Transatlantic encounters and adaptations in American and German literature and film

Moving beyond models of linear influence or straightforward assimilation, “Transatlantic Encounters and Adaptations in American and German Literature and Film” explores how transatlantic artistic exchanges – accelerated by WWII exiles and modern globalized media – have continually reshaped national identities, film genres, and literary forms. This collection of essays frames adaptation as a multi-layered, historical, and intermedial process. The collected essays investigate diverse historical case studies, including the Hollywood studio era, silent cinema distributions, German-speaking exiles in Los Angeles, and contemporary global co-productions. Through these analyses, the collection demonstrates how cross-cultural “encounters” and media “adaptations” serve as vital, dynamic sites where political anxieties, artistic longings, and ideological definitions are continually negotiated across borders.