Archive of Selected Past Events May-Aug 2009

Deutsche Version

Also check out our archive of 2008 Events!

Book of Condolence on the Death of Senator Edward M. Kennedy

The Embassy of the United States of America has opened a book of condolence in remembrance of the late Senator Edward M. Kennedy. The condolence book will be available for signing at the Embassy Chancery in Berlin (Behrenstraße entrance) on Friday, August 28 and Monday, August 31 from 1.00 until 5.00 o'clock in the afternoon.
As a mark of respect for the memory of Senator Kennedy, President Obama has ordered that the flag of the United States shall be flown at half-staff at all embassies and consulates until sunset Sunday, August 30, 2009. Photo Gallery

Photo exhibition “Jesse Owens: A Sports Hero”

August 21, 2009. Marlene Dortch, granddaughter of U.S. sports hero Jesse Owens, attended the official opening of the photo exhibition “Jesse Owens - A Sports Hero” at the Berlin Sports Museum and presented the official 2009 U.S.A. Track And Field (USATF) jersey to the museum. As a tribute to Jesse Owens – who achieved international fame as the first African American track and field athlete to win four gold medals at the 1936 Olympic games in Berlin – the U.S. Team is wearing the initials “JO” on their jerseys at this year’s International Amateur Athletic Federation (IAAF) World Championships in Berlin. During the moving ceremony at the Museum, Marlene Dortch met with Kai and Julia Long, son and granddaughter of German long-jumper Luz Long, Owens’ competitor and friend at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. The bond between the two families has remained strong through the decades. On Saturday night, the two women presented the men’s long jump medals at the Berlin Olympic Stadium 73 years to the day after Owens won the same event in Germany. The photography exhibition runs through the end of January 2010.

Cultural Diplomacy at the Track and Field World Championships

August 16, 2009. On the “Day of Nations,” American soul singer Lisa Doby performed at the “KulturStadion” on Pariser Platz. Lisa Doby was supported by Frank Bedez (bass), Jérôme Spieldenner (drums) and Yali Eichert (guitar). Later that day, U.S. Embassy’s Acting Press Attaché Mitchell Moss contributed to a televised stage discussion together with representatives from other embassies and the German Foreign Ministry. Moss discussed the role of sports as a means of building bridges between cultures and languages and thanked both Ms. Doby for her performance and the organizers for giving the U.S. Embassy the opportunity to participate in the cultural program at the KulturStadion. Drawing a comparison with athletic competition, Moss mentioned the competition between cities for hosting the Olympic Games, and listed the many reasons why Chicago would be an ideal host for the Summer Games of 2016. In support of Chicago’s bid, Ms. Doby included the blues standard “Sweet Home Chicago” in her set list. The audience of several thousand applauded when Moss mentioned that, besides being the home of blues music and the agricultural clearing house of the world, Chicago was also the hometown of President Barack Obama.

Oregon and Washington in Zehlendorf – 49th German-American festival

July 24, 2009. For the 49th time the German-American festival opened in Berlin-Dahlem. It celebrates German-American relations and is the largest festival of its kind in Germany. This year features the States of Oregon and Washington, under the motto “A Pacific Wonderland.” In his welcome remarks U.S. Charge d’Affaires Robert A. Bradtke reminded the audience that the Berlin Wall was built when U.S. military started this Volksfest, and concluded: “Berlin has changed and continues to do so. But the Truman Plaza fairground and the German-American Volksfest have become a part of the story of Berlin and its people.” The festival continued until August 16, 2009. www.deutsch-amerikanisches-volksfest.de | photo gallery
• press coverage: Morgenpost vom 26. Juli 2009

Memories of an American Diplomat in East Berlin during the Peaceful Revolution

July 14, 2009. To commemorate the “peaceful revolution” that led to the fall of the Berlin Wall and Germany’s postwar unification, the U.S. Embassy is developing an online repository to document America’s ties to the people of the German Democratic Republic. On July 14, Cultural Attaché Peter Claussen discussed the project at a program at the Potsdam City Library. From 1987 to 1990, Claussen was posted at the U.S. Embassy in East Berlin. The public affairs programs he and his colleagues developed were very different from those in the Federal Republic of Germany. Claussen described how he and his colleagues were able to explore aspects of East Germany’s political, economic and cultural institutions and also to help foster personal and professional ties between the United States and the GDR. Members of the audience shared their own impressions of the U.S.-GDR relationship. For the next year, up until October 3, 2010, the Embassy will feature such personal stories in the form of videos, photographs and texts. What did “the USA” look like from the other side of the Wall? What did the DDR look like from the other side of the ocean? Come write on our virtual Wall at: Undivided: Encounters with America

Public Diplomacy in the 21st Century

July 10-12, 2009. 25 students of Halle-Wittenberg and Humboldt University Berlin gathered at the Center for U.S. Studies (ZUSAS) in Wittenberg to discuss the future of public diplomacy in a think tank atmosphere. Among them were students from Bulgaria, Russia, the Ukraine, Hungary, Poland and Lithuania who provided a unique international viewpoint on the subject. Minister Counselor for Public Affairs, Dr. Helena Kane Finn, outlined public diplomacy strategies of the new administration, explaining Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s concept of smart power and emphasizing the “bottom up” approach outlined by Dr. Anne-Marie Slaughter, the Director for Policy Planning at the State Department. Historian and co-host Professor Hans-Jürgen Grabbe traced German-American relations throughout the centuries. He emphasized U.S. public diplomacy as a success story in post-war Germany. Fulbright scholar Vaughn Rasberry drew the line from the effects of cold war public diplomacy to its impact on U.S. domestic legislation. He discussed race relations in combination with the promotion of Jazz musicians through the U.S. government in the 1950s and beyond. The program’s highlight was a discussion with Pulitzer Prize winners Geraldine Brooks and Tony Horwitz moderated by Helena Kane Finn. Using their work as a stepping stone, Dr. Kane Finn stressed the importance of cultural diplomacy to build bridges where policy actions fail in order to establish a dialogue and mutual respect.

United States Celebrates Its 233rd Birthday July 4

On July 3, the U.S. Embassy held its traditional Independence Day reception at the American Academy in Berlin. More than 1,000 guests enjoyed live music, American food, and the fireworks over the Wannsee (video).
July 4th has been recognized as Independence Day in the United States ever since the country’s Founding Fathers signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. Americans celebrate with parades, fireworks, concerts and other festive activities.
More background information at america.gov | About the USA | Message from President Obama

Berlin Poetry Festival Focuses on American Writers

June 27-July 5. Poets and poetry from the United States were featured at the 10th Poetry Festival Berlin organized by the Literaturwerkstatt Berlin and hosted by the Berlin Academy of the Arts. Cultural Attaché Peter R. Claussen joined the organizers and Pulitzer Prize winner Rita Dove in presenting welcoming remarks at the opening ceremony. The Friday evening audience of 200-300 poetry fans seemed surprised to learn that President Obama had hosted a Poetry Jam at the White House. U.S. participants, including former American poet laureate Rita Dove, participated in various workshops and panel discussions throughout the weeklong event with poets from around the world. The U.S. Independence Day, July 4th, became “America Poetry Day,” featuring Dove and other American writers like Christian Hawkey, Claudia Keelan, Sherwin Bitsui in readings and workshops, culminating in a late night concert with Saul Williams and Ed Torres. The Poetry Festival drew well over 10,000 visitors, making it Europe’s largest event celebrating the poetic arts. In its tenth anniversary year it has become a landmark in Berlin’s cultural scene. www.literaturwerkstatt.org

U.S. Ambassador to NATO Ivo Daalder speaks at Transatlantic Forum

July 1, 2009. In his keynote speech at the Transatlantic Forum conference in Berlin, Ambassador Ivo H. Daalder, the United States Permanent Representative to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in Brussels, underlined the importance of the transatlantic partnership in confronting global challenges. The Maleki Group and the Munich Security Conference (MSC) hosted this year’s Transatlantic Forum in close cooperation with the U.S. Embassy, the American Academy in Berlin, the Robert Bosch Foundation and the International Bankers Forum. Chargé d’Affaires John M. Koenig welcomed the more than 200 German and American leaders from government, business and academia who convened in Berlin to discuss key foreign, security and economic issues. Other U.S. speakers included Dr. Anne-Marie Slaughter, the Director of Policy Planning, United States Department of State, Dr. Gary Smith, the Director of the American Academy Berlin, William Drozdiak, the President of the American Council on Germany, and Ambassador John C. Kornblum, the former U.S. Ambassador to the Federal Republic of Germany. Following the conference, the Chargé hosted a reception at the Embassy. Speech Chargé Koenig | Daalder’s Speech at the Transatlatic Forum in Berlin | Transatlantic Forum Program
Videos: Daalder Press Conference | tagesschau, 17:00 Uhr | tagesschau, 02:10 Uhr
June 30: Anne-Marie Slaughter on Foreign Policy Priorities of the Obama Administration

Chargé d’Affaires Koenig praises German-American relations

Juni 25, 2009. In the wake of Chancellor Merkel’s departure for Washington, Chargé d’Affaires a.i. John Koenig rejected in a live interview with Deutschlandfunk media reports which claim that President Obama’s relationship with Chancellor Merkel was tense. Koenig described such reports as “inventions of the media” and pointed out how both the President and the Chancellor had clearly stated that relations are good. Referring to the financial crisis, Koenig said the common interest and goals are more important than the differences. “The good relationship with Germany is a good condition for discussions,” he said. Koenig expressed optimism that a post-Kyoto agreement can be reached, emphasizing that it is important to be realistic and to include threshold countries. “There will be no solution without emerging countries,” he said. On Afghanistan, he expressed his condolences to the families of the three German soldiers killed near Kunduz and emphasized that “we must act together and do what the situation requires” to protect our countries against terrorist threats. Interview: Text | Audio

Louis Begley Reading: Why The Dreyfus Affair Matters

June 16, 2009. As part of the U.S. Embassy Literature Series and in cooperation with Suhrkamp Verlag, Humboldt University and The American Academy in Berlin acclaimed novelist Louis Begley read from Why The Dreyfus Affair Matters at the Humboldt University. Drawing on his legal expertise, Begley examined the Dreyfus Affair as a harbinger of the rise in France of a virulent form of anti-Semitism. Drawing parallels with recent government decisions regarding the treatment of detainees in Guantanamo, Begley underscored the interest each one of us has in the faithful execution of the law as the safeguard of civil liberties. Begley illustrated how anti-Semitism and racism function in an allegedly liberal society, in the past as much as today, with presumptions of guilt leading to criminal conviction, racial profiling replacing the search for truth and the fabrication of evidence instead of a dispassionate presentation and examination of the facts. Reading (mp3) | Discussion (mp3) | Deutschlandradio Kultur interview | 3sat interview

Embassy supports Conferences @ JFK Institute & HD

Trade Policy under the New U.S. Administration

June 15, 2009. U.S. trade specialist Susan Aaronson of George Washington University (GWU) began a one-week speaking tour of Germany today in Berlin with a working breakfast with journalists and a discussion with policy experts at the Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik.  Aaronson, Associate Research Professor of International Affairs at GWU, will visit Berlin, the Frankfurt area, Heidelberg and Nuremberg before traveling on to Amsterdam and The Hague for a series of lectures and discussions with specialist audiences to discuss U.S. trade policy under the Obama Administration, prospects for a successful conclusion to the Doha Round, and the impact of the financial crisis on global trade.

Reception for German-American Judicial Conference

June 10, 2009. The Embassy welcomed 55 American, German, and Canadian participants in the German Judicial Academy’s Conference on the Law of Parent and Child at a reception honoring their contributions to international cooperation on these difficult legal matters. The six day conference, organized by the German Judicial Academy in coordination with the Ministry of Justice, focused on child custody, child protection, child support and parental abduction as part of an annual series of professional development conferences for German family law judges. During the course of the exchange the participants gained greater understanding of the respective legal frameworks within which their counterparts operated and forged consensus on their mutual obligations under the Hague convention. The conference also afforded them the opportunity to forge those personal links which transform formal relationships into effective partnerships. Acting Deputy Chief of Mission Jay Anania welcomed the members of the German Judicial Academy and the American and Canadian guest judges participating in the conference, in particular the Conference Chair Dr. Martin Menne and Judge (ret.) Eberhard Carl, “whose dedication to the success of the Hague Abduction Convention and international judicial cooperation is unrivaled.” Anania also welcomed U.S. Liaison Judge Judith Kreeger, and thanked her for sharing her expertise with other judges throughout the world in the Hague Network of Judges. Also present were Kathy Ruckman, Deputy Director for the Office of Children’s Issues in Washington; and Corrin Feber, Attorney Advisor from the Office of Policy Review and Interagency Liaison. Anania went on to explain that the Department of State has no higher priority than the welfare of U.S. citizens overseas, and how this is particularly true for children. Assisting the victims of international parental child abduction has long been an important activity of the Bureau of Consular Affairs. Photo gallery

President Obama’s Cairo Address: A New Beginning

June 4, 2009. The U.S. Embassy welcomed a diverse German and American audience of students, journalists, politicians, and community leaders on Thursday, June 4 to watch President Obama’s speech to the Muslim world from Cairo, Egypt. Chargé d'Affaires a.i. John Koenig welcomed the audience, who watched the speech live in English and German. Afterwards, Minister-Counselor for Public Affairs Dr. Helena Kane Finn led a discussion with the guests on their impressions of the speech and what it will mean for American engagement with the Muslim world. The questioning indicated a strongly positive response from both American and German guests, including our Muslim contacts. The speech outlined ways that the United States and Muslim communities around the world can bridge some of the differences that have divided them, as well as exploring new areas for partnership going forward that serve the mutual interests of our people. Photo Gallery

German Association Of American Studies (GAAS) Discusses Educational Reform In Jena

June 4-7, 2009. Leading German Americanists met at Jena University to discuss “Education and the USA” with American practitioners such as American Studies veteran Paul Lauter, Trinity College, historian Roger L. Geiger, Pennsylvania State University, and Paula Moya, Stanford University. Workshops featured junior scholars and discussed education as one of the most critical issues in the United States and in Germany. Cultural Affairs Officer Peter Claussen introduced poet Kerry Shawn Keys to the audience and stressed the importance of educational exchange. The concluding panel discussion featured the intense political, social, and cultural issues surrounding the subject in a comparative view and revealed an increasing gap between antagonistic definitions and concepts with regard to the form and the function of education in the future. Should education be functionalized and privileged simply as economic capital, a commodity sold for the highest bid by a service industry geared at individual professional competence in highly competitive global markets? Or should education rather be freely distributed as a public good and protected as an indispensable necessity of social justice and equality, and therefore as a fundamental right for all? GAAS president Peter Schneck, Osnabrück University, repeatedly referred to President Obama remarks on “A Complete and Competitive American Education” and the ethical and economic dimensions in the current political urgency of the question of education.

CBYX Program Celebrates 25-Year Anniversary

May 29, 2009. The Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange Program (CBYX), or Parlamentarisches Patenschafts-Programm (PPP) as it is known in Germany, celebrated its twenty-fifth anniversary at the Bundestag as part of the annual "Berlin Day" for the American students completing their exchange year in Germany. Celebrations included a special plenary session in the German Bundestag with presentations from Bundestag President Dr. Norbert Lammert, U.S. Rep. Rob Bishop (R-UT), U.S. Rep. Russ Carnahan (D-MO), and Chargé d'affaires John M. Koenig, as well as a video greeting from Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. Rep. Carnahan presented a letter from Speaker Nancy Pelosi, in which the Senator thanked all who have supported the program and emphasized the importance of experiencing foreign cultures in one's personal development as well as towards building a more peaceful world. The celebration concluded with a reception at the German Federal Chancellery. CBYX is a bilateral exchange program that was initiated in 1983 by the U.S. Congress and the German Bundestag to commemorate the arrival of the first German immigrants to America in 1683. Since then, about 20,000 high school students and young professionals have attended local schools and/or received practical training in the two countries through the program.  Video | text , Remarks by Secretary Clinton | Greeting by Nancy Pelosi (pdf-in German) | Germany’s Mission to the U.S. | photo gallery 

Iranian-born American Writer Nahid Rachlin Tours Germany

May 29, 2009. Nahid Rachlin, who came to the United States to attend college and stayed in the 1970s, read from her memoir, Persian Girls (Penguin), and her novel Jumping Over Fire (City Lights), at the literature festival in Tübingen (May 24), at the German American Institute in Heidelberg (May 25), at Augsburg University (May 26), at the Consul general’s residence in Frankfurt (May 27), at Hamburg University (May 28), and at Humboldt University (May 29). She outlined the difficulty of growing up a Muslim girl in a repressive system and movingly described her own road towards political and economic freedom in the U.S. Nahid Rachlin, though not well known as a writer in Germany, greatly impressed her audience with her own story and personality and made her listeners reflect upon the status of women, the role of religion and politics, and the future of Iran-American relations. The daily Schwäbisches Tagblatt (May 19 and May 25) covered her reading.

60 Years Bundesrepublik - Let Freedom Ring

May 23, 2009. As part of the festivities Chargé d’affaires John M. Koenig took part in a discussion panel on the main stage in front of Brandenburger Gate. ARD talk show host Sandra Maischberger moderated the discussion. British Ambassador Sir Michael Arthur, French Ambassador Bernard de Montferrand and Russian Ambassador Vladimir Kotenev were the other participants. Germany and America have a unique partnership. A key to German-American partnership and cooperation over the last 60 years has been Germany’s courage, vision and commitment to freedom and democracy – symbolized by two momentous occasions in history. At the end of World War II, the transformation of the Western occupied zones in Germany into a successful democratic state was one of the important milestones in the history of the transatlantic partnership. The final peaceful unification of Germany, East and West, was the success story of modern diplomacy. Today Germany plays a constructive and very positive role in the world. The Embassy wishes the Bundes­republik and its citizens many, many more decades of success, marked by the same vision of democracy, commitment, energy, courage and broad engagement that will be required of inter­national partners to respond to the important opportunities and challenges of the 21st century.
• Die Bundesrepublik wird 60 - Bürgerfest in Berlin (PDF)
• Photogallery 

May 21-24, 2009. In cooperation with the Amerikazentrum Hamburg and the Gustav-Stresemann-Institut e. V. Bonn the embassy organized its annual Teacher Trainers’ Conference in Bonn on ”Urban Cultures, Urban Landscapes: Growing Up in the American City”. 70 teacher trainers, curriculum planners, and textbook editors discussed urban youth culture in film, literature, music and as part of innovative urban planning. An outstanding faculty, among them Hip-Hop specialist Murray Forman from Boston, David James, film expert from Los Angeles, Bill Flood, community organizer from Portland, and writer Howard Wolf from New York provided new insights into their fields. Examples of Hip-Hop as a mainstream global phenomenon which originated in urban U.S. spaces, views on minorities in documentary and feature films and hands-on community work greatly enriched the teachers’ portfolio and directly trained teachers from Berlin and Brandenburg for next year’s focus in the EFL classroom. An electronic reader, an updated CD “About America” and a short story collection “Cool City” were distributed to key participants from 14 German states who expressed enthusiastic appreciation for this opportunity to deepen their understanding of the U.S. Networking opened up new venues for regional cooperation. Conference page

Author Howard Wolf in Berlin and Bonn

May 18-24, 2009. Howard Wolf, Professor emeritus at SUNY Buffalo and author of six books met with students and teachers of American Studies in Berlin and Bonn. In Berlin, Professor Wolfe discussed his writings with participants of a luncheon hosted by Minister Counsellor Helena Kane-Finn. He met with a small group of graduate students from Potsdam University and delivered a lecture on travel writing as part of the Du Bois Lecture Series at Humboldt University. At the annual teacher trainers’ conference in Bonn, Prof. Wolf provided a personal view of growing up in New York City and discussed in a small group F.Scott Fitzgerald’s depiction of the city in his short stories and novels.

Richard Powers participates in Berlin Literature and Science Series

May 16, 2009. Richard Powers, one of the most important voices of contemporary American literature, participated in the U.S. Embassy Science and Literature Series in Berlin’s “Schaubühne.” Powers read a short essay on a fictional person’s life shaped by new media called “Enquire Within About Everything.” This text stimulated a lively discussion between Richard Powers, moderator Gregor Dotzauer, leading literary journalist at Berlin’s daily Der Tagesspiegel, and 200 representatives of Berlin’s universities, political, social and cultural institutions and fans of Powers’ work. The reading also highlighted the importance of the Samuel Fischer Guest Professorship which since its establishment in 1998 at the Free University has brought many leading authors to Berlin. Powers, this semester’s Samuel Fischer Guest Professor, teaches at the Free University Berlin. Powers’ impressive take on the impact of new media on society and everyday life, his assessment of progress in the sciences, and his speculations on how the individual copes with change provided a pefect platform for intercultural exchange. The series once again demonstrated how vibrant American writing is and how much German readers connect with the American literary scene. The program was co-sponsored by Holtzbrinck Veranstaltungsforum, DAAD (German Academic Exchange program), Fischer Verlag and Schaubühne.
Media Reaction: DW | Tagesspiegel

60 Years Airlift: Berlin celebrates the End of the Blockade

May 12, 2009. Chargé d’Affaires a. i. John M. Koenig and General Roger A Brady, Commander, U.S. Air Force Europe represented the United States of America at the official ceremonies at Berlin’s Tempelhof Airport on the occasion of the 60th Anniversary of the Berlin Blockade. They joined Berlin’s Governing Mayor, the President of the Berlin House of Representatives, Germany’s Minister of Defense and the representatives of six other countries at a late morning wreath-laying ceremony at the Airlift Memorial, dedicated to those 78 men who lost their lives during the Airlift. The Chargé and General Brady then participated in an official reception hosted by the City of Berlin at the Main Hall of Tempelhof Airport. 100 Airlift Veterans, mainly from the United States and Great Britain, were Guests of Honor at these events, including COL (ret) Gail Halvorsen, the original “Candy Bomber.” Airlift day at Tempelhof ended with a public festival on the tarmac of the airfield. Some 160,000 Berliners attended. program (Ger) | Photo gallery

• media coverage (DW)

Architecture exhibition “Gifts of the Americans” opened

May 8, 2009. Assistant Cultural Attaché Pam DeVolder and Ingeborg Junge-Reyer, Berlin’s Mayor and Senator for Urban Development gave welcoming remarks at the opening the exhibition “Geschenke der Amerikaner” (Gifts of the Americans) at the Amerika Haus Berlin. The photos by Berlin architect/artist Mila Hacke show political and architectural landmarks of German-American relations: post-war buildings like Free University’s Main Hall and the Berlin Congress Hall as well as pre-war complexes like Tempelhof Airport, Clay Headquarters, McNair and Andrews Barracks. The exhibition was co-produced by the Technical University Berlin and the ‘Studentendorf Schlachtensee’. The Technical University’s Center for Metropolitan Studies and Department for History and Art History offer a weekly lecture series on Allied architecture in post-war Berlin as part of their semester curriculum. www.geschenke-der-amerikaner.de | Media Response

“From Jesse Owens to Barack Obama – Social Recognition through Sports.”

May 7, 2009. Deputy Embassy spokesman Mitchell Moss participated in a panel discussion “From Jesse Owens to Barack Obama – Social Recognition through Sports.” The panel discussion was organized by the Jesse-Owens-Initiative of the Marie-Curie High School in Dallgow-Döberitz. The panel discussion was a scene setter for the 4th Jesse Owens Memorial Relay for tolerance and against racism which will take place on June 6 in the Olympic village in Elstal. Five panelists tried to answer the question whether achievements in sports by African American athletes helped to pave the way for the first African-American President of the United States. Professor Hans-Joachim Teichler of Potsdam University, Clemens Prokop, President of the German Athletics Federation, Dr. Peter Danckert, Chairman of the Sports Committee of the German Bundestag and broad jumper Semjon Pitschugin discussed with students of the Marie-Curie High School and other attendees interested in sports and its impact on society. Journalist and actress Dorothee von Winning moderated the panel discussion. Mitchell Moss outlined that the United States is a country that is determined to use the many talents of its people no matter what race or gender they are. Many African-Americans were the “firsts” in their respective sports or music fields and they paved the way for greater African American educational and professional access and achievement. press coverage