Nar|a Tuss| K|uge, John w. K|uge, and 0ah| hodges 8urt share a |augh.
lrolessor ol the lumanities and Chair
ol the department ol Alro-American
Studies at larvard Lniversity regular-
ly contributes articles to a variety ol
American publications, among them
the Nca cr/cr. luring his Xovember -
lecember visit he will be speaking at the
Academy on America 8ehind the Color
Line." le will also deliver the lu 8ois lec-
ture at lumboldt Lniversity.
\illiam 1. \ollmann spent a month
in residence at the lans Arnhold Center
in early September. le gave an overview
ol his diverse projects and interests at
the nearby Literarisches Colloquium. ln
addition to reading lrom his early work
Aj/aris|ar |ic|arc 3/ca, a Cerman edi-
tion ol which was published this lall,
\ollmann included some reportage
lrom lakistan that was recently pub-
lished in the Nca cr/cr, and, linally, an
excerpt lrom a new liction project set in
the Soviet Lnion and Cermany imme-
diately alter \orld \ar ll. 1he evening,
moderated by the literary critic lenis
Scheck, ended with a wide ranging pub-
lic discussion ol the boundaries between
liction and non-liction, lurope and
America, politics and violence, and art
and redemption.
0ther highlights ol the lall program
included the Lisa and leinrich Arnhold
Lecture in lresden given by larvard
historian Charles Maier and the screen-
ing ol the documentary 1/c 8arrir wa//
by lava 8eller. linally in mid lecember,
the Academy will host a two-day con-
lerence on American democracy and
the democratization ol \est Cermany
alter \orld \ar ll. 1he event is orga-
nized by the 7entrum lr \ergeleichende
Ceschichte luropas, 8erlin, and the
7entrum lr 7eithistorische lorschung,
lotsdam and sponsored by the lritz
1hyssen Stiltung.

P
h
o
t
o
:
N
|
k
e
N
|
n
e
h
a
n

Ach|evements, Awards,
Appo|ntments, Act|v|t|es
ln our last issue, we reported that novel-
ist lrrrrrv ltcrirrs was awarded the
lulitzer lrize in liction lor his novel
Mi/csc\ on which he worked during his
Academy residency. Since then the book
has turned into a bestseller in Cermany
too, and earned him the annual
literature prize lrom the Cerman natio-
nal daily Dic wc/| in September. lis read-
ing last May at the lans Arnhold Center,
moderated by Nca cr/ 1ircs 8erlin cor-
respondent kichard 8ernstein, attracted
an audience ol 1!0 people. Sts
Sorc received the most prestigious
Cerman book prize, the lriedenspreis
des leutschen 8uchhandels (leace lrize
ol the Cerman 8ooksellers Association)
at the end ol the lranklurt 8ook lair
in 0ctober. 8rtxi 8rrrr's new
book |rirc cj |car was presented in its
Cerman translation (8eck \erlag) at the
lranklurt 8ook lair.
Composer Micnrt lrrscn will
release his lirst Cl in anuary 200! on
the Artemis Classics label. 1he recording
will be entitled: Mic/ac/ ncrsc/ C/arocr
Masic. 1he perlormers are the String
Soloists ol the 8erlin lhilharmonic and
Michael lersch himsell playing the
piano works. 1he program notes were
written by author and Academy alumnus
Xicnots lwirorr. Composer 8rrsv
lots was leatured in a nine-page inter-
view and a prolile in the summer issue
ol |c Mcrc c /|aca|icr. 1his lall she
is a visiting prolessor ol composition at
the Lniversity ol Michigan, Ann Arbor,
and her work will be perlormed there
on Xovember 23, and on lecember ! at
the Lniversity ol lndiana, 8loomington.
Composer Mrri 8rrsicx has just
received a Cuggenheim lellowship lor
the coming spring and will be teaching
and perlorming in Australia (with Lisa
Moore at the Sydney lestival) in anuary.
Xext spring he will be a visiting proles-
sor at Xew College, 0xlord, and will then
attend the 8ogliasco and 8ellagio Centers
in ltaly.
\riter A lrtrx's lnglish
translation ol 8ach's Cantata 1o3 (Xur
jedem das seine") received its world
premiere by the Seattle Symphony on
0ctober 17. ler short story Meanwhile"
was included in J ncrr; |ri:c 3|crics
21 which came out this lall, another
story,Stalin lreaming," won third
prize in the 2003 lackney Awards. loet
Sixor li lirro will be in residence
at the Center lor the \riting Arts at
Xorthwestern Lniversity, lvanston until
mid lecember. Naoc/ci a| Ccrrc//, edited
by Cornell prolessor Cvrirt Snriro
was published last spring. Author and
policy expert lvir kirrr regularly ollers
his views to the Cerman public, most
recently in a piece lor the 3aca|sc/c
zci|ar on the Lnited Xations. le con-
tributed an essay to the 3z's cultural
section arguing against LS intervention
in Liberia in uly. lconomist and policy
expert 8rrr 8tt was recently
appointed to the 8oard ol 1rustees ol
0ne\oice, an lsraeli-lalestinian peace
initiative and was also named Senior
Advisor to the lidary loundation which
supports economic development pro-
grams worldwide.
Several publications and a lilm
by Academy alumni historians have
recently been brought lorth. lrntrr
Xrits Cozr published her study
ol Cermans in Minnesota with the
Minnesota listorical Society lress. 1he
book ollers a concise history ol Cermans
in Minnesota including immigration
patterns, the Catholic and Lutheran
churches, cultural organizations, busi-
nesses, and politics, especially in the
\orld \ar l years.
lirt 8ovri's book 8crcr |ircs
n;oris. ncrc|ics. ar |/c |ar|i|icr cj
/accC/ris|iari|;, on which he worked
during his Academy lellowship, will
be published by the Lniversity ol
lennsylvania lress in anuary 200!. le
has been appointed Chair ol Xear lastern
Studies at 8erkeley. Ari Crossx
recently published an article based in
part on her 8erlin research, \ersions ol
lome: Cerman-ewish kelugee lapers
out ol the Closet and into the Archives,"
ir ncraasjcrcrarcr ca|sc/aisc/cr
ka/|ar |r|cris:i/irarc |crsc/|iicr lrank
Stern, ed. A Cerman Marshall lund
grant enabled her to linish a dralt ol
her book \ic|irs. \ic|crs. ar 3ariiicrs
Ccrrars. A//ics. ar /cas ir |cs|aar
Jccaic Ccrrar; !v15 1v (lorthcom-
ing) while in residence at the kemarque
lnstitute in lall 2002. Alter completing
his book 8aaciscrs ir|c C:cc/s ar
Ccrrars, lrrrxv lic is locusing his
research on the constitutional relorms
- small compromises" - ol 190 -1!
in the Austrian hall ol the labsburg
Monarchy. 8ri Lrr co-directed
with ohn \oods, the documentary
8cr/irs nicr nis|cr;, an engaging look
at the ever-changing architectural and
cultural landscape ol the city. Ladd did
the writing and narration on the project
and shared shooting and directing credit.
lowrr M. \cnrrt's new book, 3|rcc|s
cj Drcars. 8ca/ciar cj 8rc/cr ncar|s
wa// 3|rcc|s |irs| Ccr|ar; has received an
excellent reception. 1/c |irarcia/ 1ircs
called it a well-written and enlightening
early history ol CordonJ Cecko's natural
habitat." lis luropean book launch took
him to London, Amsterdam, and laris,
and in the LS, to a lecture at the Xew
York lublic Library.
The 8er||n Connect|on
A number ol lormer lellows have been
drawn back to 8erlin lor long-term
projects. Xi 8rrsrri stayed in
8erlin through the summer alter her lall
lellowship, working on several articles
lor the Nca cr/ 1ircs and on a book
project. listorian and policy expert
\trrr Lgtrtr completed a one-year
residency at the \issenschaltskolleg zu
8erlin, and historian Crrtr lrtrx
concluded another 8erlin year working
at the \issenschaltszentrum 8erlin lr
Soziallorschung. Author and literary
scholar Aris liorrros has returned to
the city as Cultural Cousel (ka/|arra|)
ol the Swedish lmbassy in 8erlin. le
presented new literary work at the 8erlin
lnternational Literature lestival in
September and moderated current lel-
low \endy Lesser's talk at the Academy
this lall. Architectural historian \ttis
Mittrr will continue her research on
Mies van der kohe in town until early
200!, when she takes up a lellowship at
the Canadian Centre lor Architecture.
8erlin welcomed short-term visitors
as well. loet lttr lisrv came lrom
laris this summer to give a lecture at
the ll lnstitut ol the lrei Lniversitat.
ewish studies scholar lirt 8ovri
participated in a panel discussion
during the lirst ecumenical gather-
ing ol Christian churches this spring.
Musicologist and jazz pianist Srrrn
Lirrx visited the Academy alter
a hall-year residency in London. Last
spring, religious studies scholar 8rrr
Socxrss occasionally joined the
Academy's lellows lrom lalle, where he
was a guest prolessor lor the year.
Artist Str rr 8rrr's video lans and
Crete" was up at 8erlin's kars|acr/c this
season. 1he video, which she complet-
ed during her Academy residency, has
sparked interest in museums in a number
ol countries. Artists Atrx lrz, lrr
Ysisxv, Str lr 8rrr, and Srn
Morris have all donated works to the
Academy, which are now prominently
displayed in the lans Arnhold Center.

Alumni Accomplishments
8; |aa/ 3|cc
A Refresh|ng V|ew
of 8er||n
6oca6o|a 60 0oug 0aIt speaks
at the Academy
when 0oug|as 0aft and h|s w|fe
0e|ph|ne v|s|ted the hans Arnho|d
Center on Nay 5, 2008, some n|nety
|nv|ted guests turned out to hear the
CocaCo|a's Ch|ef Execut|ve 0ffcer
de||ver a |uncht|me |ecture on the
|nternat|ona| respons|b|||ty of corpora
t|ons. Present were Academy trustees
0|ethart 8re|poh|, h|na von Na|tzahn,
R|chard C. ho|brooke, John Kornb|um,
Kurt V|ermetz, and Vo|ker Sch|ndorff,
as was the US Ambassador to 0ermany,
0an|e| R. Coats. The afternoon was
crowned by the announcement of
CocaCo|a's sponsorsh|p of a named
fe||owsh|p for the next three years.
lnaugurat|ng the CocaCo|a
Company Fe||owsh|p at the Academy
next spr|ng |s art|st Xu 8|ng, a creat|ve
force |n the wor|d of pr|ntmak|ng, ca|
||graphy, and |nsta||at|on art. h|s work
has been shown a|| over As|a, Europe,
and horth Amer|ca and exp|ores many
|anguages and var|ous forms of wr|t
|ng, pr|nt|ng, and bookb|nd|ng. A recent
so|o exh|b|t|on, word P|ay," was he|d
at the Arthur N. Sack|er 0a||ery at
wash|ngton's Sm|thson|an lnst|tut|on
|n 200 - the frst oneman show the
Sack|er had ever devoted to a ||v
|ng art|st. A show at the Nuseum fr
0stas|at|sche Kunst |n 8er||n0ah|em |s
be|ng p|anned for next Nay at the end
of Xu 8|ng's res|dency. Nore projects
can be v|ewed at www.xub|ng.com.
A st||| from Karen Yas|nsky's 0V0 an|mat|on huofed, wh|ch she began work|ng on as Ph|||p Norr|s Art|st |n the Spr|ng of 2008.
her work |s current|y on v|ew |n a show ca||ed 0ev|at|ons" at the 0a|er|e K & S |n 8er||n (L|n|enstrassee 5G-57).
Yas|nsky's next tr|p to 8er||n w||| co|nc|de w|th her onewoman show at the Knst|erhaus 8ethan|en, wh|ch opens January 5, 2004.
Va.o 6e.os 8ao
0erhard Casper w|th h|s former Stanford
provost, 0r. Condo|eezza R|ce.
aa Number Seven Fall Z003

Irustee ProI||e: 6erhard 6asper
Ihe 6u|ture oI 6o||eg|a||ty
by 6hr|st|oe 8r|ock
The 8erlln Journal a3
Cerhard, Cerhard," the students
chanted at many a graduation. Cerhard"
was not a Cerman pop or soccer star,
though he used to be Cerman and is a
star in his own right. 1he Cerhard they
cheered was the president ol Stanlord
Lniversity, and his last name was Casper.
1hough ovations are not exactly what
university presidents are known lor or
used to, Casper was so popular with
his students that Cerhard, Cerhard,"
lollowed him into retirement. lven three
years later, at Commencement 2003, the
lusty accolades kept coming.
Cerhard Casper was born in
lamburg, Cermany in 1937, on
Christmas lay. le had his lirst brush
with America when he was 1o years old.
le was the only Cerman among school
children lrom thirty countries who
had been invited to Xew York lor three
months to become acquainted with the
Lnited States. ln a discussion at a 8ronx
high school, young Cerhard learned how
hard it was to be Cerman, even nine years
alter the war. le was being stuck with
responsibility lor the Xazi past. 0nly
the delegate lrom lsrael, a girl named
Xurit, delended him in lront ol the other
students.
Alter linishing Cymnasium in
lamburg, Casper was inducted into
the prestigious Studienstiltung des
leutschen \olkes, a Cerman version ol
the Xational Merit Scholarship lrogram.
le started out by studying law in
lamburg - originally as preparation lor
a loreign service career. Alter a sojourn at
the lnstitut d'ltudes lolitiques (Sciences
lo) in laris, he went to lreiburg where
he lound two teachers, lrik \oll and
lonrad lesse, who instilled the love ol
jurisprudence in him lor good.
luring an academic year at Yale
Lniversity, he had the great lortune ol
meeting lannah Arendt and her circle
ol lriends. le was lascinated by the
protagonists ol an intellectual tradition
that was so sadly absent in postwar
Cermany and in the Cerman university.
8ack in Cermany he earned his lirst law
degree in lamburg in 19o1. ln 19o2, his
L.L.M. in Yale lollowed. ln 19o! he got
his doctorate in lreiburg and married
kegina loschel, a prolessor ol psychiatry.
Alter brooding over it, he decided to
lorgo a Cerman career and take a job as
assistant prolessor ol political science at
the Lniversity ol Calilornia at 8erkeley
instead.
le had never taught students, let
alone in a loreign language. 1o tell the
truth," he reports laconically, l did not
quite know what l was doing." Lile did
not become any easier when this young
prolessor suddenly lound himsell in the
midst ol the lree Speech Movement,
the beginning ol the great revolt that
would soon spread to so many campuses
across America. Lncomlortable with
the ideological polarization, he happily
accepted a call lrom the Lniversity ol
Chicago in 19oo to go back to his original
law career.
Chicago would become his home
lor the next 2o years. 1his Cerman,
who always carries a copy ol the LS
Constitution in his pocket, taught
constitutional law and history to his
American students. At Chicago, he
again met lannah Arendt, who was at
the university's Committee on Social
1hought. linally, the student revolution
did catch up with him. At the height
ol the \ietnam war, a growing chorus
ol critics asked whether the principles
ol the Xuremberg 1ribunal should not
be applied to the conduct ol the war.
So, together with lannah Arendt, he
organized a seminar on Xuremberg lor
law and philosophy scholars.
Chicago's Law School is still widely
considered to be among the nation's
most demanding, a very breeding ground
lor lederal judges. ln 1979, Casper would
become its dean. 8ut his national reputa-
tion had already preceded him. 1hough
still a Cerman citizen at the time, he was
- only in America" - a sought-out con-
gressional expert witness and consultant
during the \atergate era. le was now so
much part ol the American game that he
decided to change citizenship. lt seemed
unlair," he explained, not to lormalize
this status."
At the university, he also became
lamous - as creator ol a culture ol col-
legiality - a sense ol a shared common
mission," as his successor as dean,
Ceollrey k. Stone put it. 1his culture
lound its most poignant expression in
1he koundtable," a lour-times-a-week
gathering at the laculty Club at which
a dozen law prolessors met regularly
lor discussions ol hard-case legal issues
or legal education policy. 1he Xew
York 1imes called this institution a
monument to Mr. Casper's tenure at the
school."
1he gatherings were not only col-
legial brainstorming sessions but also
grueling test runs lor prospective laculty
members. kumor had it that those who
did not get tenure had llunked the
koundtable. Casper, however, was not all
law and law school. le proved his widely
praised intellectual mettle in all lields ol
the academy as provost ol the university
lrom 1989 to 1992. At this point, he
would have been a shoe-in lor the presi-
dency ol the Lniversity ol Chicago. 8ut
suddenly Stanlord knocked at his door.
1he larm," as Stanlord is allectionately
called by its members, had run into
linancial turmoil in 1991 and was looking
lor an even-keeled leader like Casper. le
was the search committee's unanimous-
choice. So it was good-bye to the
Midwest and welcome to Silicon \alley."
1he real reason Stanlord hired him,
jokes Casper, was because he was the
only candidate who could correctly pro-
nounce the university's motto Dic |aj|
cr |rci/ci| ac/|" (the winds ol lreedom
blow), a quotation lrom the medieval
Cerman humanist Llrich von lutten.
l think it's lair to say that alter so many
presidents doing a poor job at pronuncia-
tion, the 8oard ol 1rustees linally wanted
someone who could do it right," Casper
reports with a grin. So l was their man."
1he tall, white-haired ex-lamburger
with his lunny accent proved that lrauts
do have a sense ol humor alter all.
1he palm tree-lined campus ol
Stanlord was very dillerent lrom
Chicago's rough South Side neighbor-
hood. lt was a lot warmer there, and
much more relaxed. 8ut maybe too
easy-going, Casper thought. le wanted
not only to set the bookkeeping straight
but also to raise standards in teaching
and research. 1he new president made
undergraduate teaching his mission.
Above all, he wanted to oller Stanlord's
techies" a more solid grounding in the
liberal arts.
lor the larm," this was something ol
an academic revolution. 8ut the culture
ol collegiality" Casper had practiced so
successlully at Chicago helped - as did
the dire straits in which the university
lound itsell at the beginning ol the 1990s.
Stanlord was ready to see in Casper a
knight in shining armor who was going
to save the damsel lrom distress. ln
his lirst lour years, Casper launched a
whole series ol major changes in the
undergraduate curriculum. 0ne was the
Stanlord lntroductory Studies, a series
ol small seminars lor lirst- and second-
year students. Another was Sophomore
College, a two-week program in which
students take one intensive course belore
regular classes begin in the lall. le
also initiated the Stanlord lresidential
Lectures in the Arts and lumanities. lt
helped that the import lrom Chicago was
also an enormously successlul lundraiser.
Much ol what Casper raked in at
record levels was channeled into under-
graduate education, especially the liberal
arts. 1he undergraduates were gratelul
lor it, hence the Cerhard, Cerhard"
chants lor a man who became almost as
popular with the students as a pop star.
1he kids soon accepted Casper lor what
he was: not a cut-and-dry university
administrator but as advocate ol learning
with and lrom students. Casper himsell
maintains that he learned most ol what
he knows lrom his students. 1hat was
his personal pay-oll lor instituting small
seminars lor lreshmen and sophomores.
lere was a true lumboldt acolyte among
the palms, a believer in the republic ol
scholars. lt goes without saying that this
president was not an 0lympian ligure as
was the tradition at larvard. Cerhard
(never erry") probably became the
most accessible president in the annals ol
the modern American academy.
\hen he announced his resignation
in 1999 (to take ellect in 2000), it made
the headlines - and not only in the
Stanlord laily. lven his presidential col-
leagues were sad and dismayed. lis was
the model presidency. Students came to
his house to dissuade him lrom stepping
down. \hile Casper declined, he lound it
incredibly moving that students would
leel that they can do that, to come direct-
ly and express their leelings." lnlormal
interactions like this were the hallmark
ol his presidency. 1alking to students in
the Main Quad, having discussions in the
dorms, doing bedtime stories," Casper
recalls. lt was so very enjoyable - very,
very satislying."
So why did he want to step down
laving worked as an administrator
lor twenty years, Casper was alraid ol
burnout." Alter a badly needed sab-
batical, part ol which he spent at the
\issenschaltskolleg zu 8erlin, he
returned to the larm as mere" prolessor.
laving done so much lor undergradu-
ate education, particularly lor lirst- and
second-year students, he is now back to
undergraduate teaching. le lormulates
his credo thus: A broad liberal arts edu-
cation at a research-intensive university
where students really learn to question
the evidence andJ their own prejudices
is by lar the best education lor anything
in lile."
lt comes as no surprise that Casper,
who has collected honors and honorary
degrees galore, is now a sought-alter
speaker, author, and lundraiser. le
is a member ol the very exclusive
Cerman order lour le merite, ol the
American Academy ol Arts and Sciences,
the American Law lnstitute, the
lnternational Academy ol Comparative
Law and the American lhilosophical
Society.
Since 2000 Casper has added the
membership on the 8oard ol the
American Academy in 8erlin to this
impressive list. 1he man who did so
much lor undergraduate education is
not resting on his laurels. 1ogether with
political scientist Steve lrasner and
comparative literature prolessor kamon
Saldivar, he is now teaching a new course
in Stanlord about the changing concept
ol citizenship in the \est. lis talents as
educator and lundraiser and his ties to
both Cermany and the LS should come
in handy lor the Academy on the
\annsee.

Cnrisrir 8ricx, a higher education

specialist, is a lreelance writer living in
Munich.
a Number Seven Fall Z003

1he American legal system may be
lousy," says 8osch lublic lolicy
lellow Pau| 6arr|ogtoo, but it's the one
we have and the one we're stuck with."
1he prolessor and lormer dean ol luke
Lniversity's law school is the author ol
3|caars cj Dcrccrac; |aa as a |ao/ic
|rcjcssicr (1988) and the lorthcom-
ing w/; Arcrica nas a Mi//icr |aa;crs.
Carrington now takes up a third strand
ol his ongoing history ol the American
legal prolession: the ellorts ol LS lawyers
to inlluence the legal institutions ol other
nations. ll the system is so lousy, why are
Americans so eager to export it abroad
Dcrccra|ic |aa jcr 8cri/|c |ars |/c
|iarc/isr cj Arcricar |aa;crs will look,
among other things, at how Americans
have promoted their ideas ol lederalism
and constitutionalism the world over -
lrom the time the LS lirst extended its
support to the lrench in 1789 through to
its role in shaping the postwar apanese
and Cerman constitutions. And beyond.
Carrington will explore how this mis-
sionary attitude" has olten been limit-
ed in its success. Considering the cur-
rent ellorts at nation building in lraq and
Alghanistan, the project has indubitable
relevance lor the new century.
k|chard 6oheo, kichard Cohen, who
arrived in mid 0ctober lor a short-term
8osch lellowship, has been a columnist
at the was/ir|cr |cs| since 197o and has
contributed a twice-weekly column to the
paper's opinion page since 198!. Cohen
once described himsell to |cs| readers
as the reader's proxy, lucky enough by
virtue ol occupation to go where they
cannot go. l can visit places they're not
likely to go and under conditions they
would probably avoid (the Middle last
almost a dozen times, Alrica, Central
America, Asia, and lurope over and over
again) and, sometimes most perilous-
ly, the halls ol Congress or the salons ol
Ceorgetown." 1his lall he included 8erlin
on his busy itinerary, delivering a lecture
on America, the Misunderstood."
loet and translator P|erre Jor|s has
described his awakening to poetry as a
high school student upon hearing laul
Celan's 1odesluge" lor the lirst time:
my breath stopped, and when it start-
ed again it came lrom and into some-
one radically dillerent." oris, who teach-
es poetry at SLXY Albany, is a master
practitioner ol what he calls nomad-
ic poetics"- or, humorously, rcc|ics."
8orn in lrench-speaking Luxembourg,
educated lirst in Cerman schools and
Ph|||p 8oh|mao, prolessor ol music and
ewish studies at the Lniversity ol
Chicago and a prolilic writer and edi-
tor, is interested in how music creates
identities and gives voice to the voice-
less." 1he 8erlin lrize lellow current-
ly has a hall dozen books in preparation
on subjects ranging lrom lerder's phi-
losophy ol lolk music to /cais/ Masic ar
Mccrri|; |/c Crisis cj |/c 'J|/cr ai|/ir
|arccar Ca/|arc lrom 8erlin he is com-
pleting Masic Drara cj |/c nc/ccaas|,
which examines the astonishing array ol
chamber works, operas, and even cabaret
composed and perlormed by the inmates
1heresienstadt. lor a briel period much
ol the ewish musical talent ol Cermany,
Czechoslovokia, and Austria was incon-
gruently concentrated in the Xazi camp.
8ohlman will pay particular attention to
the works ol composer \iktor Lllmann
especially his 19!3 opera Dcr kaiscr icr
A|/ar|is, an opera that, to 8ohlman,
expresses the ineluctable acceleration
toward the end ol time: the destruction
ol luropean ewry." 1he scholar is also an
active perlormer. As lounding member
ol the Xew 8udapest 0rpheum Society,
he revives by night the very music he
researches by day.
5vet|aoa 8oym inaugurates 1he Cillette
Company lellowship this lall with a
book project 1/c J|/cr |rcccr Crcss
Ca/|ara/ Arcac/cs lt takes as its point
ol departure a poem lushkin wrote
under a pseudonym in 183o in response
to 1ocqueville's Dcrccrac; ir Arcrica.
l have but little use lor those lamous
'rights'" wrote the poet. All this, you see,
is 'words, words, words,'/0ther, better
rights are dear to my heart. 0ther, bet-
ter lreedom..." 1hat lreedom - aesthet-
ic lreedom, inner lreedom, and the lree-
dom ol contemplation - olten has more
to do with critical estrangement" and
voluntary exile" than with tradition-
al notions ol citizenship and democratic
lreedom, and 8oym will explore the ten-
sion. 1he larvard prolessor ol Slavic lan-
guages and literatures and comparative
literature is also an inventive photogra-
pher. A retrospective ol her photographic
meditations on Xostalgic 1echnology"
will take place in kussia next year. 8oym's
novel Nircc//a was published this lall.
A witty mystery set in laris (larigrad")
ol the 1930s and 1990s, it is simultane-
ously the account ol a scholar's madcap
research adventures, an homage to the
cult ol Carbo, and a vivid description ol
emigre lile.
!1I !ITTIhS a1 1lc Bars A)rc1d cr1c)
Prohles in Scholarship
lntroduc|ng the Fa|| 2008 Fe||ows
8; Mirara kcooirs
P
o
r
t
r
a
|
t
s
:
N
|
k
e
N
|
n
e
h
a
n

The 8erlln Journal ag
ism. ln very dillerent ways, both thinkers
arrived at the remedy ol moral consen-
sus, delining political society as a mor-
ally expressive" community lile, common
norms, and values. (legel called it ethi-
cal lile," or 3i||/ic//ci|. 1ocqueville cast it
in more practical terms: religion, associa-
tional lile, local civic participation.) \illa
has given much thought to other, more
modern" notions ol democracy, espe-
cially lannah Arendt's understanding ol
the plurality ol political lile. lis recent
book 3ccra|ic Ci|i:crs/i explored the
idea that active citizenship requires some
degree ol estrangement," or critical dis-
tance," lrom public lile: a notion ol plural
opinions contesting each other.
Art historian Aooe wagoer, who holds
an Anna-Maria lellen lellowship, is
preparing a collection ol essays about
the late ol liguration" in postwar art.
\agner, who has been a prolessor at the
Lniversity ol Calilornia, 8erkeley since
1988, reminds us that the term ligure"
encompasses a whole set ol representa-
tional conventions." lnown lor her work
on sculpture and its avatars, much ol
\agner's writing is deeply engaged with
leminism and race. 1he current project,
Dijjcrcrcc ar Disjiara|icr, takes on the
great postwar American painters Andy
\arhol, \illem le looning, and lelen
lrankenthaler. Sculptural and installa-
tion work by lara \alker, kosemarie
1rockel, and Louise 8ourgeois, will
leature in it as well. \agner launches
the book with an original analysis ol
\arhol's kacc kic| series, which situates
his depiction ol the 19o3 8irmingham
riots within the tradition ol history
painting. Against the narrow delinition
ol \arhol as a conceptual artist whose
turn to the easily repeatable medium
ol squeegee on silkscreen indicated a
lack ol interest in artistic authorship,"
\agner's essay reclaims his importance
as a painter caught up in the history he
aimed to depict. ler book on 8ritish
sculpture, circa 1930 Mc|/cr 3|crcs, is
lorthcoming.

3/aooa|ai zcii 1/c M;s|ica/ Mcssia/.
Steinberg, who has published on lelix
Mendelssohn and lans llitzner, on
lnlightenment-era 8erlin and lin-de-sie-
cle \ienna, now traces the debates on
udaism and secularity through genera-
tions ol Cerman-ewish artists and think-
ers. At the same time, the book ollers
an important critique ol historiogra-
phy, in particular ol the sort ol contri-
bution history" currently on display at
8erlin's ewish Museum. 1he lolocaust,
Steinberg writes hovers over this kind
ol enterprise," but it cannot and should
not control the practice ol history ret-
roactively." \hile Steinberg questions
the understanding ol modern Cerman-
ewish history as a tragic linearity,"
he is equally skeptical ol the polari-
ty assimilation/ identity" that olten
characterizes work on the period. lis
book |is|crir |c kcascr Ca/|arc ar
3aocc|iii|; ir Nirc|ccr|/Ccr|ar; Masic
was just published.
laniel lellow 0aoa |||a's current project
1/c 3acc cj |rcccr explores the com-
mon ground shared by two great nine-
teenth century political thinkers who
are rarely brought together in a system-
atic way: legel and 1ocqueville. lespite
their obvious dillerences - the Cerman
philosopher addressed monarchical
lurope lrom the vantage point ol lrussia,
while the lrenchman examined lledgling
democracy in 1830s America - both were
deeply concerned with how civil society
brings a new pluralism" to the state. As
the associate prolessor ol political sci-
ence at the Lniversity ol Calilornia, Santa
8arbara points out, they also shared an
intense lear ol alienation and atomiza-
tion" - a distrust ol modern individual-
And she is writing a short biography ol
lavid lume, whom she sees as vital to
Americans today. 0l course Lesser is also
actively on the prowl lor new contribu-
tors to her magazine. 1he next issue ol
her lrei-Croschen-7eitschrilt" may
very well span lrom 8erkeley to 8erlin.
lMorgan lellow wa|ter Natt|| has close-
ly observed what he calls the stan-
dards games" as they are played out
between lurope and the LS. Standards
lor accounting, lood and products, and
the inlormation technology sector, to
name a lew, operate very dillerently on
the national and international levels.
Xational product standards, lor exam-
ple, olten have the ellect ol inhibiting
trade, while international ones tend to
serve as instruments ol trade liberaliza-
tion. 1he associate prolessor ol political
science at Columbia Lniversity and lor-
mer lellow at the \issenschaltskolleg
zu 8erlin describes how the American
system, which is lar more market-driv-
en, decentralized, and sectorially ori-
ented that lurope's, is olten weak within
an international setting. lurope partic-
ipates more smoothly in the hierarchy
ol national, regional, and international
organizations. 1oday, national standards
are being produced with less vigor than
international ones, but the organs shap-
ing the latter need scrutiny. 1o Mattli,
transparency, accountability, and legit-
imacy are important issues. \ho sets
the standards And what interests shape
them As he writes, some guarantees
and checks would become necessary to
ensure that the results ol internation-
al standardization processes rellect not
only the interests ol industry" but also
ol social stakeholders" like consumer
groups as well.
N|chae| 5te|oberg, prolessor ol modern
history at Cornell and Associate lditor ol
the Masica/ Qaar|cr/;, is especially active
in music history and comparative litera-
ture. lrom 8erlin, the Anna-Maria lellen
lellow is preparing a sweeping study ol
Cerman-ewish thought and art lrom the
era ol lnlightenment ewish philosopher
Moses Mendelssohn through the pub-
lication in 197 ol Cershom Scholem's
later at 8ritish and American universi-
ties, he is at ease in a hall dozen languag-
es and cultures and has translated writ-
ers as diverse as lolderlin, kilke, 1zara,
and Abdelwahab Meddeb. 8ut it is to
Celan that oris claims to owe an inli-
nite debt." lurope's great postwar poet
was in 8erlin only twice: in 19o7 and in
Xovember 1938, as a young man, when
his laris-bound train stopped brielly at
the Anhalter station. lt was the night ol
lristallnacht, and Celan later wrote ol
his glimpse ol some smoke/ that was
already lrom tomorrow." 1his lall, oris
lollows those traces. le is also at work
on a volume ol his own poems, 8ar:a//!,
and the translation ol a critical edition ol
Celan's prose work Meridian."
ln her recent book kcrcair, weody
Lesser says she lills an oddball role, out-
side the mainstream." ll she has llour-
ished outside ol the Academy, this lall
she is llourishing inside it as well - as
loltzbrinck lellow at the Academy. 1he
editor ol the 1/rcccrr; kciica is a cul-
tural commentator ol exciting breadth,
enthusiasm, and humor. Literature,
art, dance, opera, the movies, and lile
all lall within her compass. 1he quar-
terly she lounded over twenty years ago
brims with poetry and liction, reviews
ol books, lilm, and art exhibitions, per-
sonal commentary and scholarly discus-
sions. lt is, in the words ol Susan Sontag,
a serious, eccentric, imaginative maga-
zine." 1/rcccrr;s regular contributors
include 1homas Cunn, Louise Clck,
Margaret lrabble, Andre Aciman, and
Lawrence \eschler. She will soon take to
press 1/c Ccrias cj |araac, her edited
volume ol essays by writers who turned
to lnglish lrom their native tongues.
a6 Number Seven Fall Z003

\hen Citigroup lellow 1imothy Clark
says he is writing a book that will pro-
voke his lellow art historians, it is not
altogether surprising. 1he Ceorge and
lelen lardee lrolessor ol Art listory
at the Lniversity ol Calilornia, 8erkeley
is appreciated among his colleagues
and revered by his students as an inde-
pendent and unabashedly argumenta-
tive scholar. More surprising is that the
author ol brilliant work on the nine-
teenth-century lrench realists and
lmpressionists is taking up the greatest
ol seventeenth-century neoclassicists:
Xicolas loussin. ln lact, Clark, who has
also done much work on the twentieth
total views," he says. 1he loussin book
militates against the idea that art his-
tory can project a unitary, satislacto-
ry dimension" onto paintings. 1his is
well in keeping with Clark's earlier writ-
ings. le is best known lor a trio ol stud-
ies ol nineteenth-century lrench paint-
ing: a two-volume project lrom 1973,
Cas|aic Ccaroc| ar |/c !818 kcic/a|icr
and 1/c Aosc/a|c 8carccis Ar|is|s ar
|c/i|ics ir |rarcc !818 5!, lollowed in
198 by 1/c |air|ir cj Mccrr |ijc, a
study ol lmpressionism in laris. More
recently, |arcac// |c ar |ca (1999) close-
ly examines a set ol paintings - lrom
lavid's portrait ol the dead Marat to
Lissitzky's mural lor Soviet \itebsk, right
up through lollock's disruptive, tan-
gled drip paintings ol the late 19!0s. 1he
essays explore how certain artists dealt
with disenchantment with the world"
and trace it lrom the lrench kevolution
into the twentieth century.
1he second ol Clark's current proj-
ects, lainting at Cround Level," again
locuses on loussin, whom he now pairs
with the sixteenth-century llemish mas-
ter leter 8ruegel the llder. lxamining
loussin's great 8acc/ara/iar kcic/
8cjcrc a ncrr cj |ar (1o30 -3!, also in
London) and the sprawling ligures in
8ruegel's 1/c |ar cj Ccc/airc (1o7,
in Munich), Clark realized that loussin
and 8ruegel were among the lew paint-
Fe||ow ProI||e: I|mothy 6|ark
A New Look at the 0|d Nasters
century, lrom licasso, Matisse, Malevich,
and Mondrian, up to the painters ol the
Xew York School, is at work on two proj-
ects relating to the 0ld Masters.
Clark began his loussin diaries" in
the spring ol 2000 during a lellowship
at the Cetty kesearch lnstitute in L.A.
lis stay coincided with a show the muse-
um had organized around two paintings
by loussin: the Cetty's serene pastoral,
|arscac ai|/ a Ca/r (1o0 - 1), and
the turbulent |arscac ai|/ a Mar ki//c
o; a 3ra/c (1o!8) loaned by London's
Xational Callery. Clark's lrequent visits
to the small room shared by these works
brought new observations almost every
day," what he calls, with a glint in his
eye, the process ol going back and back
and having a picture change belore you."
Xow, as he revises his rellections lrom
8erlin, visits to other loussins in Cerman
and Austrian collections provide mate-
rial lor comparison.
1he book's subtext - and a poten-
tial source ol irritation - is that we olten
lail to look carelully at the work ol art,
that we too easily accept the theories and
explanations ol others. lictures resist
ers to take lull advantage ol the relation-
ship ol the human body to ground level,
to make man's unstable uprightness
a central subject ol their art." loussin
and 8ruegel were not the only painters
adept at dramatizing the strangeness
ol the human body and its movement in
the world." \eronese and \elasquez will
make appearances in this study as well,
as, possibly, will the Dca 1crcacr ol late
Manet. 8ut the transhistorical group ol
artists is a select one. \hy so many paint-
ers took the upright human bipedal con-
dition" lor granted is just one ol the proj-
ect's many puzzles.
Clark's insistence on the social
in art history has not kept him lrom
prolessing reverence lor the great works
ol great artists, lrom trying repeatedly
to characterize the achievement ol the
great" work ol art - what it is, in other
words, that marks certain seminal
or revolutionary images oll lrom the
mass ol visual production. kather than
lirst examining the social institutions
surrounding the art work, Clark probes
the lorms themselves. kemarkably, this
scholar who is so interested in painting's
art ol wordless communication" is
able to translate what he sees back into
marvelous writing. le absorbs himsell in
brushstrokes, shapes, light, composition,
and color, and we absorb ourselves in his
lucid and imaginative prose.

l-.oo l--|-
One of the eight chosen
top estates from Germany
to present their wines
at the famous
New Ycrk \ine Experience,
October 25th, 2003,
held by \ine Spectatcr.
Selected wines of
\egeler Estates
are being served at the
American Academy.
wL N c u f L
wLcLLL
0utshaus Uestrlch
0utshaus 8ernkastel
0utshaus ueldeshelm
Fcr mcre lnfcrmatlcn ccntact:
welnguter wegeler
Frledensplatz
6, Uestrlch-wlnkel
Telefcn: o6,-o o
Fax: o6,-o 66
lnfc[wegeler.ccm
The 8erlln Journal ay
l.o1es-
!6u
The 8erlln Journal ay
l.o1es-
!6u
a8 Number Seven Fall Z003

r 1lc lATIhhNT
1he American Academy in 8erlin
was honored when, lor the lirst
time, the American lmbassy's tra-
ditional lndependence lay party
was held on the lawn ol the lans
Arnhold Center. Ambassador
laniel k. Coats and his wile Marcia
welcomed more than 2,00 guests,
including Cerman lconomics
Minister \ollgang Clement,
As it does each semester, thelans
Arnhold Center is once again expect-
ing a talented group ol lelows lor
the coming spring. 1he loltzbrink
lellowship in ournalism will be
held by 1homas Ceoghegan, a
writer and lawyer (lespres Schwartz
and Ceoghegan). 1wo lellows
inaugurate the Ceorge l. \. 8ush
lellowship: historian lope
larrison (Ceorge \ashington
Lniversity) and prolessor ol
international relations Andrew
. 8acevich (8oston Lniversity).
Legal historian lenneth l. Ledlord
Snea| PrevieW
Ihe 5pr|og Z004 Fe||ows
(Case \estern Lniversity) will
be the lirst ohn \. lluge lellow.
Cultural listorian Miriam lansen
(Lniversity ol Chicago) and writer
llizabeth McCracken (Lniversity ol
lowa \riters' \orkshop) are both
lllen Maria Corrissen lellows. 1he
laimlerChrysler lellows this semes-
ter will be lavid lerris (Shepherd
School ol Music, kice Lniversity)
and historian Michael Ceyer
(Lniversity ol Chicago). 1wo artists
will take up 8erlin residence: Xu
8ing, who inagurates the Coca-Cola
lellowship, and installation and lilm
Minister ol the lnterior 0tto Schily,
and 8erlin's mayor llaus \owereit.
8erlin's lamous Stars in Concert"
graced the stage, and the night cul-
minated in a glittering display ol
lireworks set oll lrom a boat in the
middle ol the \annsee.
America on the \annsee
Ihe Ambassador 6e|ebrates Ju|y 4th at the haos Aroho|d 6eoter
LS Secretary ol lngergy Spencer
Abraham explained his coun-
try's energy and climate policies
on September 17 at the American
Academy in 8erlin as part ol its
new 1ransatlantic lolicy lorumJ.
According to Abraham, the LS has
wholly acknowledged that climate
change is a century-long challenge
that must be conlronted right away.
lowever, he added that this can
only occur on the basis ol solid sci-
entilic insight and new technology.
0ur administration has devel-
oped an ambitious approach to cli-
mate change that rests on three
main pillars - technology, science,
and international cooperation,"
explained Abraham. le argued
that it is necessary to develop rev-
olutionary technologies that will
achieve a reduction ol greenhouse
gases.
According to Abraham, attempt-
ing to improve today's energy sys-
tems is not a sullicient course ol
action. \e must lundamentally
change the ways we produce and
consume energy. 1he cabinet mem-
ber argued that attempting to solve
the problem ol greenhouse gas
emissions without new technolo-
gies would ultimately lead to eco-
nomic stagnation, no matter how
noble our intentions.
1he immediate goal ol the LS,
according to Abraham, is to slow
the growth ol carbon-dioxide emis-
sions. lowever it is essential that
this encourage, rather than discour-
age economic growth. 1he concrete
goal ol the 8ush Administration is
Transat|antic C|imate
Chane
6eorge 8ush's oergy Adv|sor 5eeks 5o|ut|oos |o Iechoo|ogy
to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
by 18 percent in relation to the Cll
over the next ten years.
\hile the current ratio is 183
metric tons ol greenhouse emis-
sions every $1 million ol Cll, by
2012 this ligure is to be reduced to
11 metric tons. ln the context ol
the $1 billion lutureCen" project,
the administration even wants to
develop an emission-lree, coal-lilled
power plant.
Abraham endorsed the use ol
nuclear energy, which he relerred
to as a clean energy choice." At the
same time, he called lor the accel-
eration ol the path to a hydrogen-
based economy.
\e can and will translorm our
economies lrom carbon-based to
hydrogen-based," stated Abraham
conlidently. le explained that
hydrogen might one day be pro-
duced by new, even saler, and more
economical lission reactors.
Abraham emphasized that we
still know very little about the
dynamics ol global climate change.
1o remedy the lack ol knowledge,
Abraham champions the necessity
ol large research ellorts that would
enable the development ol ellicient
technical solutions.
8; Ncrocr| /cssaa
lrom Dic wc/|
September 18, 2003
1rars/a|c o; Daric/ na;sscr
Arch|tect 0an|e| L|besk|nd de||vered the sec
ond annua| Stephen Ke||en Lecture |n ear|y
September at the hans Arnho|d Center, a pre
sentat|on of h|s stud|o's work|ng des|gn for the
rebu||d|ng of the s|te of the wor|d Trade Center
|n Lower Nanhattan. he |s shown here stand
|ng before the s||kscreen portra|t of Ada Katz
donated to the Amer|can Academy by A|ex
Katz, Ph|||p Norr|s 0|st|ngu|shed Art|st |n the
spr|ng of 200.
artist keynold keynolds, who will
be the Cuna S. Mundheim lellow.
1he .l. Morgan lnternatio-nal lrize
in linance lolicy and lconomics
is held by journalist lavid \arsh.
lnternational security expert laniel
8enjamin (the Center lor Strategic
and lnternational Studies) and
lrolessor ol law Mary Anne Case
(Lniversity ol Chicago Law School)
are the 8osch lublic lolicy lellows.
1he spring 200! listinguished
\isitors include composer Lukas
loss and lormer LS ambassadors
Martin lndyk and lennis koss.
P
h
o
t
o
:
h
e
n
r
y
h
e
r
r
m
a
n
n
f
o
r
E
v
e
n
t
P
r
e
s
s
A
g
e
n
t
u
r

At the American Academy we get a daily close-up ol works-in-progress, a
proximity that has led us to hold the intermittent products ol creativity
in high regard. Sometimes those nrst images are especially intense - as in
\ard ust's lade 0ut" (a study lor his novel 1/c wca|/cr ir 8cr/ir), which
we published in the summer ol 2001. 0r they are abrupt, as were the lrag-
ments ol Mozart's unnnished string quartets discovered by lellow Chris-
topher \olll and perlormed at the lans Arnhold Center in March 2001
under his musicological guidance. 0ther times a moment no longer rel-
evant to a narrative strategy is preserved, as in onathan lranzen's hilar-
ious Long laragraph Concerning lenise Lambert's lnability to 8uy
za 1able lor ler lining koom " (almost, but not quite, included in 1/c
Ccrrcc|icrs), printed in our Spring 2002 issue. Such outtakes disclose
much about an author's working methods and the artistic choices he or
she must constantly conlront - the choice between a specinc outtake's
imaginative power and its possible awkwardness, or even irrelevance, in
the integrated whole .
A writer who saves his or her nctional discards accords them a spe-
cial signincance. lor this issue we asked several past, present, and luture
lellows and guests to share their reluctant ara/icrcra - notably nov-
elists ellrey lugenides, llisabeth McCracken, and onathan Salran loer.
ln addition, poet/translator lierre oris gives us insight into the poet-
ic process ol laul Celan, and literary scholar Svetlana 8oym extends the
analogy to her work as an amateur photographer. ln the next issue we shall
make a historiographic point when we question the omission ol several let-
ters lrom the published correspondence between 8etty Scholem and her
son Cershom.
lid we leave anything out As this year's authors and scholars peer
out on the \annsee, writing, renecting, or just biding their time until the
right phrase or argument occurs, we are especially thanklul lor the Acad-
emy's vantage point on the sundry works-in-progress, keeping in mind
Coethe's admonition to 7elter that \e cannot know when a work ol
nature or ol art has been nnished, we must surprise them in the process ol
being created so as to understand them to some degree."
Ta|in on the 0utta|e
By Gary Smith
0utta|es are ideas removed or omitted
- in music, a teW bars ot a score, in ti|m,
a ta|e |ett on the cuttin room t|oor. The
Cerman corre|ate comes trom the Cree|
ara||oea. that Which is |ett out trom
the tina| Wor|. Some scho|ars Wi|| assert
that these are otten more interestin than
the tinished Wor|, Which \a|ter Benjamin
tamous|y deemed "the death mas| ot its
conception. Certain|y the actor Adrian
Brody must have thouht so When his
brea|throuh pertormance in Terrence
Va|ic|'s !|e !|| Red ||e ended up on
the cuttin room t|oor. The ti|mma|er
(Who Was a 0istinuished Visitor at the
Academy |ast year) Was compe||ed to
abride the ti|m by severa| hours. Since
Brody's ste||ar pertormance in Roman
Po|ans|i's !|e ||a|si, Who Wou|dn't
Want to screen Va|ic|'s outta|es`
0utta|e
trrrrrv rtcrirrs, who held a 8erlin lrize lellowship at the American
Academy in 2000-01, won a lulitzer lrize this year lor his novel
Mi/csc\ and, most recently, the Dic wc/| literature prize. le is also
the author ol 1/c \irir 3aicics le lives in 8erlin.
Cultural critic and comparative literature prolessor svrrt rovx, this
lall's Cillette Company lellow, is the author ol Ccrrcr |/accs M;|/c/c
ics cj |icr;a; |ijc ir kassia (199), 1/c |a|arc cj Ncs|a/ia (2001), and,
most recently, Nircc//a a Ncic/
rtizrrrn xccrcxr will be Anna-Maria lellen lellow at the Acade-
my next spring. Niara |a//s a// Jicr Aair, the story ol a vaudeville duo,
won a rr award last year. She is also the author ol ncrcs car na|. w/a|s
car narr; 3|crics and 1/c Ciar|s ncasc, which was nominated lor a
Xational 8ook Award in 199o. McCracken currently teaches at the lowa
\riters' \orkshop.
torn srr rorr, who visited the Academy in the spring ol 2003,
is the author ol the best-selling novel |icr;|/ir is |//arira|c. 1he antho-
logy he edited, A Ccricrcrcc cj 8irs Jriira/ |ic|icr ar |cc|r; |rsirc
o; /csc/ Ccrrc//, includes essays by oyce Carol 0ates, Lydia lavis, and
kick Moody, among others, and received awards lor its superb design.
rorr rirrrr toris, 8erlin lrize lellow this semester, is author ol
numerous volumes ol poetry, and, most recently, ol A Ncra |cc|ics
|ssa;s, published this 0ctober. le is translator ol laul Celan's 8rca|/|arr
and 1/rcasars and the editor, with erome kothenberg, ol |ccrs jcr
|/c Mi//crriar 1/c Iriicrsi|; cj Ca/ijcrria 8cc/ cj Mccrr |cs|rccrr
|cc|r;, in two volumes.
The Contr|butors
The 8erlln Journal 3
1he Spirit ol letroit, you see, wasn't the only ngure making midnight trips
across the city's racial divide. lor some time now, according to immy's sis-
ter lelen, her brother had been exhibiting the telltale signs ol lorbidden
love. lvery Monday night he dresses up and goes out. le puts on cologne.
immy. 1hen he comes back two, three in the morning and doesn't say a
word. ll l ask he says he went to the movies."
8ut why wouldn't he tell you" asked 1essie.
l'll tell you why. 1wo weeks ago me and the girls went over to the kooster-
tail. \e just wanted to have a drink and look out at the water. \e get there
and the place is jammed. lveryone's there to see this little kid. Couldn't
have been more than twelve. And he's blind! You should've seen him. Sun-
glasses, white jacket, cute little thing. 8ut boy could he play the harmoni-
ca. Anyway, there was no place to sit. My leet were killing me, so we decid-
ed to leave. 8ut just as we're going out, guess who l saw"
immy."
And not just immy." She stage-whispered. A rairc."
You're kidding."
le's always been that way, 1essie. Likes the colored music. le's got all
kinds ol records. 1hey're making them right over on \est Crand. Some
new record company in somebody's basement. Motown. Supposed to be
a big deal."
0r it went something like that. My old lnglish prolessor, lmil 8rustein,
used to make lun ol expositional dialogue, but l nnd that my newlound lit-
erary gilt doesn't come lree ol conventions. \hat are conventions, any-
way, but genetic markers in the body ol literature Moving into a new cen-
tury, into new lorms, we carry bits ol the old. lhylogeny recapitulates
ontogeny. Anyway, this much is clear. lelen did go to the koostertail one
Monday night and she did see her brother with an attractive black lady.
ler name was Leslie \ashington and she worked as a bank teller. lvery
lriday, immy lapanikolas took his paycheck to the lmmigrant 8ank at
Mack and Conner. 8ehind the gilded bars ol window number three, Leslie
\ashington took the check, examined the endorsement on the back and
asked, Small bills" immy nodded. 1his went on lor months. lach week
their eyes met only brieny. 1heir hands never touched. Sometimes immy
went to another window. le didn't notice the dillerence. le didn't like
banks. lor years he'd kept his money in a sock stulled behind the radiator.
ligh above the teller's windows an eagle clutched a brass clock in its tal-
ons. immy was staring up at this clock one week when suddenly he heard
a low, musical voice say, l hope you're saving some ol that."
V.11|-s-r

Jeffrey Eugen|des
rrrr rnr, in the living room on Sundays, the dynamics began to change.
\hereas originally it had been Milton and leter Aristos holding the lib-
eral line against ohnny 1atakis and lather Mike, now Milton shilted on
signincant positions. lor instance, when the 8rown vs. 8oard ol lduca-
tion decision came down, Milton began inching himsell ever so slightly
across the love seat toward immy. lt's not lor the lederal government to
decide. 1his is the Lnited 3|a|cs. Xot the kepublic ol \ashington l.C."
\hen latriarch lakovos marched with kev. ling in Selma, Milton prevar-
icated, keligious leaders should stay out ol politics." \hat are you talk-
ing about, Milt Civil rights isn't a political struggle. lt's a moral one." And
Milton, waiting until lather Mike had lelt the room, 1hese priests just
want to tell everybody what to think. Maybe that worked back in the old
country where nobody could read. 8ut it doesn't work over here."
lakovos is right," leter Aristos insisted. Civil rights isn't just about the
raircs. lt's about the constitution."
8ut at that point an amazing thing happened. immy lapanikolas, who
never ventured an opinion during Sunday debates, spoke up. Sitting, as
usual, in a chair he'd carried in lrom the dining room (not lor him a place
on the couches), immy lapanikolas stared into his collee cup and said,
1he Xegroes lought lor this country like everybody else. All they want is
to have the same opportunities. 1hey want to go where they want and eat
where they want."
At this Milton smiled. Since when did you become such an authority on
the coloreds"
ln his low-status chair immy blushed deeply. le mumbled some-
thing noncommittal and excused himsell to go to the bathroom. lor the
moment, the political discussion stopped, upstaged by this new revelation
ol secret leelings.
l guess it's true," ohnny 1atakis said.
Looks like it," said Milton.
3a Number Seven Fall Z003

.-, .1a,. j.mm, laao.|e|as ee| |.s a,e|-e| e |- lmm.ao 8ao| a Vae|
ao1 6eoo-. 8-|.o1 |- .|1-1 !as e o.o1eo oom!- |--. l-s|.- las|.oeo
ee| |- e|-e|. -ram.o-1 |- -o1es-m-o eo |- !ae| ao1 as|-1. Sma|| !.||s`
j.mm, oe11-1. !|.s o-o eo e meo|s. ae| o--| |-. -,-s m- eo|, !.-,.
!|-. |ao1s o-.- eoe|-1.
8|-ss.o
le looked up. 1hrough the barred window, he saw, in slices, Leslie \ashington's lace. ler
eyes peered through separate slots, each lid brushed with powder like a moth's wings. ler
nose was obscured, but he could see the corners ol her lull, red lips. lut away a little each
week," she said. \ith interest, it adds up."
immy lapanikolas lell in love in installments, on the savings plan. lach week he came in and
cashed his check and each week, alter deliberating, he slid twenty dollars back under the win-
dow. Leslie \ashington recorded his deposits in an account ledger and, each quarter, showed
him interest earned. lt was the neat way Miss \ashington lolded bank notes that got to him,
her assiduousness in always counting out the amount twice and the way she wet her lorenn-
ger on a tiny wedge ol sponge. lis attraction slowly built up, compounded by weekly returns
ol eye contact and lunded by a steady now ol nirtatious teasing. At home immy sometimes
looked in his account book just to see her carelul addition.
1hey met, brieny, lor collee, and it was a disaster. 1hey were both aware ol curious and dis-
approving looks lrom other customers. 1hey parted, intending to go no lurther, but the next
week they went out again. 1hey never brought up the dillerence in their skin colors, but it was
always there, the great lact, and they might never have been able to continue il they hadn't dis-
covered the only thing that brought the races together in letroit: music.
1he koostertail restaurant curved along the riverlront in a space-age sine wave ol shining
glass. ln summer people went there to watch the hydroplane races but, on Monday nights
in the early o0s, the action was all inside. immy and Leslie saw 1he 1emptations lrom ten
leet away. 1he next week they saw 1he \elvelettes and 8arrett Strong, also 1he Contours,
1he lour 1ops, and 1he Marvelettes singing llease, Mr. lostman." 1hey saw 1he lrimettes
belore they became 1he Supremes. 1hey saw a young singer name Marvin Caye who didn't
want to sing Motown, who wanted to be a crooner like Sinatra or Xat ling Cole, but here he
was, making a living, singing Moonglow" with the Marquees. 1hey saw unior \alker, 1he
Spinners, the lsley 8rothers, and il they didn't see them they heard them on records at home.
0nce in a while, alter making love, Leslie \ashington would put on Message lrom a 8lack
Man" by 1he 1emptations, and they would lie there together, this Creek short order cook and
this black bank teller, listening to songs about lreedom and equality, and leeling that they
were doing their part, here, with this, Leslie's head on immy's chest. Lots ol musicians were
coming through letroit in those days. Ceorge Clinton, imi lendrix, even Xeil Young, play-
ing with a band called the Mynah 8irds. American music begins in letroit, not Xashville,
not Chicago, not Xew York - letroit - lrom Motown through lunk to jungle to house, Les-
ter 8angs wrote lor Creem there, Madonna was born there, and letroit is where latti Smith
went to recharge. And now we've got lminem and 1he \hite Stripes. immy lapanikolas
had never been with a colored woman belore. 1here were lots ol interesting discoveries, the
spongy coil ol her pubic hair, the amplitude ol her lips, plus a kind ol voodoo moment, dur-
ing climax, when her eyes rolled into the back ol her head. ln bed with Leslie \ashington he
sang along to the new music, or she did, or they sang together.
1he next morning, back in the kitchen, he told no one about it. le tried to lorget about the
previous night, to lose Leslie \ashington's scent ol lorest mushrooms in the smell ol lrying
bacon, but the bubbling grease was a kind ol percussion, and soon immy was singing into
his spatula . . . - "l got sunshine on a cloudy day," - . . . swiveling on one heel now, grabbing
eight pieces ol bread and popping them in the toaster . . . - \hen it's cold outside l got the
month ol May,"- . . . lilting his right leg, kicking it back . . . - "l hear you say - what can make
me leel this way,"- . . . to spin gracelully back to the grill . . . - My girl. 1alkin' 'bout my girl.
My girl."
\hat the hell's he singing in there" Milton asked.
l don't know what," said lelen, but l know who to."
3 Number Seven Fall Z003

...i_.. ....i._
|otes tor an 0ttVodern Vanitesto
Svet|ana Boym
The 8erlln Journal 3g
. . ._. .j c.
lt's not my lault. Communication error has occurred," my computer
pleads with me in the voice ol Lady \ictoria. lirst it excuses itsell, then
urges me to check my connections, to lollow the instructions carelully. l
don't. l pull the paper out ol the printer prematurely, shattering the image,
leaving its outtakes, stripes ol transience, inkblots and the traces ol my
hands on the prolessional matte" surlace. 0nce, the disoriented computer
spat out a warning across the image lo Xot Copy," an involuntary water
mark that emerged lrom the depth ol its disturbed memory. 1he commu-
nication error makes each print unrepeatable and unpredictable. l collect
the computer errors. An error has an aura.
1o err is human. ln advanced technological lingo, the space ol
humanity itsell is relegated to the margin ol error." Yet, this margin
ol error is our margin ol lreedom. lt's a choice beyond the multiple choic-
es programmed lor us, an interaction excluded lrom computerized inter-
activity. 1he error is a chance encounter between us and the machines.
1he art ol computer erring is neither high-tech nor low-tech. lt is broken-
tech. lt cheats on both technological progress and on technological obso-
lescence. And any amateur artist can allord it. Art's new technology is a
broken technology.
las Art" itsell become a mere outtake, a long lootnote to human
history ln the LS it is technology, not culture, that is regarded as a space
lor innovations. Art, it seems, has overstayed its welcome. 8ut amateur art-
ists, immigrants lrom the disintegrated homeland, survive against all odds.
0lten they cross the border illegally and, like diasporic repo-men, try to
repossess what used to belong to them, to reconquer the space ol art.
1he amateur artist aspires neither to newness nor to a trendy belat-
edness. 1he prenxes avant" and post" appear equally outdated or irrel-
evant in the current media age. 1he same goes lor the illusions ol trans."
8ut this doesn't mean that one should try desperately to be in." 1here is
another option: not to be ca|, but cjj. As in oll-stage, oll-key, oll-beat and
occasionally, oll-color. 0ne doesn't have to be absolutely modern," as
kimbaud once dreamed, but oll-modern. A lateral move ol the knight in
a game ol chess. A detour into some unexplored potentialities ol the
modern project. 8roken-tech art doesn't thrive on destruction. At times l
give my printer a mild spanking, push it to the limit. l want to handle it
manually, as a craltsman handles his tools but without the craltsman's laith
in the materials. Yet l would never wish to return to the anxieties ol leaking
pens and inkblots on the gridded paper ol my childhood. 8roken-tech art is
not Luddite but ludic. lt challenges the destruction with play.
. . .o.., coi... .j....
\ith his inimitable, oblique lucidity \alter 8enjamin wrote about the
importance ol short shadows. 1hey are no more than the sharp, black
edges at the leet ol things, preparing to retreat silently, unnoticed, into
their burrow, their secret being." Short shadows speak ol thresholds, warn
us against being too short-sighted or too long-winded. \hen we get too
close to things, disrespecting their short shadows, we risk obliterating
them, but il we make shadows too long we start to enjoy them lor their
own sake. Short shadows urge us to check the balance ol nearness and dis-
tance, to trust neither those who speak ol the essences ol things nor those
who preach conspiratorial simulation.
8roken-tech art is an art ol short shadows. lt turns our attention to the sur-
laces, rims, and thresholds. l have accumulated hundreds ol photographs
ol windows, doors, lacades, back yards, lences, and sunsets in dillerent cit-
ies - all stored in plastic bags under my desk. l re-photograph the old snap-
shots with my digital camera, and the sun ol the other time and the other
place casts new shadows upon their once glossy surlaces stained by lemon
tea and the nngerprints ol indillerent lriends. l try not to use the pre-pro-
grammed special ellects ol lhotoshop, not because l believe in authentic-
ity ol craltsmanship, but because l equally distrust the theory ol universal
simulation. l wish to learn lrom my own mistakes, let mysell err. l carry the
pictures into new physical environments, inhabit them again, occasional-
ly deviating lrom the rules ol light exposure and locus.
At the same time l look lor the ready-mades in the outside world,
natural" collages, and ambiguous double exposures. My most mislead-
ing images are olten straight photographs." Xobody takes them lor what
they are, lor we are burdened with an alterimage ol suspicion. Lntil recent-
ly we preserved a naive laith in photographic witnessing. \e trusted the
pictures to capture what koland 8arthes called the being there" ol things.
Xow images appear to us as always already altered, a lew pixels missing
here and there, erased by some conspiratorial invisible hand. Moreover,
we no longer analyze these mystilying images but resign ourselves to their
pampering hypnosis. 8roken-tech art reveals the degrees ol our sell-pixel-
ization, lays bare hypnotic ellects ol supposedly cynical reason.
_ c.o., .....
ln our endless errands through the world we pass by the anony-
mous buildings ol our common modernity, a part ol the other lnterna-
tional Style not commemorated in the masterpieces but inhabited in the
outskirts ol \arsaw, letersburg, 8erlin, Sarajevo.. 1hese buildings, olten
indistinguishable lrom one another, compose an outmoded mass orna-
ment ol global culture. 1hat is only at nrst glance, ol course. ll we look clos-
er we see that no window, balcony or white wall is alike. leople in these
anonymous dwelling places develop the most nuanced language ol minor
variations, they expose singular and unrepeatable outtakes ol their ordi-
nary lives: a lace curtain hall-raised, a lampshade in the bright color ol
retro 19o0s hangs at a certain angle, a potted nower that knew better days,
a piece ol a risque underwear hung on a string here and there. 1he inhab-
itants are ready to welcome us without obsequious smiling, they dream ol
normality, ol connecting to the world. 1he satellite dishes spread out ol the
ruined balconies like desert nowers.
. ...., . ....
ll in the 1980s artists dreamed ol becoming their own curators and bor-
rowed lrom the theorists, now the theorists dream ol becoming artists.
lisappointed with their own disciplinary specialization, they immigrate
into each other's territory. 1he lateral move again. Xeither backward nor
lorward, but sideways. 1he amateur's outtakes are no longer excluded but
placed side by side with the non-outtakes. l don't know what to call them
anymore. 8ut the amateur's errands continue. An amateur, as 8arthes
understood it, is the one who constantly unlearns" and loves, not posses-
sively, but tenderly, inconstantly, desperately. Cratelul lor every transient
epiphany, an amateur is not greedy.
1he Original. \ery Iillerent
Opening to |.aaa a||s 4||
0.- 4a.o. Belore Any ol the
Actual Hain Characters
Showed Ip
By E|i abeth VcCrac|en
cnrrrr :
1his story - like most ol the stories in the history ol the
world - begins lar away lrom les Moines, lowa.

Quigley, age 83, is walking down a
street in San Luis 0bispo. She is on
her way to the \algreen's at the end
ol the street to buy some canned lood lor her cat, 1ommy. 1omorrow she'll
disappear, but lor now here she is: her light brown hair cut into a page boy,
a red beret tilted toward one ear. 1here's a rhinestone pin alnxed to the
beret. ln lact, anywhere a body might sport a pin, kose does: at her throat,
on the lapel ol her jacket, on the breast pocket ol her plaid shirt (which is
itsell shot through with gold thread). 0ne pin is shaped like a teddy bear,
one (though it's uly and kose is ewish) like a Christmas tree, only a lew
ornaments missing. She is wearing so many glittery paste pins that you
can't tell whether she has lorgotten how many she's put on, or whether she
just wants to shine.
lven her blue eyes, since cataract surgery and lens implants a lew
years ago, gleam like glass sapphires. She no longer needs glasses.
kose is not quite right, the whole neighborhood knows that. lt's
about all they know. 1hey know she moved in two years ago, and they know
she was once married. ler cat, 1ommy, is named alter a husband (dead
departed), though kose only occasionally mentions the human animal's
name: 1homas Quigley, always the lull name. 1his makes him sound like a
historical ngure, a minor and illegible endorser ol the leclaration ol lnde-
pendence. leople assume that 1homas Quigley was the human version ol
1ommy the cat, redheaded, and a bully. 1his is, in lact, accurate.
1he day belore kose disappears, her neighbors watch her dangle
one toe oll the curb, turning her body lelt and right like a child warned
about the sudden dangers ol tralnc. 1hey decide she is being absentmind-
ed, as usual. keally, it's the opposite: she wanders daily into the world to
study it, street corners and supermarkets and even salesclerks who are too
young to have been born, never mind employed, back when 1homas Quig-
ley walked the earth. Still, she hopes with enough attention she can make
these things mean something to her.
36 Number Seven Fall Z003

\ernon Ames, kose's only lriend in the neighborhood, lives next
door, a nice, never-married man ol 7, retired alter many years ol running
a stationery store. lis younger sister calls him once a week to try to con-
vince him to move to Leisureworld, the adult community" near 8altimore
where she lives with her husband.
lt sounds like the world's most boring amusement park," \ernon
tells her. Like there's a roller-coaster made out ol armchairs, in lront ol an
enormous 1\."
lor lete's sake, \ern," she says. 1here are plenty ol kinds ol leisure."
\ernon isn't interested. Leisureworld sounds like a good way to
round up all the old people, is what he thinks. 8esides, old people have
always bored him. 8ecoming old himsell has not changed his mind.
le makes a lew exceptions. lor instance, skinny kose next door,
who is dally and almost morbidly girlish. \ernon does not love kose. Xot
that he's too old lor love, not at all, but kose is an excessively eccentric
woman, a painter, not his type. lt isn't her age, she wouldn't have inter-
ested him nlty years ago. Still, they're good lriends, and \ernon plays the
gentleman caller. kose subscribes to the old-lashioned theory that a man's
attention to a lady is always beautilul and suspect. She believes that her
girlish company is recompense lor all the things \ernon does lor her. And
really, she's right.
Sometimes \ernon walks with kose, but mostly he rescues her. le
has turned oll the stove when a burning tea kettle has set oll the smoke
detector (the bottom ol the kettle melted into molten, aluminum nuggets).
le has tried to explain things to the police when kose has lorgotten the
intricacies ol her burglar alarm, which has only ever caught one intruder:
kose, blithely tossing her beret onto the kitchen table. ln lact, she seems
to think all alarms are benign messages lrom heaven that she cannot deci-
pher and so does not try. Sometimes she phones \ernon, but olten as not
he hears the noise and comes over to nnd kose going through her house,
lilting up books and antimacassars as il she might nnd the source ol noise
there, in a bored and only mildly curious manner.
le even helps kose look lor 1ommy, though \ernon hates cats, and
1ommy is not an especially lovable example ol the species. \ernon hasn't
seen 1ommy in six months. 1he cat must be dead. Still, kose walks onto
her porch in one ol her weird outnts - a long housecoat over a sweater and
jeans, the kind ol nat sneakers that \ernon associates with young girls -
calling, 1ommy! linnertime, 1ommy!
1he past means nothing to kose, \ernon thinks. She mentions Quig-
ley lrom time to time, but not siblings or parents or college. le knows she
has no children. Sometimes it seems kose doesn't have a past: every day is
a brand new one. lvery day is simply part ol the present. 1ommy has been
gone lorever, but it seems like he's just recently turned up missing: she sees
him bellying beneath the hedges, she hears him call at night. ln this way
she has her heart broken daily.
lasy lor a person like that to disappear - what anchors you to a place
unless it's people All kose has is an A\0L cat. \ernon teases his sister,
but il one Saturday passed without her calling up with news ol a resident
Leisureworld widow who's lonely, sweet, and pretty, \ernon would start
to leel like kose: an inconsequential person who lives in no-one's memory,
whose own memory seems perilously unpopulated. You can't start every
day lresh in the world the way kose does.
Va.o 6e.os
The 8erlln Journal 3y
1hat's why \ernon helps search lor 1ommy, and why he sometimes
thinks it breaks his heart worse when the cat doesn't show. le wants kose
to have 1ommy back, to keep her in this world a little longer. A cat like
that doesn't disappear all at once. \ernon has started to see 1ommy every-
where in the neighborhood, like kose does: he comlorts himsell the same
ways. Maybe someone has taken him in. Maybe 1ommy is happy in a new
neighborhood, terrorizing lresh birds, killing a dillerent dynasty ol mice.
Any day now, he might come skulking back to his old haunts, like any
hometown criminal.
Vernon
is wrong about at least
one thing, ol course:
kose has had lots ol
pasts. 8elore she moved to \ernon's neighborhood, she lived, brieny, in
llorida, a misguided attempt at retirement. She'd thought she'd know
plenty ol people there, all her lile she'd heard ol acquaintances moving to
llorida, but once there discovered that these people were dead or imagi-
nary or living on the other side ol the state. 8elore that, she had an apart-
ment on the Lower \est Side ol Manhattan, which was where she'd nrst
noticed the soltening ol her memory - that was one ol the things that had
sent her south in the nrst place, the way Xew York no longer looked lamil-
iar. Some days she believed the city was changing, other times she realized
she was. And belore Xew York, she lived in Ceorgia with her late husband's
sister, latie, and belore that in Calilornia with 1homas Quigley himsell.
She came back to Calilornia on purpose, to get her memory back.
ln llorida, she'd begun to think ol her memory as a physical thing
- or at least resident in physical things. lerhaps she could nnd her mem-
ory tucked in a Calilornian mailbox, one nailed right to the side ol her
house. ler mailboxes in Xew York and Sarasota were completely wrong,
little locked metal sales in a row. ln Xew York they roosted on the wall ol
her lobby, in Sarasota, they stood on poles at the end ol the development
driveway. lither way, you had to journey to check them, and then you
might lorget to look, or lorget that you'd already looked that morning.
0r her memory could be in a movie theater - she and 1homas
Quigley went to movies all the time - underneath a lolding seat, maybe,
or curled around the lit clock above the exit. She remembered Calilornia
as a place where the windows were always open, never shut against crime
or the weather. lt struck her as good lor the brain and spirit, as il memo-
ry were itsell a lorm ol weather that might blow across your cheek at any
moment. She had a cousin who moved to Arizona lor his lungs, she might
as well move to Calilornia lor her brain. \ho cca/ think in the horrible
llorida heat
She thinks it's working. She leels much more hersell in Calilornia.
kose has her incidental pasts, too, which she has lelt behind (along
with her umbrella, the change still in the nst ol the man at the newspaper
stand, the unmailed unstamped letter at the lunch counter). ler Xew York
cleaning lady, 8etty, believes kose to be dead, since one day she arrived to
clean and lound the apartment empty. (lilthy, too, and so 8etty cleaned it,
thinking she'd save the security deposit lor the grieving lamily.) 1here are
dozens ol people kose has met on busses - cross country, cross-town, she
never learned to drive - to whom she gave her address, lrequently a collage
ol her street address in Ceorgia plus some other town and zip code. 1here
is the young married couple in Sarasota who cheated kose out ol $200,
promising that they could help her return to Xew York. 1hat was the bee in
her bonnet lor one solid week, and she told them, l just need to get back
to the city, that's the important thing. low wonderlul that you're willing
to help."
1hat was three years ago. ll anyone really knew kose, il anyone had
been attendant, they would have seen: she has been losing her memory
lor 1 years, since she was o8. 8ut latie, her sister-in-law, is dead now,
and her neighbors in all the previous cities can only wonder what became
ol her, and \ernon, sweet \ernon, never knew kose when she was a clear-
headed young woman writing vicious letters to people she believed had
wronged her.
1hat's one ol kose's last secrets: the illness that has been diligently
jumbling her brain (it won't even leave it in the same jumble lrom day to
day, some days it's more ordered than others) has made her a much nicer
person. 1he llorida sun, the Calilornia sun (one and the same, ol course,
no matter that its intentions have lately seemed kinder) has lelt her brown
and lrail and nutty as peanut brittle, and as sweet. Mostly, anyhow. She can
still ny into sudden rages. 1hey are no longer the comlort they used to be:
sometimes she lorgets why she got so mad in the nrst place and is lelt with
only her anger and dread, as il someone else in the room were yelling at her.
\hen she can, she stops hersell.
lt isn't that the illness attacked the nasty parts ol her nrst, it's just
that kose has discovered, over the last nlteen years, that il you need to be
rescued it helps to be polite in advance. Moreover, it turns out being res-
cued improves you, gives you laith in humankind, lor Cod's sake, which
had previously been so disappointing lor so long.
Mail clots kose's mailbox. 1he house is dark. She doesn't answer her
phone or her door. She doesn't walk to \algreen's, she doesn't look lor
1ommy. \ernon tries to peer through the windows, but can't see past the
venetian blinds.
1he police are tired ol kose. 1hey have been over so olten when she's
set oll her alarm. 8ut \ernon calls them anyway.
le goes with the two policemen to kose's door. 1hey ring the bell.
Xothing. So the younger policeman jimmies the lock. \ernon had assumed
they'd break down the door, but it's a cheap lock that only takes a min-
ute to crack. 1he alarm goes oll, but by now \ernon knows the code.
1he house is hot as a locked parked car, silent without air-conditioning.
0ne ol the cops turns on some lights. Clothing hangs in every window,
dangling lrom the curtain rods. lere is kose's entire wardrobe, block-
ing out the light. ler clothes don't seem any narrower without her in
them: there are cut-out gingerbread koses hanging lrom the windows,
lrom noor lamps, lrom door lrames.
1he three ol them walk through the house to the back bedroom.
ln the bed is a ngure as small as a child, under a quilt in the Calilornia
heat, a pair ol black shoes shaped like ballet slippers poking up at the
bottom, due south ol the closed eyes and set mouth.
She isn't dead, even though she is clearly a woman who could
have died alone. ler eyes open. lxcept lor her leet and head, she is
completely covered by her quilt, as il she were naked and modest. 8ut
she certainly isn't naked-when they pull her lrom the bed, they'll dis-
cover that, lrom the waist down, she is wearing underwear, pantyhose,
two pairs ol pants (light chinos under blue jeans), three belts bypass-
ing all available loops. Xot modest, either: above the waist she wears
a black cardigan, which is over a sheer red blouse, which is over a
black brassiere worn backwards. A not-dead, not-naked, not-modest,
terrined woman.

3 Number Seven Fall Z003

gg
g
gg
nL1hu5LLAh hau ?6? yeats tc thinl abcot his .ill,
bot it .asn't ontil the nal hcot c his lie that he
statteu tc aale ccttecticns, 1t uoaan't raally aaam
rigt he thcoht, teachin ct his pencil, anu his
net bteath, to aplit avaryting avanly among my
oiluran. 1ay uon't naau avanly anu trut ba tolu
1 uon't lova tam avanly. Lat'a taoa it tara ara a
tau tat 1 uon't avan lika. 1 uon't uant my pnal aot
in tia uorlu to ba guiuau by atiquatta. 1'll uo it my
uay tor onoa. sc he etaseu the .ill, 8ut tan again, he
thcoht, uivvying out my tinga in any uay otar tan
avanly ia going to oauaa a lot ot unnaoaaaary ]aalouay
among tam anu 1'u ]uat aa aoon avoiu my uaat baing
ta oauaa ot a maaaiva aauaoa ao 1 auppoaa it prob-
ably ia baat ]uat to uo aa ia apaotau ot ma. 1t'a only
monay anyuay. ne te.tcte the .ill, ut, he thcoht,
etasin the .ill, 1 ooulu akip ta oiluran altogat-
ar anu giva avaryting to my uita tat goou uoman. 1t
sttocl hia as soch a ccu iuea that he .tcte it uc.n,
0t oouraa aa ian't going to liva toravar anu uo 1
raally uant to giva ar ta buruan or ta opportuni-
ty ot oooaing taaa tinga tat 1 oan't maka up my
minu about nou7 Alao aa'a not tat graat uit monay
anu aa long aa ua'ra baing onaat aa aa a bit ot ta
apoilau baby in ar anu uoulun't it atink it aa apant
all ot my aru-aarnau uoug on trivoloua oatokaa
tat 1 uoulun't ava bougt tor ar uila 1 uaa aliva7
Anu uat about my pravioua uivaa7 ne etaseu his .ill,
Anu uat about my trianua anyuay7 1ay'ra ta onaa
uo'va raally atuok by ma. Juat baoauaa 1 uon't appan
to aara bloou or bouily 0uiua uit tam 1'm not aup-
poaau to aara my tinga uit tam7 1at uoaan't aaam
rigt. ~ ~ot~ t|~ ill. ~ t|o;q|t. ~ t;a~J t|~
,~acil o~ aaJ ~a~J. 8ut uat about toaa laaa tor-
tunata tan ma7 hara'a a oanoa to uo aoma raal goou
in ta uorlu. 1'va baan ta raoipiant ot ao muo. uat
battar tima tan nou to giva baok7 1ay'ra oallau ta
naauy tor a raaaon rigt7 ne totneu the pencil cvet,
anu te.tcte his .ill,g ne totneu
the pencil cvet, ne totneu the pencil cvet, thinlin,
cvet anu cvet, hc. locly he .as tc have soch a hatu
tiae ueciuin,
gtxug
(Jonatan 5atran foar}

gg
A0An AN0 LvL li~J toq~t|~ |a,,il, o aaa, ,~a.
3~iaq hliaJ ~Jaa a~~ |aJ to ~~ L~` a;tac|~ o
|~ coo~J t~~t| o |~ aqqiaq ~ia, h~at. ~aJ
h~iaq J~a L~ a~~ |aJ to |~a |o t;,iJ |~ |;=
haaJ a |o ;a~aoaahl~ aaJ aoqaat aaJ Joaiq|t
qo. 1t a qooJ.
Ua~ Ja, t|~ |a,,, co;,l~ l~aa~J o aa a,,l~ t|at
co;lJ c;~ all iqaoaac~. 1qaoaat to t|~ iJ~a t|at
aot all iqaoaac~ i haJ t|~, at~ o t|~ ;it. .;~
~ao;q| t|~, ac;i~J ahol;t~ aol~Jq~. L~ naal=
l, a ahl~ to qa, t|~ ,;,o~ o ;~iaq t|~~ i
ao ,;,o~} aaJ ~Jaa qot |i |~aJ ao;aJ ~~ ill it
J~,~aJ oa |o ,o; J~na~ ,o; t~a}. |~, ;aJ~tooJ
~alo;, aaJ nait;J~ a;lti=aiahl~ calc;l; aaJ
la;q|t~ at t|iaq t|at a~a`t ;aa,. ;t|~ao~ t|~,
~~ c;~J o t|~i hliaJa~ aaJ J~aa~. ~aJ c;~J
too o t|~i aaital ~licit,.
uat ~ac| oaJ~~J ava 1 gottan myaalt into7
it t|~, o;q|t t|~a t|~, J~,ai~J t|~a t|~,
t|~ oa~ t|iaq t|~a t|~, J~hat~J aho;t |o oa~J
|at. 1t a haJ. |~, |oll~~J at ~ac| ot|~ oa t|~
o,,oit~ iJ~ o t|~ JaJ~a to |ic| t|~,`J ~il~J
~ac| ot|~.
You'ra ugly1 You'ra atupiu anu uiokau1
~iat~l, t|~, ,a,~J to JoJ to qi~ t|~a hac
t|~i lac o iq|t aaJ |~aiaq. |~, ,a,~J "(~t ;
h~ li~ ~ ;~J to h~." 3;t ~ ~;~J t|~a o iqao~J
t|~a o ia,l, a~~ a ~ac|~J h, t|~i ,a,~
h~iaq J~a aaJ hliaJ |ia~l.
|~it|~ ~Jaa ao L~ ca~J aho;t h~iaq iq|t ao
JiJ t|~, ca~ aho;t t|~ o~=ah;aJaac~ o h~a;ti;l
t|iaq t|at co;lJ h~ ~~a aaJ |~aJ ia t|~ olJ. |oa~
o t|~ ,aiatiaq aoa~ o t|~ hoo o a;ic aot ~~a
aat;~ it~l a ca,ahl~ o ,oiJiaq aa, ;t~aaac~
i t|~, JiJa`t nt |a~ |a,,ia~.
~Jaa ~at looiaq o L~ oa~ aiq|t a t|~ a~l,
aaa~J aaiaal |aJ t|~i nt J~aa. L~ a |ia aaJ
~at to |ia.
"1`a |~~" |~ tolJ |ia h~ca;~ |i ~,~ ~~ co=
~~J it| nq l~a~. ~ ~ac|~J |i |aaJ o;t ia oat o
|ia ~~liaq o |~ ac~ |~ h~at.
.|~ tolJ |ia "o; a~ i~ aaJ qooJ."
~ tolJ |~ "o; a~ h~a;ti;l." ~lt|o;q| |~
JiJa`t |~a |ia h~ca;~ |~ ~a ~~ t;~J it|
oll~J ;, nq l~a~.
The 8erlln Journal 3
o Number Seven Fall Z003

gg
11 uA5N'1 L0N 8Lf08L ta atrongar animala atart-
au to nat ta uaakar animala tuo by tuo. At prat
Noa triau to kaap tam apart anu uaa imaalt naar-
ly killau in an attort to aava an animal uoaa kinu no
longar aiata. 8ut ultimataly a oonoauau tat givan
ta uuinuling aupply ot toou aoma uoulu ava to ba
aaoripoau ao tat otara migt aurviva. 8y ta tima
ta uorlu au uriau out ta atrongaat animala uara
lika 8uaaian uolla - uitin tair balliaa uara ani-
mala uit animala uitin tair balliaa. - anu ta vaat
ma]ority ot ta apaoiaa tat au antarau ta ark uara
atinot.
0noa ta rain au atoppau Noa aant out a uova
uio raturnau uit an oliva brano lika tia ona. ha
aant ta uova out again anu again it raturnau uit
an oliva brano. ha aant ta uova onoa mora anu tia
tima it uiun't raturn. 1ia uaa ta aign tat tara uaa
grounu on uio to builu ta uorlu anau.
0n lanu ta animala tounu it impoaaibla to ralin-
quia ta abita tay au aoquirau uuring tair uaa-
paration. uila it uaa no longar naoaaaary tor tair
aurvival ta atrong oontinuau to attaok ta uaak.
1a uaak oruau tay olung tay ooulu not aat a maal
uitout tinking it uiatantly tat it migt ba tair
laat. Not avan Noa ooulu aaka ta uaaparation. ha
atoou by ta uinuou ona nigt unabla to tall aalaap.
(ha aruly avar alapt.} 1a branoaa ot ta traaa
raaoau upuaru anu a talt a 0iokaring in ia atom-
ao uio a miatook tor ungar avan toug a'u
gorgau imaalt an our batora.
1t uaan't ungar but ta mamory ot ta uova. Noa
au aant it trom ta ark tor a tiru tima anu uan
it raturnau uit anotar oliva brano in ita baak a
broka ita naok anu aaoratly took it uoun to ta kito-
an. 1t uaa ta taint baating ot ta uova tat a talt
by ta uinuou ta uova uio au ooma baok proviuing
abaolutaly no raaaon to tink tat ta Lart uaa again
raauy tor animal lita.
gg
gg

gg
0N L0AN
gggg

gg
A5 1hL LLLN0A8Y 10uL8 0f 8A8LL as bui.Jinq toa.J
thn sy thn.n as a oountn.~oonst.uotion unJn.~
q.ounJ. .u..oinq Jnn,n. anJ Jnn,n. ~ usinq on.y
o.uJn shon.s .in thosn bno.n you anJ ba.n hanJs
~ as anothn. oii.i,ation: thosn ho .inJ in
si.nnon. -abbis qan sn.nons in si.nnon anJ thni.
oonq.nqations qossi,nJ his,n.nJ anJ .annntnJ in
si.nnon bnatinq thni. ohnsts onon a yna. si.nnt~
.y). tonnn.on as ,.aotionJ in si.nnon ~ haqq.inq
as Jonn ith unnoinq .i,s. bon.s noannJ si.nnt.y.
|t nJJinqs qua.tnts ,.aynJ si.nnt.y ~ on..ists .an
unst.unq bos on. unst.unq on..os ha.,ists oonbnJ
hai. that asn't thn.n. .abins n.n bo.n si.nnt.y
thny o.inJ but si.nnt.y) anJ ,no,.n JinJ si.nnt.y
thny uttn.nJ thni. .ast o.Js in si.nnon). |s ith
thn on. no onn as unJn.stooJ.
hn on. as Jnst.oynJ o. its a..oqanon but thn
tunnn. as not s,a.nJ o. its huni.ity. hn ,.ayn.s
atn. a.. n.n si.nnt. |s n.n thn ou.sns.) |t a on.~
tain ,oint thosn bu..oinq thn tunnn.'s outn. sub~
u.bs naJn a .onq tu.n anJ su.aonJ. biqht dooJnJ
thn tunnn. anJ thn inhabitants ~ ho haJ nnn. in
thni. .ins snnn thn Jay ~ n.n b.inJnJ thny o.inJ
thny a.nJ out anJ into thn o..J anJ n.n .uit~
u. anJ nu.ti,.inJ.
g

gg
00'5 1N518uL110N5 10 L01 anu oonpany uere etrene~
ly unanb|quous: "A5 Y0u fLLL f80n 5000n 00 N01 1
8LLA1 00 N01 L00K 8ALK." "|nu ubat | ue uo?" Lot
askeu. "AN0 uhA1 1f Y0u 00" uou eoboeu.
|s tbey deu tbe danes ron tbe o|ty bo|leu tbe
sueat on tbe baoks o tbe|r neoks. Lot's u|e ooulun't
res|st tbe tenptat|on to bave a look at tbe uestruo~
t|on beb|nu ber. Juat a paak, sbe tbouqbt anu sbe kneu
better sbe kneu ubat sbe uasn't supposeu to uo sbe
kneu tbere uoulu be oonseguenoes but sbe u|u |t any~
uay anu uas |nstantly oonverteu |nto salt. Her banu
na|u turneu arounu to look or ber anu beoane
bersel a p|le o pepper. Lot's n|eoe ubo uas run~
n|nq u|tb tben turneu anu beoane salsa. H|s brotb~
er beoane boney b|s s|ster oatsup b|s our nepbeus
|rpaobsbau uoner eboyak|n anu tb|zk|yabu beoane
u|jon nustaru oreany ranob u|pp|nq sauoe rosenary~
|nuseu ol|ve o|l anu nanqo obutney respeot|vely.
H|s qreat~aunt born as tbe last puuule~rennants o
tbe lloou evaporateu beoane uasab|.

g
gg
"LL1 nY L0LL 0" noaaa tolu arao again attar
aving in0iotau upon ia paopla yat anotar orri-
bla plagua. "1 uill not lat your paopla go" arao
raaponuau on baalt ot ia paopla. 1ia tima ou
ualivarau ta plagua ot blinunaaa upon ta Lgyptiana.
1ay ualkau troug ta atraata - motara ot oiluran
tair oiluran granutatara - tair arma in tront ot
tam orying "0arknaaa1 0arknaaa1" Anu ao ta plagua
baoama knoun aa uarknaaa.
Lao aaaovar uan ua ratall ta atory ot ta
plaguaa ua uip our pngara in ta uina anu tan tap our
plataa tranatarring a portion ot ta auaatnaaa in mam-
ory ot all ot toaa trougout iatory againat uom ua
ava in0iotau graat auttaring in aoanga tor our aata-
ty. "ua ara aata1 ua ara aata1" ua tall ouraalvaa anu
aao otar. Anu ao ta plagua aa baooma knoun aa our
aataty.
g
g
gg

gg
0N L0AN
gg

g
gg
~ L ~JL U ~ha|aa ~ll ;aJ~ t|~ ia,~ioa
t|at |~ |o;lJ cic;aci~ |ia~l a a aa o t|~
co~aaat h~t~~a t|~ ,~i| ~~o,l~ aaJ JoJ. ~ JiJ it.
;t|~ao~ |~ ,oc~~J~J to cic;aci~ |i oa 1|=
aa~l. ~aJ |~a 1aac a hoa |~ cic;aci~J |ia. ~aJ
|~a |i c|ilJ~a |aJ c|ilJ~a |~ cic;aci~J t|~a
too. |o oa~ a a~ oa t|i oaJ~;l co~aaat.
o t|i Ja, = loaq at~ t|~ co~aaat it~l |a
h~~a oqott~a = t|~ ,actic~ o cic;aciioa i ali~
aaJ ~ll ia t|~ ,~i| ait|. "1t` ao~ |,qi~aic"
~ a, t,iaq to ;ti, t|~ c;io; act. U "|~
alt~aati~ i ;aattacti~." U ,~|a, aot Ji=
t;hiaql, "1 aat a, iJ` ,~ai to loo li~ aia~."
u|oa a~ ~ t,iaq to coaiac~ ~aJ ~all, J~,it~
all coata, ci~atinc ~iJ~ac~ |, Jo ~ coatia;~ to
Jo it ~aJ |at h~caa~ o all o t|o~ o~ia t|at
~ha|aa o ~at|;iaticall, ~iq|t,=i~J
1t i oal, t|i lat ;~tioa t|at ~~a to |a~
a qooJ aa~.
1a 1 aa ac|~oloqical t~aa Jico~~J a al=
l~t li~ t|i oa~ ia t|~ ,oiait, o |at i h~li~~J
to h~ ~ha|aa` qa~ ia ~hoa. ~ ,o; caa ~~ t|~
"l~at|~" i act;all, a;a~o; o~ia ~a toq~t|=
~. Uahoa Jatiaq coohoat~ t|~ claia t|at t|i
aaa=,;~ i t|~ ;it o ~ha|aa` laho. |~ ohio;
~,oa~, "~ll o t|o~ cic;aciioa = all o t|at
h~li~ all o t|at ,aia = aaJ o littl~ to |o" u~
;qq~t ;c| Jo;ht~ qi~ t|~ all~t a qooJ ;h aaJ
taaJ hac. a
The 8erlln Journal
a Number Seven Fall Z003

gg
JAL08 fLLL 1N L0vL u11h 8ALhLL anu uantau to marry
ar. "5ura" 8aoal'a tatar aaiu "but prat you'va
gotta uork tor ma tor aavan yaara." 5o Jaoob uiu it.
5avan yaara latar uan a littau ia briua'a vail at
ta marriaga oaramony a tounu tat 8aoal'a tatar
au pullau a taat ona marrying ott ona ot ia otar
uaugtara Laa.
"1 uantau " Jaoob tolu 8aoal'a tatar.
"5avan mora yaara" 8aoal'a tatar aaiu.
5o Jaoob uiu it.
5avan yaara latar uan a littau ia briua'a vail
at ta marriaga oaramony a tounu tat a au baan
oouuinkau again. 1ia tima a aoquirau 8aoal'a
youngar aiatar.
"1 uantau 8aoal" Jaoob aaiu.
"5avan mora yaara" 8aoal'a tatar aaiu.
5o Jaoob uiu it.
5avan yaara latar ta taoa banaat ta vail
balongau to 8aoal'a oouain. 5a uaan't unattraotiva
or uaak or ignorant. Jaoob au knoun ar aa a oilu
anu tan again yaara latar by a uall. 1ay talkau tor
oura tat attarnoon about ou uaapita ou muo lita
uaa bainu tam tay talt young anu ou uaapita ou
muo lita uaa aaau ot tam tay talt olu.
"1 uantau 8aoal."
5avan yaara latar a marriau 8aoal'a aaoonu-oouain.
"1 uantau 8aoal."
"5avan mora yaara."
ha uorkau tor 8aoal'a tatar tor aity-traa yaara
batora a littau ta vail to aaa ta taoa ot 8aoal.
5a au agau trom a girl into an olu uoman. har ayaa
au iuuan tamaalvaa in ar taoa ar gray air iu
ar aara uaap oraaaaa triau to iua ar mout in tair
tolua. 1n ar olu taoa Jaoob aau ia oun mortality
anu tat uaa anotar raaaon to lova ar.
1at nigt uan tay uara alona in tair bau
Jaoob aakau 8aoal to oovar ar taoa uit ta vail. 5a
uiu anu a ramovau it again ravaaling ar taoa. ha
aakau ar to uo it again anu aa uiu. Anu a ravaalau
ar taoa again. ha movau ta vail ovar ar braaata
anu tan ravaalau tam. ha ravaalau ar aouluara anu
ar bally. ha ravaalau ar anklaa anu ar knaaa ar
tiga anu ou baautitul a tougt moving up tat
tara uaa alraauy a vail ot air. ha ravaalau ar mout
batora vailing it again tia tima uit ia oun mout.
1ay oonuuotau tair lita togatar by ta prinoipla
ot ta littau vail atruggling aluaya to ravaal aao
otar. Apropoa ot noting Jaoob uoulu ualk out ta
tront uoor anu tan oall to 8aoal trom ta yaru "1
lova you anu 1'm ooming oma1" 1n ta miuula ot a oon-
varaation 8aoal uoulu aolaim "0 it'a you1 1'm ao
glau it'a you1"
Anu uan yaara latar Jaoob loat ia mamory
8aoal uiu too. 1ay apant all uay on ta aota togat-
ar 0ipping troug ta poto albuma ot tair livaa.
1ay ooulun't ramambar tair trianua or tair tamily
or ta violat uraaa 8aoal uaau to lova to uanoa in or
ta traa-linau pat to ta aaa but toaa paopla anu
balonginga anu plaoaa oontinuau to ovarualm tam uit
appinaaa aa a uaau aun uoulu oontinua to aat ta
aart tor aigt miraouloua minutaa.
Jaoob au bougt a vaaa tor 8aoal. 0r aa au
bougt it tor im. 1ay ooulun't ramambar. 1t uiun't
mattar. 1t uaa tara. Anu uila tay kapt maaning to
pll it uit 0ouara it aluaya atoou ampty. "uat an
abaolutaly baautitul vaaa" tay uoulu aay to aao
otar ualigting in it nauly anulaaaly. 1ay apant
tair uaya notioing tinga about it tat tay au
notioau only a momant batora touoing it aaitantly
tanuarly aa it tor ta prat tima. "1t raally ia amaz-
ing" tay uoulu aay aluaya maaning it mora. "uat
uiu ua avar uo to uaaarva auo a baautitul ting7"

gg
A88AhAn LL0 15AAL to a sno.uJnJ s,ot anJ .itnJ a
nin .in this onn. hn anqn.s o.inJ anJ thni.
tna.s n.. into |b.ahan's nyns b.inJinq hin. |s
thn nin as about to a.. a shn,hn.J intn.~
nnnJ anJ to.J |b.ahan that uoJ as satisnnJ
ith his Jnnonst.ation o aith.
|b.ahan's in Sa.ah hna.J that |b.ahan haJ
tann .saao to on. hin as a sao.inon anJ shn
t.an.nJ to sna.oh o. thnn. uhnn shn .naohnJ
nnb.on shn as ino.nnJ that hn. son haJ bnnn
s,a.nJ. hn qooJ nns as too on.hn.ninq o.
hn. anJ shn JinJ.
uhnn .saao .na.nnJ o his nothn.'s Jnath his
nyns n..nJ ith tna.s that nnn. ou.J na,o~
.atn. Ln.ythinq hn sa o. thn .nst o his .in ~
nn.y b.aJn o q.ass nn.y b.ooJy o.oha.J ~ as
th.ouqh thn n.n o his nothn.'s Jnath.
|s o. |b.ahan: his Jnnonst.ation o aith
oost hin his aith. nn out hinsn. as a na. o
uoJ's bnt.aya.. nn out .shnan. anJ hn out
.saao. |nJ hnn his ohi.J.nn haJ ohi.J.nn hn
out thnn too.
ggg

gg
"LL1 nY L0LL 0" Ncses tclu hatach aain, atet
havin inicteu opcn his pecple yet ancthet hctti~
ble plaoe, "1 .ill nct let ycot pecple c," hatach
tespcnueu, cn behal c his pecple, 1his tiae, ucu
ueliveteu the plaoe c ueath c the iitst uctn opcn
the Lyptians, Anu this cne btcle the caael's bacl,
"uc," the hatach saiu, "sctaa,"
Ncses leu the Je.s cot c Lypt, 1hey tan tca
theit hcaes, talin .ith thea cnly .hat they ccolu
catty cn theit bacls, anu .hen Ncses patteu the -eu
sea, they tan thtcoh, becte it s.allc.eu the
Lyptians .hc .ete chasin thea, 1hey .ete .inueu,
bot tee,
1t .colu be ctty yeats becte the Je.s .ete
allc.eu intc the ncly Lanu, .hich ucu .anteu tc leep
pote c the enetaticn c slaves, 1n that aean tiae
c .anuetin, the Je.s ttieu tc catty cn .ith theit
lives, uespite the a.l.atuness c a ccott cn .heels,
la.yets teestablisheu theit ptactices, aaue ato~
aents, aaue cttones, ttieu tc ccnvince .anuetin
_oties c the innccence ct oilt c .anuetin ueen~
uants, ucctcts aain cpeneu, eu, anu clcseu theit
patients {cn tcllin cpetatin tables), .hc aain
te. sicl at onpteuictable bot teolat intetvals,
uotchets .anueteu anu botcheteu, shceaalets .anueteu
anu te. tich,
1t .as cnly the attists .hc .ete onable tc .ctl,
aintets .alleu in lcn lines, .ith theit easels
cn the bacls c the paintets in tcnt c thea, 1hey
sacleu, they hateu evetythin that .as aaue by any~
cne else, they hiu theit volnetability behinu theit
cettainty. bot they ccolun't paint, 1he ccapcsets,
.hcse shateu ctchestta .as polleu by thtee honuteu
ucnleys, ccolun't ccapcse, 1he .titets elt,
as al.ays, lile .titets, lccleu insiue c thea~
selves, the ptiscnets anu leepets c theit stopiu,
entitely onnecessaty lcneliness, uot they .eten't
able tc atticolate thcse eelins, nct .hile they
.ete .anuetin, Att, the attists leatneu, is nct
eelin, 1t is the cala, uelibetate eptessicn c
eelin, uecte yco can cteate, yco have tc catch
ycot bteath,
(anb}
Number Seven Fall Z003

Number Seven Fall Z003

Congen|ta|
0arkness?
0n and about a Paragraph by Pau| Ce|an
8y P|erre Jor|s
rtt crt, probably the greatest Cerman-language poet ol the second
hall ol the twentieth century, lelt us very lew statements concerning his
poetics. 8esides those parts ol his correspondence that have been pub-
lished to date, there are, except lor a number ol programmatic poems, only
two short essays that permit us to gain some insight into what Celan him-
sell thought he was doing as a poet and what he wanted poetry to be. Lntil
the publication ol his diaries and notebooks - in which we may or may not
nnd relevant material - this is what we have. 0l these, the major essay - and
thus the core statement ol his poetics - is the so-called Meridian" speech,
the address he gave in 19o0 upon recieving the Ceorg-8chner prize lor
poetry. Celan had been writing down his thoughts and taking notes toward
an essay on his poetics lor quite some time. 1he news that he was to be pre-
sented with the prize ollered the occasion to gather these lragments into a
coherent essay - something he did in a comparatively short time. 1he nnal
piece was honed down to roughly 1 pages, enough lor the required thirty
-to- lourty minute public presentation.
laragraph 27 ol the essay is
given below in the original
Cerman and in my lnglish
translation. 1hese lew lines
have behind them a thinking
and writing process ol many
months, during which the
poet took notes, tried out lines,
rejected them, recast the text,
etcetera. 1he writer's behind
the scenes" work can now
be studied in detail in Dcr
Mcriiar |rjassar. \cr
s|ajcr. Ma|cria/icr. the superb
scholarly 1binger Ausgabe" edited by 8ernhard 8oschenstein and
leino Schmull with Michael Schwarzkopl and rgen \ertheimer, pub-
lished by Suhrkamp in 1999. Stanlord Lniversity lress will publish the
lnglish edition in my translation in 200 as part ol its Meridian: Cross-
ing Aesthetics" series. Alter the paragraph you will nnd some ol those hid-
den writings, here specincally three pages lrom an assemblage the editors
called Materialien" - the background writing that went into the compo-
sition ol a specinc text. ln this case the materials" have been assembled
under the title lunkelheit" - darkness, the paragraph's core theme. 1hese
materials" are not only about" the theme ol darkness. 1hey can also be
seen as the rassa ccrjasa, the rircc even, in alchemical parlance - the
dark mass ol materials that enter the poetico-alchemical retort that is the
practice ol writing, to be clarined, honed, purined, until the poetic equiva-
lent ol the alchemist's philosopher's stone is nnally won. My hope is to give
the reader some insight into this translormatory process through which
a given language matter will go until it nnally congeals in what leels like a
simple and spontaneous piece ol writing, in this case paragraph 27 ol 1he
Meridian:"
The 8erlln Journal g
V-.o- uam-o oo1 u--o. -s .s |-o- ao oo1 !-. 1-
u.e|oo .|- uoo|-||-. .e:oo--o. |ao!-o S.-
m.. ao 1.-s- S-||- oo.-m.-| a!- |a s.e| |.- o.e|
| -oas ao-ao` . -|ao!-o S.- m.. |.- -.o le
.eo lasea| :o :..--o. -.o le. 1as .e| .e -.o.- /-.
!-. l-e Se|-seo -|-s-o |a!-. |- oeos -ee|-: as |-
maoo- 1- e|a o.so- oeos -o a.seo|s} e-ss.eo|
uas .s. |ao!- .e|. o-oo o.e| 1.- |eo-o.a|-. se 1ee|
oe|| 1.- 1- u.e|oo om -.o- 8--ooo o.||-o aos
-.o- ..-||-.e| s-|!s-ooe-o-o -o- e1- -m1-
:o-e1o-- uoo|-||-..
la1.-s ao1 -o|-m-o. . .s eemmeo e1a, e -eae|
e-, e .s e!seo.,. 4 |.s e.o -m. m- e
oe-. a!o|, !o |aso sem-|.o e-o-1 o |--
so11-o|,` -m. m- e oe- a |.o- !, lasea|. a |.o-
|a l -a1 sem- .m- ae .o l-e S|-se.. |- oeos
-ee|-: as |- maoo- 1- e|a o.so- oeos -o a.seos
e-ss.eo| |ueo -eae| os e eo |ae| e e|a.,.
as o- ma|- a e-ss.eo e ..} !|.s .s. l !-|.-.-. . oe
|- eeo-o.a| 1a|o-ss. |-o |eo-.- |- 1a|o-ss
a.!o-1 e e-, e |- sa|- e ao -oeeoo- !, a
-|as s-|-e-a-1 1.saoe- e sao-o-ss.
6 Number Seven Fall Z003

The Poem |s 8orn 0ark Pau| Ce|an
Darkness
The congenital darkness of the poem
661 101 A 1 (Folder caption), Ms.
Ofn the darkness of the poetic

207 380 102/64 A 6/7 17.8.59, Ms.
I renouncc From experience I promise myself to make do without all too many borrowed
concepts. Furthermore I will try to here and in what follows) in view of the today-
ness of the poem to renounce all and any etiology:. I have the poem before me
[[in front of me]].
Imagination and experience, experience and imagination, in view of the darkness of
the poem today, make me think of a darkness of the poem qua poem, thus of a consti-
tutional, a congenital darkness. In other words: the poem is born dark; it comes, as the
result of a radical individuation, into the world as a piece of language, thus, with, i.e., as
far as language manages to be world, laden with world.

17.8.
162 103/61 A 15,1 Ms.
There exists, believe a on this and on the far side of all esotericism, hermeticism, etc., a
darkness of the poem. Even the most exoteric, the most ' open poem - and I believe
that today , particularly in German, such, in places even distinctly porous, totally
translucent poems are being written-has its darkness, has it qua poem, will ! I underline
qua poem ! comes, because it is the poem, dark born. Into the world. A congenital, con-
stitutive darkness, then ., that belongs to the poem today.
This today that - permit me this distinction - mine, yours and the more spacious, which
we have in common: when I cannot conceal from you (and from me), that I do not know,
how I
104 A 15,2 Ms.
- the morrow -
59, 280, 518 Timestead
takes the
422 105 A15,3 Ms.
The poem coming into the world comes laden with world into the it, the world.

55, 305, 234/615
313, 339
The 8erlln Journal y
172 111/33 F102,1 Ms.
. speak in (on?) the strangest matter. Danton (who fnds into death by his own grace)
projects brotherliness into irreality: 'Thou You cannot prevent that in the basket = You
see, it is a borrowed quotation and a mortal word exiled into infnity: the poetic are ,
that is the place that are the in the darkness scattering quotation marks. -
The strangeness the darkness, of poetry comes from this: from the direction in which
it moves.- the estranged around it hurrying through, directed toward whats strang-
est./
hurrying through - something impatient, - not: impetuous - inheres probably in all
of us -: we do lie beneath the ruins of the scales on which we are weighed. -
/ Here, in this context, i.e., abruptly, should come a phrase by Pascal, which I, even
more abruptly, quote via Shestov: ne nous reprochez pas le manque de clart ... That is,
if not the congenital, then however the /zugeborene/born-with-it darkness of the poem.
It has nothing to do with obscurantists, even academic ones. -
with which I absolutely do not believe to have to mean an over the creation of a
suprapersonal relation. -

376/530 112 F102,2 Ms.
precise
small place
inimical to civilization
without origin -

596 261 113 F 30,2 Ms.

. the poem sees, even over the deathbarrier, the possibility to exist,
-i- that - horrible pars pro toto' - the heads embrace in the baskets. -

163 60/582 114 A 22,3 Ms.

There exist in thought/mind not only logically determined courses; there are also in-
sights,. tTo these insights this one for ex. belongs can belong: that, when the poem
achieves certain syntactic or sound formations, it is forced into tracks, which which lead
it out of its own realm, i.e., out of the actuality that co-determines its necessity. There
exists, in other words, a language-taboo specifc to the poem and only to it, which not
only holds for its vocabulary but also for categories such as syntax, rhythm or articula-
tion; from the unspoken, from, the some things become understandable; the poem knows
the argumentum e silentio. There thus exists an ellipsis, which one must not mistake for
a trope or, worse, for stylistic refnement. The god of the poem is indisputably a deus
absconditus.

240/410, 401,
747, 843; 704,
747
84, 650/748
259, 422, 11/708
121, 136, 153,
825
60/582
Ms. A 17,2 106 300 318
An even the most 'exoteric, the most open poem is dark; and, permit me this maybe
not totally superfuous indication: if any bo one poet was a vir clarus, it was Hld-
erlin.

Ms. A 18 107 319 607

We have more than one - bitter - reason, to put what around us has achieved impor-
tance and which has achieved rank and name, between quotation marks; the poem is
the place where all these words that, without making allowance for any supposed origi-
nality thus achieved rather, laden also with this load, hope to fnd refuge once more
as words. - We live in an era where one legitimizes oneself lengthily to the outside, so
as not to have to justify oneself in front of oneself. In that sense, poetry, in its present
mode, preserves for itself the darkness of the 'illegitimate; it presents itself without
references, without indications thus without quotation marks.

Ms. A 20 108 561 543

Im do not speak of the 'modern poem, I speak of the poem today. And to
the essential aspects of this today - my today, for I do speak on my own behalf
- belongs its lack of a future: I cannot keep from you that I do not know how to
answer the question, toward what in the direction of which morrow the poem is
moving; if the poem borders on such a morrow, then it possesses darkness. The
poems hour of birth, ladies and gentlemen, lies in darkness. And there is little to sug-
gest that Some claim to know that it is the darkness just before dawn; I do not
share this assumption.
hold it to be congenital, or better, constitutive. The poem is dark qua poem.

19.8.59, Ms. F 17,3 109 689 882

Why the poems of earlier times seem more 'comprehensible to us then those of our
contemporaries? Maybe also because qua poems, i.e., taken together with their dark-
ness, they have already volatilized .

Ms. F 62,2 110 327 461

Congenital darkness of poetry
(. ,Zugebornes Trumen' Valry -i- vom Gedicht her zugeboren
//locate Valry quote!!//

648
471

live years ago, the Academy opened

its doors, making tangible a bold
idea: to establish an independent
American academic and policy
presence in Cermany's new capital.
Many donors have helped turn
that idea into the dynamic institu-
tion you see today. ln particular, a
core group ol benelactors was there
lrom the beginning, providing
the needed linancial and person-
al resources to build up our insti-
tution's lacilities and program. \e
are gratelul lor their generosity and
commitment.
lssential to the Academy's suc-
cess, too, are those who have joined
the growing group ol donors at all
levels. 1heir contributions enable
the Academy to continue providing
programs that challenge and edu-
cate, as well as strengthen the trans-
atlantic ties that are important to us
all. \e are deeply gratelul lor this
continued support.
1nr lotric Cirr
Anna-Maria and Stephen M. lellen and the
descendants ol lans and Ludmilla Arnhold
lotric 8rrrcrors
Adam 0pel AC
Allianz AC
City ol 8erlin
laimlerChrysler AC
leutsche Lulthansa AC
leutscher Sparkassen- und Ciroverband
lntertec Cmbl
Mr. and Mrs. ohn \. lluge
lreditanstalt lr \iederaulbau
Siemens AC
\erlagsgruppe Ceorg von loltzbrinck
lonations
September 2002 - 0ctober 2003
lotrrr s Circtr
\! ri//icr ar aocic
Anna-Maria s Stephen M. lellen and the
descendants ol lans s Ludmilla Arnhold
1rtsrrrs Circtr
\!. ar aocic
Axel Springer \erlag
laimlerChrysler AC
leutsche Lulthansa AC
.l. Morgan Chase s Co.
kobert l. Mundheim
kobert 8osch Stiltung
lrrsirrr s Circtr
\25. ar aocic
American lxpress Company
8oeing lnternational Company
1he 8road Art loundation
Citigroup
Credit Suisse lirst 8oston
laimlerChrysler londs im Stilterverband
lr die leutsche \issenschalt
lrr AC
\erner Cegenbauer
1he Cillette Company
laniel Stiltung
kichard C. lolbrooke
1he ohn l. and Catherine 1. MacArthur
loundation
.l. Morgan AC
llMC
lreditanstalt lr \iederaulbau
Marsh s McLennan loldings Cmbl
lhilip Morris Cmbl
lorsche AC
Annette von kantzau
Schering AC
Shearman s Sterling
\eil, Cotshal s Manges LLl
8rrrcrors
\!. ar aocic
Adlon lotel lempinski 8erlin
Susanna lulkinys s lrik Spiekermann:
Lnited lesigners Xetwork
lreshlields 8ruckhaus leringer
Claus M. lalle
larl M. von der leyden
lenry A. lissinger
ohn C. lornblum
oseph Xeubauer
kalael . koth
lurt s lelicitas \iermetz
\hite s Case, leddersen
lrros
\2.5 ar aocic
8M\ Xiederlassung 8erlin
Cahl lodges 8urt
lr. Schmidt AC s Co.
lMlS, Ltd.
ulie linley
lieter kosenkranz
Savoy lotel
Leah 7ell \anger
Att ornrr corrirtrors
Anthony koad \ine Company, lnc.
8enjamin 8arber
leinrich . 8arth
lansjoachim 8auch
Cnter s \altraud 8raun
\irginia 8rown
Cerhard Casper
leutsche 8ank kegion 0st
Caroline llh
lans-Michael s Almut Ciesen
lelga laltendorn
llaus s Lily leiliger
larl laiser
Marion lnaul
kenate lchler
Yasmine Mahmoudieh-lraetz
Charles Maier
lro von Maltzan
lartner lr 8erlin Cmbl
\irginia Schulte, Culture 1rip Cmbl
lenneth l. Scott
Cary Smith
layden \hite
lans Ceorge \ill
Ionations to the American Academy in Berlin