How did Nazi Germany view American racism? This lecture examines the deep German fascination with anti-Black violence and Jim Crow laws— from World War I through the Third Reich—while questioning the popular claim that the United States directly inspired Nazi race legislation. The historical record tells a more complex, and more challenging, story.

Guest Speaker: Jonathan Wiesen
Jonathan Wiesen is Professor of History at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.  He is the author and editor of six books, including Modern Germany and the American Color Line, forthcoming with Cornell University Press.

Hosted By: European Studies Program, Institute of Arts and Humanities, and the History Department