Key actors of German "soft power" in the Baltics

Journal article | Zeitschriftenartikel

This article focuses on Germany’s key "soft power" actors promoting the country's interests in the Baltics. The authors analyse the policies of "soft power" aimed to create a positive image of Germany in Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia. The article examines the activity of German political foundations, research institutions, communities, language centres, and scientific and cultural organisations. It is stressed that Germany makes use of the Baltics' historical familiarity with German traditions in implementing its policy in these countries. The study suggests that German political and educational foundations are major actors of German soft power. It is shown that the development of a multilevel German language learning system incorporating various courses and scholarship programmes is one of the central strategies of German foundations. This strategy uses "High German" as a means to integrate the Baltic audience into the German information space. The German language serves as a basis for popularisation of the German educational system and educational standards, on the one hand, and partnership institutionalisation, cooperation, and integration on the other. It is concluded that, alongside Sweden and Russia, Germany is a major foreign policy player in the Baltics.

Object Details

• Alternative title: Ключевые акторы "мягкой силы" Германии в странах Балтии
• ISSN: 2079-8555
• Extent: Seite(n): 45-59
• Language: Englisch
• Notes: Status: Veröffentlichungsversion; begutachtet (peer reviewed)

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Baltic Region(1)

Classification and Topics

• Subject: Internationale Beziehungen ; internationale Beziehungen, Entwicklungspolitik ; Bundesrepublik Deutschland ; historische Entwicklung ; Organisationen ; Image ; Estland ; deutscher Sprachraum ; Litauen ; Stiftung ; deutsche Sprache ; Integration ; Tradition ; Macht ; Baltikum ; Forschungseinrichtung ; Einfluss ; politischer Akteur ; internationale Beziehungen ; Lettland

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Geistige Schöpfung
• (who): Megem, Maksim ; Maksimov, Ilya ; Gritsaenko, Polina
• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (where): Russland
• (when): 2016

Further information

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.5922/2079-8555-2016-1-4
• URN: urn:nbn:de:0168-ssoar-51412-9
• Rights: GESIS - Leibniz-Institut für Sozialwissenschaften. Bibliothek Köln
• Last update: 21.06.2024, 4:26 PM CEST