ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book examines relations between Germany and, principally, Poland, the Czech Republic and Hungary. It incorporates political-diplomatic, economic-commercial, and socio-cultural fields, and correlated bilateral and multilateral contexts. The book focuses on commercial and economic affairs, particularly the activities and links of German private enterprise and state actors. It outlines a historical perspective in which the influence of national identity and the significance of geo-political boundaries and land ownership are explored. The book analyses linkages between culture, commerce and foreign policy. It considers bilateral relations and European Union (EU) enlargement in a wider international context. The book compares national and European interests and how they may develop in the medium term, and analyses the influence of important external actors. Trade and investment asymmetries are indicative of dependence on the German economy and its good health.
