In his book, Dirk Petter reveals new facets of the oft-quoted "heritage friendship" between the Federal Republic of Germany and France. The Franco-German relations of the 1970s are primarily perceived today through the successful political actions of the "tandem" of Valéry Giscard d'Estaing and Helmut Schmidt. In contrast, the conflicts that manifested in a series of public disputes are hardly remembered. Beyond "big politics," Petter focuses on the process of rapprochement between Germans and French and examines the actions of selected actors from both the state and societal spheres. In the controversies of the 1970s, it was they who attempted to build bridges across the Rhine. To stabilize the relations in the long term, cultural exchange was particularly promoted.