THE AMERICAN MILITARY GOVERNMENT POLICY ON THE REVIVAL OF CULTURAL AND SPIRITUAL LIFE IN GERMANY (1945 – 1949)

Abstract

The revival of cultural and spiritual life in post-war Germany was an integral part of the policy of democratization which was pursued in the occupational zone by the American military government. The paper considers the main actions of the occupational authorities in the direction of ―re-education‖ of Germans in pro-American democratic traditions: renewal of theater and musical life, cinema, creation of information centers, work with the youth, church policy. As in the political sphere, the American administration aspired the revival of public and cultural life to be mainly a duty of Germans under the American supervision and control. However in general the intervention of military government into the development of cultural life was insignificant.

Keywords

• germany, military government, occupation, democratization, ―re-education‖, cultural policy