the German words "Gegen" and "über" are separated by blue waves

Transatlantic Musings

the German words "Gegen" and "über" are separated by blue waves


Hannah Arendt

Fifty years after her death, the work of German-American philosopher and author Hannah Arendt remains strikingly relevant. In the face of today’s complex challenges, her work compels to revisit fundamental questions of freedom, responsibility, and judgment. In this dossier we approach Arendt’s life and work in a nuanced and insightful way and invite you to reflect on them in a contemporary context: What does it mean today to think and act in the spirit of Hannah Arendt?

Illustration: Hannah Arendt halb liegend mit rauchender Zigarette in der rechten Hand Illustration: © Eléonore Roedel

Among Friends
 On the Road

On the Road follows writers Louise Kenn and Mücahit Türk on their travels across the United States. Their texts emerge from a space between observation and introspection, revealing how literature takes shape when one opens up to unfamiliar places, people, and perspectives.

One-way road sign with the inscription "ON THE ROAD" on an orange, desert-looking background © Goethe-Institut, Ricardo Roa

Literature

150 years of Thomas Mann

Thomas Mann was one of Germany's most important writers, a Nobel Prize winner and political commentator. He left behind an enduring literary legacy. On the occasion of his 150th birthday, we take a look at his life and work.

150 years Thomas Mann © Autograf
DJ Koze DJ Koze | Photo (detail): © Pampa Records

Pop and Electronic Music 2025
 Rebels and Babyfaces

Gender, the Middle East and the club crisis – 2025 was a political year for German pop, with Gen Z artists boldly expressing their aesthetic vision, while still finding time for duets with Ski Aggu.

Joachim Hentschel

German Series in the USA

Binge Fever!

Television “Made in Germany” is having a golden moment with the rise of international streaming services. In our dossier, we highlight binge-worthy German serials and fill you in on where to watch them in the USA.

Serienfieber Illustration einer Hand mit Fernbedienung © Colourbox / Image editing Goethe-Institut Los Angeles

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Jenseits der Parolen © Ricardo Roa

Stir it up!

What to do when inner values and outer reality can no longer be reconciled? Ignore, despair, laugh at, protest? Gegenüber sheds light on the power of creativity and forms of resistance — and asks: When is the right moment to change the world? A transatlantic journey through society, history, and resistance.

Solidarität © Ricardo Roa

Double Exposure

In today's individualized societies, there is a tension between solidarity and universalism. The challenge is to respect diversity and individual freedom without losing a sense of shared responsibility and belonging. Only this double exposure makes it possible for people to stand up for each other in solidarity and respect universal values despite their differences. 

Belonging? School of fish version Photo by Jeffrey Hamilton at Unsplash

Belonging

How far has a radically open society been realized in the face of growing nationalist narratives on both sides of the Atlantic? The issue “Belonging” of Gegenüber magazine tells of life in a different homeland to one's grandparents, of cultural reproductions and mutations from one place to another, of new roots and aspects of exclusion that should not be alien to anyone, but which weigh differently. And it asks whether the concept of “native” vs. “migrant” is still valid.

Tonspuren Illustration: © Hanka Sedláček

Soundtracks

(Pop) culture is closely connected with the socio-political circumstances of its time. With eight German-language songs from eight decades, music journalist Mario Lasar sheds some light on important cultural and social phenomena in (West) German post-war history.

Collage made out of three film stills Created by Ricardo Roa. Copyrights (stills) 1: © UFA Fiction 2018; 2: © CORSO Film- und Fernsehproduktion; 3: © Markus Zucker / 2022 Schiwago Film, DOMAR Film

Free streaming of German films

On this site, we present a variety of online film programs, film festivals and film series that can be streamed from home. More information about the alternating film series can be found here. The films are presented in original language with subtitles. They are accessible online and free of charge after registration.

Gegenüber Talks © Ricardo Roa

Gegenüber TALKS

The Goethe-Instituts in North America invite you to a digital literature series that celebrates the diversity of German literature - from new voices and graphic novels to classics, utopias, and dystopias. The exchange with authors, publicists and literature fans from North America and Germany will lead to exciting conversations - interactive and open to all. 

Colorful snippets © Shutterstock

Snippets

Germany’s cultural landscape is vibrant and diverse, with exciting developments across the arts, film, music, and literature. From literary festivals and prices to groundbreaking exhibitions in galleries across the nation to the latest releases from acclaimed filmmakers and authors, there’s a wealth of creativity to explore. 

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