ABSTRACT
When thousands of Germans lit candles for the victims of September 11, the pictures were particularly moving in Berlin. Spontaneous solidarity with the Americans merged with memories of their defending the West of the divided city for fifty years and unequivocal American support for German re-unification a decade ago. In the light of Germany's and Europe's positive experiences with the multilateral system, the American terminology of a "war against terrorism", when focused around a new unilateral assertiveness of American strength, is being questioned in Europe. According to the polls, Germans show a comparatively relaxed attitude to the American role as a superpower. The debate in Germany after September 11 showed that Berlin will remain committed to an effective functioning of multilateralism and to an adequate combination of diplomacy and military strength. On the whole, German assessments differing from Washington's views do by no means signal a decline in interest or in positive feelings towards America.
