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The fantasy of a German-Indian brotherhood, of a special affinity between the two cultural groups, dates back to the late 1700s and is addressed in a wide variety of fictional accounts, novels, and plays, as well as, more recently, films. It has stimulated not just writers but artists, historians, ethnographers, and anthropologists, who like Franz Boas went abroad to explore tribal histories and traditions.
Furthermore, the fantasy is re-enacted almost daily in the so-called Indianerclubs, social meetings in which Germans dress up in "authentic" Indian costume. Throughout the last three hundred years, fictional encounters and real encounters have been transformed into fictions.
This three-day conference took a closer look at imaginary and real relations between Germans and Indians. We considered some of the mutual perceptions that have been entertained for centuries. We moved beyond fantasy to explore, from an interdisciplinary perspective, how Germans and Indians actually interacted in historical reality. We questioned long-held beliefs, challenged myths, and broke through confining national or ethnic boundaries by investigating areas of common interest and cultural or imaginary overlap.
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