Programs and Events

Selected Events January-June 2009

Hopper Exhibit in Hamburg Brings Together More Than 100 State Alumni

CAO Peter Claussen (left), Dr. Ortrud Westheider (second from the left) and two alumni in front of Hopper paintings

June 22, 2009. Consul General Karen E. Johnson, Cultural Affairs Officer Peter Claussen and the ZEIT Foundation Ebelin and Gerd Bucerius hosted a reception at the Bucerius Kunst Forum for more than 100 North German alumni of the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP), the Congress Bundestag Youth Exchange Program, the Fulbright Program and the "integrationXchange" program. Dr. Markus Baumanns, member of the board of the ZEIT foundation and IVLP alumnus, welcomed the guests. The Bucerius Art Forum is currently presenting the last of its three exhibits on 150 years of American art, "Modern Life. Edward Hopper and His Life". Dr. Ortrud Westheider, director of the Bucerius Kunst Forum, introduced the exhibit to the guests (www.buceriuskunstforum.de).

USA at World’s Largest Sailing Festival

Chargé d’ Affairs John Koenig and CG Johnson join the crowd at the U.S. info booth

June 20 and 21, 2009. The U.S. Consulate General Hamburg, together with two U.S. Navy vessels, participated in Kiel Week, the world's largest sailing festival. USS Mount Whitney, the U.S. Navy's Sixth's Fleet flagship, and USS Forrest Sherman visited Kiel Week after taking part in BALTOPS 2009, a joint naval exercise of 32 units from 11 nations. The U.S. Consulate General Hamburg joined the sailors at the opening weekend with an information tent and manifold activities. The Consulate's Information Resource Center (IRC) provided a variety of information material and publications about the USA, organized a quiz with attractive prizes and screened documentary movies on American history. In addition, the ships' crews offered memorabilia that sold like hotcakes and sailors answered questions from the general public. On opening day, Charge d'Affaires John Koenig and Consul General Karen E. Johnson visited the information tent and engaged in lively discussions with visitors and sailors from many different nations. During the ‘Open Ship' program more than 120 guests visited USS Mount Whitney and USS Forrest Sherman including  groups of journalist, minority communities, students and other targeted  audiences.  The USO  also set up a mobile canteen and provided freshly cooked hotdogs, popcorn, and hot & cold beverages for U.S. sailors and visitor groups. Overall, more than 4000 people visited the Consulate's information stand during these two days. Photo Gallery

Edward Hopper Exhibition Makes Hamburg Consulate Swing

The guests are having a great time swinging

June 12, 2009. To draw attention to the art exhibit ‘Modern Life – Edward Hopper and his Time’ currently showing at the Bucerius Kunst Forum in Hamburg, Consul General Karen E. Johnson, together with the Director of the Bucerius Kunstforum, Dr. Ortrud Westheider, hosted a ‘Swinging America’ party at the Consulate on Friday. More than 300 guests, most of them festively dressed in the style of the ‘roaring ‘20s’, enjoyed an evening full of dance and live American music. Consul General Johnson opened the event and welcomed Hamburg’s high society and young professionals to the ‘Little White House on the Alster’. Photo Gallery

American Day in Hannover

From left: Karen Johnson, city library director Schelle-Wolff and IRC director

June 9, 2009. The U.S. Consulate General in Hamburg organized an " American Day" at the City Hall in Hannover, that attracted a crowd of more than 450 guests. Visitors heard talks about U.S. foreign policy , student exchange and study opportunities in the U.S. and took part in a MeetUS program with two young American Fulbright scholars. Consular services were offered and the Consulate presented a collection of English books to Hannover’s city library. Highlights of the day were a special town hall meeting for students with CG Karen E. Johnson, a meet and greet with U.S. soccer player Steven Cherundolo and a podium discussion about transatlantic relations between CG Johnson and Bundestag member Dr. Werner Hoyer. 

Internship Project for Migrant Youth in Lower Saxony Launched

Launching the Internship Project on the American Day in Hannover

June 9, 2009. The "Internship Project for Migrant Youth at Lower Saxony Companies" was officially launched at the Consulate Day in Hannover. This pilot project is designed to provide two-week unpaid internships at Lower Saxony companies to high school students with immigrant backgrounds. The students will be selected based on their proven motivation and qualifications. The internship project is a chance for German and U.S. companies in Lower Saxony to underscore their corporate responsibility efforts and benefit from ethnic diversity. Partners of the project include the Consulate General of the U.S.A. in Hamburg, the American Chamber of Commerce/Chapter Niedersachsen, the integration commissioners of the state of Lower Saxony, and the city of Hannover.

NATO-EU Lecture at Hamburg Consulate General

Multicultural Literature in the U.S.: Creative Writing Workshop and Reading with Nahid Rachlin

CG Johnson (on the right) intro- duces Nachid Rachlin

President Obama and Change - Youth Outreach in Schleswig-Holstein and Lower Saxony

Rundquist in Seevetal

May 19, 2009. Former Fulbright Professor and now visiting professor of Politics at the Universities in Leipzig, Halle and Dresden Dr. Paul Rundquist took part in a two-day lecture series on the Obama presidency in Northern Germany. On May 19, Rundquist addressed young Germans at a high school in Seevetal and later engaged members and guests, mostly high school students, of the America Society in Bad Segeberg in a dialogue on the new President and his first months in office. On May 20, Rundquist met with more than 150 students at a high school in Hannover and engaged them in a discussion on American politics. That evening, he spoke to members and guests of the German-American Association in Celle on the topic of "President Obama and Change: Promises and Performance after 100 Days."

Consulate Hosts SPD Youth Group

Political-Economic Officer Gene- vieve Libonati welcomes the "Jusos"

May 14, 2009. Around 35 college students from the SPD young adult group "Jusos" in Hamburg attended a presentation at Consulate General Hamburg on U.S. foreign policy. Political-Economic Officer Genevieve Libonati, who hosted the event, discussed policy changes brought on by the new Obama administration. Following the presentation, a Q&A session was held. A range of topics were brought up including Iran and nuclear proliferation, the Arab-Israeli conflict, Afghanistan, and the American healthcare system.

Consul General reaches out to Lower Saxony

Karen Johnson talks to students at University of Vechta

May 13-14, 2009. Consul General Karen E. Johnson visited two high schools and a university in Lower Saxony and met with local government officials during a two-day tour of the western regions of the Hamburg Consular District. On May 13 and 14 the Consul General engaged students at high schools in Nordhorn and Tarmstedt in interactive conversations on U.S. foreign policy issues, as well as customs and life in the U.S. CG Johnson also discussed new educational trends in the U.S. and Germany with teachers and headmasters at both schools and met with the mayors of Tarmstedt. At Vechta University, Consul General Johnson presented a lecture on gender equality in the U.S. and led a lively discussion on the status of women in Germany and the U.S. Local media reported widely on her visit and Ms. Johnson promised that this would not be her last visit to the region.

Follow-Up on the U.S. Elections at the Augustinum, Aumühle

Consul Genevieve Libonati gi- ving her speech

May 13, 2009. One year ago, Consul for Political and Economic Affairs Genevieve Libonati met with residents of the Augustinum in Aumühle to discuss the U.S. presidential primaries and general election. Now that the first months of the Obama Administration are underway Consul Libonati returned on May 13 to discuss the president's new foreign policy initiatives as part of the Augustinum's America Week.

U.S. Author Holly-Jane Rahlens Teleports 200 Students in Mecklenburg-Westpomerania Back to the Sixties

Author Holly-Jane Rahlens with students in Rostock

May 11-13 2009. The Literaturhaus Rostock and the U.S. Consulate General Hamburg sponsored several readings by Holly-Jane Rahlens, an American writer who lives in Berlin http://www.holly-jane-rahlens.com/. She read at the City Libraries in Schwerin and Wismar, the Literaturhaus in Rostock and the Regional Library in Neubrandenburg. Holly-Jane Rahlens, winner of the German Youth Literature Prize, engaged some 230 young students and read from her latest novel "Memoirs of an Ex-Cheerleader", set in New York in the early sixties. With her stories, Rahlens educated the students in an entertaining and playful way about the United States and the American way of life.

Students in Grimmen, Barth, and Ribnitz-Damgarten Experience Diplomacy Firsthand

A traditional welcome at the Museumshof in Zingst

May 11-12, 2009. Consul for Political and Economic Affairs Genevieve Libonati met with students at the Gymansium Grimmen, the Katharina-von-Hagenow-Gymnasium in Barth, and the Richard-Wossidlo-Gymnasium in Ribnitz-Damgarten to talk about the work of the Consulate, life as a diplomat, and new developments in U.S. foreign policy under the Obama Administration. Students asked a broad range of questions, in both English and German, dispelling many of the stereotypes they had of life in America. The visit, which was coordinated by the CDU in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, gave Consul Libonati the opportunity to meet with State Parliament members Kuhn and Löttge and the mayors of Grimmen, Zingst, and Ribnitz-Damgarten. Consul Libonati also learned about M-V's rich historical tradition at the St. Jürgen Bible Center in Barth and the Museumshof Zingst. The two-day tour was an enriching German-American exchange of culture, history, and politics.

MeetUS Program About the South Rocked Bad Iburg

Commemoration Ceremony on the Liberation of Camp Sandbostel

CG Karen E. Johnson at the com- memoration ceremony  (© Bremervörder Zeitung)

April 29, 2009. Consul General Karen E. Johnson attended the commemoration ceremony on the liberation of Camp Sandbostel in 1945. Sandbostel served as a POW camp during the second world war and was liberated by British allied troops 64 years ago. More than 1,000 U.S. soldiers were imprisoned there. In her personal remarks, Consul General Johnson said that the joint commemoration ceremony demonstrated the hope and willingness to live together peacefully and she stressed the close ties between the U.S. and Germany.

Earth Day Week at the Consulate!

Joris, Adam, Laki and Bastian present this year's Earth Day poster

CDU and FDP Youth Organizations Visit the Consulate

Genevieve Libonati and the students at the Consulate

U.S. Renewable Energy Policy - New Media Earth Day Programs in Hamburg

Matt Clouse answers questions during the webinar

April 21, 2009. Matt Clouse, Director of Renewable Energy Policy and Programs at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, gave two interviews to the respected national weekly Die Zeit and SPIEGEL ONLINE, Germany's most popular website for news. He also participated in a webinar with altogether 80 high school students in Bavaria, Kansas and Gymnasium Carolinum in Neustrelitz in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. During the webinar Clouse introduced the mission and work of the EPA and EPA's Green Power Partnership; which seeks to reduce the environmental impact of electricity generation by building demand for green power with large public and private electricity consumers. The transatlantic webinar gave the students a chance to obtain first-hand information and insights from an expert on U.S. energy and climate policies and to learn about the Obama administration's efforts to protect the nation's valuable resources and to save energy.

The Lincoln Legacy - Teacher Trainers Learn about Abraham Lincoln

Dr. Ronald C. White during his presentation

April 20, 2009. The U.S. Consulate Hamburg hosted a program with U.S. historian and Lincoln expert Ronald C. White at the consulate for 25 teachers and teacher trainers of English and History as well as faculty of the Department of History of the University of Hamburg. White, the author of a much-acclaimed new biography of the 16^th President and elegant lecturer, spoke about Lincoln's rhetoric, its impact at the time and its relevance today in light of the Obama presidency. Participants received IIP and Mission information products that included Abraham Lincoln. A Legacy of Freedom and President Obama in His Own Words. Dr. White's presentation highlighted Lincoln's unique rhetorical skills and provided fascinating insights to Lincoln's impact on contemporary America. The teachers singled out Dr. White's "hands- on" approach and stated that they look forward to using Lincoln's speeches in the English language classroom. In addition, IRC staff used the opportunity to highlight the upcoming World Earth Day and presented posters for classroom decoration.

“NATO at 60” Round Table in Hamburg with U.S. Expert Kenneth B. Moss

Kenneth B. Moss (fifth from the left), the youth officers and  Pol/ Econ Officer Genevieve Libonati (second from the right)

April 20, 2009. The U.S. Consulate Hamburg hosted a round table with Kenneth B. Moss from the National Defense University on "NATO at 60: Future Challenges."  Kenneth Moss engaged 11 youth officers of the German armed forces from Hamburg, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Schleswig-Holstein and Lower Saxony in a dialogue on transatlantic security relations. Their discussion focused on NATO's historical achievements, the question of enlargement and potential new members from Eastern Europe, NATO's continuing mission in Afghanistan, the revival of talks with Russia, and strategic priorities of the Obama administration. They also debated the nature of the relationship between the United States and NATO and the sharing of resources and responsibilities.  Moss highlighted the Obama administration's high regard for NATO and that it will need its NATO allies to tackle global challenges and threats.

Unique Political Outreach to Mecklenburg-Vorpommern

Consul Libonati at the environ- ment school in Malchin

April 19, 2009. Consul Political Economic Officer Genevieve Libonati visited several locations in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern attending the Junge Union annual retreat to speak about U.S.-German relations and election campaigning and meeting with local mayors and county executives to discuss current U.S. foreign policy.  Her trip continued with a visit to the environmentally-focused gymnasium in Malchin on April 20 to speak with 12th graders on President Obama and environmental issues. The school was presented with  the World Earth Day poster.

“NATO AT 60” Round Table in Hamburg

Promoting International Youth Exchanges

Consul for Political and Economic Affairs Speaks at Hamburg Business Lunch

Consul Libonati discusses U.S. policy with Hamburg entrepreneurs against the backdrop of Hamburg harbor

March 19, 2009. On Thursday, Consul for Political and Economic Affairs, Genevieve Libonati, addressed leaders of small and medium enterprises at the Hamburg Business Lunch. Against the impressive backdrop of the City of Hamburg’s vibrant harbor, Consul Libonati talked to more than 50 entrepreneurs about President Obama’s foreign and security policy, economic and environmental strategies and possible answers to the financial crisis. The following discussion and informal get together provided excellent possibilities to discuss U.S. German relations and deepening ties to Hamburg’s economy.

Hamburg PR Club and Hamburg Consulate General Host Discussion

“Women of Courage” Award Ceremony in Berlin

From left: CG Johnson, award winner Andrea Röpke, Christian Möller,  Genevieve Libonati

March 11, 2009. On Wednesday Consul General Karen E. Johnson, together with Consul for Economic and Political Affairs Genevieve Libonati and Information Specialist Christian Möller, attended the 'Women of Courage' award ceremony at the U.S. Embassy in Berlin. Chargé d'affaires John Koenig recognized German journalist Andrea Röpke as being one of three European prize winners. Nominated by the Consulate in Hamburg, Ms. Röpke received the award for her courageous journalistic work in covering right-wing extremism in Germany. On the same day in Washington D.C., Secretary Clinton honored the global ‘Women of Courage' prize winners.

New Immigrant Tales: Pulitzer-Prize Winner Junot Díaz Reads at Hamburg Literature House

Junot Diaz with the new eJournal on Multicultural Literature

March 9, 2009. The Hamburg Literature House and the U.S. Consulate General presented Dominican-American writer Junot Díaz who read from his novel "The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao" for which he received the Pulitzer Prize in 2008. In his novel, Diaz breaks new ground by easily moving between Afro-Latino ethnicities and his American identity formed in urban New Jersey. More than 80 literature buffs enjoyed the German-American reading with German actress Jasmin Tabatabai and Junot Díaz that Susanne Weingarten from DER SPIEGEL moderated. Diaz is also prominently featured in the current State Department eJournal "Multicultural Literature in the United States Today" with an interview and article on Afro-Latino fiction. The Díaz reading highlighted the imaginative and vibrant contributions authors with diverse ethnic backgrounds have made to the canon of American literature.

“The First 30 Days of Barack Obama” - Book Presentation and German-American Panel Discussion in Hamburg

From left: Melinda Crane, Josef Braml, Hans J. Kleinsteuber and Peter Lösche

February 17, 2009. The Federal Center for Civic Education (bpb) and the Hamburg Consulate General offered a special program on the occasion of the release of the 5th edition of the bpb's popular publication  - "Country Report USA." Political and Economic Officer Genevieve Libonati welcomed the 120 guests and four panelists,  Josef Braml from the German Council on Foreign Relations in Berlin, Berlin-based U.S. journalist Melinda Crane, Hans J. Kleinsteuber from the University of Hamburg and political scientist and editor of the country report Peter Lösche. Jürgen Faulenbach, director of the publication department of the bpb and Anja Ostermann, co-editor of the country report, moderated the panel discussion on "Which Way Is the U.S. Heading? The First 30 Days of Barack Obama."

The Lincoln Legacy – Meet US Program for 200 Students and Teachers

CG Johnson  and John Fladham- mer (left) celebrating with students

February 12 and 19, 2009. Consul General Karen E. Johnson welcomed almost 200 high school students and teachers from Lower Saxony and Hamburg to the Consulate where they celebrated the 200th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's birth with a special educational program designed to familiarize them with the life and accomplishments of the 16th president of the United States. CG Johnson spoke on Lincoln's life and career and introduced John Fladhammer, from the University of Hamburg, who gave a captivating presentation comparing President Lincoln and President Obama. After celebrating with birthday cake, the program ended with a screening of the ARTE documentary "Lincoln's Last Night." The Information Center also presented the students and teachers with an extensive collection of materials on Lincoln, President Barack Obama and the Black History Month.

Hamburg Consulate General Celebrates Lincoln’s Bicentennial

CG Johnson speaks at the premiere of the documentary “Lincoln’s Last Night”

February 12, 2008. On the occasion of his 200th birthday, the Consulate General in Hamburg hosted two celebrations to honor the 16th President of the United States. In the morning, 80 students from various Northern German high schools attended a ‘MeetUS' lecture by John Fladhammer on the life of Abraham Lincoln. Following a lively discussion, Consul General Karen E. Johnson served a birthday cake. In the evening of the same day, the Consulate, together with ARTE, hosted the German premiere screening of ‘Lincoln's Last Night', a documentary that will be aired on ARTE in March. More than 100 guests attended the premiere and engaged in discussions with the author and the director of the movie.

Congress Bundestag Youth Exchange Program (CBYX) in Hamburg

American and German exchange students

February 11, 2009. Consul General Karen E. Johnson, Political and Economic Officer Genevieve Libonati and the Public Affairs section welcomed 32 U.S. and German high school students and staff of the German branch of Youth for Understanding. The students were U.S. participants of the CBYX program from all around Germany and included some German host family siblings. Consul General Johnson and Political and Economic Officer Libonati, a CBYX alumna herself, spent well over two hours with their young audience, discussing life as a diplomat, U.S. foreign policy issues, and the merits of international youth exchanges.

Consul General Presents Donation to Children’s Hospital

From left: Berthold Bonekamp- Kerkhoff, Friederun Bernhardt, Patrick Nuo, CG Karen E. Johnson, Dr. Joachim Walter

February 2, 2009. This afternoon Consul General Karen E. Johnson presented Dr. Joachim Walter, head physician of the Child Psychiatry Unit at Wilhelmstift in Hamburg, a check for 8,000 Euro. The donation was a gift from the German-American Women's Club of Hamburg and was raised at their annual Charity Bazaar in November 2008. The Wilhelmstift Hospital will use the money to install floodlights at their basketball court and to procure instruments for their music therapy program.

The Obama Transatlantic Agenda: U.S. Speaker William Drozdiak Meets with Journalists in Hamburg

Speaker’s Program - The Obama Transatlantic Agenda

January 29, 2009. Four journalists from the national magazine DER SPIEGEL met with William Drozdiak, President of the New York-based American Council on Germany, to discuss the Obama administration and transatlantic relations. Consul General Karen E. Johnson participated in the meeting with Mathias Müller von Blumencron, one of the two editors-in-chief of DER SPIEGEL, the co-chair of the foreign desk Hans Hoyng, diplomatic correspondent Dr. Erich Follath and reporter Marc Hujen. Drozdiak and the journalist covered a broad range of topics that included foreign policy and security in the Obama administration, the situation in the Middle East, Afghanistan and Pakistan and the role of the new Presidential envoys Ambassador Richard Holbrooke and former Senator George Mitchell, and the upcoming Munich Security Conference.

Inauguration Day Reception At Consulate General

CG Karen E. Johnson is giving a live TV interview to NDR Ham- burg

January 20, 2009. More than 300 guests, including Hamburg Mayor Ole von Beust, members of the Hamburg and Lower Saxony state legislatures, journalists, and representatives from culture and economy of the Northern German consular district along with a group of 100 high school and university students, gathered at the Consulate General in Hamburg on January 20 to celebrate the inauguration of the 44th President of the United States, Barack Obama. In her welcoming speech, Consul General Karen E. Johnson explained the historical background and meaning of the ceremony and invited the guests to join her watching the events live on numerous TV screens throughout the building.

ESTA Press Conference in Hamburg Reaches Nationwide Media

CG Johnson gives an interview on ESTA to NDR TV

January 7, 2009. Consul General Karen E. Johnson gave a press conference at the Consulate General in Hamburg on ESTA, the Electronic System for Travel Authorization, on Wednesday. Consul General Johnson answered the questions of a number of journalists from regional and nationwide media on these new regulations for traveling to the U.S. without a visa. From January 12 onwards, most German travelers to the U.S. will have to fill in an online ESTA application before they commence their trip. More information on ESTA is available from a dedicated website: http://germany.usembassy.gov/esta/.

American Students Learn about U.S. Consulate Activities

The group at Consulate General

January 6, 2009. Consul General Johnson, Political-Economic Officer Libonati and Political-Economic Specialist Budig hosted students and professors from St. Olaf College in Northfield Minnesota at the Consulate General. The group learned about Consulate Hamburg's activities and areas of responsibility, such as public outreach, and reporting to Washington on important issues like energy and law-enforcement. The students also found out about internship/career opportunities in the Department of State and at other U.S. government entities. The visitors asked questions ranging from the German acceptance of the use of nuclear energy to German attitudes toward president-elect Obama. The visit to the Consulate was part of a three-and-a-half week study tour which will take the group to several countries in the Baltic Sea region.