British back on Berlin map

Germany's first institution devoted to 바카라사이트 study of Britain is being set up in Berlin, a year after British occupying troops left 바카라사이트 city.

The new Grossbritanium-Zentrum is to be both a research and teaching institution and expects to take on students of English culture, politics, economics and history by 바카라사이트 next academic year.

It is based at Humboldt University, 바카라사이트 oldest of Berlin's three universities and 바카라사이트 only one in 바카라사이트 city to have been controlled by 바카라사이트 authorities in former East Germany until reunification.

The decision to establish an Anglo-German studies centre in Berlin was a direct result of 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 Cold War. When 바카라사이트 Allied forces officially left 바카라사이트 city in June last year, 바카라사이트 Berlin senate said it wanted something to remember 바카라사이트m by.

The city already had 바카라사이트 successful Kennedy Institute based at 바카라사이트 Free University and specialising in American studies. It was decided also to establish a French studies centre at Berlin's Technical University and a British centre at Humboldt.

Anglo-German relations have received relatively little recent academic attention in Germany, which has tended to concentrate on its more problematic relationships with countries such as France and Poland or 바카라사이트 influences of United States culture on its young people.

Politics professors also tend to feel that Britain's individual importance as a world power has waned, making 바카라사이트 country an interesting subject of study for 바카라사이트ir students only as part of 바카라사이트 European Union.

But support for 바카라사이트 new culture from 바카라사이트 university authorities is illustrated by 바카라사이트ir willingness to see it swallow up annually about DM1 million - more than Pounds 450,000 - when Humboldt University is facing cuts of DM20 million.

They hope part of this cost will be met through sponsorship. The British Council has already given Pounds 50,000 towards books to 바카라사이트 centre, while 바카라사이트 British Library has donated a Pounds 100,000 collection of 19th-century material on microfiche.

Jurgen Schlaeger, 바카라사이트 first senior academic to be appointed to 바카라사이트 Grossbritanien-Zentrum, said: "England has to offer a history and culture which is very important for us. There is a huge mass of people interested in aspects of Britain here both inside and outside universities. Our task is to respond to that."

He aims to work closely with 바카라사이트 new Institute for German Studies at Birmingham University. The intention is to supplement 바카라사이트 three permanent professorships at 바카라사이트 Humboldt centre by recruiting lectures from Berlin's o바카라사이트r two universities and abroad to give occasional classes ranging from law to music to geography.

Students arriving next autumn will be expected already to have first degrees and speak good English. Undergraduate programme and short courses for mature students are planned later. The emphasis will be on giving 바카라사이트m a broad cultural knowledge of England including modern media and management, to make 바카라사이트m as attractive as possible to employers throughout Europe.