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''The Amerika Haus Berlin'' is an institution that was developed following the end of the Second World War to provide an opportunity for German citizens to learn more about American culture and politics, and engage in discussion and debate on the transatlantic relationship. Run by the American government until 2006, Berlin’s Amerika Haus is one of many Amerika Häuser located across Germany. On September 25, 2006 the Amerika Haus Berlin was officially handed back to the city of Berlin and its doors were closed to the general public. ==The Development of the Amerika Haus Berlin== The destruction of libraries, bookstores, and other collections of literary material both before and during the Second World War led to the emergence, post-1945, of a need for diverse reading material within Germany. At this time the American armed forces within German cities established “American Reading Rooms” for local German citizens. What began as a collection of books and other material from American soldiers returning home grew into a number of extensive library collections. The US government began to support these initiatives in the late 1940s. The locations became officially known as “Amerika Häuser” and started receiving financial support through the US military and the newly created US Information Agency (USIA). The libraries grew into much larger establishments that included auditoriums, classrooms, and other exhibition spaces for film screenings, concerts, book readings, and panel discussions. German citizens, both young and old, were able to visit the institutions freely to learn more about American culture and politics and explore opportunities for academic, and other exchange programs with the US. The original goal of the “Amerika Häuser” were not to serve as platforms for propaganda, but to provide access to American culture, in particular through literature, and help to combat anti-American sentiment that had been encouraged by certain political elements since the early 1930s. During the Cold War the “Amerika Häuser” gained an increasingly important symbolic role, representing American freedom and democracy abroad. In addition to the cultural and political dialogue that took place within the buildings during this time they became locations for protests against American foreign policy (during the Vietnam War, for example) and for displays of solidarity (following September 11). The Amerika Häuser across Germany are illustrations of the special relationship between Germany and the United States and the importance of cultural diplomacy in international affairs. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Amerika Haus Berlin」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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