Singer Ella Fitzgerald (April 1953) The Federal Republic's rapprochement with the U.S. in matters of foreign policy and security was accompanied by a cultural rapprochement: West Germany became "Americanized" at the same time that it was "Americanizing" itself. Here, publications like Der Spiegel played a fundamental educational role by informing people about the history, styles, and major figures in jazz. Sometimes these publications even introduced their readers to particular jazz artists.