Economy of Germany

Germany is the largest national economy in Europe and since the advent of industrialization, it has been a huge driver, innovator, and beneficiary of this globalized economy, being the world’s second largest exporter. Before 1850, Germany was slow in the onset of industrialization. However, by 1900, it had become the world leader in this arena. Today, exports from Germany account for more than one-third of the national output. Because Germany is low in raw materials, they have to import about two thirds of their energy. However, it is the largest producer of wind turbines and solar power technology in the world and most of its exports are in automobiles, machinery, metals, and chemical goods.

     Germany’s biggest export partners are France, sending 10.2% of their exports there, the United States with 6.7%, the Netherlands with 6.7%, the UK with 6.6%, Italy with 6.3%, Austria with 6%, China with 4.5%, and Switzerland with 4.4%. Think about it: just how many cars that we drive in the US have a German name? Automobiles make up a high percentage of Germany’s exports and are sent to countries around the world.

     The service sector of the German job market accounts for around 70% of the total country’s GDP. Industry and agriculture account for only 29.1% and 0.9% respectively. Thus, this service sector is how the majority of people in Germany make their income. This area consists of jobs in which people offer their knowledge and time to improve the productivity, performance, potential, and sustainability of the country. The unemployment level is fairly low, recording in at only 5.5% in November of 2011.

The southern states are stronger economically than the northern states in Germany due to important industries for automobiles, electronics, and aerospace and biomedicine being located in this area. The home of Mercedes-Benz is located in the west part of Germany, which has proved to be the strongest economic region of Germany. Germany’s location in the rest of Europe is also crucial to its economic success. It is the largest transportation hub in Europe and has dense and modern transportation networks. Clearly Germany is well positioned in the international economy and without this country’s exports, many other countries, including the US, would suffer.

Sources used:

http://fita.org/countries/germany.html

http://www.worldwide-tax.com/germany/indexgermany.asp

Government of Germany

     Germany, otherwise known as the Federal Republic of Germany, is a federal parliamentary republic. This system is based on a representative democracy, much like ours in the United States, with powers divided between both the federal and state levels, and between the legislative, executive, and judicial branches. The Chancellor is the head of the government and the President of Germany is also known as the head of state. Germany’s government, also like ours, is based on a multi-party system. Since 1949, the German political scene has been dominated by the Christian Democratic Union and the Social Democratic Party of Germany. Germany is divided into 16 states, each possessing its own constitution, legislature, and government.

The office of President is more of a ceremonial position in that it does not hold as much power or influence as the Chancellor does. Horst Kohler, the President from 2004 to 2010, did not like this power dynamic, calling for more influence and direct elections for this presidential position. He was reelected to a second term in May 2009 but his term was cut short when he resigned from his office only a year later. Stemming from controversy over statements regarding the German Bundeswehr in Afghanistan, he was forced to step down.

Controversy continued to ensue when the next president, Christian Wulff, resigned this February. Reacting to a scandal, which alleged that he received favors as an elected official before becoming president, he resigned, which proved to be detrimental to the Chancellor Angela Merkel. The two were both members of the Christian Democrat party, and it was Merkel’s choice to put Wulff as the head of state. The governor of the state of Bavaria, Horst Seehofer, will now step in as acting president until another successor is appointed. This country has clearly faced political upheaval in the past few years and the constant controversy and resignation of presidents does not bode well for this nation’s international standing in the political community.

     Because the constitution of Germany promotes the protection of individual liberty, each citizen is guaranteed fundamental human rights and liberties. Thus, there is no lawful discrimination or unfair treatment of Africans in Germany. While it is evident that they do face racism in German society, it is crucial that they are awarded the same constitutional rights as every other citizen so they have a legal avenue to pursue if they face any discrimination.

     When Africans started coming over to Germany, mostly to study in  universities and schools, it increased their influence in this country. Thus, Germany created a foreign policy aimed at promoting economic cooperation, trade, and socialism throughout Africa. Moreover, Germany made efforts to train and educate Africans so they could experience social and economic advancement in Germany. While discrimination is prevalent in any country, it is crucial that Germany has made strides in trying to increase opportunities for Africans, while also promoting international cooperation with Africa itself.

     One example of the effect of the African Diaspora on the German government is a man named Zeca Schall from Angola. He came to Germany in 1988 and gained citizenship in 2004. He is a German politician and after he decided to run in an election, posters were hung telling him to move home and calling him racial slurs. He got compensation and sent it back home to remove land mines in Angola. While Africans are making strides in gaining more influence in German politics and government, there still unfortunately appears to be discrimination in this country that makes it hard for progression and social mobility to occur. 

Here are two links to articles discussing the resignation of the last two presidents of Germany:

http://www.the-leader.com/newsnow/x1793835883/President-of-Germany-resigns-amid-corruption-allegations

http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/0,1518,697785,00.html

Here are the websites that I got my information from:

http://www.aatg.org/files/ald/English-Texts-Diaspora.pdf

http://www.the-leader.com/newsnow/x1793835883/President-of-Germany-resigns-amid-corruption-allegations

http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/world/A0858400.html

http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/0,1518,697785,00.html

History of African Influence in Germany

Like many countries around the world, Germany’s involvement with the African Diaspora can date back to force. German traders, missionaries, and travelers first went to Africa around 1600 and brought Africans back to their homeland as aides for households and businesses. This started the integration of Africans into this particular subsection of European culture. Interaction between Africa and Germany increased during the 1884 Berlin Congo conference, which was attended by all the major global actors of the day. Europe divided Africa into smaller areas, allowing for the creation of the African German colonies. This increase in interaction and dependency gave many Africans the opportunity to travel to Germany and receive higher education at German schools and universities.

While integration into German society was beneficial to Africans in many ways, they often faced discrimination and rejection. During the Great Depression in Germany, Africans were unable to gain unemployment compensation and only some were supported through a small budget run by the German Foreign Office. Treatment of Africans became especially bad during the height of the Nazi regime in Germany. Racist propaganda was circulating the country and employers were not allowed to hire black employees. Working conditions and travel became impossible to bear. To make matters worse, Nazi leaders implemented an apartheid-like system, segregating this minority group even more. Moreover, racial laws were created to force Africans to compulsory sterilization or into concentration camps. While all of this historical conflict is important to understanding the relationship of Africans to Germany, it is evident that this group still has a large impact on German society and attitudes.

Today Africans constitute a small minority of the German population. There are approximately 300,000 to 500,000 Afro-Germans in a country of 80 million. Thus, racial attitudes remain in German culture because Germans are not sensitive or aware of how to act around this small minority. Up until the late 1980s and early 1990s, derogatory words like neger, negerkuss (negro kiss), and farbige (colored) were thrown around in every day conversations. Now some awareness has been shed on the issue of discrimination and Germans are trying to be more accepting of this minority group.

Prior to the mid 1980s, Afro-deutche were marginalized and discriminated against. Thus, small pockets of Africans emerged in towns and villages so associations could form to cater to this minority's needs. Moreover, these communities allowed for the Afro-deutche to link together over a common shared history. ISD, or the Initiative Schwarze Deutsche, was set up to hold yearly meetings to talk about the African Diaspora  throughout Germany. These meetings allowed for the commingling of generations so all ages could discuss the impact of the African Diaspora on German culture and ways of life.
     I chose Germany because it was hard for me to imagine how the African Diaspora had an effect on this country. When I think of the African Diaspora, countries like Haiti and Brazil come to mind, but not European countries. Thus, I was simply curious to find how the African Diaspora has had an impact on German culture and society. I have studied Germany in terms of its policies and relationship with our country. However, I was very curious to examine the impact German politics and society has on Africans in this country AND how Africans have impacted German politics and society as a marginalized group.

German colonies in Africa after 1884 conference

Sources used:
http://german.about.com/od/culture/a/blackhistger_4.htm

http://maps.nationmaster.com/country/gm

http://www.wordtravels.com/Travelguide/Countries/Germany/Map

http://books.google.com/books?id=mb6SDKfWftYC&pg=PA465&dq=africans+in+germany&hl=en&sa=X&ei=wUafT8nlAenY0QHX7aGJAg#v=onepage&q=africans%20in%20germany&f=false