ABSTRACT
The chapter describes developments of sinology and related contemporary China studies in one country divided into two political entities—East and West Germany—as a consequence of World War II and the unfolding Cold War. The author recognizes issues that the field has been forced to confront with ever since it started taking shape in the early 20th century: the controversial colonial embedment, the Third Reich legacy, and the complex geopolitical constellation which emerged as a result of the world’s bipolarization. This geopolitical setting generated divergent solutions in organizing the field in the western and eastern parts of Germany. The author also describes power struggles inside the field that resulted in diversification of policies toward sinology and contemporary China studies among universities and institutes, and the wide variety of visions for the field by influential researchers and professors. After the 1990 reunification, West Germany imposed its approach toward China studies on its eastern counterpart, strengthening the position of the traditionally defined sinology, associated with apolitical ancient studies. As a consequence, up until today the field of contemporary China studies has not been given enough room for developing its autonomy.
