Germany and the Baltic States: Imperial Histories, New Horizons [Part 2]

In the second part of this two-part special, Ben and Aaron are joined by Professor Ulrike von Hirschhausen for an extended discussion of the ties that bind the Baltic States and Germany and the opportunities that new ways of seeing each other offer for greater mutual understanding. Looking beyond the state to the movements of people, goods and ideas, Prof. Hirshchausen situates the Baltics-Germany relationship in its global context. Drawing on her experience of living in Germany, Latvia and the United States, she discusses the region’s memory politics, histories of colonialism, and why the fight for freedom burns so strongly in the Baltic states.

This episode follows our discussion with the Baltic politicians Marko Mihkelson and Žygimantas Pavilionis – who chair the Foreign Affairs Committees in Estonian and Lithuanian Parliament, respectively – along with Artis Pabriks, a former Foreign, Defense, and Deputy Prime Minister of Latvia.