Deutsche Version
Archive: Selected Events QI/2008
This page shows our front page items from January thru March.
My Germany: Where We Have Been & Where We Are Going
 March 31, 2008. The Konrad Adenauer Foundation invited Ambassador Timken to launch its “My Germany” (Deutschlandbilder) series on March 31 in Berlin. The series is a part of the Foundation's commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the Berlin Airlift. In the course of the coming year, selected speakers, including the ambassadors of the Allied Forces, will be asked to select two images from a collection of photographs that depict different aspects of German politics, society and culture. Ambassador Timken chose two historical photographs: one of Berlin children waving to an Airlift cargo plane in the summer of 1948, and the other, of people celebrating the fall of the Berlin Wall on November 9, 1989. Speaking to an overflow crowd, Ambassador Timken explained that the two photos summed up the story of America's commitment to Germany during the long years of the Cold War, ending with reunification—the seal on one of the greatest success stories of modern diplomacy and also the beginning of a new vision of global partnership. After speaking Ambassador Timken took part in an hour-long discussion moderated by Graf von Hohenthal. » Photo Gallery
Ambassador Hosts Interfaith Passover Seder:
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March 19, 2008. Ambassador William R. Timken, Jr. and his wife Sue Timken hosted Embassy Berlin's first Interfaith Passover Seder. Scheduled early to avoid any conflict with family Passover or Easter festivities, the Seder brought together Jewish, Christian, and Muslim leaders for a shared meal and a discussion of the history of the Passover celebration. Rabbi Chaim Rozwaski, Chaplain to the American Jewish community in Berlin, led the guests through this traditional holiday observance. The event was co-hosted with the Berlin office of the American Jewish Committee. Ambassador Timken noted that the intent of the Seder, as with the Iftar receptions he has hosted in Berlin, was to bring together leaders from different religious and cultural groups to learn about one another's backgrounds and celebrate our common humanity. Over 50 guests attended, representing not only various religious communities, but also German government offices directly involved with national integration projects.
United States and Germany Cooperate to Combat Serious Crime, Terrorism
 | | Secretary Chertoff in Berlin |
March 11, 2008 - In Berlin, U.S. Attorney General Michael Mukasey and Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff, together with their German counterparts - Federal Minister of the Interior Dr. Wolfgang Schäuble and Federal Minister of Justice Brigitte Zypries - initialed a bilateral agreement to enhance cooperation on the prevention and combating of serious crime, in particular terrorism. In remarks at the initialing ceremony, the Attorney General said the bilateral agreement was a great achievement both for its practical benefits and for what it symbolizes. "The agreement gives us important new tools ... and symbolizes the joint resolve of Germany and the United States to fight terrorism and transnational crime." While in Berlin, Secretary Chertoff and Minister Schäuble participated in a podium discussion, hosted by the American Academy in Berlin and the Atlantic Brücke, to discuss transatlantic cooperation in fighting global terrorism. Photo Gallery
U.S. Election and Turbo News - Expert Explains How it Works
March 10, 2008. Dr. Jeremy D. Mayer, political scientist at George Mason School of Public Policy, lectured on the role of the media in the election campaign, gave examples for the news delivered “at the speed of light”, and their impact on campaigns and platforms at Cicero Gallerie in Berlin. He explained the most important components of the election process, analyzed the candidates’ strengths and weaknesses and showed why this election is truly historical. Dr. Mayer also lectured in Hamburg (March 11), Frankfurt (March 12), Heidelberg (March 13), and Munich (March 14). Photo Gallery
Lt. General Henry Obering Press Roundtable with Berlin Media on Missile Defense
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March 7, 2008. General Obering briefed 17 German and international reporters at a press roundtable earlier today on US efforts to set up a missile defense system to counter emerging missile threats, especially from Iran. Obering provided an update on discussions with the Czech Republic, Poland and Russia, and emphasized the need for the U.S. and its European allies to act now in order to be able to meet future missile threats. Obering emphasized the success rate of the testing programs. "We had 10 successful tests last year, and in total 34 of 42 attempts since 2001". He described discussions with Poland and the Czech Republic as proceeding very well with some of the final language on the agreement still needing to be worked out, but was optimistic that it will soon be completed. As far as Russia is concerned, General Obering stated the U.S. has sought a collaborative approach, but as yet there has not been a positive response. Audio File (mp3), transcript
U.S. Embassy Literature Series in Featuring Amy Bloom Reading in Hamburg and Berlin
 | Amy Bloom speaks at the
Kennedy Museum |
March 3, 2008. Author Amy Bloom read from her work Away, at the Consulate General in Hamburg and on March 4 at the Museum “The Kennedys” in Berlin to about 120 English teachers, students, journalists, and the general public. Deputy Cultural Attaché Ruth Anne Stevens-Klitz welcomed the guests in Berlin, and Free University scholar MaryAnne Snyder-Körber provided some background to Amy Bloom’s oeuvre. Her immigration story combined with a vision of the old country left behind with its Russian progroms and an odyssey from New York to Alaska combined with the promise of a new life deeply touched the audience. In Hamburg,a reception sponsored by Amy Bloom’s German publisher Hoffmann + Campe invited all guests to continue their discussion with the author. The reading added a captivating author to the ongoing Embassy Literature Series whose book Away has already entered its second printing after having been on the market for only three weeks.
Senior U.S. Officials Discuss Progress and Cooperation on Transatlantic Economic Relationship, Climate Change
February 26, 2008. In advance of meetings with German government officials in Berlin, Daniel M. Price, Assistant to the President for International Economic Affairs, James L. Connaughton, Chairman of the White House Council on Environmental Quality, and C. Boyden Gray, U.S. Special Envoy for EU Affairs, briefed journalists on the work of the Transatlantic Economic Council and on a wide range of issues related to climate change, including the Major Economies process and the post-2012 framework the United States is working towards; the importance of eliminating tariff and non-tariff barriers to clean energy goods and services; and the U.S. domestic programs that have been enacted into law that address climate change and energy security. Summing up, Dan Price said: "When one looks beyond the political rhetoric or headlines, one finds much more common ground than would first appear, including the growing recognition that a post-2012 framework, to be effective, must entail not only actions and commitments by the developed world, but also by the major developing economies." Transcript
US Embassy Celebrates A Musical Black History Month
February 15, 2008. Renowned opera singer Kevin Maynor, bass, and pianist Eric Olsen introduced an audience of about 600, among them high school and university students and faculty as well as the general public, to the tradition of celebrating the achievements of Black Americans in Dessau (Febr. 11), Berlin (Febr. 12), Munich (Febr. 13), Tuebingen (Febr. 14) and Nuernberg (Febr. 15). Their multi-media performances ranged from a commemoration of Martin Luther King, Mahatma Ghandi and Malcom X to the 19th century “Underground Railroad” and the African-American struggle for equal rights and freedom. The events - staged in a local church in Dessau, Humboldt University in Berlin, the Amerika Haus in Munich and the German-American Institutes in Tuebingen and Nuernberg - consisted of spirituals, narratives, video, and slide projections.
New U.S. Embassy in Berlin Showcases American Art
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February 13, 2008. U.S. Ambassador William R. Timken, Jr. and artist Ellsworth Kelly toast the installation of the artist’s stainless steel totem, which is the focal point within the new embassy’s courtyard garden. The totem, forty-foot high and eight-inches thick, with the widest point of the sculpture measuring four feet, has a glass bead finish that allows natural light to be reflected off its surface. In a ceremony in honor of the the artist, the Ambasssador said the totem represents America’s native American heritage. Ellsworth Kelly, born in 1923, is widely regarded as one of the most important abstract painters, sculptors and printmakers working today. On the same day, a donated segment of the Berlin Wall was installed in the courtyard, to serve as a reminder of the past and a symbol of hope for the future. The new U.S. Embassy on Pariser Platz will be a showcase for the finest examples of American art, including a wall mural designed by the late Sol LeWitt. Both the Kelly and LeWitt works, which were created specifically for the new building, are gifts of the artists to the Foundation for Art and Preservation in Embassies. Photo Gallery
44th Munich Conference on Security Policy
February 8-10, 2008 - The 44th Munich Conference on Security Policy is held in Munich from February 8-10, 2008. Munich again welcomes top-ranking politicians and experts in foreign and security policy from all over the world. Around 250 participants featuring about 30 foreign and defense ministers will debate the issues of "World in Disarray - Shifting Powers - Lack of Strategies". Around 40 ministers and three presidents will attend the conference. Altogether, 250 delegates from 50 countries have come to the Bavarian capital for the event. The U.S. delegation will be led by Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, the U.S. congressional delegation by Senator Joe Lieberman. Photo Gallery | U.S. Consulate General Munich Feature Page on the Security Conference
U.S. Experts Analyze Super Tuesday Results
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February 6, 2008. Professor William M. Chandler of the University of California at San Diego and William Drozdiak of the American Council on Germany in New York met with German journalists over breakfast in Berlin to discuss the results of "Super Tuesday." While the field on the Republican side is narrowing down with John McCain as the front-runner, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are still fighting neck-and-neck for the Democratic nomination. Senator Clinton won the big states on Tuesday, but Senator Obama can still catch up thanks to the proportional electoral system of the Democratic primaries. The major election issue for all candidates will be the economy; to succeed, all must demonstrate their knowledge and experience in this field. Journalists' questions focused on the importance of the Latino and female votes, on the role of Bill Clinton in the campaign and his role as a possible first gentleman, and on campaign fundraising and spending. Later in the day, Dr. Chandler granted two radio interviews on the elections. In the evening, Der Spiegel political correspondent Ralf Beste joined Dr. Chandler and Mr. Drozdiak for a lively panel discussion on "The Race to the White House" moderated by Dr. Constanze Stelzenmüller of the U.S. German Marshall Fund.
U.S. Embassy Literature Series featuring Matt Ruff
February 4, 2008, author Matt Ruff read from his new novel “Bad Monkeys” addressing a an audience of 100 devoted and apparently well read readers at the Museum THE KENNEDYS in Berlin. Cultural Attaché Peter Claussen opened the event and Prof. Martin Klepper, Humboldt University, put the new book into context with Ruff’s earlier works. Matt Ruff also shared personal views on his own development as a writer and compared his successes in the U.S. and abroad. The second in the nation-wide series, the reading drew an enthusiastic crowd not only in Berlin, but also in the U.S. Consulate Hamburg (February 5) and the English Theatre in Frankfurt (February 6). The event was co-sponsored by Hanser Verlag. Photo Gallery, video of Matt Ruff, more
Ambassador Gregory Schulte briefs on Iran's Nuclear Program
February 1, 2008. During his visit to Berlin, Ambassador Gregory L. Schulte, Permanent Representative of the U.S. to the United Nations in Vienna, briefed German reporters on P 5+1 efforts to convince Iran to roll back its nuclear program and clarify remaining issues by mid-February. He said Iran needs to do three things if it wants to come back into the good graces of the international community. It needs to fully disclose its past nuclear activities, it needs to fully disclose its current activities along with implementing the Additional Protocol, and it needs to verifiably suspend enrichment and related activities. According to Ambassador Schulte, there is P 5+1 agreement on elements of a third UN Security Council resolution and that the language is currently under discussion in the Security Council. He said the U.S. wants to see the international community implementing existing sanctions, but that sanctions are not to penalize the Iranian people, but only to convince Iran to change its "strategic calculus." He also informed the journalists that Russia is worried about Iran's nuclear activities as well. In fact, Russia's Ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said that Tehran's current program "makes no sense as a civilian program." He pointed out that Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said that the U.S. is ready to talk to Iran if it first verifiably suspends its enrichment program. transcript
Ambassador Timken outlines schedule for return of U.S. Embassy to Pariser Platz
January 31, 2008. At a press conference in Berlin U.S. Ambassador to Germany William R. Timken, Jr. briefed journalists on plans for the return of the American Embassy to its historic location on Pariser Platz. Ambassador Timken outlined the plans, which include a series of art installations, a July 4 Grand Opening celebration, and a July 5 festival for the general public, and addressed reporters' questions about the new embassy's budget, its architecture, and its security posture. Ambassador Timken was joined at the press conference by Annette Thor of the Federation of German and American Clubs, which will be serving as host of the July 5 public festival. Following the press conference, the Ambassador also took a small pool of photo and television journalists on a brief tour of the embassy's rooftop. Photo Gallery | transcript
U.S. Embassy Literature Series Launched in Berlin
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January 28, 2008. The U.S. Embassy in Berlin launched its new Literature Series with a reading by American author John Haskell, currently guest Professor and writer in residence at the University of Leipzig, at The Kennedy Museum in Berlin. Haskell was introduced by Dr. Helena Kane Finn, Minister-Counselor for Public Affairs, and by Professor Rüdiger Kunow, President of the German Association for American Studies and Chair, Potsdam University. After a dramatic reading from the novel “American Purgatorio,” John Haskell engaged in a lively discussion with moderator Kunow and an engaged audience, among them students, teachers of English, and scholars. Haskell’s reading was the first in a series of literature programs for 2008, which celebrate the opening of the new U.S. Embassy in Berlin. It brought a new, young audience to the first-ever reading hosted by the Kennedy Museum on Pariser Platz, just across from the historic location of the new Embassy. Photo gallery, Audio of reading (mp3)
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in Berlin
January 22-23, 2008. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice visited Berlin to attend a P-5+1 meeting, hosted by the German government to discuss how to convince Iran to comply with the international community's demands regarding its nuclear program. She also attended a P-5+1 dinner on the evening of the 22nd. Secretary Rice met earlier on the 22nd with German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, and with Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi on Wednesday, January 23, in the morning, before flying on to Davos for the World Economic Forum. Photo Gallery
American College Students learn about U.S. diplomacy
January 8, 2008. DCM John Koenig and ACAO Ruth Anne Stevens-Klitz met with a group of visiting students from Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, WA on January 8. Topics in the lively discussion included German-American relations, the 2009 German election, and careers in the State Department. Later that same day, AIO Pam DeVolder met with 19 visiting international relations students from Augustana College in Sioux Falls, SD, and briefed them on U.S. public diplomacy work abroad and key U.S.-German issues. An additional special highlight for the students was when the DCM spontaneously joined the meeting, sharing his own experiences in the Foreign Service and answering questions about U.S.-German relations on international and bilateral policy issues. The Embassy also welcomes many groups of American students and other visitors.
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