Constructing Identities in Europe: German and Russian Perspectives

Russia and the European Union are neighbours. Historically, economically and culturally the two have been closely linked. Nonetheless, Russia and the EU still struggle to find a common language. Suspicions rooted in the decades of confrontation between East und West have not yet been overcome. Perception patterns and conceptions of identity that were formed in the course of years thus have a lasting effect on EU-Russia relations. The present volume aims at disentangling these perception structures: The development of conceptions of self and other within Germany and Russia is explored, as are the inter-cultural discourse between the two countries, the evolution of enemy images and differences in their value systems. In addition to historical analysis, investigations of German and Russian media and interviews with representatives of German and Russian elites supply the data to examine the perception patterns each side exhibits. The volume demonstrates that only such an approach can provide the necessary background for a critical discussion of EU-Russia relations.