Transatlantic Connections and Circulations in the 20th Century: The Urban Variable

ce texte est issu d'une présentation faite au Deutsche Historikertag 2006, dans une session co organisée par Friedrich Lenger et Dieter Schott‘American city' and ‘European city' are familiar terms to us all. They suggest architectural landscapes and forms, glimpsed through movies, magazines or vacations. They also suggest atmospheres, ways of living that one perceives both as different and similar. In both cases, it is through the comparison we develop between sets of pictures or sensations that we are able to create two categories that we label as “American city” and “European city”. Both categories also contribute to our collective discussions about the fate of cities. In the debates about the kind of lives we want to live in cities these images assert themselves as powerful tools to arouse acquiescence or fear, to create agreements and disputes. As personal impressions or as collective categories, however, ‘American city' and ‘European city' are not instant products, and we are constantly referring to a historical pool of connotations, definitions and values when we use them. This article explores the making of this comparison and suggest ways to approach the transatlantic trade in urban matters