Girl Soccer State Teams visit Hamburg

Consul General Patterson joined the player's families during the game.

On July 31, the girl soccer state teams from Iowa and Nebraska faced Hamburg’s U15 and U17 teams in friendly matchups in Hamburg-Wandesbek. Consul General Patterson welcomed the players and highlighted the great opportunity given to the teams to build relationships through their common interest in the sport.  She also commented on how both teams, regardless of the outcome of the match, are “winners” for receiving not only the opportunity to participate in the match— but being granted the opportunity to become more familiar with German culture.  She illustrated that this experience has the potential to greatly enrich their lives.  
Consul General Patterson also took the time to meet the players, their families and supporters.  After the kickoff of the first match, she joined the players in the bleachers and enjoyed the rest of the well organized soccer event.

Social Values and HipHop: Tricia Rose at Hip Hop Academy Hamburg

Tricia Rose at the HipHop Academy (Photo: U.S. Consulate General)

On July 16 and 17 American African American Studies Professor and Hip Hop expert Tricia Rose participated in the summer “boot camp” of the HipHop Academy in Hamburg.
She taught two workshops, discussing the history, cultural contribution, and tradition of social criticism in Hip Hop with more than 50 youth who were attending the camp. For her second workshop on sexism in Hip Hop she was joined by African American singer Akua Naru.
Tricia Rose praised the HipHop Academy as a place that takes the craft of Hip Hop and its potential for community building, artistic expression, and personal growth seriously. Axel Zielke, artistic director of the HipHop Academy, said that there is no greater authority on the history and politics of Hip Hop than Tricia Rose. 

5th Anniversary of the Opening of the Ballinstadt Emigration Museum

Consul General Patterson at BallinStadt (Photo: U.S. Consulate General)

On the morning of July 4, Hamburg’s emigration museum BallinStadt celebrated its 5^th anniversary.   
Since the planning phase, ConGen Hamburg has supported this museum, which documents the history of more than five million emigrants from all over Europe, who between 1850 and 1939 immigrated through Hamburg to the Unites States.  Consul General Inmi Patterson highlighted, in her speech, the contributions made by the immigrants in building America’s civil society.   

She also emphasized the importance of the museum BallinStadt as a historical institution for the German-American partnership.  The BallinStadt is located in the former HAPAG emigration halls that were constructed by Albert Ballin at the end of the 19^th century.  For several million emigrants, these halls were their last stop in Europe before they immigrated to the United States.

American Independence Day at the Consulate

HipHop Academy at the 4th of July celebration. (Photo: U.S. Consulate General Hamburg)

On July 4, more than 700 guests joined in the celebration of the 236^th Independence Day.  Besides emphasizing the universal values of the Declaration of Independence, Consul General Patterson invited the guests to “Discover America” and urged everyone to visit the tourism booth, and the video display on America’s scenic spots and poster show titled, “From Sea to Shining Sea” set up by PA Hamburg at the festivities. 
Vice-Mayor of Hamburg Dorothee Stapelfeld represented the city of Hamburg with her speech on the strong ties between Hamburg and the United States.  This year’s cultural program featured the Hip Hop Academy Hamburg, American singer Love Newkirk, the Hamburg Knights Baseball Club, the Hamburg Blue Angels Cheerleaders, and Warner Brothers’ Batman.  

From Improvising to a Community

How do you get someone to create something unique? Something that is beyond their imagination? Something that makes them feel good? 

Improvise! That is the answer you would get from the people of MIMA Music. It is a nonprofit organisation with a very optimistic approach to reach out to people, especially youths. The U.S. Consulate General organized a visit of two MIMA teachers to Hamburg, where they conducted two 1-day-workshops at the Kulturpalast Billstedt. 

What started out as simple and elementary games of making sounds, rhythmic beats and muscle stretching transformed during the 4 hour workshop into a dance choreography and a self-composed song.

"It was amazing. I never thought we would be able to do this. And we had only one hour to write and compose a song," said one of the participants. Christoph Geiseler, one of the MIMA instructors, stated that is was a very positive experience for the youths to act as a group.

Here are two videos MIMA produced during the workshops: 

"... my friends are gonna try to move your feet."

Ambassador Murphy at the dance workshop.(Photo: U.S. Consulate General Hamburg)

It was an afternoon full of joy and music that Ambassador Philip D. Murphy spent in Hamburg on May 11th, 2012, when hevisited the HipHop Academy together with Consul General Inmi K. Patterson. 

The academy is located at the Kulturpalast, a local community center in Hamburg-Billstedt. This city quarter is populated with a high percentage of families with immigrant backgrounds. 

Youths from the ages of 13 to 25 can take part in classes on dance, break-dance, graffiti art, singing, rapping, producing and beatboxing. The goal of the academy is to bring the youths closer to music, provide them with a safe place to hang out, but also to encourage some discipline and engagement.

After a brief introduction by Karin Inselmann, director of the Academy, Ambassador Murphy and Consul General Patterson visited various workshops including dancing, singing, graffiti art, and producing. Ambassador Murphy was very impressed by the skills of the students and even took part and practiced some dance moves.

After two short performances by students, Ambassador Murphy welcomed about 40 youths to his Town Hall meeting. Since it was a music-oriented audience, his focus was on the importance of music to Americans, how American music – like Hip Hop – is a global phenomenon, and that especially young people can and should find their way to other cultures through music.

Check out some photos of the event on our Facebook page.

Going All The Way Up North

Elena Sokolovsky (left) and Consul General Patterson studied a book on the history of Jews in Flensburg. (Photo: U.S. Consulate General)

Coming to the Northernmost city in Germany means visiting Flensburg, which is excactly what Consul General Inmi K. Patterson did on the 24th and 25th of April 2012.  Among other official meetings, she received a warm welcome by Flensburg's vibrant Jewish community.
The Chairwoman Elena Sokolovsky introduced Consul General Patterson to the Jewish history of this region and explained how the community was reestablished after the destruction it exerienced during the Nazi regime. It was a rewarding experience for both Consul General Patterson and her audience. 

Workshop with American Jazz Vocalist Erin Dickins Geyelin of Manhattan Transfer

On April 21, 2012, American Jazz Vocalist Erin Dickins Geyelin visited the University of Music and Theater in Hamburg where she held a workshop for students. About 30 students took advantage of this unique opportunity to learn and improve their vocal techniques with this great American artist.

A Conversation On Inherited Grief

On the evening of April 16, 2012, Elizabeth Rosner read from her book the “Speed of Light” in which she tries to come to grips with her experience as a “Second Generation Holocaust Survivor.” 

She was accompanied by her father Carl Heinz Rosner. Mr. Rosner was born in Hamburg in 1929. He was deported to Buchenwald in 1944. In her opening remarks, CG Patterson emphasized the importance of memory and told the audience about Mr. Rosner’s roots in Hamburg.

The passages Elizabeth Rosner read from the book were followed by readings of the German translation by Susanne Pollmeier.  Afterwards, Professor Rohr of the University of Hamburg engaged Elizabeth Rosner and her father in a discussion of her book and the importance of memory.

The audience of this well-attended event at the Amerikazentrum had many questions for the Rosners as well. 

MeetUS at Vocational School Center in Wismar

The Consulate organized a MeetUS program of an American Fulbright teaching assistant to the vocational college in Wismar that took place on March 27, 2012. The Fulbright teaching assistant talked to about 50 students studying business administration and metal construction, aged 19-22, about his personal school experiences, the American Dream, and everyday life as an American.

Director Peter Byck presents “Carbon Nation” at a local school and Jacobs University

On the morning of March 26, 2012, Peter Byck, director of the film “Carbon Nation”, visited a group of 25 students at the Gymnasium Kirchdorf in Wilhelmsburg.  He was welcomed and introduced to the students by the principal Volker Clasing. During his visit Mr. Byck showed various clips of his film and discussed the German perspective on climate change and solutions to it with the students.  

In the afternoon, Mr. Byck met with Professor Michael Bau and a group of Ph.D. students from Jacobs University Bremen for an informal discussion on climate issues.  At 7 p.m., the film was shown on the campus of Jacobs University to about 60 students, professors, and teachers.  After the presentation, Peter Byck engaged in a Q&A session with the audience for more than an hour.

The Jacobs University published an article and a video on the event at its website: http://www.jacobs-university.de/2012/03/carbon-nation-green-all

Deputy Chief of Mission at Opening of Amerikazentrum

On March 21^st of this year, Deputy Chief of Mission Greg Delawie opened the Amerikazentrum at its new location in the HafenCity.  In his opening remarks Mr. Delawie emphasized on the importance of the Amerikazentrum for the transatlantic partnership: “The Amerikazentrum has lived up to the challenges of the last 15 years.  It has given form and substance to the new responsibilities that are embodied by the German-American partnership in the 21st century. Just (Can these two quotes be connected? Or are they separate?) as the Amerika Haus provided a home for the first tentative contacts in the postwar years, the Amerikazentrum has provided a home for new kinds of dialogue and exchange.”   He concluded that, “The spirit of America lived in the Hamburg Amerika Haus. It lives on here.”

Check out more pictures on our Facebook page.

General (ret.) Abizaid gave presentation at Bundeswehr Command and Staff College

On March 8, 2012, General (ret.) John P. Abizaid visited Hamburg where he met with U.S. Exchange Officers at the Bundeswehr Command and Staff College and the college’s commanding officer Major General Achim Lidsba.  After a discussion on “Military Leadership in the 21^st Century” with the college leadership, the General gave a presentation on “The Middle East Through Soldiers’ Eyes” to an audience of 250 soldiers and civilians, followed by a lively Q&A session afterwards.  

Social Values and Hip Hop: Tricia Rose at Hip Hop Academy Hamburg

Tricia Rose at the HipHop Academy (Photo: U.S. Consulate General)

On July 16 and 17 American African American Studies Professor and Hip Hop expert Tricia Rose participated in the summer “boot camp” of the Hip Hop Academy in Hamburg.
She taught two workshops, discussing the history, cultural contribution, and tradition of social criticism in Hip Hop with more than 50 youth who were attending the camp. For her second workshop on sexism in Hip Hop she was joined by African American singer Akua Naru.
Tricia Rose praised the Hip Hop Academy as a place that takes the craft of Hip Hop and its potential for community building, artistic expression, and personal growth seriously. Axel Zielke, artistic director of the Hip Hop Academy, said that there is no greater authority on the history and politics of Hip Hop than Tricia Rose.