The Fulbright was created to mitigate the effects of World War II. Senator J. William Fulbright desired to bring peace to the nations by having students become the new ambassadors to represent the countries, and in doing so, they would create new partnerships that were no longer defined by the past. The focal point was "Turning nations into people". This motto I have never forgotten because this is what I had experienced during my time abroad, and a key piece of this motto addresses stereotypes of other nations.
Becoming an ambassador, whether Fulbright or any other kind, requires you to understand the stereotypes you have of your given country. An ambassador needs to approach the study-abroad experience with the understanding that they will seek ways of finding out if these sterotypes are actually true.
My superficial knowledge of Germany, and the next-door country of Austria, came from cinema, starting with The Sound of Music which I saw as a young child, learning that the Nazi movement stemmed from Austria then grew to prominance in neighboring Germany under Hitler. With watching plenty of documentaries about WW2 and the Holocaust I do not remember having any warm feelings about Germany. I thought the people could too easily be brainwashed by propaganda, allowing them to let the Holocaust occur.
