Photo: U.S.Embassy Paris/P. Maulavé

President Obama’s Town Hall Meeting in Strasbourg
April 3, 2009. The U.S. Consulate General Frankfurt teamed up with the German American Institutes (GAIs) in Baden-Württemberg (Freiburg, Heidelberg, Stuttgart and Tübingen) to organize the German participation in President Barack Obama’s historic first town hall in Europe at the Rhenus Sports Arena in Strasbourg, France, on April 3, 2009.  The participants included enthusiastic German high school and university students, American exchange students, as well as alumni of State Department exchange programs, city officials, journalists and GAI members.  Addressing the audience of four thousand, President Obama said it was important  "for me to have an opportunity to not only speak with you but also to hear from you, because that's ultimately how we can learn about each other." The President laid out a new vision for cooperation, including an end to nuclear arms. The conversation touched on the most fundamental issues surrounding America's role in the world.

German TV covered the event live throughout. The town hall was one of the events of the NATO summit celebrating the 60th anniversary of the alliance in the French city of Strasbourg and German city of Baden-Baden. Transcript | Photo Gallery | White House Blog: A Town Hall in Strasbourg | Video