Introduction

The Chapter outlines the study’s methodology and provides an overview of the key findings. The “German neoliberal project” after 1945 was characterized by a high sensitivity to semantics and the awareness of the ability of concepts to shape social imagination and to initiate political change. A key element of neoliberalism’s success during the 1950s and early 1960s arose from the deliberate and strategic reorganization of the semantic field, abandoning or reacquiring “abused” concepts, challenging existing meanings or introducing new concepts to the political scene. To speak of German neoliberalism is, not to suggest that a separate German variant of neoliberalism existed that was different to other variants (often termed Ordoliberalism), but to underline the ideational affiliation of the German proponents to neoliberal ideology. German neoliberalism is more varied, more flexible, and a lot less dogmatic than generally perceived. Therefore, conceptions of German neoliberalism should be broadened to capture activities and motifs that are not neoliberal at first glance. Studying neoliberals’ writings and public pronouncements in context allows to take note of the pragmatic, often strategically tailored conceptions of German neoliberalism—prepared and propagated by means of think-tanks like the Mont-Pèlerin Society (MPS) and the Aktionsgemeinschaft Soziale Marktwirtschaft (ASM).