Programs and Events

Selected Events 2008

Seasonal Evening at Consulate General

CG Karen E. Johnson is giving the opening remarks

December 9, 2008. The Amerikagesellschaft of Hamburg celebrated its annual Christmas reception in the beautiful representational rooms of the American Consulate General in Hamburg on Tuesday, December 9. Following Consul General Karen Johnson's opening remarks, the 60 invited guest enjoyed musical entertainment provided by Alexandra Guiraud on the harp and Shin-ying Ling on the flute.

Chargé John Koenig Opens Joan Mitchell art Exhibit in Emden

Chargé John Koenig, Dr. Nils Ohl- sen (Kunsthalle Emden), Eske Nannen (Kunsthalle Emden) and Prof.  Michael Goering (ZEIT Foun- dation Ebelin und Gerd Bucerius)

December 6, 2008. Chargé John Koenig and Consul General Karen E. Johnson took part in the opening of the first solo exhibition of U.S. artist Joan Mitchell (1926 to 1992) at the private Emden art museum.  Enlarged several times, the Kunsthalle Emden is the major cultural attraction in the region and receives about 100,000 visitors annually. Chargé Koenig praised the museum for presenting an artist whose works can be found in major American museums but who is fairly unknown in Germany.  Joan Mitchell was a leading member of the younger, "second generation" of abstract expressionists. Chargé Koenig also complimented managing director Eske Nannen and her late husband, publisher and journalist Henri Nannen, for an exemplary commitment to promoting the arts, linking their foundation of a thriving art museum to American traditions in arts philanthropy and fundraising.  More than 200 guests attended the opening of the exhibit that will familiarize a larger German public with masterpieces of American art (www.kunsthalle-emden.de). 

Traditional Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony at Consulate General

Speaker Program: Dr. Shira Perlmutter

Dr. Shira Perlmutter

November 24, 2008. On Monday, Dr. Shira Perlmutter, Executive Vice President for Global Legal Policy of the International Federation of the Phonographic Industries (ifpi), visited Hamburg where she led a roundtable discussion at the Consulate General with legal experts of major record and film companies, lawyers and police. She addressed the role of Internet Service Providers (ISP) in the fight against copyright infringement. In the evening she held a lecture on “The Future of Copyright” at the Bucerius Law School in Hamburg.

Ambassador Timken Speaks at Hamburg Chamber of Commerce

Speaker Program: Professor Joe McKinney

Dr. Joe McKinney

November 21, 2008. On Friday, Professor Joe McKinney of the Baylor Business School in Waco, Texas, visited the Consulate. During a roundtable discussion he addressed “The U.S. Economy and the International Financial Crisis”.

“America after the Elections”: CG speaks in Kiel

CG Johnson giving a speech at the Hermann Ehlers Academy in Kiel

November 20, 2008. Consul General Karen E. Johnson addressed an audience of 200 at the Hermann Ehlers Academy in Kiel on Thursday.  In her speech she reflected on the recent U.S. elections as well as a variety of challenges, including the financial crisis, Iraq and Afghanistan. In the discussion following her presentation before students, academics, officials and military personnel she also spoke about the relations between the U.S. and Russia as well as the strong economic ties between Germany and the U.S. The event was organized with the Kennedy Infozentrum in Kiel.

Thespis: International Monodrama Festival in Kiel

Theo Castellanos ‘NE 2nd Avanue’ (© Thespis)

November 14, 2008. The 6th international monodrama festival ‘Thespis’ was held in Kiel, Germany from November 11-14. Artists from more than 10 countries, including Great Britain, Poland, Russia, Israel, Palestine, Switzerland, USA, Norway, Ukraine, Japan, Canada, and Germany, presented monodramatic plays of various form and content. From the U.S. Teo Castellanos from Miami performed his one-person play ‘NE 2nd Avenue’ and New York’s Jessica Lynn Johnson presented her comedy ‘Oblivious to Everyone’. The ‘Thespis’ festival was supported by the Public Affairs Section of the U.S. Consulate General Hamburg.

2,500 Celebrate U. S. Election in Hamburg

U.S. Election Night at Bucerius Law School

November 4, 2008. On the evening of November 4 over 2,500 Germans and Americans celebrated American democracy in action at Northern Germany’ s largest Election Night Party. Organized by the Consulate General in cooperation with the Amerikazentrum Hamburg e.V. and the Bucerius Law School, the the event lasted until 6AM and included panel discussions, lectures, big screen TVs and live broadcasts by radio and TV stations including Johannes B. Kerner, host of a nation wide late night talk show, NDR Radio, NDR Television and n-tv. CG Karen E. Johnson delivered the opening address and appeared in several interviews with different German media outlets throughout the night. American hot dogs, hamburgers and popcorn, together with red, white and blue decorations created a festive and authentic American atmosphere.

Hamburg Consul General Delivers Lecture about the U.S. Elections at the Helmut-Schmidt University

CG Johnson talking  to stu- dents after her lecture

October 22, 2008. Consul General Karen E. Johnson was the first speaker in a new “Consul General Lecture” series at the Helmut-Schmidt-University of the Armed Forces in Hamburg. She spoke about “The U.S. Elections and the Future of Transatlantic Relations,” and addressed well over 120 students, faculty members and representatives of Hamburg’s consular corps. In her speech, Consul General Johnson introduced the candidates and issues and outlined global challenges both the U.S. and Germany are facing, putting a special emphasis on the current situation in Afghanistan.

McSweeney’s School of Fiction at the Göttingen City Hall

From left: Frank Kelleter, University of Göttingen, Eli Horowitz, Lydia Davis and Nick Hornby

October 21, 2008. The Göttingen literature festival presented a program on the award-winning American literary magazine and publishing house “McSweeney’s” at Goettingen’s historic Town Hall. The evening featured a presentation by McSweeney’s managing editor and publisher Eli Horowitz and two readings by McSweeney’s authors Lydia Davis, an acclaimed U.S. short fiction writer, and British novelist Nick Hornby. All in all, 280 enthusiastic guests of the literature festival had an opportunity to learn about an innovative American literary enterprise.

Consul General Johnson Presents Carnegie Award to Stiftung Stern

Promoting Interfaith Dialogue in Northern Germany: American Citizen Dialogue Program

Imam Fateen Seifullah with  Youth in Glückstadt

October 15 to 17, 2008. PA Hamburg organized a special outreach program with four American Muslims, bringing them together with alumni of State Department sponsored exchange programs, local Muslim leaders, Muslim youth and local practitioners serving immigrant communities. Their program included a visit to the Körber foundation and the intercultural NGO verikom in Hamburg, a round table on Muslim life in the U.S. at the consulate and concluded with a visit to the Central Mosque in Hamburg and a special youth outreach program in Glueckstadt in Schleswig-Holstein. They met with 40 European youth of Kurdish origin from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, the United Kingdom and Germany who were taking part in an international youth camp with a focus on identity, integration and living in Europe.

“Windows on America” Group from Schleswig-Holstein Travels to the U.S.

At the Hamburg airport

October 13, 2008. Ten participants in the "Windows on America" program departed for Washington DC to begin their two-week visit to the U.S. which includes stops in New York City and Cleveland, Ohio. The group includes six youths associated with the Turkish Community of Schleswig-Holstein and four students from the Integrated Secondary School Hassee in Kiel.

U.S.-German Art Exhibit “Approaches” Opens in Pasewalk

U.S. Elections 2008 and Youth Exchange Road Show Comes to Mecklenburg-Vorpommern

Neighbors Visit Consulate

Goetz Wiese, Office Managing Partner of Latham&Watkins and CG Karen E. Johnson with law firm and Consulate staff

September 18, 2008. Almost 90 employees of the international law firm Latham & Watkins visited the American Consulate General in Hamburg on Thursday morning. Located next door to each other on the shore of the beautiful Alster Lake, Consul General Karen E. Johnson invited members of the law firm over to tour the historic consulate building and to introduce them to the activities of the U.S. Consulate at an informal breakfast reception.

Hollywood Star Visits Consulate General

Heinrich Lieser, Hamburg Mar- keting,  CG Karen E. Johnson, Eric Braeden  and German actor Peter Lohmeyer

September 16, 2008. American actor Eric Braeden visited the Consulate General in Hamburg this evening and provided an advance screening of his movie, “The Man Who Came Back” to an audience of over 70 guests. Braeden, who was born in Schleswig-Holstein, noted that he processed his U.S. immigration papers 50 years earlier in this consulate building. He is best known for his long-time role in the U.S. soap opera, “The Young & the Restless.” Braeden is the only German actor besides Marlene Dietrich who has been honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

U.S. Consulate General Patriot Day Reception for Hamburg Police

The American Consulate General Hamburg on Patriot Day 2008

September 11, 2008. Consul General Karen E. Johnson hosted a reception for senior staff members of the Hamburg Police on Patriot Day. Subsequent to 9/11 the Hamburg Police Association collected donations and organized visits to Hamburg for members and relatives of victims of the New York emergency organizations. In total, three visitor groups came to Hamburg in 2003 and 2004 and many long lasting friendships developed from this act of concrete solidarity. Consul General Johnson in her remarks thanked the police representatives for their support and looked forward to continuous exchange. Photo Gallery

‘Stars & Stripes und Streifenhörchen’ at Consulate General

The authors signing their books after the reading

September 10, 2008. More then 80 guests gathered in the ballroom of the U.S. Consulate General in Hamburg for a presentation by author Michael Streck and cartoonist Til Mette of their new book ‘Stars & Stripes und Streifenhörnchen". Both Streck and Mette lived and worked as journalists in the U.S. for years and upon their return published a funny and amiable account of daily life in the U.S. The enthusiastic audience greatly enjoyed Streck’s reading of selected chapters of his book and the accompanying live drawings by cartoonist Mette.

Adam Posen speaks at American Chamber of Commerce Northern Germany

Speaker Adam Posen and AmCham representative Jodi Gentilozzi

September 8, 2008. Washington D.C. economist and political adviser Adam Posen spoke on the American economy and the upcoming presidential election at the American Chamber of Commerce of Northern Germany’s Summernight Dinner on September 8th. Professor Posen, who is participating in the U.S. State Department’s Speakers Program, addressed a group of over 70 senior professionals from various business sectors. Consul General Karen E. Johnson and Consul for Political and Economic Affairs Genevieve Libonati also attended the dinner. Earlier that day, Professor Posen gave background interviews to Northern German Media.

Stephen Wayne in Northern Germany

Stephen Wayne and Genevieve Libonati

September 5, 2008. Professor Stephen Wayne from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. toured through Northern Germany this week. Professor Wayne is the author of many publications, including the famous election standard ‘The Road to the White House’. In Hamburg and Osnabrueck he held background talks with editors-in-chief and senior staff of Northern Germany media. On Thursday, he gave a lecture at the Consulate General in Hamburg entitled ‘After the Conventions: The Role of the Media in the U.S. Election’.

Consulate Participates in Hamburg City Park Charity Relay

The running and winning team

August 27, 2008. Consulate staff participated in a charity relay organized by Hamburg daily newspaper Morgenpost on Wednesday. Five Consulate employees from different sections each ran 5km and finished 127 th of more than 340 teams with more than 1700 runners.
Entry fees and voluntary contributions from the relay will be donated to build an ecological nature trail through Hamburg Stadtpark.

German and American Junior Fire Fighters Meet in Hamburg

August 21 & 25, 2008. Pol/Econ Officer Genevieve Libonati and PA Hamburg welcomed 47 young volunteer fire fighters from Hamburg-Stellingen and Mineola, New York who had established the first German-American partnership between junior fire departments in 2005. The consulate supported the first visit of the Junior Fire Department Stellingen to Mineola in 2007 as well as the current visit of the Junior Fire Department of Mineola. Just like in 2007, the Stellingen Junior Fire Department has published a detailed web log on the visit (http://www.ff-stellingen.de/tagebuch/tagebuch.html).
On August 25, Pol/Econ Officer Genevieve Libonati spoke at the moving farewell reception for the Mineola fire fighters, praising both fire departments for giving young people on both sides of the Atlantic a wonderful opportunity to discover another country and culture and find new friends.

Rock the Ballet in Consulate General

2008 State Department Alumni Reception at the Bucerius Art Forum

Hamburg Consulate General Visits Husum

Consul Libonati (r.) and Director Dr. Astrid Fick look at 'The Bronco Buster' by Frederic Remington

July 11, 2008. Consul for Political and Economic Affairs Genevieve Libonati visited the town of Husum, Schleswig-Holstein in the North-West of the Consular district. Husum is home to the Nordsee Museum/ Nissenhaus. Ludwig Nissen emigrated to the U.S. from Husum in 1872. Upon his arrival in New York, Nissen first worked as a shoeshine boy, dishwasher and waiter, but finally achieved the "American Dream" when he opened a jewelry shop with fellow German immigrant Fred Schilling. He donated the fortune he made in New York to a Husum foundation. The Museum contains a selection of Nissen’s art collection as well as an exhibit on German emigration to the U.S. During her visit, Consul Libonati met with the Board of the Nissen House as well as local and regional politicians and visited the Husum Castle.

"Freiheit, Freedom and Liberties" - Lecture at U.S. Consulate General Hamburg

Professor Michael R. Pfau

July 10, 2008. The American Consulate General in Hamburg hosted the Friedrich Naumann Foundation with a lecture on "Freiheit, Freedom and Liberties in the U.S. and Germany." Professor Michael R. Pfau from the University of San Diego was the expert speaker on the topic at the consulate, outlining the history and differences of civil liberties in both countries. Consul General Karen E. Johnson delivered the opening remarks and set the scene for the lively discussion that followed Professor Pfau’s presentation.

Importing Ideas: Thriving Hamburg New York Exchange Program

IntegrationXchange participants at the New York Immigration Coalition in May

July 3, 2008. Consul General Karen E. Johnson welcomed 8 of the 12 German participants of the State Department-sponsored transatlantic exchange program for immigration and integration professionals called "integrationXchange." Along with staff from the Körber Foundation, they came to the Consul General’s residence for a barbecue to report on their one-week stay in New York City in May. As Post learned, they had returned to Hamburg with a "suitcase full of ideas" and newly acquired American-style pragmatism and optimism. Among the many positive observations and experiences they described, they highlighted excellent advocacy practices of immigrant NGOs, the exemplary empowerment of parents, the empowerment of immigrant children through programs such as "Big Brothers and Big Sisters" as well as peer training and leadership programs and translation and special language programs. They were also very impressed with what they described as viewing immigration as having a positive impact on society.

New Impulses for Transatlantic Relations: Panel Discussion in Hamburg

From left: Michael Thumann Consul Genevieve  Libonati, Hans-Ulrich Klose and Thomas Stölting

July 2, 2008. Consul for Political and Economic Affairs Genevieve Libonati participated in a panel discussion in the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce about "Friends or Strangers: New Impulses for the Transatlantic Partnership EU-U.S.A." The Hamburg chapter of the Europa-Union, a bipartisan NGO dedicated to promoting European unity, had organized the event. They had invited Hans-Ulrich Klose, chairman of the German-American Parliamentarians’ Group of the German Bundestag, as second panelist and DIE ZEIT foreign affairs editor and correspondent in Istanbul Michael Thumann as moderator. The Chairman of the Europa-Union, Thomas Stölting, welcomed the panelists and more than 90 guests to a spirited discussion about the future of European-U.S. relations. Libonati and Klose covered a wide range of topics, including relations to Russia, the situation in Afghanistan, climate change and energy policy and the views of the two Presidential candidates on key issues such as Iran, Iraq, and trade policy. In the end, both Libonati and Klose agreed that the U.S. and Europe need to work together to tackle today’s global challenges.

More than 600 Guests Celebrate Indepencence Day at Hamburg Chamber of Commerce

Ambassador Visits the USS Cole and the USS Gettysburg at the Kiel Fleet Week

Ambassador Timken and his wife chatting with Admiral Holloway

June 21, 2008. Ambassador Timken and Mrs. Timken paid a visit to the Kiel Fleet Week on the day of the opening on June 21. The Ambassador met with U.S. and German sailors at a "pier side picnic" with stands from the U.S. Consulate General in Hamburg and the United Service Organization (USO). He then took a tour aboard the USS Cole and USS Gettysburg, which had just returned from the BALTOPS exercise. The U.S. Consulate General in Hamburg had organized an information stand next to the USS Gettysburg as well as guided tours on both ships for journalists and high school newspaper editors, students and faculty from the University of Kiel, German navy personnel and librarians and teachers. Watch the photo gallery of the event!

Ambassador Timken Meets with Windows on America Group from Schleswig-Holstein

The Ambassador and Mrs.Timken with the Windows on America group, Dr. Cebel Kücükkaraca, and Erika Böck

June 20, 2008. Ambassador Timken and Mrs. Timken and Consul General Karen E. Johnson paid a visit to the volunteer-run German-American Institute Kennedy Infozentrum in Kiel to meet with 10 "Windows on America" participants from Kiel. This new initiative by U.S. Mission Germany provides opportunities for minority students who have been traditionally underrepresented in exchange programs between the two nations to travel to the United States. The Turkish Community in the State of Schleswig-Holstein and PA Hamburg staff members had selected the group, which consists of six youths associated with the Turkish Community and four students from the Integrated Secondary School Hassee. The Ambassador and Mrs. Timken engaged the youth in a lively discussion about the program and life in America.

High Society Ball With Ambassador Timken At U.S. Consulate General

Amb. William R. Timken jr. and CG Karen E. Johnson (© Christian Moeller)

June 6, 2008. In connection with the opening of the art exhibition “High Society: Portraits of a Gilded Age” at the Bucerius Art Forum, U.S. Consul General Karen E. Johnson invited to a glamorous High Society Ball at the Consulate in Hamburg on the 6th of June that was co-hosted by the Bucerius Art Forum. Ambassador Timken opened the ball and in his remarks he stressed that economic development should always go together with the support of philanthropic issues, such as sponsoring the arts. More than 70 guests from Hamburg’s cultural and business circles enjoyed the ball.

Ambassador Timken Opens „High Society: American Portraits Of The Gilded Age”

Dr. Barbara Gallati, Amb. William R. Timken jr., and Dr. Ortrud Westheider (from left) (© Christian Moeller)

June 6, 2008. Ambassador Timken took part in the opening of the second exhibition of a trilogy of 150 years of American art at the Bucerius Art Forum. The exhibit presents American portrait painting from between 1875 to 1905 when America’s railroad barons and oil and steel tycoons amassed huge fortunes and accumulated works of art and articles of luxury in their magnificent new residences. Together with Prof. Michael Göring of the Ebelin and Gerd Bucerius ZEIT-Foundation, Dr. Ortrud Westheider of the Bucerius Art Forum and the exhibition’s curator Barbara Gallati the Ambassador provided the opening remarks to the second exhibition of a trilogy of American art in Hamburg. In 2009, the last part of the series will feature “Modern Life: Edward Hopper and his time”.

U.S. Ambassador Meets New Hamburg Mayor Christa Goetsch

Senator Christa Goetsch, Amb. William Timken and  Consul General Karen E. Johnson (from left) (© Christian Moeller)

June 6, 2008. U.S. Ambassador to Germany William R. Timken jr. called on Hamburg’s newly elected Deputy Mayor and Minister of Education Christa Goetsch (GAL) at the Hamburg City Hall. Ms. Goetsch is member of the first-ever CDU-Green Party coalition on a Laender level in Germany that was constituted in Hamburg after the February elections earlier this year. The Ambassador congratulated Deputy Mayor Goetsch on the elections and inquired about the implications Hamburg’s coalition can have for the political landscape in Germany.

Focus Afghanistan: Students Debate with Members of Bundestag and German Armed Forces Staff

Heinz-G. Ude, Marcus Weinberg and Niels Annen

May 21, 2008. Consul General Karen E. Johnson invited experts together with students of the Gymnasium Allee to discuss the role of the international community in Afghanistan at the Consulate in Hamburg.
In a first panel, CG Johnson and Bundeswehr Youth Officer Captain Bjoern Radau spoke about their first-hand experiences on the ground and gave a vivid presentation on the current situation in Afghanistan. They were followed by members of the Bundestag Niels Annen (SPD) and Marcus Weinberg (CDU) who spoke about the German engagement in Afghanistan, the need to implement human rights in the country and the mid- and long-term perspectives of the international involvement in Afghanistan. Both agreed that in spite of considerable progress more sustainable results were needed.
The event was organized in co-operation with the Hamburg Gymnasium Allee and more than 40 students seized the opportunity to ask questions and engaged in a lively discussion with the Consul General and the other experts.

Standing Room Only - CG Johnson Opens Mark Rothko Exhibit in Hamburg

Oliver Wick, Christopher Rothko, CG Johnson, Hubertus Gaßner

May 15, 2008 CG Karen E. Johnson spoke at the opening of the Mark Rothko exhibit at the Kunsthalle in Hamburg addressing more than 500 invited guests. She congratulated the Kunsthalle for showing this unique exhibit and welcomed the occasion to not only learn more about Mark Rothko, but also about the United States during the time of his life. She thanked everybody who contributed to make this happen and wished the exhibit the best of success. The other speakers were Kunsthalle director Prof. Hubertus Gaßner, Christopher Rothko, and curator Oliver Wick.

54th German American Friendship Day Celebrated in Hamburg

Consul General Karen E. Johnson and Club’s President Friderun Bernhardt

May 8, 2008. More than 150 members and friends of the German American Women’s Club Hamburg (GAWC) came together in the U.S. Consulate General to celebrate the annual German-American friendship day. In her opening remarks, Consul General Karen E. Johnson and the Club’s President Friderun Bernhardt looked back on the more than 50 years of history of the GAWC. "The idea of German American Women’s Clubs today is no less important and timely than 50 years ago," CG Johnson stressed in her remarks, thanking the members of the club for their efforts to further U.S.-German friendship.

Round Table on Transatlantic Defense Cooperation in Hamburg

Heinz Dieter Jopp, Leo Michel, and Hubertus von Puttkamer

May 8, 2008. Leo Michel, Senior Research Fellow at the National Defense University’s Institute for National Strategic Studies, participated in a round table on “Prospects for Transatlantic Defense Cooperation: An American Perspective” at the German Armed Forces Command and General Staff College in Hamburg. Twelve faculty members, including Deputy Commander and Director of the Faculty Hubertus von Puttkamer and the head of the Department of Security Policy and Strategy Heinz Dieter Jopp, attended the event. In his presentation, Michel focused on U.S. perspectives on NATO, especially with regard to the integration of France in joint defense structures and the positions of the presidential candidates on Iraq. Moreover, during the question-and-answer session, Michel explained the role and impact of the U.S. National Security Council against the background of the current German debate on creating a similar institution.

Exhibit ‘Portraits of the Gilded Age’ Introduced to Teachers

CBYX and Fulbright Alumni Concert at Consul General's Residence

CBYX and Fulbright alumni at the concert

April 30, 2008. Consul General Karen E. Johnson and PA Hamburg hosted a special alumni event at the CG’s residence with 43 German and American alumni and current participants of the Congress Bundestag Youth Exchange Program and Fulbright programs who live in Northern Germany. Musical highlight of the evening was a performance by U.S. concert pianist John Robilette, the creator of the USIA-sponsored “Artistic Ambassadors” program that ran from 1982 to 1989 and sent scores of American classical musicians on concert tours throughout 63 countries overseas.

Ambassador Timken Meets Minister President Ringstorff and Visits Wismar

Mrs. Timken, the Ambassador,  Mayor Dr. Wilcken and her husband

April 27-28, 2008. Ambassador Timken and Mrs. Timken paid a visit to Mecklenburg-Vorpommern to promote close U.S.-German ties in the Eastern Laender. On the 27th, the Mayor of Wismar Dr. Rosemarie Wilcken and her husband took the Ambassador and his wife on a special tour through the UNESCO World Heritage Old Town of Wismar. The Ambassador and Mrs. Timken also met with town officials and signed the city’s Golden Book. At the end of the day, the Ambassador took part in a round table with regional and local press, highlighting U.S. investment in the East and the excellent status of U.S.-German relations as well as the upcoming opening of the new embassy building on Pariser Platz in Berlin. On April 28, the Ambassador and Mrs. Timken and Consul General Karen E. Johnson met with Minister President Harald Ringstorff in Schwerin. During their meeting, they discussed the economical situation of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and U.S. investment in the region. The regional daily Ostsee-Zeitung, the local TV station Wismar TV, the regional NDR TV news program Nordmagazin as well as the dailies Schweriner Volkszeitung and Lübecker Nachrichten covered the visit.
Watch the picture gallery!

"The Lorax" Spreads Environmental Message

Memorable Program with Louis Begley

Hamburg Consul General Featured in Local TV Station Hamburg1

U.S. Elections Fascinate Young and Old in Bad Segeberg

The 2008 Elections MeetUS Series

Bringing Together Migrant Youth and Leading Journalists

Vehlewald, von Blumencron, Barth and Pawlouschek Photo: Christina Koerte

April 8, 2008. Deputy Chief of Mission of the U.S. Embassy John Koenig took part in the “How Do We Look Like to You?! Youth and Media in Dialogue” conference at the KörberForum that the Public Affairs Section of the Consulate, the Körber Foundation and the Alliance for Democracy and Tolerance had organized. The all-day event brought together around 100 high school students from various Hamburg neighborhoods and young trainees, the overwhelming majority of them (age 15 to 21) with a migrant background, educators and 12 top journalists. The latter included Karl Günther Barth, deputy editor-in chief of the regional daily Hamburger Abendblatt, Mathias Müller von Blumencron, one of the editors-in-chief of the SPIEGEL, Andreas Pawlouschek, managing editor at the ARD news program Tagesschau and Hans-Jörg Vehlewald, chief reporter for politics at the BILD as well as Ingo Zamperoni, anchor of the ARD nightly news magazine

Kick-Off Reception of Building Bridges Conference

Long Beach Delegation Members Acting as Environmental Ambassadors

CG Johnson and the delegates from Long Beach, California

April 3, 2008. The Consulate General held a reception for a seven member delegation, headed by Mayor Bob Foster, from Long Beach, CA. The delegation’s visit to Hamburg and other European ports had a twofold purpose. First was to share best practices on environmental policies (e.g. Long Beach has an ambitious project in place through which pollution is to be reduced by 47% by 2020), and, second was to meet shipping customers (e.g. Hapag-Lloyd). Consul General Johnson and a senior representative from the Container Security Initiative (CSI) program at the Port of Hamburg briefed the delegation on CSI and post’s relations with Hamburg’s law-enforcement authorities.

CG Johnson Meets with Stralsund Lord Mayor

Fröhling, Lastovka, Johnson and Hacker (Photo: Hansestadt Stralsund/KOSLIK)

April 2, 2008. Consul General Karen Johnson met with Lord Mayor Lastovka in Stralsund. During this visit the CG discussed German-American relations and U.S. security policy in Afghanistan. She also signed the golden book of the city of Stralsund and toured significant sites in this UNESCO designated city. After the visit CG Johnson stated " Now I see why Stralsund belongs to our world heritage."

NDRInfo Joins MeetUS Program on U.S. Foreign Policy with Consul General Johnson

Consul General Johnson discusses with group of young students

April 1, 2008. Consul General Karen E. Johnson welcomed 27 German high school students (grades 11 to 13) and their Fulbright teaching assistant for a MeetUS program at the consulate. The focus of the program was on current American foreign policy objectives, especially with regard to the situation in Afghanistan. NDRInfo had sent a reporter to cover the meeting and to interview Timothy Beaucage who has been participating in a number of MeetUS programs in the consular district. The students very much enjoyed the frank and lively discussion they had with CG Johnson and stressed that they obtained a better understanding of the reasons for the U.S. engagement in Afghanistan. NDRInfo will broadcast a report on the visit and the MeetUS program in the coming weeks.

“We Will Jazz You” Jazz Appreciation Month Observed in Stralsund

Students and Christian Klette, Förderverein Jugendkunst e.V. (r.) present artwork to CG Johnson (m.), Photo: M. Weber, OZ Stralsund

March 31- April 3, 2008. During a three-day workshop entitled JAZZ + X, 50 high school students (grades 9 to 11) from the Hansa-Gymnasium and Goethe-Gymnasium learned about the history of Jazz, its role in U.S. society and its influence on the fine arts at the Speicher am Katharinenberg in Stralsund. In hands-on workshops, the young people experimented with music, digital media, and diverse art techniques and created music and artworks related to the overall theme. The musicians Gonçalo de Almeida (POR), Wieland Möller (GER) and Kerry Williams (U.S.), and educators of the Förderverein Jugendkunst e.V. conducted the workshops. In addition, the students had the opportunity to visit an exhibition on jazz history at the city library and check out books and DVDs that were recently acquisitioned as part of the A@YL partnership. Consul General Karen E. Johnson and Lord Mayor Harald Lastovka attended the final presentation of the workshop results. In her remarks, CG Johnson noted that jazz is considered a major U.S. contribution to world culture. The U.S. Consulate General in Hamburg supported JAZZ + X in cooperation with the City Library Stralsund and the Förderverein Jugendkunst e.V. Watch a documentary here:
http://www.jugendkunst.de/aktuell/akt080402.php
More on Jazz Appreciation Month 2008

Consulate General Hosts Principals and Teachers

Karen E. Johnson with the group at the consulate

March 25, 2008. The U.S. Consulate General in Hamburg hosted a group of 27 teachers and principals from Hesse. Consul General Karen E. Johnson delivered a speech on "U.S. Security Policy and the Fight against International Terrorism". The event was organized by Bundeswehr youth officer and was part of a three-day security-policy seminar in northern Germany. In her remarks Consul General Johnson embarked on her recent experience as director for the the U.S. Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRT) in Afghanistan. Her vivid explanations and first-hand experience that security is a prerequesite for reconstruction intrigued the audience.

"The Lorax" won the hearts of High School Students in Rostock

Timothy Beaucage (right) and Miguel Lozano (left)

March 4, 2008. Fulbright teaching assistant Timothy Beaucage and exchange student Miguel Lozano read Dr. Seuss’s classic children’s story to 3rd and 4th grade students and their English teachers from the Werkstattschule at the Rostock Literaturhaus. For many decades Dr. Seuss’s classic introduced several generations of kids to the concepts of environmentalism and conservation. more

Reading by Amy Bloom

March 3, 2008. Author Amy Bloom read from her work Away, addressing more than 100 literature buffs at the Consulate General. Her story about a character that comes to America after her family was destroyed in a Russian pogrom and then embarks on an odyssey from New York to Alaska to find her daughter caught the audience's imagination. more

Hamburg Conference on Managing Diversity in Secondary Education

February 14-16, 2008. PA Hamburg sponsored a three-day conference on "Schools with Migrant Background", in which two U.S. experts participated: Prof.  John Mollenkopf from the City University of New York and Prof. Margery Martin from New York University. The Hamburg intercultural NGO verikom had organized the conference in cooperation with the University of Hamburg and the ZEIT foundation. more

Advancing U.S. Cooperation with Lower Saxony

February 5, 2008. Consul General Johnson discussed further cooperation on integration efforts with Lower Saxony’s Minister President Christian Wulff. They also talked about the important role American companies play in Lower Saxony’s economy and further developing trade relations between Lower Saxony and the U.S. Consulate General Hamburg’s district is composed of the five Northern German states, including Schleswig-Holstein and Lower Saxony.

Advancing U.S. Cooperation with Schleswig-Holstein

Turkish Community Active in Training Youth in Schleswig-Holstein

February 4, 2008. Chairman of the Turkish Community of Schleswig-Holstein Dr. Cebel Kücükkaraca and members of the board introduced Consul General Karen E. Johnson to their job-training programs for young people with migrant backgrounds.  The Consulate plans to organize with the Turkish Community of Schleswig-Holstein the first “Windows on America” youth delegation to visit the United States for two weeks in the fall.

Election Program for High School Students

January 23, 2008. Political Economical Officer Genevieve Libonati and Cultural Affairs Assistant Martina Schulze teamed up to welcome two school classes from the city of Buxtehude, Lower Saxony, at the Hamburg consulate. The 10th and 11th graders and their teachers had requested to learn about the U.S. election process and exchange programs. more