Mischa Honeck Libri

The rich history of encounters prior to World War I between people from German-speaking parts of Europe and people of African descent has gone largely unnoticed in the historical literature-not least because Germany became a nation and engaged in colonization much later than other European nations. This volume presents intersections of Black and German history over eight centuries while mapping continuities and ruptures in Germans' perceptions of Blacks. Juxtaposing these intersections demonstrates that negative German perceptions of Blackness proceeded from nineteenth-century racial theories, and that earlier constructions of "race" were far more differentiated. The contributors present a wide range of Black-German encounters, from representations of Black saints in religious medieval art to Black Hessians fighting in the American Revolutionary War, from Cameroonian children being educated in Germany to African American agriculturalists in Germany's protectorate, Togoland. Each chapter probes individual and collective responses to these intercultural points of contact.

The book explores the Boy Scouts of America's role in promoting American global expansion throughout the twentieth century. It examines how the organization's core values and ideals have influenced national identity since its inception in 1910. Honeck argues that the BSA not only reflected but also facilitated the United States' outreach and influence across the globe, intertwining notions of patriotism and adventure with internationalism. Through this lens, the book offers a critical perspective on the intersection of youth culture and imperialism.