Invitation to Supporters

From the Executive Producer

Germans and Democracy shows how Germans have changed their country’s public culture over the past half century as they wrestle with their dark history in order to move forward as a democratic, free society. This documentary for international public television looks unflinchingly at the past, as do the many Germans appearing in it. They know that the only way to a solid future is via honest ownership of their national history. Young and old, they are at work to ensure that their democracy survives and keeps getting better.

I believe that you, like me, would like to see a more realistic examination of Germany’s post-war transformation into a stable democracy. The current reality in English-language television programming is that “The Germans” usually means stereotypes from the Third Reich. The media habit of keeping the focus on the Nazi era denies serious attention to the way Germans have reconstructed their society, and ignores the efforts of post-war generations undertaking the near-impossible task of making amends.

I invite you to help bring this important story to a world-wide audience. We have an opportunity to make an objective study of how Germany has transformed itself, and how the new Germany has shaped a new way of thinking. We will have a chance to see in what areas Germany, since the end of Nazism, has been successful in creating genuine democracy…and areas where progress has been slower.

The two-part program is designed for broadcast on public television stations in the United States and on television internationally. We can expect it to be shown in Britain, Australia and numerous West and East European countries (including, of course, Germany.)

Germans and Democracy will debut in New York, the most important media market in the United States, on public television station WLIW Channel 21, and then show on the national network.

As the program is being produced under the auspices of the Institute for Understanding Issues, Inc., a non-profit organization, your contribution is tax-deductible to the full extent of United States taxation law.

When the list of people who contributed to this important television milestone concludes the broadcast over your local public television station, I know you will be proud you helped to make it possible.

Thank you.

David Scholem

Executive Producer

Producer@germans-and-democracy.com