- Deutsch-Britische Gesellschaft

The newsletter for members of
the British-German Association
Autumn 2006 / Vol 23 / No 6
The Heidelberg Club International
plays host to the BGA
See page 4
Chairman’s message by Christoph Urban
S
ince Oscar Wilde once said
‘Only dull people are brilliant at
breakfast’, I’d better not
suggest that I’m at my best
over a plateful of bacon and eggs. But
I will admit to finding it an excellent
time of the day to have meetings.
Every so often I get together for a
breakfast meeting with the German
Ambassador to the UK, who is also of
course a patron of the British-German
Association. I met with Wolfgang Ischinger
a few weeks ago in September, and as
usual I took the chance to update him on
future events we’re planning and to
discuss our strategy.
We both very much agree that the most
important focus for the BGA is building
cultural understanding between our two
nations. While other Anglo-German
Inside this issue
■ Heidelberg
■ 60th
Club International
■ Bach’s
choir comes to LBS’s Diamond Jubilee
anniversary of North Rhine-Westphalia
■ Young
Königswinter Alumni Conference
■ Three
■ Around
World Cups and a Pope
the regions
organisations concentrate much of their
energy, for example, on facilitating trade
links or providing marketing expertise, the
strength of the BGA, as I often say, is in
helping people to make the cultural journey
from one country to another.
How does doing business in Germany
differ from doing business in Britain?
What are the common myths and
■ Continued on page 2
Zeitgeist
The newsletter for members of the British-German Association
■ From the BGA Chairman / Christoph Urban Continued from page 1
misconceptions? What differences do
people find in the workplace? How do
management styles differ? What is it
hardest to adjust to? What’s refreshingly
different? How do you settle quickly in a
new country? And what are the hidden
meanings that sit behind the language
people use?
As a result of our conversation, we are
considering next year jointly organising two
evening events, held at the Embassy, to
facilitate this sharing of cultural intelligence.
The Embassy could for example talk about
topical issues in British-German relations,
while the BGA and business leaders could
share their first-hand experiences of what
it’s like doing business in different cultural
environments.
Our speakers might include the heads
of British companies who have been
taken over by a German company, and
Germans who head up a German or
British owned company in the UK: people
with real knowledge to impart. It would be
especially good to invite as many young
business leaders as possible - people
who perhaps are yet to have an
international secondment but who, when
they do, want to better prepare
themselves for the ‘culture shock’ that so
often happens when we underestimate
the importance of cultural fit. Everyone
I’ve spoken to so far is excited about the
idea and believes it has real potential.
Events such as these would be an
excellent forum for knowledge sharing and
discussion and, as an added bonus, I
believe they would attract more corporate
members to the BGA. Corporate members
are important to our growth, and of course
they are made up of individuals who may
well experience this culture shock. The
more of them take part in BGA events,
the more we will help to build cultural
understanding.
We have a programme of events
running throughout the year for
individual members which is very
varied. In the summer we ran a
highly successful Parliamentary
Day, for example, which included a
tour of the House of Lords and a
luncheon address by an MP. We’ve
also recently organised, as one of our
architecture-themed events, a lecture
by Spencer de Grey, the Chairman of
the Building Centre Trust and Deputy
Chairman of Foster and Partners, the
company behind many landmark
buildings including the famous ‘Gherkin’
office tower in the City of London. Most
recently, in co-operation with Chatham
House, one of the world’s leading
organisations for the analysis of
international issues, we held our
second Sir Nigel Bagnall lecture,
entitled ‘European Military Capability:
Fantasy or Reality?’, which prompted a
stimulating discussion on the
development of Europe. We plan to jointly
host these lectures with Chatham House
every two years, and will undoubtedly
look for more opportunities to team up
with other organisations for the benefit of
BGA members.
Coming up later this month is our
networking conference, held this year in
Portsmouth, which will include a talk on the
redevelopment of Duisburg Harbour at the
city’s Spinnaker Tower, the tallest public
viewing tower in the UK. The week before,
our royal patron, HRH The Duke of Kent,
will open the British-German Friendship
Garden at the National Memorial Arboretum
in Alrewas, Staffordshire on behalf of the
BGA and The Dresden Trust.
While other Anglo-German organisations
concentrate much of their energy, for
example, on facilitating trade links or
providing marketing expertise, the strength
of the BGA, as I often say, is in helping
people to make the cultural journey from
one country to another.
2
We get very positive feedback from the
people who support our events, but how
about those members who haven’t yet
come along to one? I had a letter recently
from a BGA member who lives in
Leicester. She wasn’t, as the British say,
pulling any punches: she made plain that
she believes the BGA should do far more
to organise events outside London that
are accessible to a much wider audience.
I agree: we should. The challenge is
how. The BGA relies of course on
volunteers who generously give up their
free time to arrange events. Regional
events won’t organise themselves: they
will need the active involvement of BGA
members around the UK. So if you have
ideas for different events the BGA could
run, and especially if you have the time to
help arrange them, then do please email
or write to the BGA.
Soon we’ll have ‘message boards’ on
our website, enabling all our members to
share their thoughts on topics such as
this. Message boards are a powerful tool
for stimulating dialogue because they give
everyone with internet access a voice.
They are a perfect platform for
exchanging cultural experiences and
Message boards
are a powerful tool
for stimulating
dialogue because
they give everyone
with internet
access a voice.
They are a perfect
platform for
exchanging cultural
experiences and
especially appeal
to young people,
who of course
we’re keen to
attract to the BGA.
Dear Readers,
In this issue of Zeitgeist, we examine two areas that are at the
core of the activities of the British-German Association, namely
the Young Königswinter network and our sister organisation
the German-British Society. Dr. Jocasta Gardner writes about
the latest Young Königswinter Alumni meeting in Istanbul,
which was another successful coming together of participants
of the Young Königswinter conferences. Peter Brock of
Trinkaus (HSBC) and Chairman of the Düsseldorf GermanBritish Society writes about the activities of the branch which is
twinned with Reading and about the celebrations around the
60th anniversary of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia.
We also have articles about the Bach week and the BGA visit
to Heidelberg. In previous issues of Zeitgeist we have talked
about the BGA’s commitment to engage more with its regional
affiliates, and we invite you to write articles about your branch
history and activities. Rachel Owen from Bayer, has started a
section called “Around the Regions”. We also have an article
from the German Comedy Ambassador Henning Wehn who
especially appeal to young people, who of
course we’re keen to attract to the BGA.
As David Cameron has shown with the
launch of his own webcam, embracing
new technology is all important if we want
to reach as wide an audience as possible.
Not so long ago I came across a
message board on the BBC’s website
where people were discussing one of
Germany’s best-known cultural exports,
Heimat, a television series that follows a
group of characters from 1919 to the
present day. To my surprise, former
German Ambassador Thomas Matussek
was one of those who’d posted up his
thoughts! I hope you, as well as German
Ambassadors past and present, will soon
be sharing your views on our own BGA
message board.
In addition to the message boards,
we’re also starting to webcast via the
website. This will mean that everyone
can watch video on the site. The first
webcast features an interview I have given
talking about the work of the BGA and
our future plans. Do take a look at it. We
hope to have a regular series of webcasts
in the future, covering topical issues and
guest interviews.
brings his own particular assessment of Anglo-German
relations. Henning Wehn has been a close observer of
English/German relations during the World Cup and has
had very successful appearances at the Edinburgh Festival
this year.
editorial
Autumn 2006 / Vol 23 / No 6
Headlines on British and German politics have been largely
focused on domestic issues recently, centred in the UK around
the succession to Prime Minister Tony Blair, while in Germany
Chancellor Angela Merkel is increasingly coming under
pressure as the unfortunate constellation of a grand coalition is
paralysing any attempt of reform policy in the country. A view is
emerging that the coalition may not last much beyond the
Germany EU presidency in the first half of next year.
In the meantime, Christmas decorations have already claimed
their space on shelves in our local supermarkets. Far too early,
many of you may agree – but they also function as a useful
reminder to all friends of the BGA that preparations for our
annual Nutcracker Ball are well under way. It is the major
fundraising event for the Youth Bridge project and we hope to
welcome as many supporters as possible on 15th November.
Professor John Ryan
3
Zeitgeist
The newsletter for members of the British-German Association
Heidelberg Club Inter
The Heidelberg
Club International
(HCI) joined the
BGA as a corporate
member in 2004.
The BGA is very
proud to count the
Club among its
members. For those
of you who don’t
know HCI please
read on.
The Heidelberg Club International
was founded in 1976. It seeks to promote
world wide co-operation and networking
in many fields including academia,
commerce, the environment, medicine
and tourism. Heidelberg is a truly
international city, which is committed to
fostering the promotion of international
understanding.
area and agriculture in South America.
(for more information please contact: Prof.
David Goode, e-mail: davidgoode@
vandoncourt.freeserve.co.uk)
■
Video Conferences
■
The Life Science Project
■
Partnership with Cambridge University
■
The Gerontology Award (for more
information please contact: Rodney
Punkt, e-mail: rodruth@adelphia.net)
■
School exchanges. The KurfürstFriedrich-Gymnasium, founded in 1546
by the Elector Friedrich II, has recently
joined the BGA’s Youthbridge Scheme
(for more information please contact:
Ute Wegener, e-mail:
u.wegener@btinternet.com)
■
Heidelberg Tourism
Beate Weber, Lady Mayor of Heidelberg
and President of the HCI, writes:
The Heidelberg Technology
Park, founded in 1985, is a science
park and centre of Life Sciences.
Located close to the University of
Heidelberg and to international
research institutes
[for example: Deutsches
Krebsforschungszentrum (DKFZ),
European Molecular Biology
Laboratory (EMBL), Max-PlanckInstitut, Zentrum für Molekulare
Biologie Heidelberg (ZMBH)].
http://www.technologieparkheidelberg.de/
‘Heidelberg has outstanding
competence of international
significance in the fields of
biotechnology, information
technology and scientific
publication, environmental
strategies and management,
sustainable tourism and modern
service-oriented municipal
administration. In the spirit of
global understanding and
exchange, Heidelberg offers to
share this expert know-how in
projects of international
collaboration.’
In this spirit, the Heidelberg Club
International runs
■ The Environmental Award, which is the
high profile Heidelberg Award for
Environmental Excellence with
international status. Since its inception in
1996 the fields covered have included
marine life in the South Atlantic,
environmental protection in the London
4
For all other information please call
John Parkes on 01932 248262,
or David Williams on 01285 885241,
e-mail: DMStaddle@aol.com
How did the Club come about?
As Heidelberg was virtually undamaged
during World War II, it got an early start on
post-war tourism in Germany. It was
mostly Americans who were choosing
Heidelberg as their ‘must see’ destination.
Its setting is as beautiful as it is
dramatic as it lies on the lovely river
Neckar looking up in awe to the medieval
castle towering over it.
In 1976, Nils Krösen, newly appointed
manager of the Heidelberg Tourist
Autumn 2006 / Vol 23 / No 6
national
Association, together with the then Mayor,
Reinhold Zundel, who had established
close personal contacts to some of these
tourists, were encouraged to found a Club
to further tourism. Hermann Kruger, of the
German National Tourist Office in New
York, thought that this was a brilliant idea
and together they founded the Club in
New York City in May 1976. It was called
The Heidelberg Prince Club. The
name pertained to The Student Prince,
a romantic and melodramatic operetta
written for the Americans by Sigmund
Romberg in 1924, and since then
forever associated with Heidelberg and
its romantic aura.
The Club enjoyed immediate and
continuing success, and new members
were soon recruited. There were no
membership fees, the City of Heidelberg
being a generous sponsor.
In the 1980s, upon the election of Beate
Weber as Mayor of Heidelberg, the Club’s
name was formally changed to the
Heidelberg Club International. This
reflected better the significant expansion the
Club had enjoyed all over the world, as
there was by then an HCI located in
Heidelberg, London, Paris, Chicago, Los
Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Tokyo,
by Ute Wegener
Seoul, Beijing and New Delhi, with Mayor
Beate Weber of Heidelberg being President.
Under Beate Weber’s Presidency the
Club’s objectives were vastly extended to
reflect the increasing importance of
Heidelberg’s academic, scientific,
technological and environmental disciplines
which mirrors the city’s industries,
employment and activities (see above).
Tourism remained of course a vital activity.
Tourists to Heidelberg today are still as
enchanted as the Americans were and
everyone else who saw it. The Heidelberg
Romantics, such as Ludwig Achim von
Arnim (Des Knaben Wunderhorn), 1805-08,
Clemens Brentano, Caspar David Friedrich
and Goethe among others, left ample proof
of this. Clemens Brentano for instance
composed the Song of a Student’s Arrival
in Heidelberg (“Der Neckar rauscht aus
grünen Hallen / Und giebt am Fels ein
freudig Schallen,...”).
It is not surprising then that in 1924, it
had inspired Sigmund Romberg to write his
romantic and melodramatic operetta The
Student Prince as mentioned before. It is
still being performed every year in the
castle courtyard.
It describes the love-struck, noble
Prince of Karlsberg’s time at Heidelberg
Many tourists
now like to follow
"In the Footsteps
of Mark Twain",
a path through
the town set up
by Heidelberg's
Convention
and Visitors
Bureau last
year to celebrate
the 125th
anniversary of
his sojourn here,
because part of
his famous book
A Tramp Abroad
is set in
Heidelberg.
5
Zeitgeist
The newsletter for members of the British-German Association
University, who falls
madly in love with
Kathie, the
innkeeper’s daughter.
But when his father dies
he is called back to Karlsberg to the
throne. Having been coronated King, he
faces the reality of having to marry for
political reasons. But the audience knows
that his true love will always be Kathie. A
truly tragic romance!
The BGA together with David Williams
of HCI organised a trip to Heidelberg from
Wednesday 2 to Saturday 5 August.
Therefore let’s quickly look at the castle’s
history:
■ In 1196 there seems to be the first
authentic record of the town of
Heidelberg
■
The Wittelbachers take hold in 1214
under Duke Ludwig I of Bavaria.
■
In 1400 the first German king, Ruprecht I
von der Pfalz, built the oldest still
recognizable part of the Castle, the
Ruprecht Building and founded the
University
■
Martin Luther, held a disputation in 1518
in Heidelberg
■
Friedrich V who through his marriage to
the English princess Elizabeth, became
the son-in-law of King James I of
England, added great splendour
■
Karl Theodor, art-loving baroque prince,
erected Schwetzingen between 17421779 and renovated extensively the
castle.
■
Today, the castle hall is used for
festivities, e.g. dinner banquets, balls and
theatre performances. During the
Heidelberg Castle Festival in the summer,
the courtyard is the site of open air
musicals, operas, theatre performances
and classical concerts performed by the
Heidelberg City Orchestra. ■
Stop Press
In view of her service to BritishGerman relations during her
long mayoralty and before, the
BGA is to offer Beate Weber its
Medal of Honour. Details of the
Presentation Ceremony will be
announced later.
6
Robert Woodthorpe Browne reports
In early August, a group of 14 BGA members travelled to Heidelberg, led by
BGA Hon. Secretary Robert Woodthorpe Browne. The trip was organised
by the BGA Office with considerable input from David Williams of the
Heidelberg Club, who sadly could not join us.
We were made particularly
welcome by the
Municipality, who organised
an excellent guided walking
tour of the Altstadt and
a reception hosted by
Oberbügermeisterin
Beate Weber. This reception
preceded an amusing
ceremony on the Old Bridge
(pictured) when the Mayor and a corpulent actor representing the Prince
Elector who had built the bridge unveiled his restored statue.
The timing of the trip was to coincide
with the Schlossfest, and the first
evening was spent dining in the
market square followed by a
performance of The Student Prince,
in English, in the fairytale setting of
the Castle Yard, complete with arrival
of the “Prince” in a horse-drawn
carriage. The Stadtorchester with its
famous young conductor was
excellent, and some of the singers
were very good, although some of
the simpering “maidens” would have
been entitled to a pensioners pass
had they lived in London. A real trip
down memory lane for some of us
who had acted in the piece at school!
A trip outside Heidelberg to Schwetzingen, Germany’s Versailles, and its
Baroque and English gardens and on to the huge Romanesque church at
Speyer with its 12th century royal tombs, was a great experience. On the
last morning, we finished with a trip on the Neckar on a silent solarpowered boat - Mayor Livingstone should introduce these to the Thames.
I have been asked to organise an excursion next July to Bamberg, City of the
Prince Bishops. Anyone interested in joining should contact the BGA office.
Autumn 2006 / Vol 23 / No 6
Willkommen
Thomaner!
Bach’s choir comes to LBS’s Diamond Jubilee
F
orging links with the Bach
heritage in Leipzig has
always been a priority of
the London Bach Society
(LBS). Up until 1990 that
work had been a slow and tortuous
business in the divided Germany and
a task that was never directly
accomplished although LBS visits
were undertaken in 1964 and 1983.
Unification changed all that and has
since created golden opportunities
for organisations like the London
Bach Society to foster cultural
working relationships and shared
musical experience. One of these
is with the world-famous Leipzig
Thomanerchor, the boys’ choir
founded in 1212, whose UK debut
was hosted and promoted by the
London Bach Society in 1994. A
return appearance during the choir’s
2006 UK tour and the LBS Diamond
Jubilee celebrations took place on
Thursday 2 November.
Tickets for the Bachfest concerts 2006 are
available from 0207 222 1061 or online
www.sjss.org.uk
The Bachfest last performance will be on
19 November 2006.
The Bach heritage
The Thomanerchor boasts some illustrious
past Cantors but the most famous is J S
Bach whose musical provision of cantatas,
passions and motets remains central to the
repertoire today. JSB left his more lucrative
appointment at the Cöthen Court to
become Cantor at the Leipzig
Thomasschule in 1723, remaining in post
until his death in 1750. His duties included
the provision of music for the weekly
services at the four main city churches,
including St. Thomas’ where his remains
were reburied in the chancel in 1950 to
mark the 200th anniversary. Leipzig City
Council made the appointment, having
assumed the patronage of the
Thomasschule in 1539 when the
Reformation came to the city, a civic
responsibility that still prevails. In the 18th
century Bach’s choir is said to have been a
collection of ‘unruly’ boys of indifferent
standard, but that description is far removed
from the discipline and dedication that is
required to maintain the level of activity
today.
The contemporary Thomanerchor
numbers around eighty boys, aged 9-18
years, whose annual diary is full with weekly
services, recordings, concerts, domestic
and foreign tours. The present
Thomaskantor, Professor Georg Christoph
Biller, is a former Thomaner. He combines
his duties as Cantor with the role of an
Artistic Director of Bachfest Leipzig, the
city’s burgeoning international celebration of
the composer. The weekly services (Motette,
Fri/Sat and Gottesdienst, Sun) at St.
Thomas’ will contain an
appropriate Bach cantata and
often be complemented by a
motet or anthem by Cantors
from the past century. There
are the annual Christmas and
Passiontide Bach
performances to be given,
plus important musical
anniversaries to be reflected
to honour other venerated composers like
Mendelssohn and, most recently, Mozart for
example. It is a rich musical diet that is
enjoyed by parishioners and tourists alike,
devotees and newcomers who flock to St.
Thomas’ for the unique musical experiences
these performances afford.
Domestic life
Normal school work takes place during the
mornings and music for the punishing
annual schedule the choir undertakes has
to be learnt during the daily three-hour
rehearsal. If the need arises it is not
unusual for the choir to rehearse at
7.30am! Each chorister receives weekly
vocal tuition and instrumental lessons,
the results of which are presented at the
regular ‘Hausmusik’ gatherings for parents
and friends to listen to, for example,
keyboard miniatures or traditional partsongs performed by the boys. When voices
break the boys concerned take on other
duties for the duration, returning to their
singing usually within six months. Leisure
time and regular contact with parents and
home life is maintained throughout and the
friendly atmosphere is one of the most
attractive aspects of life in the Alumnat
(Boarding House).
LBS Bachfest
The Thomanerchor’s appearance as part
of the London Bach Society’s Diamond
Jubilee celebrations this autumn will be
with members of the Royal College of
Music Baroque Orchestra and the work
chosen for performance has
clear British-German historical
connections. Bach’s motet
‘Jesu, meine Freude’ BWV 227
is a substantial choral work
first performed at Leipzig
probably in the early to mid1730s. It was later to become
the first Bach choral work ever
to have been performed in
Britain, thanks to Samuel Wesley who
directed it on 3 June 1809 in the Hanover
Square Rooms. It was also the first Bach
work presented by the LBS at its inaugural
public concert on 2 June 1947. For the
60th anniversary of the London Bach
Society’s foundation (November 1946), I
thought it would be both appropriate and
exhilarating to listen to this much-loved
motet performed by the present-day
Thomanerchor, for whom Bach originally
composed the piece all those years ago. ■
Margaret Steinitz (Artistic Director)
7
Zeitgeist
The newsletter for members of the British-German Association
Operation Marriage
60th anniversary of North Rhine-Westphalia and the
Deutsch-Britische Gesellschaft Düsseldorf by Peter Brock
he federal state of North RhineWestphalia was founded 60
years ago by the British military
headquarter as published in the
ordinance No. 46 on 23 August 1946.
The so-called “Operation Marriage” a marriage that seemed less a case
of love at first sight than a matter of
necessity - united the former
provinces North Rhine and
Westphalia into the new Land North
Rhine-Westphalia (Lippe-Detmold
only joined later) and stated that its
capital will be Düsseldorf. Today, in
these days of commemoration, one
was reminded that North RhineWestphalia probably is the part of
Germany which is closest to Britain.
These were the words of Queen
Elizabeth II on the occasion of her
State Visit to Germany in 1965 and
more recently during her visit to
Düsseldorf in November 2004, when
the Queen was alluding to the
particularly close ties which have
since 1946 linked Britain as the
“mother” of North Rhine-Westphalia
with her “child”.
T
The history of North
Rhine-Westphalia
(NRW), which just
celebrated its 60th
anniversary on the
last weekend of
August, and the
regional branch
Düsseldorf of the
Deutsch-Britische
Gesellschaft / DBG
(“German-British
Society”) are closely
interlinked.
The inaugural session of the North RhineWestphalian government (the “Landtag
NRW”) took place on 2 October 1946
[under the British flag] in the Düsseldorf
Opera house at which the British Union
Jack was placed at the centre between the
Rhineland and Westphalia flags.
On the background of such close GermanBritish ties, the DBG aims to encourage and
support German-British exchange on a
social, political and business level. This is
achieved through the organisation of high-
profile annual conferences for decisionmakers from both countries (Königswinterand Young-Königswinter Conferences) as
well as by inviting British speakers to take
part in nationwide lecture programmes based
around 18 regional branches in Germany.
The DBG was
founded in
Düsseldorf in 1949
as an initiative of
Dame Lilo and
Hans Milchsack with support from Robert
Birley, the then Educational Adviser to the
British Military Government in Germany; in
order to improve Anglo-German relations
after the World War 2. A plaque at the
Carsch house (famous shopping centre) in
the old town pays tribute to its foundation.
The headoffice of the DBG was in Düsseldorf
for 33 years, followed by a move to Bonn in
1982 and finally to Berlin in 1998. The society
has around 2200 members today. For further
information please visit the informative
website: www.debrige.de
The Düsseldorf DBG branch today has some
190 members, over 300 interested parties on
the mailing list and is one of the largest
regional branches. Today around 300 British
companies with a combined turnover of
around €20bn and a total of above 40,000
employees are based in NRW. This is the
largest concentration of British firms in any
German state. These primarily Small and
Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are an important
economic and growth factor for the region
and underline the strong historical ties. Such
close proximity of the Düsseldorf branch to
British industry and also to the British Rhine
Army in Rheindalen and the British Consulate
General ensures a strong relationship with
British matters.
The regular venue for the events of the
Düsseldorf branch is the splendid main hall
of the Goethe-Museum in Schloss
Jägerhof. The programme of the society in
Düsseldorf spans from economic and
business matters to cultural and general
8
Autumn 2006 / Vol 23 / No 6
Book now for the
Nutcracker
Ball
society subjects sometimes in
cooperation with organisations like the
British Chamber of Commerce in
Germany (BCCG), the British Consulate,
the Industrieclub or the British Council
and Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre in
Neuss.
The Board of the DBG Düsseldorf consists
of Peter Brock (Chairman; Director at
HSBC Trinkaus & Burkhardt), Prof. Dr.
Albert-Rainer Glaap (Prof. emeritus of the
University of Düsseldorf), Peter
Schweinhage (formerly at Eon/Deminex Oil),
Prof. Dr. Theresa Seidel (Prof. at University
of Düsseldorf), Thomas Stein (auditor) and
the former executive secretary to the
society Dr. Barbara Suchy, who was
presented the MBE in 2004. Prof. Dr.
Wolfgang Mommsen (†) was honorary
chairman of the society. The current
executive secretary is Dr. Christel Jenkner, a
former teacher, who can be contacted at
Birkenweg 4, 40627 Düsseldorf, Tel: +49211-201560, Fax: +49-211-201522 or via
email: cjenkner@hotmail.com
Speakers included amongst others:
■ The British Consuls General Boyd
McCleary and Dr. Peter Tibber on their
departure from and arrival to Düsseldorf
■ Peter Clayton on the Seven Wonders of
the Ancient World
Anthony Cragg on international security
issues
■
■ Russel Jackson, Sam Dastor and Paul
Edmondson on various subjects about
Shakespeare
■
John Eidinow on political issues
■ Florian Schweitzer on Charles Dickens
and Museums in London
■ Adrian Lyons and Christian Wolmar on
railways
Anthony Beevor on his books Stalingrad
and The Fall of Berlin
■
■ And many others... including Lord
Watson of Richmond, Lord Brittan of
Spennithorne and Lord Hurd of Westwell.
The programme for the 4th quarter of
2006 is as follows:
Tuesday, 07.11.06
Reading: The Windsors. Glamour and
Tragedy of a near-to-normal family
Tom Levine
Wednesday, 29.11.06
British security policy - from the
Cold War to Iraq
Anthony Cragg
Having celebrated the 60th anniversary of
NRW just now, we are looking forward to
another 60th anniversary next year - the
town twinning of Reading and Düsseldorf.
Reading and Düsseldorf have had close
links since 1947, just after the end of the
Second World War - our friendship is one
of the oldest relationships between towns
anywhere in the world.
The DBG invites the members of the BGA
to come and visit NRW, Düsseldorf and
the DBG events. More generally, you are
also invited to a closer cooperation
between DBG and BGA regional
branches in the future, particularly the
exchange of speakers for anybody
interested to present matters British here
in Düsseldorf. ■
DEUTSCH-BRITISCHE
GESELLSCHAFT E.V.
ARBEITSKREIS DÜSSELDORF
Vorstand: Peter Brock
(Vorsitzender), Prof. Dr. AlbertRainer Glaap, Peter Schweinhage,
Prof. Dr. Therese Seidel, Thomas
Stein, Dr. Barbara Suchy
Geschäftsführung:
Dr. Christel Jenkner
Geschäftsstelle:
Birkenweg 4, 40627 Düsseldorf
Tel. (0211) 201560
Fax (0211) 201522
e-mail: cjenkner@hotmail.com
Grosvenor House
15th November
2006
The British-German
Association, together
with the GermanBritish Chamber of
Industry and
Commerce are staging
the annual Nutcracker
Ball at Grosvenor
House Hotel, Park Lane
on Wednesday
15th November.
This action-packed event always
attracts the cream of London’s society
and corporate guests who have a
shared interest in enhancing BritishGerman relations in academic, social
and commercial exchange.
If your British firm does business with
Germany, or your German firm does
business with Britain, you will want to
be there on the night rubbing shoulders
with like-minded guests. Your
participation not only guarantees a
fun-filled evening, but also helps to
fund the activities of the hosts and in
particular the Youthbridge programme
which encourages language learning in
British and German schools.
On the night, there will be dancing,
entertainment and fundraising preceded
by a champagne reception and 5-star
gourmet dinner.
Individual tickets are available at
£95 each and corporate tables are
available at £1,500 for 10 guests.
Simply telephone 020 7235 1922 for a
booking form, or download it from the
BGA website
www.britishgermanassociation.org
9
Zeitgeist
The newsletter for members of the British-German Association
Young Königswinter Alumni Conference,
Istanbul, 18-21 May 2006
Who are the Turks?
D
iscussion of topics of interest
to Britons and Germans at past
Königswinter Alumni
conferences almost invariably led to
discussion of Europe and the
question of whether Turkey should be
allowed to join the EU. Opinions
diverged so sharply that the Alumni
decided to debate the question on
site, so to speak, and with Turkish
input. Unlike in previous years,
therefore, the Alumni did not meet in
Berlin or Oxford, alongside the Senior
Königswinter Conference, but in
Istanbul. Our theme, ‘Who are the
Turks? Turkey’s Place in Europe’, was
addressed in three conference
sessions loosely grouped according
to the political, economic and
societal implications of Turkey’s bid
to join the EU. The fourth session
focused on the outsider’s perspective
into Turkey.
Following an opening reception at the
British Consulate General and dinner at the
Istanbul Museum of Modern Art, our first
speaker took us straight to the heart of the
debate by arguing that the EU and Turkey
both stand to benefit from Turkey’s
accession. The EU offers Turkey good
economic prospects and a basis for
strengthening democracy, whilst Turkish
membership offers the EU the opportunity
to realise its dream of creating a society
that embraces diverse civilisations and
promotes peace, tolerance and
understanding.
Our first conference session analysed
some of the ‘Political and security aspects
of Turkey’s bid to join the EU’. At present
arguments against Turkey’s bid to join the
EU seem to focus on its location, size,
religion and culture, none of which can be
expected to change. Different perspectives
were highlighted in response: for example,
some argue that the religion of the majority
of Turks should lead to the country’s
exclusion from the EU, yet it must be
10
remembered that not all citizens of the EU
share the same Christian heritage, let alone
its practice; indeed the EU already counts
10-15 million Muslims amongst its citizens.
Discussion emphasised that the EU and
Turkey have a number of problems in
common. In both cases, citizens’
perceptions of the other will determine the
outcome of Turkey’s bid. At least 50% of
EU citizens are undecided about Turkish
membership and only a minority are openly
in favour. Not all Turks want to join the EU.
If it wishes to join the EU therefore, the
Turkish government needs to change
opinions at home and abroad. If the EU
wants Turkey as a member, it must be
seen to apply the same yardsticks to
Turkey as it does to other applicant
countries. Applying different yardsticks, or,
worse, yardsticks which keep being
changed, is not conducive to reforms in
Turkey and has reduced the Turks’
enthusiasm for joining the EU.
If security is to be achieved through
stability, an EU which included Turkey
would lead to a ‘Europeanised’ Middle
East, i.e. a more stable, prosperous and
democratic region. Europe is admired and
wanted in the Middle East, it was argued,
unlike the United States following its
perceived failures in the region. The idea of
Turkey as a Trojan horse for the United
States in Europe was dismissed as absurd
(L-R) Dr Jocasta Gardner with the British
Consul-General, Barbara Hay, at the opening
reception at Pera House
Autumn 2006 / Vol 23 / No 6
Turkey’s Place in Europe
in light of the deterioration in Turkish-US
relations following the Iraq war.
Our second conference session
addressed ‘Economic and financial aspects
of Turkey’s bid to join the EU’. From an
economic perspective, it was contended,
there are strong arguments in favour of
Turkey’s bid to join the EU: Turkey is a huge
market; it has a young workforce, which
most of the rest of Europe lacks; and
Turkish membership will offer stability to the
region. Clearly Turkey needs to meet the
standards of the acquis communautaire but
the process of taking down barriers to
membership, which began in October
2005, should continue.
Turkey’s economic output is still relatively
small compared to the EU as a whole. Its
large current account deficit and very low
Bülent Eczacibasi, Eczacibasi Group/TÜSIAD,
addressing conference participants on Thursday
evening at the Istanbul Museum of Modern Art
savings rate (21% of GDP compared with
China’s 44%), as well as the size of its
informal economy (estimated at 30% of
GDP), make it unattractive to foreign
investors. Nonetheless, foreign direct
investment in Turkey increased threefold
between the start of formal accession
negotiations in 2004 and 2005. Turkey, it
was argued, should therefore take
advantage of the EU accession process as
an anchor for the reforms needed to
strengthen its economy.
Session III focused on the ‘Implications
of Turkey’s bid to join the EU on Turkish
society, minorities and human rights’. The
unequal relationship between the state and
the individual in Turkey, in which the state is
omnipotent and unaccountable, combined
with the Kemalist idea that Turkey is one
nation, with one language and culture, were
identified as being at the heart of Turkey’s
struggle to introduce human rights reform.
Both are only being challenged now that EU
accession talks have formally begun. For its
membership bid to succeed, the
government has to grant the country’s nonTurkish and non-Muslim citizens the rights
that it has long denied them and to quash
opposition to this process from within the
Turkish state. Such opposition, called “deep
state” by Turks, includes many local
prosecutors and has powerful supporters in
the bureaucracy and army. (A recent
example of “deep state” opposition is the
indictment of Orhan Pamuk in 2005 for
telling a Swiss newspaper “30,000 Kurds
and a million Armenians were killed in these
lands”.) However, it was stressed that
Turkey’s eligibility for EU membership
should be judged not on the shortcomings
of its human rights record to date but rather
on the basis of the progress made so far.
Turkey’s bid to join the EU should be
encouraged at all costs precisely in
Conference participants at the opening
reception at Pera House
Talk by Nilgün Cerrahoglu, Cumhuriyet,
Saturday lunchtime
Session I with (L-R) Prof. Hüseyin Bagci, Prof.
Ahmet Evin, Sebastian Gerlach, Deniz Altinbas
(hidden) and Nigar Göksel
11
Zeitgeist
The newsletter for members of the British-German Association
Opening dinner for conference speakers,
sponsors and participants on Thursday evening
at the Istanbul Museum of Modern Art
order to ensure progress is made in
securing democracy and human rights in
Turkey today.
The clash between political Islam and
secularism or ‘Kemalism’ was identified as a
major fault line running through Turkish
politics and society today. The secularism of
the state, fiercely upheld by the military, is
being increasingly challenged by the
emergence of an Islamist bourgeoisie. The
Islamist AKP government saw the EU
process as an opportunity to curb the part
played by the military in Turkish politics, as
well as a chance to make the wearing of
headscarves legal in all circumstances.
Once the AKP promised to revoke the ban
on wearing headscarves in state institutions
during its election campaign, the wearing of
headscarves became a political issue within
Turkey. Government legislation, however, is
unlikely to resolve the issue; instead, Turkish
society will need to reach consensus about
12
the wearing of headscarves, women’s rights
and, ultimately, the role of religion in Turkey.
Generational change and the increasing
economic independence of women may
lead to changes in attitudes but pressure
from the EU, some Turkish participants
suggested, may be counter-productive.
Our lunchtime speaker on Saturday
argued that it was very unlikely that Turkey
would agree to the ‘privileged partnership’
status proposed as an alternative to full EU
membership, since Turkey sees no
‘privilege’ in such an arrangement. When
the prospect of membership is credible,
huge change can be achieved, such as the
abolition of the death penalty. The prospect
of EU membership has already led to “more
democracy” and less radicalism and will
continue to do so, so long as the prospect
of membership is credible.
The final conference session explored
‘Insights from an outside perspective: The
correspondents’ view’. Perhaps
paradoxically, it was suggested that the
more democratic the country becomes,
the more Islamic it appears. This was
certainly one way of reading the trial of the
writer, Orhan Pamuk. It was noted that
Pamuk himself had been unhappy with the
aggressive and provocative way in which
the Tages-Anzeiger had conducted its
interview with him, which later made him
subject to prosecution. All agreed,
however, that his indictment and
subsequent trial revealed more about
today’s Turkish state than they did about
the country’s past.
Turkey was described as an excellent
example for Europe’s soft power: in order
to succeed in its bid to join the EU, the
government was having to introduce
reforms. If Turkey’s bid was unsuccessful,
the view was held that nothing much
would happen internally or in Europe as a
whole, since Turkey was already benefiting
from the accession negotiations,
regardless of their outcome. As a final
thought, one correspondent predicted that
Turkey would not join the EU and that this
would be Turkey’s own choice.
Following a lively discussion on many of
the themes raised in earlier sessions, the
conference concluded on Sunday morning
with a straw poll on the question of
whether Turkey should join the EU. The
vast majority voted in favour. Perhaps
more importantly, almost all participants
came away more informed question ‘Who
are the Turks? Turkey’s Place in Europe’. ■
Jocasta Gardner
For a full conference report, including
a list of speakers, please see
www.ykwalumni.org/documents.
Photos: Levent Akdere, Peter
Lochbihler, Christian von Oppen
Autumn 2006 / Vol 23 / No 6
Charmaine von Mallinckrodt and
Baron Bruno Lionel Schroder
receive Order of Merit
T
he President of the Federal Republic of Germany has
awarded Charmaine von Mallinckrodt and Baron Bruno
Lionel Schroder the Cross of the Order of Merit of the
Federal Republic of Germany.
The awards were presented to the two recipients by Ambassador Wolfgang Ischinger at
a special ceremony on 27 September 2006 at the Ambassador’s Residence in London.
The Schroder family, which has deep roots in both Germany and Britain, has been based in London
for generations. The family has played an important role in building bridges between the two societies
and countries. Charmaine von Mallinckrodt and Baron Schroder have for many years initiated and
supported countless charitable activities and academic projects, including the Dresden Trust, the
German Seamen’s Mission and the establishment of a Chair of German at the University of Birmingham.
They have thereby contributed greatly to Anglo-German friendship and understanding.
Ambassador Ischinger praised the outstanding achievements of Mrs. von Mallinckrodt and Baron
Schroder: “In giving your support to so many worthy causes with such great public spirit, tireless devotion
and an exceptional sense of responsibility towards Germans and Britons, you have helped to lay the
foundations for close contacts between our two countries.” ■
13
Zeitgeist
The newsletter for members of the British-German Association
Three World Cups and a Pope
eing the German Comedy
Ambassador in the United
Kingdom is not the easiest
of jobs. The British always say
we Germans don’t have a sense
of humour. Well, I don’t find
that funny.
Performing in comedy clubs up and
down the UK made me familiar with most
regional stereotypes. Geordies don’t wear
coats, Scousers steal the milk out your
tea, Welsh love sheep, Scots are
skinflints, Cornish have six fingers on
a hand and so on and so forth.
Some of the most clearly defined
stereotypes are reserved for us Germans
though. In the cold light of day
presumably nobody really believes that
people in Germany goosestep up and
down the Hauptstrasse in Lederhosen,
singing David Hasselhoff’s latest hits whilst
munching on Bratwursts. But it is such
an entertaining thought to have, why
adjust it? Never let the truth stand in the
way of a good story as the old saying
goes. I therefore doubt very much that the
positive experiences that English football
fans sampled on their trips to the World
Cup 2006 will change the stereotypes
about Germany in the long term.
All it takes for normality to prevail
will be a few more reruns of Allo Allo
and Dad’s Army.
What makes me chuckle is that it
is perfectly acceptable to take the piss
B
out of Germans, or French or ginger
people for that matter, whilst society gets
its knickers in a twist trying not to offend
ethnic minorities. I read the other day that
the BBC wants to vet old Only Fools and
Horses episodes and cut out remarks
which could be considered derogatory to
people from Asian or African background.
I am all against discrimination but I think
the biggest insult is to be deemed too
inferior to be mocked. What would
happen to ‘Allo ‘Allo if the BBC decided to
cut out all elements that might be deemed
insensitive towards Germans? Listen very
carefully - as there will not
be many words left.
It must be said that in the five years
I have been here I have not once felt
threatened or offended by any comments
as they were all good natured. It just
becomes tedious. “Does meine Führer
fancy eine pint?” is funny only the first
8,000 times.
As outdated as the British perception of
Germany might be, it is equally difficult to
characterise the British society because
of its incoherence. On the one hand, I see
lovely countryside, castles, natives and
Around
the
Regions
14
by Henning Wehn
colonial motto parties (Harry, next time
you must take me along!) and jam making
competitions. On the other hand, I see
chair-hurling tattooed yobs singing Rule
Britannia and scantily-clad girls lying drunk
in the gutter.
What all British classes have in common
is an astonishing arrogance in all questions
concerning humour. Contrary to the usual
trademark modesty and understatement no
Brit will get tired of letting the world know
about his or her great sense of humour,
which all other nations, in particular
Germans, lack. You will be shocked to
learn that there are not many differences
between British and German humour.
Someone falling over or getting a cake in
the face is funny everywhere. Also, two fat
blokes, a cannibal or a vicar guarantee a
good pub joke in any country.
As a rule of thumb, I think the British
are perceived by the Germans as what
they are: a funny bunch who love a laugh
and are useless at playing football and
running trains. ■
Send an email to
contact@henningwehn.de if you
want to receive Wehn’s monthly gig list.
He will also perform alongside German
television entertainer Otto Kuhnle in
Hampstead’s New End Theatre from
16th to 25th November. Tickets and
further details on 0870 033 2733.
Autumn 2006 / Vol 23 / No 6
Around
the Regions
As part of its drive to include more news and events from
British-German clubs and twinning associations around the UK
and Northern Ireland, each issue of Zeitgeist will feature a
round-up of events from around the regions. If you have a
forthcoming event you would like us to publish, please contact
the Editor jryan2002@aol.com.
Anglo-German Society
(Leicestershire)
Speaker Evening
Tuesday 14 November / 7.45pm
■
Talk by Lexi Murphy, an adult education
teacher, about her life and travels. In
German with English help.
St John’s Parish Centre, Clarendon,
Park Road, Leicester
Admission cost:
non-members and guests - £1
Tickets can be purchased on the night.
by Rachel Owen
Leeds Anglo German Club
■ Dazwischen Sein
Interkulturelles Lernen in Deutschland und England
Wednesday 1 November / 7.30pm - 9.30pm
Rev Dr Roswith Gerloff, former minister of the Evangelische Kirche and lecturer in
intercultural theology in Leeds, will share her wealth of experience, from a childhood
in wartime Germany, to intercultural projects in Berlin, Oxford, Birmingham, Frankfurt
and further afield. Talk in German and English.
St Columba’s United Reformed Church Hall, 70 Headingley Lane, Leeds 6
Admission cost: £2.50, including refreshments
Contact: Jane Millward (secretary) on 0113 2687697 or janemill2@yahoo.co.uk
Contact: 07780 702 115 or
sallyjollands@yahoo.co.uk
■
Quizabend
Weihnachtsabend
Tuesday 5 December / 7.45pm
Wednesday 22 November / 7.30pm – 10pm
Christmas party - buffet and music.
Admission by ticket only, which will be
sold in advance. See contact details.
A popular quiz, with German and general knowledge questions for all ages – complete
with Frankfurters and prizes. Students most welcome. Come in teams of three or four or
on your own and join in. Questions in German and English. Plus enjoy a drink or two!
St John’s Parish Centre, Clarendon,
Park Road, Leicester
The Cellar Bar, The George, 67-69 Great George Street, Leeds 1
■
Admission cost:
members - £6.50
non-members and guests - £8.00
Contact: 07780 702 115 or
sallyjollands@yahoo.co.uk
Christmas Carols
Tuesday 19 December / 7.45pm
■
Traditional end to the year, singing
Christmas carols by candle light. Followed
by Glühwein and Stollen.
St John’s Parish Centre, Clarendon,
Park Road, Leicester
Admission cost:
non-members and guests - £2.
Contact: 07780 702 115 or
sallyjollands@yahoo.co.uk
Admission cost: £3.00 inc food (drinks extra)
Contact: Jane Millward (secretary) on 0113 2687697 or janemill2@yahoo.co.uk
by 18 November if you would like to attend.
■
Weihnachtsfeier
Saturday 9 December / 7.30pm – late
A traditional German Christmas party, with music, Glühwein, good food and good
company. A really enjoyable festive occasion – you will receive a warm welcome.
The Old Stables, Back Church Lane, Adel, Leeds
Admission Cost £3.50 + please bring extra food
Contact: Jane Millward (secretary) on 0113 2687697 or janemill2@yahoo.co.uk
by 4 December if you would like to attend.
Full details and updates are available on the Club's website at
www.leedsanglogerman.org
15
Zeitgeist
The newsletter for members of the British-German Association
The Penkridge AngloGerman Remembrance
Day Association
by John Hopkinson
Summer 2006 / Vol 23 / No 5
■ Zeitgeist
Published by the British-German Association
A registered charity, at
34 Belgrave Square, London SW1X 8QB
Tel 020 7235 1922
Fax 020 7235 1902
E-mail Info@britishgermanassociation.org
www.britishgermanassociation.org
Price £4.00 / free to members
Anglo-German Remembrance Service - Sunday, 12th November 2006
The Anglo-German Remembrance
Service takes place at the German
War Cemetery on Cannock Chase at
12.00 noon. This will be followed by
a reception at the Haling Dene
Centre in the nearby village of
Penkridge. About one hundred
people from all over the Midlands
and from further away attend the
ceremony and the reception every
year, fewer come when the weather
is fierce.
The ceremony will pay tribute to the
servicemen who fought in World Wars I and
II. It is a ceremony of reconciliation and 61
years of peace between Britain and Germany.
The cemetery is looked after by a British
Warden under the auspices of the
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
with some financial support from the
Deutsche Kriegsgräberfürsorge as well as by
a team of young people who come over from
Bremen each summer to tend to the graves.
The Remembrance Service is conducted
by a German Pastor from the EvangelischLutherische Gemeinde of the West
Midlands and a local Minister of the
Methodist Church in Penkridge. The Service
is accompanied by a Salvation Army Band.
This year the German Embassy will be
represented by the Minister of the Embassy,
Mr. Blomeyer-Bartenstein, and Military
Attachés. The Commonwealth War Graves
Commission will also send a representative
and hopefully the British-German
Association as well. Last year, a number of
local Mayors attended wearing their chain
which gave the ceremony further dignity.
Several wreaths are laid around the stone
monument of a soldier. In recent years
some younger people have also attended
the service.
At the reception warm drinks,
sandwiches and cakes are served because
many people have come a long way and
the semi-open hall at the cemetery does
not entirely shut out the elements. The
reception at the Haling Dene Centre is an
enjoyable gathering and the speeches are
less formal.
The Remembrance Day event is
organised by a small number of volunteers
who took over from the founder of the
former Anglo-German Association in
Penkridge, the late Sigrun RainsburyKliem. Nobody is expected to let the
organisers know in advance. People just
come, they know the service will be held
and they hope for a reception. The
organisers feel that stopping it will be more
difficult than arranging it!
The German War Cemetery is located in
a beautiful and tranquil valley on Cannock
Chase. The Cemetery was built in 1964 by
the German War Graves Commission with
financial support from the Federal Republic
of Germany and is now being looked after
by the Commonwealth War Graves
Commission. About 5,000 graves are
assembled in the cemetery, 2,143 from the
First World War and 2,786 from the
Second World War. ■
More information about the German War
Cemetery can be found via:
www.google.co.uk;
German War Cemetery Cannock Chase
Address for correspondence:
Mr. John Hopkinson (Chairman) and Dr. Helga Hopkinson (Secretary)
Valhalla, Hopton, Stafford ST18 OAH, Tel. 01785 - 215265
e-mail: hopkinson.gls@FreeUK.com
s
■ BGA Structure
PRESIDENT - Lord Watson of Richmond, CBE
CHAIRMAN - C. Urban
VICE CHAIRMAN - J.S. Faulder
HONORARY TREASURER - J. Timmermann
HONORARY SECRETARY - R. Woodthorpe Browne
HONORARY EDITOR - Prof J. Ryan
EXECUTIVE SECRETARY - M. Schmidt
ELECTED AND CO-OPTED MEMBERS
OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
B. Bishof
Philipp v. Both
Lord H. Dykes
U. Hoppe
K. Ifould OBE
Dr. A.Russell OBE
S. White
Prof. J. Ryan
M. Withers
U. Wegener
L. Courth
PATRONS
HRH Duke of Kent KG
Lord Howe of Aberavon QC PC
Lord Steel KBE PC MSP
Lord Thompson of Monifieth KT PC
H.E. Wolfgang Ischinger
VICE PRESIDENTS
Lord Dahrendorf KBE PhD DrPhil FBA
Lord Radice PC
Lord Dykes
Dr F. Hamblin CBE
J.C.Gehrels KBE
Sir Christopher Laidlaw
Air Cdre LGP Martin CBE
A. Dreydel OBE
E.S. Taylor OBE
G. Storch
Major General P. Brooking
Advertisements in Zeitgeist
Rates: Full page £750 / Half page £400 / Quarter
page £200
Deadline: 10th December 2006
Contact the BGA Office, 34 Belgrave Square,
London SW1X 8QB
Tel 020 7235 1922 Fax 020 7235 1902
E-mail Info@britishgermanassociation.org
www.britishgermanassociation.org