Frankfurt City Library = Infopoint for Work and Study International
November 14, 2009. EducationUSA Frankfurt, Eurodesk Germany and the International Placement Service of the Labor Exchange held an afternoon information session at the City Library Frankfurt on studying and working in the United States and the European Union. More than 300 participants from the Rhein-Main region used the opportunity to ask for advice and pick up information material. Up to 30 participants attended the three presentations on studying and working in other countries. At the booth of the U.S. Consulate Frankfurt/EducationUSA, questions ranged from how to organize a stay as an Au Pair to internships, studying and working in the United States. The Consular Section provided extensive information on visa. Frankfurt City Library is an America@YourLibrary partner.

German-American Liederabend great success
November 14, 2009. Singers Sabine Fischmann and Heidrun Kordes accompanied by pianist Thorsten Larbig presented their entertaining German-American Liederabend “Bye, Bye, mein lieber Herr” about home sickness and a new beginning at a packed Romanfabrik on November 14. The program, supported by the U.S. Consulate, included pieces by American composers, who were inpired in form or content by Germany or German culture and pieces by German composers who emigrated to or went into exile in the U.S. Emotionally the evening spanned a range from Hanns Eisler’s sad "Hollywood-Songs" and Paul Hindemith’s stern "American Songs" to the exuberant jodlers from Rodgers/Hammerstein’s "The Sound of Music". Particular highlights of the concert were the comical renditions in ‘Denglish’ – a language mix of German and English – of songs from the musical "A Chorus Line" as well as a piece written by Sabine Fischmann called "Finishmaking" (Schlussmachen).

School Newspaper Editors find out why the U.S. is so different
November 13 and 14, 2009. The U.S. Consulate General Frankfurt, the Hesse Center for political Education and the Jugendpresse Hessen e.V. joined forces in organizing the third joint seminar for Hesse school newspaper editors at the Youth Hostel in Fulda.  Historian Dr. Steven Bloom and political scientist Dr. Andrew Denison discussed the topic “Why the United States Is So Different” with 20 school newspaper editors from schools in the state of Hesse.  They explained the principal pitfalls of stereotyping and applied their analysis to the United States while making comparisons with other countries including Germany.  Providing historical and cultural context, they analyzed regional differences as well as the huge complexities and contradictions of American society oscillating between isolationism and internationalism, materialism and idealism, self-assurance and self-doubt, patriotism and anti-government impulses, individualism and solidarity. 

"This was just the beginning!" WoA Alumni from Ludwigshafen report on their USA-Trip
November 13, 2009. On November 13th, Consul General Ned Alford visited the Pestalozzihauptschule Ludwigshafen to meet the nine students and their two teachers who had participated in the U.S. Embassy’s Windows on America (WoA) Exchange program in August.  Organized by the exchange organization Experiment e.V. in cooperation with World Learning in America, the students had traveled to the United States for a twelve-day trip, visiting cities such as New York, Washington, D.C. and Charlotte, North Carolina, where they stayed with American families.  In a lively and enthusiastic discussion, video and photo show, the students reported on their experiences and adventures during the trip, ranging from volunteer work over team building exercises and visiting American sports games, museums and monuments to making friends with their American host families. The trip motivated the students to continue learning English and actively participate in alumni programs.  All of them wish to go back to America for an internship, Au Pair or study program.  More | Photo Gallery | "Fenster nach Amerika offen" - Report in Mannheimer Morgen

Freiburg goes Abroad
November 12, 2009. The U.S. Consulate Frankfurt’s EducationUSA participated in the "Let’s Go Abroad" information fair organized by the German-American Institute "Carl-Schurz-Haus" in Freiburg and the Labor Exchange. The fair featured 15 organization offering programs for the U.S. and other overseas countries. More than 300 high school and university students enjoyed the opportunity to ask questions on going to the United States for studying or an internship. They picked up information material on the United States, including the CD ROM "About the USA".

Internationales Forum on U.S. Politics at Schuldorf Bergstrasse
November 12, 2009. The U.S. Consulate General Frankfurt, the Hesse Center for Political Education, the Staatliches Schulamt and the Volkshochschule Darmstadt-Dieburg arranged a lecture by Dr. Steven Bloom on “American Politics One Year After the Election of Barack Obama” at the Schuldorf Bergstraße in Seeheim-Jugenheim.  The lecture was part of the annual series “Internationales Forum” which offers teachers, students, their parents and the regional community lectures and discussions on international issues.  Dr. Bloom’s offered the almost 100 mostly young guests a sound and witty analysis of the development of U.S. politics after the election of Barack Obama.  In particular, he explained the peculiarities of the U.S. political system making President Obama's implementation of his policy agenda a tough challenge.

Ambassador Murphy at the Hochschule der Medien in Stuttgart - in person, on Radio and via Internet
November 11, 2009.  On November 11th, Ambassador Philip D. Murphy held a “town hall” meeting with some 300 students and faculty of the renowned Hochschule der Medien, HdM, (Media University) in Stuttgart.  His lively and engaging speech and subsequent discussion was live- streamed over the internet and broadcast by HdM’s own radio station in real time.  In his comments, Ambassador Murphy reminded the audience of the historical importance of the U.S.-German relationship, praised the virtues of tolerance and diversity, and called on Germans to work together with the U.S. to meet the global challenges of the 21st century.  Speaking in German, the Ambassador said: ”Today on November 11th, Americans observe Veterans’ Day and commemorate among others the veterans who helped to free Germany of Nazi dictatorship.  Many GIs are still in Stuttgart.  There is so much that binds Germans and Americans together.  I’m here today to learn what we can do better and how I can help as U.S. Ambassador to Germany.  Let us revive our friendship with energy and magic!”  Photo Gallery | "Germany and America are doing well" - the HdM perspective | More

Exhibit Opening "Amerikaner in Hessen" at Karmeliterkloster
November 10, 2009. U.S. Consul General Edward Alford joined Dr. Evelyn Brockhoff (Director of the Institut für Stadtgeschichte), Prof. Dr. Felix Semmelroth (Frankfurt's Cultural Commissioner), Dr. Bernd Heidenreich (Director of the Hesse Center for Political Education), and curator Torsten Halsey in opening the exhibit "Amerikaner in Hessen" at the Karmeliterkloster in Frankfurt. The exhibit features the manifestations and implications of the post-war U.S. military presence in the state of Hesse. In his greeting, the Consul General remarked that "when we look at 'Amerikaner in Hessen' we know that many of the reasons for their presence fortunately do not exist here any more. But reasons for a military presence to provide the stability that allows the growth of a civil society exist in many other parts of the world today. We can go beyond the historical value of this exhibit by viewing it also as a documentation of the importance of vision, dedication, stamina and friendship in solving today’s conflicts."

The Obama Administration 1 year after the elections
November 6-7, 2009. The U.S. Consulate General and the Protestant Academy Arnoldshain organized a two-day seminar on „An Assessment of the Obama Administration One Year after the Elections“ at the Martin-Niemöller-Haus in Schmitten-Arnoldshain. Four American and one German expert, Prof. Paul Rundquist, University of Halle-Wittenberg, formerly Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress, Prof. Miranda Schreurs, Free University of Berlin and member of the Federal Ministry of the Environment’s Expert Council on Environmental Issues, historian and author Dr. Steven Bloom, Prof. Crister Garrett, University of Leipzig, and Dr. Stormy-Annika Milder, Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik, engaged thirty multipliers from different professional backgrounds. Lectures, discussion workshops in small groups and a concluding panel discussion focused on foreign and security policy, economic policy including health care reform, energy and climate change policy as well as on the Obama administration’s handling of the U.S. Congress, the media and public opinion. The discussions revealed, among many other aspects, the nature of the difficulties of President Obama in implementing his policy agenda as a result of the constitutional authority of Congress and the lack of party discipline built into the party system.

Avanti! draws a 1000 students interested in studying and working in the U.S., Europe and Overseas
November 5, 2009. On November 5, EducationUSA Frankfurt participated in "AVANTI! Job, Praktikum und Studium in Europa und Übersee" in Darmstadt. The fair, organized for the ninth time by the Regierungspräsidium Darmstadt, featured 32 organizations offering stays abroad. About 1000 high school and university students used the opportunity to pick up information on studying and working in foreign countries. At the EducationUSA information booth, more than 300 students asked mostly about studying at the undergraduate and graduate level and about internships. How to organize a high school year in the States was also popular. Presentations on “Going to the U.S. after school” and "Studying in the United States" filled the room to capacity with a total of 100 listeners.

"Die Brücke" celebrates German-American Ties
November 4, 2009. Public Affairs Officer Jeanine Collins discussed the transatlantic relationship with members of "Die Brücke", the German-American Club Gießen-Wetzlar, on November 4. The club, led by its President Roger Schmidt, will celebrate its 60th anniversary in 2010. Its membership includes retirees and exchange students, approximately 35 of whom attended the discussion about the transatlantic relationship.

Von Marschall portrays Michelle Obama in Darmstadt, Landau and Karlsruhe
November 2-3, 2009. Dr. Christoph von Marschall, the U.S. correspondent of the Berlin-based daily newspaper Der Tagesspiegel, presented lectures on “Michelle Obama – An American Dream” at the Darmstadtium in Darmstadt, co-sponsored by the Friedrich-Ebert Foundation, on Nov. 2, and at the University of Landau and the Karlsruhe Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IHK), co-sponsored by the American-German Business Club (AGBC) in Karlsruhe on Nov. 3.  A total of over 200 guests from all walks of life learned about Michelle Obama’s astounding rise from a low-class neighborhood in the Chicago South Side to the White House and from a successful professional in her own right to First Lady of the United States.  Having accompanied the Obamas during much of Barack Obama’s campaign for the Democratic nomination and having regularly attended Michelle’s public appearances as First Lady, von Marschall had had the opportunity to personally meet and observe her from up close.  As a result, he was able to offer deep insights into her official as a well as private life and to explain why she was able to become the most popular First Lady of modern times for all Americans.

Non-Proliferation Expert at PRIF
October 30, 2009. On the invitation of the U.S. Consulate General, Dr. Leonard S. Spector, Deputy Director of the Monterey Institute of International Studies' James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies and head of the Center's Washington D.C. Office, gave a presentation on "Western Nonproliferation Policy and Iran" at the Peace Research Institute Frankfurt. Senior fellows as well as Ph.D. students discussed the tactical movements on the part of Iran, the West, Russia and China regarding Iran's nuclear program and prospects for a compromise.