Consul General Alford describes "his Germany"

May 24, 2011

General Consul Alford (right) greeting a fellow American who immigrated to Germany 20 years ago (Photo: State Department)

The music of Johann Sebastian Bach, the beer of the world’s oldest brewery Weihenstephan  (founded in 1040), the poems of Rainer Maria Rilke, the sportsters of Porsche, and a bike tour map of Germany  - these are the five things that immediately come to General Consul Alford’s mind when thinking about Germany.  Invited by the Konrad Adenauer Foundation to share his personal impression of Germany with an audience of about 150 attendees on May 24, Alford spoke about his first visit to Germany as a young soldier, how the country has changed since the 1970s, and how the two nations, the United States and Germany, have steadily intensified and fostered their friendship. Nonethless, he also observed that more young Americans need to be encouraged to come to Germany to study and experience the culture at first hand. The cultural exchange between both countries, as he emphasized, is one of the most important tools to promote mutual understanding and transatlantic cooperation.  The entire event and an additional interview with the CG on Bob Dylan will be broadcast by Free Radio Kassel, a private citizens’ radio station run on a voluntary, non-profit basis.