The Divided States of America

Against the backdrop of the US election campaign, we cordially invite you to an evening of discussion in Düsseldorf:

“The Divided States of America”
Arthur Landwehr, former ARD radio correspondent in Washington, D.C. in conversation with Vivien Leue, journalist and moderator

Thursday, February 29, 2024 | 6pm
Heine Haus Literaturhaus Düsseldorf | Bolkerstraße 53 | 40213 Düsseldorf

The United States is at a crossroads in the 2024 presidential election. The outcome will be decisive not only for the country but also for its allies and partners. The winner will be the candidate who succeeds in winning over people who have increasingly lost confidence in politics, the media, and the economy. In his recently published book The Divided States of America: Old Myths and New Values – A Country Struggles for Identity, Arthur Landwehr looks for the causes of the country’s division in the everyday life of American society – at the rodeo in the “Cowboy State” of Wyoming, where the traditions of the “Wild West” are celebrated as an alternative to modern industrial society; in Florida in an “Active Adult Community”, where pensioners and retirees are among themselves; in Virginia, where he gains deep insights into a controversial topic at a weapons exhibition, and in many other places. His multi-layered portrait shows a country in which politics sooner or later leads to the all-important question: What does it mean to be an American?

Arthur Landwehr was ARD radio correspondent in Washington, D.C. from 1999 to 2006 and from 2018 to 2022. From 2006 to 2018, he was editor-in-chief of radio at Südwestrundfunk. During his time in the USA, he closely followed the social development of the USA during the Clinton, Bush, Trump, and Biden administrations. He was awarded the RIAS Radio Prize for his reporting.

The event will be held in German.

We would like to thank our cooperation partner Heine Haus Literaturhaus Düsseldorf and look forward to a stimulating evening with you!

Please register here.