Archive of Selected Events Jan-Apr 2009

Deutsche Version

Also check out our May-Aug 2009 and our archive of 2008 Events!

Transatlantic Networkers Gather for a Happy Hour at Embassy Berlin

April 30, 2009. The U.S. Embassy Berlin hosted a “Happy Hour” get-together for 60 members of the New Traditions Network (NTN). Chargé d’Affairs a. i. John Koenig welcomed the guests and praised the NTN for its dedication and activities in furthering German-American relations. He also encouraged the network members to use the new era of transatlantic diplomacy under President Obama and Secretary of State Clinton as a welcome opportunity to deepen, renew and expand relations and cooperations to maintain and improve the important bilateral dialogue.
The NTN is a professional network made up of various political, economic, academic, and cultural organizations and institutions in Germany and the U.S. which are active in promoting the transatlantic dialogue. It serves its members as a platform for exchanging ideas and cooperating on programs and projects. The NTN mainly communicates via e-mail and internet, but the members also meet periodically at “Happy Hours” hosted by alternating partner organizations for person-to person networking. U.S. Embassy Berlin is one of the founding organizations of the New Traditions Network; the Embassy’s Public Affairs Office coordinates the network. www.newtraditions.de

Carl Djerassi: “Smuggling science unto the page or stage”

April 29, 2009. As part of the U.S. Embassy Science and Literature Series, Carl Djerassi, world-famous scientist and renowned literary writer, explored how literature function as a “means” to discuss complex scientific questions and breakthroughs and their impact on society on both sides of the Atlantic. Together with former Federal Minister of Health, Andrea Fischer, and moderator Dr. Carsten Könneker, Chief editor of Gehirn & Geist, Professor Djerassi discussed issues such as cloning, stem cell research, pre-natal diagnostics and their consequences, and teaching ethics in the sciences. Before this event at the Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung in Berlin Djerassi had also lectured in Dortmund, where he received an honorary doctorate for his literary works during a symposion dedicated to him exclusively (April 23-25), attended a reading and dinner with Nobel prize winner Günter Grass in Bremen (April 27) and lectured at Bremen International University (April 28).  Sketches from the event by Helmut Preller | Entry on WISSENSlogs (in German)

Exhibition “Marion S. Coleman: An American in Berlin, 1946-1953” opened at Tempelhof

April 24, 2009. Minister Counselor for Public Affairs Dr. Helena Kane Finn joined Berlin’s Governing Mayor Klaus Wowereit in the opening of the exhibition, “Marion S. Coleman: An American in Berlin, 1946-1953” at Tempelhof Airport. The exhibition, organized by the AlliedMuseum, Berlin is part of the celebrations of the 60th Anniversary of the end of the Berlin Blockade in May 1949. The show is based on the extensive personal papers of Marion Coleman, who, as a young woman, served as the Deputy Director of the U.S. Military Government’s Public Affairs Office in Berlin. It has been set up in close cooperation with her daughter Laurel Coleman Steinhice, who had accompanied her to Berlin and whose very personal and moving remarks were one of the highlights of the evening. (Photo: Chodan/Alliiertenmuseum)

"The Eloquent President: Abraham Lincoln's Rhetoric"

April 23, 2009. PA Berlin hosted a program with U.S. historian and Lincoln expert Ronald C. White at the John-F.-Kennedy Institute of the Free University. A group of 30 graduate students and faculty attended an inspiring lecture and contributed with excellent questions to the expert. White, the author of a much-acclaimed new biography of the 16th President, spoke about Lincoln’s rhetoric, its impact at the time and its relevance today in light of the Obama presidency. Professor White also lectured in Muenster on April 20 and 21 (organized by the Consulate General in Düsseldorf) to teachers of English and University students and in Hamburg at a teacher seminar on April 22. Dr. White’s presentation highlighted Lincoln’s unique rhetorical skills and provided fascinating insights to Lincoln’s impact on contemporary America. He skillfully adapted to his audiences needs. Dr. White’s lecture provided a welcome opportunity to review a key period in American history and to explain the continuing significance of Abraham Lincoln to this day. PA Berlin donated his book to the JFK library. www.ronaldcwhitejr.com

PA Berlin hosts Webcast on energy efficiency with Dale Medearis

April 15, 2009. German experts on energy and climate change from various influential German think tanks joined the VTC plus webcast transatlantic dialogue on “Energy Efficiency: the First Fuel” with Dale Medearis, the senior environmental planner for the Northern Virginia Regional Commission. He outlined the countless broad, multifaceted, innovative and improvisational initiatives that make up the American response to the environmental and climate challenge on the state and local level. His competence and eloquence, paired with his genuine interest in his host country's approaches to environmental issues, went a long way to dispel some of the German skepticism and befuddlement over American environmental policy.

GAPP Students Discuss American Foreign Policy with U.S. Diplomats

April 8, 2009. A group of German and American high school students and their teachers visited the U.S. Embassy in the framework of a security policy seminar organized by the German Bundeswehr. Members of the two student groups, who had previously participated in the German-American Partnership Program (GAPP), spoke with Economic Officer Ingrid Kollist and Political Officer Ken Kero, who provided an overview of their work at the Embassy and described their sections’ thematic emphases. Mr. Kero spoke at length about the Balkans, an area he follows closely, describing the region’s complex history and problems. The group then engaged in a lively discussion on various themes, including Germany’s military involvement in Afghanistan and the United States’ relationship with Russia. Founded in 1972, GAPP is the largest U.S.-German youth exchange program. Since its inception, over 200,000 high school students and their teachers have taken part in short-term (two to three week) exchanges connecting German and American schools.

Art Exhibition “Carnival Within” opens in Berlin

March 27, 2009. Cultural Attaché Peter R. Claussen gave the introduction at the Exhibition opening on Friday in the UferHallen Berlin-Wedding. The exhibition brings together recent works of art made in America which allude to carnivalesque realities: sculptures, installations, paintings, photographs and videos. The exhibition, supported by the Embassy of the United States of America in Berlin, is part of the DISCOVER US! program.
Vernissage press release | photo gallery

Recovering still-missing American military personnel from WW II in the former GDR

March 27, 2009. The United States Embassy in Berlin and the Defense Prisoner of War/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) conducted a workshop at the U.S. Embassy in Berlin to discuss U.S. research activities and recovery priorities of still-missing American military personnel from World War II in the former German Democratic Republic (GDR). Representatives from DPMO discussed plans and priorities to recover still-missing American personnel and exchanged ideas with German officials responsible for war graves matters. Topics of the workshop included the history of U.S. Army graves registration efforts in the Soviet occupation zone and the GDR 1945-1989, DPMO’s case load and priorities in eastern Germany, as well as U.S. and German records related to military casualties and war graves. The participants also talked about the organization and duties of German federal and state war graves agencies and how U.S.-German cooperation on recovery of missing personnel can be expanded. photo gallery

Special Envoy Todd Stern: Climate Change a Core Priority for the United States

March 27-29, 2009. The U.S. State Department's Special Envoy on Climate Change, Todd Stern, visited Berlin Friday for talks with German government counterparts at the Chancellery, the Foreign Ministry and the Environment Ministry and for meetings, in the U.S. Embassy, with representatives of NGOs and the business community, including Professor Hans-Joachim Schellnhuber, the Director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (photo). Special Envoy Stern serves as the State Department's principal advisor on international climate policy and strategy and the U.S. Administration’s chief climate negotiator. He is in Germany to make the U.S. presentation to a March 29 meeting of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Bonn. During a roundtable discussion with journalists in Berlin, Special Envoy Stern said: “Frankly, the United States has been on the sidelines as far as we're concerned for the last eight years, and that's going to stop. We are keen to demonstrate the fact that there is a genuine commitment on the part of the United States, a genuine commitment on the part of the President, the Secretary of State and the others in our Administration, who see this issue as a matter of real urgency. It is a core priority for the President both at the domestic level and the international level." photo gallery | remarks & background

U.S. Embassy Teacher Training Seminar: The Struggle for Civil Rights

March 23, 2009. In an event exclusively arranged for Berlin/Brandenburg teachers, Professor Kimberley L. Phillips spoke about “African American Oral Traditions and Political Activism: The Struggle for Civil Rights from 1960 to the Election of President Obama.” About 50 persons attended the U.S. Embassy Teacher Training Seminar in cooperation with LISUM. more

U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano in Berlin

March 14-16, 2009. The Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Janet Napolitano, visited Berlin at the invitation of German Interior Minister Dr. Wolfgang Schäuble for consultations with German counterparts and informal discussions with other European counterparts in the G-6 group of countries (France, Germany, Poland, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom). Secretary Napolitano was the first Cabinet-level official of the new U.S. Administration to visit Berlin. While in Berlin, Secretary Napolitano participated, at the invitation of the Hertie School of Governance, in a roundtable discussion with German academics and opinion leaders on current transatlantic security issues and the priorities of the Obama Administration. Together with Dr. Annette Schavan, the Federal German Minister of Education and Research, Secretary Napolitano also signed an agreement between the United States and Germany to enhance cooperation on civilian security in the search for innovative solutions to protect populations against criminality, terrorist attacks and natural disasters. photo gallery | DHS Press Release

U.S. Exhibitors at the ITB Travel Trade Show in Berlin

March 13, 2009. At ITB Berlin, the world’s leading travel trade show, the U.S. Commercial Service supported over 200 U.S. exhibitors in the Discover America Pavilion with the purpose of attracting visitors from Germany and promoting Native American tourism. During the part of ITB Berlin open to the general public at the weekend, eight Native American tribes represented through the American Indian Alaska Native Tourism Association performed in the Discover America Pavilion (Hall 2.1). The U.S. Department of Homeland Security also participated in the ITB Berlin in the person of Customs and Border Protection ESTA Program Director Beverly Good, who answered questions on ESTA, the Electronic System for Travel Authorization, which is now mandatory for all visitors to the United States traveling under the Visa Waiver Program.

New Immigrant Tales: Pulitzer-Prize Winner Junot Diaz On Tour

March 12, 2009. Dominican-American writer Junot Díaz read in Berlin from his 2008 Pulitzer Prize winning novel The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao. The audience of 160 included all ages and members of Berlin’s immigrant community. The program was co-sponsored by Fischer publishing house and Thalia book store. His novel, which has already received wide critical acclaim also in Germany, combines Afro-Latino and American identity in a tale of immigration and the challenges of integration. His fresh approach on a traditional topic excited many readers and makes Junot Diaz one of the strongest voices of his generation. Commenting on a question from the audience, Diaz enthusiastically described President Obama’s election as due to the successful mobilization of minority communities, among them specifically the Latino voters. Díaz also read in Frankfurt (March 9), Hamburg (March 10), and was a highlight at the Leipzig Book Fair (March 11). He ended his German tour in Cologne (March 13). more

Native Americans visit Berlin school

March 12, 2009. Storytellers, musicians, dancers and cultural representatives of several Native American tribes, who are in Berlin this week for the international tourism fair ITB, visited the Werner-Stephan-Oberschule in Berlin-Tempelhof. After a moment of silence to remember the victims of the tragic shooting at a high school in Winnenden that had occurred just the day before, one of the tribe representatives performed a song his tribe uses to remember the dead. Members of the Seminole Tribe of Florida, the Navajo Nation, the Three Affilliated Tribes and the Keepers of the Sacred Tradition of Pipemakers then presented the approximately 100 9th and 10th grade students a vivid image of the diversity of Native American culture and traditions through various stories and performances. The visit ended with a special highlight when the tribe members engaged the entire student audience in one of their traditional dances. The U.S. Embassy Berlin organized this visit, with the kind support of the tribe representatives, as part of its Meet US school outreach program which gives secondary school students in Germany the opportunity to meet with Americans for a direct dialogue about life in the U.S. photo gallery | Video (windows)

Journalist Andrea Röpke honored as Women of Courage Award finalist

March 11, 2009. German journalist Andrea Röpke was honored as one of the finalists for region Europe in the Secretary of State’s International Women of Courage Award. This is the only award within the Department of State that pays tribute to outstanding women leaders worldwide. It recognizes the courage and leadership shown as they struggle for social justice and human rights. The U.S. Embassy honored Röpke for her courageous journalistic work in covering right-wing extremism in Germany. mehr

Chargé d’Affaires Koenig opens exhibition at the Deutsche Guggenheim

March 6, 2009. At the opening of the exhibition “Picturing America,” Chargé d’Affaires a. i. John Koenig said: “Art provides an incredible opportunity to connect to the human side of people’s perceptions about moments in space and time. I would like to commend the artists whose works are on exhibit here. The works that have been chosen are very powerful and vivid representations of life in the United States in the 1970s. I would also like to congratulate the staff of the [Deutsche] Guggenheim Berlin on putting together this wonderful exhibit[ion] — the latest in some 50 exhibit[ion]s that have been organized as the result of a unique German-American public-private partnership.” Chargé’s remarks in full

Emmy award winning U.S. TV journalist discusses media coverage of first 40 days of Obama administration

March 6, 2009. Jonathan Ebinger, former producer for the ABC News program “Nightline,” original producer of ESPN’s “Outside the Lines,” and part of the production teams of BBC, CNBC, PBS, and The National Geographic Channel, was the featured speaker at an exclusive “Fireside Chat” with Alumni of the Congress Bundestag Exchange Program, the Bundesrat Staff Exchange, the International Visitors’ and the Fulbright program. 15 representatives met at Hotel Adlon for an inside view on media coverage of the new administration, a comparison with previous administrations, and an evaluation of the interaction between mainstream media and internet-based media, including social media. The audience, among them media representatives themselves, appreciated the intimate setting of the Fireside Chat and engaged in a lively discussion with the expert Jon Ebinger. This event was part of a larger tour organized by the U.S. Embassy Berlin which led Jon Ebinger to Mainz for a meeting with leading ZDF anchorman Claus Kleber and his colleagues (March 2), with the Media Authority in North Rhine Westphalia (March 3), the Hans Bredow Institute for Media Research in Hamburg (March 4), and the MDR (March 5). photo gallery

Crisis Management and Beyond

March 5, 2009.  In the run up to the G20 summit in April in London, the Public Affairs section of the U.S. Embassy  in Berlin and the Representation of the European Commission in Berlin, hosted a joint lecture/discussion program on “Crisis Management and Beyond: The Transatlantic Economic Relations.” Dr. Helena Kane Finn, Minister-Counselor for Public Affairs, welcomed  over 250 guests who crammed into the lecture hall of the “European House” to hear US speaker Amy Medearis, an American economist working for the European Commission in Washington, D.C., speak on President Obama’s economic stimulus package and measures to be undertaken to prime the pump of economic recovery for the United States and the world. She also stressed the overriding importance of U.S. – EU cooperation in order to meet the challenges of the present world economic crisis. Photos | audio (mp3) | more information 

Discussion at Bundestag on U.S. Foreign Policy: “Opportunities and Challenges for Europe”

March 5, 2009. Chargé d’Affaires a. i. John Koenig and Ruprecht Polenz, Chairman of the Bundestag Foreign Affairs Committee, discussed U.S. foreign policy under the Obama administration with a sizeable group of Bundestag members, Bundestag/Bundesrat staffers, and representatives of the German Marshall Fund and the German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP). Following Mr. Koenig’s and Mr. Polenz’s opening remarks, audience members posed questions on a variety of issues, ranging from the broader Middle East, to climate change, the future of NATO, and the future policy regarding Afghanistan. Further discussion included the role of Turkey and the need to support NATO in order to bring stability to Pakistan. The discussion was hosted by the German-American Association of Parliamentary Staffers, a new group which was founded by a Congress-Bundestag/Bundesrat Staff Exchange Program (CBBSX) alumnus. Chargé’s remarks

Embassy Hosts Roundtable Discussion on Domestic Violence

March 4, 2009.  Jeff Rathke, Minister-Counselor for Political Affairs, hosted a roundtable discussion entitled, “Domestic Violence Against Women.”  Twelve women, including three members of the German national parliament, a representative of a ministry and representatives of various women’s organizations were invited to the Embassy to discuss the problem of domestic violence in Germany.   The discussion determined that women with immigrant backgrounds and disabled women are considered particularly vulnerable to the problem of domestic violence.  The participants expressed a strong interest in hearing from American experts about domestic violence in the United States and about approaches to addressing the problem.  The Embassy plans to facilitate further discussion on this subject with American experts by means of video conferencing. Photos

“Just Say It!:” Berlin Students and Embassy Officials Discuss Globalization and U.S. Foreign Policy

February 26, 2009. A group of 40 students from the Hildegard-Wegschneider-Ober­schule and the Arndt Gymnasium in Berlin visited the U.S. Embassy for a discussion on globalization. Chargé d’Affaires a. i. John Koenig welcomed the group and spoke about the new administration and the history of the U.S. Embassy in Berlin. Speakers Ingrid Kollist, Donald Brown and Bobby Richey, from the Embassy’s Economic Section and the Foreign Agricultural Service, then engaged the group in a discussion focused on globalization. The students were active participants, asking critical questions on topics ranging from protectionism to Guantanamo, which the speakers responded to openly, stimulating the discussion and encouraging further thinking. The students are participating in an English-language theme week entitled “Just Say It!” organized by the Freizeit und Erholungszentrum Berlin (FEZ), a youth education center in Berlin-Köpenick, from February 26 to March 6. Photo Gallery

Embassy Officials Discuss Climate Change Policy with Greenpeace Youth Germany

February 25, 2009. Global Affairs Chief Don Brown and Economic Officer Jon Dorschner spoke to a group of Greenpeace Youth Germany members about U.S. environmental policy and energy issues at the U.S. Embassy in Berlin. In an open dialogue, the youth shared their concerns about global climate change and their hopes for the Obama Administration’s climate protection efforts. Greenpeace presented a handmade globe, representing their worldwide outreach efforts, and a petition on behalf of the Greenpeace Youth movement to be passed to President Obama. Photo Gallery | Greenpeace Youth Germany Video

Chargé d’Affaires John Koenig at the “Annie Leibovitz, A Photographer’s Life” exhibition opening

February 20, 2009. In the presence of Annie Leibovitz and together with the Governing Mayor of Berlin, Klaus Wowereit, Chargé d’Affaires a. i. John M. Koenig opened the photo exhibition “Annie Leibovitz. A Photographer’s Life, 1990 - 2005” at the exhibition venue C/O in Berlin. The comprehensive show of 15 years of Annie Leibovitz’s work is supported by the Embassy of the United States of America and will be on display until May 24, 2009. Annie Leibovitz, born in Westport, Connecticut in 1949, is one of the most renowned contemporary photographers worldwide. Covering both applied and artistic photography, the scope of her work is extremely broad. Along with her portraits, her photo documentaries and advertising campaigns have achieved high acclaim. The exhibition, organized by the Brooklyn Museum, New York, comprises a total of more than 200 photographs, many of them small format black and white portraits, private family photos and large-format landscapes. C/O Berlin is the only venue in Germany to present the exhibition A Photographer’s Life.

U.S. Congressmen Discuss U.S.-German Economic Ties with German Officials

February 19, 2009. U.S. Rep. James Sensenbrenner (R-WI) and U.S. Rep. Tom Price (R-GA) visited Berlin on February 18-20 to discuss topics important to the U.S.-German economic relationship, such as trade policy, the response to the financial/economic crisis, and cooperation on protecting intellectual property rights in emerging markets. The Congressmen also visited the new Embassy and met with Charges d’Affaires a. i. John Koenig.

Workshop on transatlantic exchanges

February 18, 2009. The U.S. Embassy and EducationUSA invited staffers from international offices at regional universities for a day long workshop to discuss exchanges with the United States. Paul Hockenos from the German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP) gave a speech on the new administration and Europe, Kirsten Herrmann from the German American Chamber of Commerce spoke on the role of the chamber of commerce in exchanges, and Dr. Susanne Menden-Deuer, Professor of Oceanography, joined the group by video chat, introducing the University of Rhode Island with its strong focus on regional interests and geographic location.  A session on visa issues by consular officer Frank Sellin and brief presentations about EducationUSA, the MeetUS Program and the Alumni Initiative rounded out the program. The first in a series, this workshop on exchanges will be held annually.

Chargé d’Affaires John Koenig at the seventh annual meeting of the Wirtschaftsrat Deutschland

February 13, 2009. Chargé d’Affaires John Koenig spoke at the seventh annual meeting of the Wirtschaftsrat Deutschland, the CDU’s economic “think tank.”   The meeting brought together leading figures from both German government and business, including Chancellor Angela Merkel.    Koenig spoke about the new U.S. administration’s energy policy and its impact on the German-American relationship.   President Obama believes that energy security is one of the most serious threats that the United States faces and has made it one of his top priorities.  An important element of his comprehensive plan includes developing alternative and renewable energy.  Already, German-American cooperation in the field of wind and solar energy represents an estimated $1 billion in cross investment, resulting in the implementation of alternative environmental technologies and the creation of good jobs in both countries.  Further bilateral cooperation will play a major role in the transformation of the global energy economy. Full Text | Photos

Towards a new discourse on the multiracial society?

February 11, 2009. Renowned writer and Berkeley Professor Bharati Mukherjee gave a lecture on "Towards a Post-Racial Society: An American Experiment” at the Humboldt University Berlin as part of the W.E.B. Dubois Distinguished Lecture Series. Ms. Mukherjee addressed the issue by drawing a vivid image of multiethnic society in the U.S. and explaining that the discourse is shifting from race to economic opportunity and the class issues connected with it. Bharati Mukherjee used the election of President Obama as a perfect starting point for an intellectually challenging and stylistically stimulating presentation. PAO Helena Kane Finn addressed the 80 participants, among them faculty and students of Humboldt University, at a reception following the event. Ms. Mukherjee also lectured in Munich (February 9) and at a PA Frankfurt organized event in Marburg (Febr. 10). more

Vice President Biden addresses Munich Conference

Vice President Joseph Biden addresses the Munich Security Conference

February 7, 2009. Vice President Joseph R. Biden has delivered a speech at the Munich Conference on Security Policy. This visit to Germany was his first official trip abroad as Vice President. Biden’s visit to the 45th Munich on Security Policy represented one of the first rollouts for Obama’s foreign policy on the world stage. The Munich Conference on Security Policy is an annual gathering of government officials, foreign and defense policy experts and journalists to discuss Trans-Atlantic security issues. Main agenda items were Afghanistan, the future of NATO, European security organizations, nuclear weapons and non-proliferation. World leaders had gathered in Germany for the conference, among them senior U.S. Government officials including the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs, General James L. Jones, and the Deputy Secretary of State, James Steinberg.
• Check out our material on the conference | photo gallery
• Official Conference website: videos 
• Read the transcript of Biden’s remarks

February 5: Thomas Holt Lectures On Civil Rights Movement

“Looking Forward, Look Back: The Civil Rights Movement from the Perspective of 5 November 2008.”
Lecture within the Black History Month Series. Thomas Holt is James Westfall Thompson Professor of American and African American History, University of Chicago.
Location: FU, Kennedy Institute, February 5, 18:00 (Room 340)

Embassy Officials Discuss Financial Crisis and Stimulus Package with Bundestag Members

January 28, 2009. Setting out new possibilities for U.S.-German cooperation in the coming year, Chargé d'Affaires a. i. John Koenig welcomed 17 members of the Bundestag Economics Committee and 5 members of their staff in the Quadriga Room, the Chancery building's rooftop conference room that looks out on the Reichstag. Afterward, Minister Counselor for Economic Affairs Robert Pollard and Committee Chair Edelgard Buhlman (SPD) led a roundtable discussion on the causes of the financial turmoil, and policy considerations shaping the U.S. and German responses.

American Academy Fellows Presentation

January 22, 2009. At this year's Presentation of the Spring Fellows, Chargé d'Affaires, John M. Koenig thanked the American Academy in Berlin for its ongoing commitment to the German-American relationship - practicing "cultural diplomacy" at its best. "With the can-do spirit and optimism of the new presidency a new chapter of shared history will be embarked upon. The spirit of renewal in the U.S. and the resonance it has found in Germany will provide a strong, positive impulse also for the Academy in years ahead. May the new Fellows catch the spirit, and remain devoted to the Academy and the German-American partnership long after leaving the walls of the Academy in Wannsee." Koenig's speech in full

German Breakfast Television Live from the U.S. Embassy in Berlin

January 20, 2009. To mark the inauguration of Barack Obama as the 44th president of the United States of America, ARD Morgenmagazin breakfast TV broadcast three live interviews from the U.S. Embassy in Berlin. Morgenmagazin moderator Esther Neumeier talked to Chargé d’Affaires a. i. John Koenig in the Quadriga Room, the Chancery building’s landmark rooftop conference room, about the significance of the presidential transition for the work of the Embassy and for the German-American relationship. Neumeier also interviewed Press Attaché Bruce Armstrong about the atmosphere in the Embassy in anticipation of the inauguration, and what Obama’s election means for American citizens. Neumeier began the morning with a 6:30 a.m. interview with Information Specialist Friedhelm Temath - who was hard at work on the daily media summary. Temath attended Occidental College in 1981, the same year as President Obama, and discussed what an inspiring day this was for both German and American colleagues at the Embassy. ARD MoMa Video | photo gallery »

Symbols of Democracy in the United States: Stories of Race and Friendship

January 16, 2009. On the eve of the inauguration of President Obama and as part of the Lincoln bi-centennial lecture series, John Stauffer, Harvard University, explored interracial friendship as the clearest guide and a rich symbol of the nation’s ideals of freedom and equality of opportunity.  From the nation’s founding to the present, politicians, reformers, writers, and artists have imagined democracy in America through interracial friendships. Professor Stauffer’s talk focused on a few iconic interracial friendships such as the relationships of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln, Ishmael and Queequeg, and Huck and Jim in the Civil War era, on down to Martin Luther King, Jr. and Lyndon Johnson along with countless others, exploring how they symbolized American ideals and transformed the nation. Prof. Jörg Nagler, Friedrich Schiller Universität Jena and Lincoln biographer, moderated the session which was co-sponsored by the Heinrich Böll Foundation and the Museum The Kennedys. 100 representatives of think tanks, ministries, university faculty, teachers and even high school students who had participated in the Embassy’s election school project last November engaged in a scholarly dialogue. Professor Stauffer’s talk involved fascinating historical facts, enlightened with numerous cultural references and drew a line all the way up to the historic inauguration of the first minority president in the U.S. more

Chargé d’Affaires meets Ilse Aigner, new Minister for Food, Agriculture, and Consumer Protection

January 16, 2009. On the margins of International Green Week (IGW) in Berlin, the largest consumer oriented food and agricultural show in the world, Chargé d’Affaires John M. Koenig met Ilse Aigner, the new German Minister for Food, Agriculture, and Consumer Protection. In 2009, the IGW attracted over 400,000 visitors and hosted a number of high level agricultural policy discussion events. The Chargé and Minister Aigner met at the Lower Saxony booth in the Germany Hall, where 14 out of Germany’s 16 federal states showcased their top food products. (Photo ©Wachter, Marketinggesellschaft der niedersächsischen Land- und Ernährungswirtschaft)