Programs and Events

Selected Events 2008

Senator Dodd Traces Roots to Nuremberg Tribunal
December 17, 2008

Senator Dodd in talks with media Photo: Kathryn Crockart click to enlarge

Connecticut’s Senator Christopher J. Dodd visited Nuremberg, following in the footsteps of his father, Thomas Dodd.  Thomas Dodd was a prosecutor at the Nuremberg War Crimes Tribunal.  Senator Dodd wrote a book in 2007 about his father’s time in Nuremberg but had never been there himself. Accompanied by Consul General Eric Nelson he visited the places where his father lived while in Nuremberg and toured the Palace of Justice and the Courtroom 600, the site of the trials.  The trials of the main World War II war criminals began on November 20, 1945.  The courtroom in the Nuremberg Palace of Justice had been specially converted for this purpose. The verdicts in the International Tribunal set a milestone in the history of international law.
• "Senator Dodd in Nürnberg": Bayerischer Rundfunk video
• "US Senator Dodd besuchte Schwurgerichtssaal": article in Nürnberger Nachrichten
• "Auf den Spuren des Vaters": article in Nürnberger Zeitung

Business Security Issues
December 3, 2008
The US Consulate General Munich hosted a successful meeting of the Germany country members of the Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC).  Consul General Eric Nelson welcomed 55 corporate security representatives from over 35 U.S. businesses operating in Germany and the region.  Presenters from the private sector, the German government and the US Consulate discussed industrial property protection, data and computer network security, crisis management, armored vehicle technology and the new visa-free travel system, ESTA.  OSAC’s mission is to foster cooperation and exchange security information between the U.S. Government and the U.S. private sector overseas.  OSAC shares information with the private sector on a wide range of security issues affecting critical U.S. commercial interests abroad, including but not limited to: the protection of intellectual property, criminal and terrorist threats, and economic espionage.   

Talking Turkey
November 27, 2008

Consul General Nelson in interview Photo by Thomas Schaller click to enlarge

US Consul General Eric Nelson celebrated the traditional Thanksgiving dinner with family and friends at his residence.  This important American holiday dates back to the fall of 1621, when the religious separatist Pilgrims held a three-day feast to celebrate a bountiful harvest, an event many regard as the nation’s first Thanksgiving. During the first hard winter in the New World, approximately half of the first settlers died.  They asked the neighboring Indian tribes for help.  The Indians showed them how to grow corn and other indigenous plants.  The abundant harvest in the following year prompted the pilgrims to celebrate Thanksgiving.  It eventually became a national holiday in 1863 when President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed the last Thursday of November as a national day of thanksgiving. Thanksgiving, the American "Erntedankfest," is celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November. Today Thanksgiving is a holiday when Americans go home – often travelling long distances -- to celebrate with their family and friends.  The Munich local TV station "München TV" watched the dinner preparations.
• Interesting facts about Thanksgiving

Benchmarking Success in Bavaria
November 6, 2008

Ambassador Timken presents the brochure Photo: Renate Zeschitz click to enlarge

Upon his final official visit to Munich and Bavaria U.S. Ambassador William R. Timken, Jr. delivered a speech at the Munich/Upper Bavarian Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK).  Addressing more than 200 IHK members and other guests he emphasized the strength of the Bavarian-American and German-American partnership.  "Millions of German – and American – families depend upon a strong bilateral relationship for their jobs, their standard of living and their economic well being. Because it is so seamless and varied this fact seems to be misunderstood and under-appreciated by our citizens on both sides of the Atlantic."  At this event Ambassador Timken also presented a report compiled by the U.S. Embassy: "German-American Partnership: Benchmarking Success".  This study confirms the close German-American economic ties and documents the depth of the investment, trade and financial connections between Germany and the United States.  After the Ambassador's speech the audience received the new "Benchmarking Success" brochure.

• "Bavaria’s strongest foreign trading partner is the United States": speech by Ambassador William R. Timken
• U.S.-Bavaria Ties
• "German-American Partnership: Benchmarking Success":
speeches and publications

Bavaria for Barack
November 4-5, 2008

Party guests with Obama cutout © Renate Zeschitz click to enlarge

Bavarians watched closely as Americans went to the polls to elect a new president.  Barack Obama will become the 44th president and the first African-American president of the United States. Barack Obama, a senator from Illinois, and his running mate Joe Biden will take the oath of office on January 20, 2009.  Winning the electoral votes of the battleground states has guaranteed Obama a comfortable majority of 349.  More than one thousand invited guests came to the election night party at the Munich Amerika Haus to take part in this historic night.  Many guests stayed until 6 a.m. The Munich election night party, full beyond capacity, was opened by US Consul General Eric Nelson who also appeared in several interviews with different Bavarian media outlets throughout the night. Bavarian Justice Minister Dr. Beate Merk represented the Bavarian government. The program included expert panel discussions moderated by Consul for Public Affairs Kathryn Crockart, live music by two bands, and constant news updates with analysis by local experts on American politics. 
• Photo Gallery
• "CNN und Popcorn":article in Süddeutsche.de
•  "München feiert Obama": article in Abendzeitung
 Election night party at Amerika Haus: BR/Südwild

Poetry Slam SRO
October 24, 2008

Danny Sherrard © Marianne Pidala click to enlarge

A standing room only and sit-on-the-floor-audience of more than 200 people cheered the poetry slam performers from Germany and the World Champion from the U.S., Danny Sherrard, in a performance at the Munich Central Public Library.  Danny Sherrard is the 2007 Individual National Poetry Slam champion.  He is the youngest person in the history of the National Poetry Slam to win this title.  He has been on the Seattle National Slam team two years in a row and is also the youngest person to do that.  This last April he was flown to Paris for the French Poetry World Cup where Sherrard took a sweeping 1st place.  In the event, organized by the Munich Central Library in cooperation with the U.S. Consulate General and the poetry slam managers Rayl Patzak and Ko Bylanzky, Danny Sherrard shared the stage with German slammers Volker Strübing (Berlin), Pauline Füg (Eichstätt), Philipp "Scharri" Scharrenberg (Stuttgart) and Bumillo (Munich).  The program, overwhelmed by a stunningly high turnout, also included an art and prize-winning books donation to the Munich Central Library which tied into the nation-wide initiative "Deutschland liest" ("Germany reads") and was presented by Acting US Consul General Kathryn Crockart. 
•  See the champions perform! 

Digital Campaign Watch
October 7-8, 2008

Consul General Nelson opens the conference © Marianne Pidala click to enlarge

During a two-day conference organized by the Munich U.S. Consulate General at Bavarian Broadcasting headquarters and the Munich Amerika Haus, over 120 participants took a close look at the role the new media play both in the campaigns of presidential hopefuls and within the journalistic profession.  YouTube, blogs and online fundraising have fundamentally altered the ways in which journalists cover and candidates run campaigns.  The World Wide Web represents a turning point in election history not unlike the advent of television in the 1950s.  Jennifer Skalka, editor of Hotline on Call, National Journal’s political reporting blog, and Klaus Kastan, Bavarian Broadcasting correspondent in Washington, answered questions from the Munich audience in a Digital Video Conference at the Foreign Press Center in Washington.  Conference participants chimed in by blogging at the conference site.  Professor David D. Perlmutter, Professor at the William Allen White School of Journalism & Mass Communications, University of Kansas, presented an overview of the new media landscape in campaign 2008.  David Goldfield, Robert Lee Bailey Professor of History, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, spoke about the impact of race, immigration and religion in the campaign 2008.
• Photo Gallery
• Consul General Nelson's opening remarks
• Professor Perlmutter's web chat transcript

Consul General Eric Nelson hosted the annual Iftaar dinner at his residence for guests from Muslim and other religious communities.  Also invited were representatives from intercultural groups, city politics and the media.  In his remarks, Consul General Nelson underscored the importance of building intercultural bridges on the occasion of Ramadan.
The photo shows from left to right: Bishop Dr. Johannes Friedrich, Imam Sidigullah Fadai, Consul General Eric Nelson, Imam Metin Avci and Imam Benjamin Idriz

• "Verbundenheit der USA mit den Moslems": article in Abendzeitung
• "Eine Geste, die verblüfft": article in Münchner Merkur
• "Breitere Brücken": article in Süddeutsche Zeitung

Open House for American Citizens
September 14, 2008

Guests registering © Marianne Pidala click to enlarge

In honor of the 50th birthday of the American consulate’s building, Consul General Eric Nelson invited all American citizens and their families living in Bavaria to the annual American Citizen Information Day at the American Consulate General on Königinstraße.  Representatives from the Consulate and services such as Social Security, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service, the Internal Revenue Service, Voter Registration and the local Ausländeramt (local foreigner office) answered questions and provided information about living in Bavaria.  Other partner organization exhibitors were the Entity Theatre Group, the American German Business Club and the Association of American University and Professional Women.  More than 350 guests attended the event.  The computers were constantly occupied with guests registering for ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization) or the U.S. citizen registry. 

Architect’s Family Makes First Appearance at the U.S. Consulate
September 14, 2008

The Rufs at the consulate © Marianne Pidala click to enlarge

On the day of Open Historical Sites (Tag des offenen Denkmals) more than 70 architecture experts and buffs celebrated the 50th birthday of the U.S. Consulate General in Munich.  It was designed by Sep Ruf and has become a landmark as one of his most prominent Munich buildings.  Sep Ruf (1908-1982) was one of Germany’s most acclaimed architects.  Consul General Eric Nelson proudly welcomed members of the Sep Ruf family.  Irene Meissner, curator of the Sep Ruf exhibition at the Pinakothek der Moderne, gave an insightful lecture about the architect and the history of the building.  Guests also enjoyed a display depicting 50 years of Bavarian-American ties and a video of our new embassy celebrations in Berlin.    

The Russia-Georgia Conflict
August 21, 2008

Interview with Consul Nelson  © Renate Zeschitz click to enlarge

Munich Consul General Eric Nelson conducted an exclusive interview on the Russia-Georgia conflict with regional daily newspaper Münchner Merkur.  The interview focused on U.S. humanitarian assistance to Georgia, Russian compliance with the ceasefire and the fact that U.S. missile defense in Poland was not a threat to Russia.  "We need Russia as a partner, not as an adversary. But we want a reliable partner", stressed Consul General Nelson and emphasized that U.S. humanitarian aid and emergency relief in the form of medication, food and tents will continue to prevent a catastrophe.  To date, the U.S. Government has provided more than $21.5 million in humanitarian aid and emergency relief supplies to the Georgian people.

• "We are concentrating on humanitarian aid to Georgia": Interview in Münchner Merkur
• U.S. Official statements on Georgia

Middle Franconia Revisited
July 24, 2008

Bookmarking "America.gov"  © Willi Meier click to enlarge

The Albert Schweitzer Gymnasium in Erlangen, Middle Franconia, welcomed Consul General Eric Nelson for a talk on the upcoming U.S. election.  In the Q&A following the lecture, Consul General Nelson briefed 90 students and their teachers and distributed information material. While in Middle Franconia, Consul General Nelson also met in Nuremberg with Dr. Albert Maximilian Schmid, President of the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees, the superior federal authority within the remit of the Federal Ministry of the Interior responsible for the promotion of integration.  The Consul General’s attendance at the Michael Schmidpeter Prize award ceremony presented to Bavarian high school students was followed by a visit to Court Room 600, where on November 20, 1945, the trial of the main World War II war criminals began. The courtroom in the Nuremberg Palace of Justice had been specially converted for this purpose. The verdicts in the International Tribunal set a milestone in the history of international law. 

Bionade Goes Midwest
July 15, 2008

"How about a sister city in Iowa?" © Thomas Staschiok click to enlarg

Consul General Eric Nelson (front row, left) visited German Parliamentarian Dorothee Bär (third from right) in her electoral district in Lower Franconia.  A former exchange student in the U.S., Dorothee Bär joined the Consul General at Frobenius Gymnasium to promote student exchanges.  The Consul General gave a multi-media presentation and Q&A on the U.S. elections to 150 students. Both Dorothee Bär and Consul General Nelson emphasized the life-changing experience of study time spent abroad.  Later Bär and Consul General Nelson visited Ostheim vor der Rhön, the home of Bionade, a brewed, non-alcoholic, organic drink that has already won considerable market share in Germany and is now entering into a partnership for a green fields investment in bottling and distribution facilities to open in Amana, Iowa in 2010.  The Consul General encouraged Ostheim’s mayor Ulrich Waldsachs (front row right) to pursue a sister city relationship with Amana.
•  "Bionade und das Abenteuer Amerika": article in Mainpost

Abundance of Celebrations
July 8, 2008

The Consul General explains the exhibit. © Marianne Pidalà click to enlarge

The Munich Consulate General had plenty to celebrate July 8.  In addition to the 232nd anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, about 700 guests came to the consulate to mark the opening of the new U.S. Embassy on Berlin’s Pariser Platz.  The consulate is also marking the 50th anniversary of our consulate building on Königinstrasse, which was officially dedicated on May 14, 1958.  The building, a prime example of 1950s architecture, was designed by renowned German architect Sep Ruf in collaboration with New York-based architectural firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill.  The first U.S. Consul was assigned to Munich in 1832. Since then the U.S. consulate occupied 23 different locations, but none as long as the current building across from the Englischer Garten.  During the celebration, Consul General Nelson (left) and Bavarian Justice Minister Beate Merk viewed a special display of pictures and clippings that covered 50 years of Bavarian-American relations.  If you have a photo or special anecdote to share for the exhibit, please contact ircmunich@state.gov.  Via three giant television screens, guests were also able to experience the July 4 grand opening celebration for the new embassy in Berlin which U.S. Ambassador Timken characterizes as a symbol of the enduring, deep commitment to Germany, the German people and the transatlantic alliance.
•  Photo Gallery
• "Die bayrisch-amerikanische Partnerschaft funktioniert prächtig": speech by Consul General Eric Nelson
• "Transatlantische Brücke weiter ausbauen": speech by Bavarian Justice Minister Beate Merk
• "Stürmische Feier mit korrekter Fahne": article in Süddeutsche Zeitung
• "Absolutely perfect": article in Münchner Merkur

More interest in exchanges to the U.S.
June 19, 2008

Consul General Nelson discusses with students © Thomas Schaller  click to enlarge

Consul General Eric Nelson joined Bavarian Justice Minister Beate Merk for a visit to Neu-Ulm.  In cooperation with the consulate public affairs section, Dr. Merk arranged the visit to her home town and the Christoph Probst Realschule.  The Consul General and Justice Minister Dr. Merk discussed integration challenges with school leaders and then talked about German-American ties, exchanges and elections in Bavaria and the U.S. with 40 students.  The information about exchanges spontaneously sparked interest among the students to spend some time in the U.S. as au pairs or as interns.  During the visit, the Consul General and Justice Minister Merk also met with the mayor of Neu Ulm, Gerold Noerenberg (CSU), who introduced major conversion projects transforming former military installations to modern housing, an innovative technology park and a brand new University of Applied Sciences to be inaugurated this August. 
• "Amerika muss man erleben": article in Südwest Presse
• "Consul General Eric Nelson impressed by conversion projects": article in Neu-Ulmer Zeitung

Alumni Networking with Special Guest Robert Kagan
June 11, 2008

Robert Kagan with MdB Christian Schmidt and Patricia Guy ©  Marianne Pidala click to enlarge

U.S. Consulate Munich welcomed some 55 former participants of U.S. governmental exchange programs to an evening of Alumni networking at Amerika Haus Munich.  Special guest of the evening was Robert Kagan, currently foreign policy advisor to Republican presidential candidate John McCain.  U.S. Consulate Public Affairs Officer Patricia Guy delivered opening remarks, welcoming - among others - German Parliamentarian Christian Schmidt and Bavarian Parliamentarian Alexander König.  Robert Kagan emphasized the growing importance of transatlantic exchange for mutual understanding and thanked the reception guests for their commitment.  The majority of guests also remained at Amerika Haus for the ensuing public presentation of Kagan's new book The Return of History and the End of Dreams.  Ably moderated by Stefan Kornelius, foreign policy editor of the Süddeutsche Zeitung, the book presentation drew an additional number of 100 to the Amerika Haus auditorium.

Film director Ann Seidl welcomes film aficionados © Renate Zeschitz click to enlarge

Librarian and writer/director Ann Seidl showed her film "The Hollywood Librarian" as a German première matinée to an enthusiastic audience of more than 80 librarians at the Munich city library.  The audience was a mixture of public librarians and academic librarians.  The film is an illuminating portrait of American librarians as they have been portrayed in the movies, juxtaposed with the real-life librarians, who are the gatekeepers of knowledge in an increasingly digital and globalizing world.  After the screening, Ann Seidl answered questions about the making of the film, her future projects and about the difference in reaction of European and U.S. audiences.  The screening, supported by the U.S. Consulate General Munich and the Munich Central City Library definitely struck a chord among the audience members and also provided a lot of insight in U.S. local politics and social life. 

• Washington Post article
• YouTube: About the film "The Hollywood Librarian"
• YouTube: Behind the scenes

Entrepreneurs of Tomorrow
May 28, 2008

Young entrepreneuer Merlin Greuel proudly presents his prize © FCS click to enlarge

Consul General Eric Nelson (right) and Principal Commercial Officer Isabella Cascarano supported the American German Business Club's (AGBC) Entrepreneurs of Tomorrow program.  The Consul General made remarks and showed a www.america.gov video on green entrepreneurship in the U.S. before presenting the first and second prize awards to the winning students.  The winning students and two AGBC executive members will travel to Berlin where the students will compete in AGBC's national Entrepreneurs of Tomorrow contest. They will meet U.S. Ambassador and Mrs. Timken and will participate in the U.S. Embassy's July 4th celebrations.   First prize went to Merlin M. Greuel (center) of Garmisch-Partenkirchen for his business plan T-Immune - New Immunotherapies for the Treatment of Cancer.  Second prize went to four students of the Unternehmergymnasium Bayern in Pfarrkirchen, Julian von Heydebrand, Almond Stoecker, Florian Feigl and Philipp Becker for their online gardening business plan BolaLex.de  
 •  Article: Green Entrepreneurship: No Risk, No Reward
 •  Article: Green Entrepreneurship, Better Business
   No Risk, No Reward
   Better Business

Godly sparks in Bavaria’s Most Beautiful Village
May 25, 2008

From left: Michael Lahr, Consul General Nelson and Gregorij von Leïtis © Willi Meier click to enlarge

"Elysium - Between two continents" is a transatlantic cultural exchange organization that was founded 25 years ago in New York.  "With our art we want to build bridges; we strive to bring people together so that they can experience and celebrate the richness of their own diversity." 
Elysium's Annual International Summer Academy fosters the artistic growth of young singers and expands their cultural horizons. Since the inception of the Summer Academy, scholarships have been granted every year to young talented artists. The organization found its European home in Bernried, a village on Lake Starnberg that was recently awarded the title of the "most beautiful village in Germany." In his speech at the festive anniversary ceremony Consul General Eric Nelson emphasized that cultural diplomacy is an important element in U.S. foreign policy.
• "Bavarian-American cultural ties are impressive": remarks by Consul General Eric Nelson
• "A fantastic way to help": article in Münchner Merkur

Invest In America
May 15, 2008

Aaron Brickman (left) with Sueddeutsche Zeitung reporter Janek Schmidt © Marianne Pidala click to enlarge

Aaron Brickman, Director of U.S. Department of Commerce’s "Invest in America" initiative, met with representatives of U.S. state offices and chambers of commerce during visit to Munich. Brickman coordinates the initiative through a network of Department of Commerce staff throughout the United States and the world. He also briefed Munich business contacts about the "Invest in America" program. During an exclusive interview with Sueddeutsche Zeitung, Brickman discussed foreign direct investments in the U.S. economy, the responsibilities of the Federal Government in promoting foreign investments, and the business friendly environment in the U.S.

Low in Franconia - high in Bavarian-American relations
May 7, 2008 

Consul General Nelson visits SRAM © Willi Meier click to enlarge

Consul General Eric Nelson visited Lower Franconia to speak about the U.S. elections and economy at the Würzburg-Schweinfurt chamber of commerce.  In a meeting with Schweinfurt community leaders supporting integration initiatives, the Consul General heard praise for American efforts to improve dialogue with Muslim communities. During his stay in Lower Franconia, Consul General Nelson also visited the companies SRAM and Horton.  These two U.S. firms are acquired spin-offs from Schweinfurt’s industrial giant Sachs.  SRAM produces bicycle components, Horton manufactures engine cooling systems. Both companies produce mainly for the European market and are engineering centers for their parent firms.
• Stars and Stripes in Lower Franconia: article in Mainpost

Bavarian-American Summit
April 29/30, 2008

Peter Ramsauer and Ambassador Timken (right) © Thomas Schaller click to enlarge

Ambassador Timken and Mrs. Sue Timken visited the chairman of the CSU Bundestag caucus, Dr. Peter Ramsauer, in his home district in southeast Bavaria.  The program included a tour of the Obersalzberg Documentation Center and the historical exhibit on its Nazi past, a luncheon with regional politicians, tourism experts and Bundeswehr officers, a press roundtable with the Ambassador and Dr. Ramsauer,  and a visit  to Hitler's "Eagle's Nest."  Ambassador Timken reinforced the importance of U.S. ties with this area since its liberation by U.S. forces in May 1945. He also addressed key issues, such as the opening of the new Embassy as a symbol for the strongest transatlantic ties ever, as well as U.S. climate initiatives and the continued need for close cooperation in the Afghanistan mission.
• Article: "Die US-Wirtschaft ist robust" 
• Press Release:"...derzeit die besten Beziehungen..."

NATO and Afghanistan – Challenges and Opportunities
April 23, 2008

John Koenig at Hanns Seidel Foundation ©  Thomas Schaller click to enlarge

Deputy Chief of Mission John Koenig was the sole guest on "Eins zu Eins: Der Talk", a 55-minute radio program on Bavarian Public Radio. The interview covered a range of topics including his biography, U.S. foreign policy, specifically issues like Afghanistan and NATO, U.S. elections, his experience in Germany, his former posts as a diplomat as well as the opening of the new U.S. Embassy in Berlin. He also delivered a speech on "NATO and Afghanistan – Challenges and Opportunities for the Transatlantic Community" at Hanns Seidel Foundation (HSS) during his visit to Munich.  For the speech, an overflow audience of 120 filled the main auditorium at HSS.

• "NATO: langfristiges Engagement für Sicherheit, Wiederaufbau und Entwicklung Afghanistans" 
Full text of speech 
•   Article in online journal Bayexna
  View interview
  View highlights of event
  Listen to interview

Enhancing Bavarian-American Cooperation
March 26-28, 2008

Bavarian Interior Minister  Herrmann (left) meets Deputy FBI Director John Pistole © FBI click to enlarge

Bavarian Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann (left) met Deputy FBI Director John Pistole at FBI headquarters in Washington during his first visit to the U.S. as Interior Minister.  Minister Herrmann also met with officials of the National Security Council, the National Counterterrorism Center, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the Central Intelligence Agency, and the Departments of Defense, Homeland Security, Justice, and State.  Minister Herrmann received briefings on U.S. law enforcement and intelligence programs, including areas for possible enhanced cooperation between Bavarian and the U.S. authorities. He also gave a speech at the German Marshall Fund in Washington on immigration and integration. 

the Wedding Miracle
March 14, 2008

Mrs. Sue Timken on stage with the cast         © Dr. Nina Gartz click to enlarge

It all began with a dream.  U.S. Ambassador William R. Timken and his wife Sue collaborated with PluralArts and the Ernst-Schering Oberschule in the Berlin district Wedding to bring to the stage a multilingual musical production developed and performed by students of the Ernst-Schering Oberschule.  The musical features a wide variety of musical and dance styles and is a lively examination of life in Wedding as seen through the eyes of its young residents.  Hailing from some 27 countries, approximately 80 percent of the participants in the musical are of non-German heritage.  After the overwhelming success of the musical in Berlin, the German Interior Ministry has approved funding to support a tour of the musical throughout Germany.  On March 14, The Streets of Wedding was performed in Nuremberg in cooperation with the German-American Institute.
• Article in "Nürnberger Zeitung"
• Flip through the photos of the Berlin performance
• Read Handelsblatt article about the musical (English translation)
Watch a video

Politics at the Speed of Light
March 14, 2008

Monitoring incoming questions © Marianne Pidala click to enlarge

In cooperation with the Bavarian Journalism Association (BJV), the Public Affairs Section of the Munich consulate hosted a seminar on the U.S. elections for an overflow audience of 30 journalists at the Consulate.  The event featured a webinar, a web seminar supported by State Department’s Bureau of International Information Programs in Washington that allowed participation outside of the Consulate.  The program included remarks by Consul General Eric Nelson, a presentation by Embassy Information Resource Officer Sheila Weir; tools and tips for media professionals by the staff of the Information Resource Center; and a presentation/webinar by university professor Dr. Jeremy Mayer on "Politics at the Speed of Light."  The conference provided an active group of media professionals ranging from print, TV and radio journalists to bloggers with a unique and highly appreciated package of practical and analytical information on new media and the U.S. elections.  The webinar, a double premiere for the BJV and the U.S. consulate, enabled online users to participate in the discussion and reflected the knack for new media trends in the U.S.

On The Path Of The White Gold
February 25/26, 2008

Consul General Eric Nelson toured the Porcelain Road - a network of highways linking world-famous Bavarian porcelain manufacturers in the Upper Palatinate and Upper Franconia.   Stops en-route included porcelain companies Seltmann in Weiden and Rosenthal in Selb.  Both companies have subsidiaries in the USA.  While traveling on the Porcelain Road, Consul General Nelson also met with the mayor of Selb, Wolfgang Kreil, and signed the golden book of Selb.  He also stopped by TRW Engineered Fasteners & Components in Selb, a U.S. company with several subsidiaries in Germany, for talks with the management and a tour of the facilities. 

• Article in "Neuer Tag"
• "Neuer Tag" coverage of visit to Seltmann
• Article in "Frankenpost"

44th Munich Conference on Security Policy
February 8-10, 2008

"If we are willing to stand together, we can prevail.  It will not be quick, and it will not be easy – but it can be done," said Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates in his speech at the 44th Munich Conference on Security Policy talking about the challenges the NATO member countries are facing. The Conference was held in Munich from  February 8-10, 2008.  Munich again welcomed top-ranking politicians and experts in foreign and security policy from all over the world. Around 250 participants featuring about 30 foreign and defense ministers debated the issues of "World in Disarray - Shifting Powers - Lack of Strategies". Around 40 ministers and three presidents  attended the conference.  Altogether, 250 delegates from 50 countries had come to the Bavarian capital for the event. The U.S. delegation was led by Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, the U.S. congressional delegation by Senator Joe Lieberman.

• Photo Gallery
• Department of Defense Photo Essay
• Remarks by US Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates (official version with Q&A)
• Want to know more?
• Official conference website

Super Tuesday Ante Portas
January 22, 2008
The Public Affairs Section of the Munich consulate hosted a discussion program on the U.S. elections with Christoph von Marschall, U.S. correspondent of Berlin daily Tagesspiegel, at Amerika Haus in cooperation with the Bavarian-American Center, the Munich Press Club and Orell Füssli publishing company.  Public Affairs Officer Pat Guy (left) emphasized the strength of the democratic process in the U.S. when introducing von Marschall who relayed his first-hand experience as a reporter covering Iowa and New Hampshire, and introduced his book on Barack Obama, subtitled "The Black Kennedy."  The event reinforced the vitality of the U.S. democratic process and the federal system to an audience of over 100 including reporters from several newspapers.

"What does a Regional Security Officer do?"
January 10, 2008

from left to right: Teacher Peter Pavlas, Regional Security Officer Paul Houston, students.

Munich's Regional Security Officer Paul Houston traveled to Upper Palatinate to inform students of Parsberg Highschool about the responsibilities and procedures of the Diplomatic Security Service.  As a neighboring community of US Army Garrison Hohenfels, Parsberg is naturally interested in establishing and maintaining good relations with American contacts. Some 60 students and teachers were captivated by Houston's poised performance.  Regional Security Officer Paul Houston answered questions ranging from personal (how do you combine family and job?) to professional (what prerequisites are there for becoming a Regional Security Officer?).  The school received a wide array of learning materials about the USA.  As a pilot project, the students were also surveyed on their prior exposure to America and Americans, their attitudes towards U.S. foreign policy, and their use of media, both new and old. 

Winter Clothes for Afghan Kids
January 2008
The first items out of a large shipment of childrens’ clothes donated by American Consulate General Munich staff were disseminated among needy kids in the southern Afghan province of Zabul.  The donation was a joint consulate staff effort that had initially aimed for 3 boxes, but ended up with overwhelming 10 boxes.  Humanitarian assistance achieves two important objectives:  It relieves the distress of the Afghan population and it enhances the U.S. army’s confidence-building efforts among the Afghan population, thus laying the groundwork for lasting peace.