Hamburg Round Table with Practitioners Serving Immigrant Communities
October 11, 2007. Consul General Karen Johnson and PA Hamburg welcomed 14 German participants of the State Department-sponsored “integrationXchange” program of the Koerber Foundation and CDS International. The group will travel to New York at the end of the month to take part in on-site professional training and workshops, examining U.S. strategies and approaches designed to integrate immigrants in their communities and societies.(more) 
Hamburg Mayor Ole von Beust Welcomes New Consul General Karen Johnson
October 11, 2007. Karen E. Johnson met with Mayor von Beust to receive her exequatur at the city hall. CG Johnson used the opportunity to stress the close and excellent relations between the U.S. and the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg. A variety of Hamburg print media representatives covered the visit, including the Turkish Zaman.(more) 
The New MeetUS Program
October 1, 2007. The "MeetUS" program, the consulate general's new school program, is going into the third round! We have invited young American students who would enjoy going to your school and talking with your students; either as an informal Q&A session, or as a presentation about i.e. the American Dream or other topics. If you are interested, write a short email to this address: meetus-hamburg@usconsulate.gov. We look forward to hearing from you! (more) 
New Melle Place Inaugurated in Lower Saxon Town Melle
July 21, 2007. Mayor Dr. Andre Berghegger took part in an inauguration ceremony for a “New Melle Place” in a park in Melle, paying tribute to the close German-American ties between New Melle in Missouri and its sister city in Lower Saxony. The partnership dates back to 1988 and more than 100 German and Americans guests from New Melle were present for the ceremony. Emigrants from Melle had founded New Melle in 1839 and descendants of the founders attended the inauguration ceremony in Melle. View the photo gallery(more) 
Consul General Butcher's Farewell Reception on Independence Day
July 4, 2007.
Consul General Duane C. Butcher welcomed a record-number of close to 900 guests from all five North German states at the newly opened BallinStadt Emigration Museum in Hamburg for his farewell reception. Guests included three Hamburg Senators, the Deputy Minister President of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, the President of the Bremen Parliament, 5 mayors from Lower Saxony, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Schleswig-Holstein, numerous IVLP alumni and high-ranking representatives of the North German political, business, media and cultural communities. (more)
Painting of U.S. Presidents Presented
June 26, 2007. On behalf of President George W. Bush, Consul General Duane C. Butcher accepted the painting "The Presidents of the United States" by Iranian-born Hamburg artist Professor Jafer Montazer. Consul General Butcher thanked Professor Montazer for his work of art that will find a new home in the future Presidential Library of President Bush.(more)
First Lady Laura Bush Opens America@YourLibrary Partnership in Schwerin
June 6, 2007. First Lady Laura Bush presented a launch of the "America @ your library" program at the Schwerin City Library in Schwerin, Germany. America@yourlibrary is a partnership initiative between the U.S. Embassy and public libraries in Germany which highlights the proactive role of libraries as centers for learning, information and entertainment. (more)
First Lady Laura Bush Meets with Fulbrighters in Schwerin
June 6, 2007. Minister-Counselor for Public Affairs Anne M. Chermak moderated a round table with 8 American and German Fulbrighters at the Castle Schwerin. They had an opportunity to meet with the First Lady to discuss their exchange stays in Germany and the United States. The group included Fulbright teaching assistants at North German high schools, who are participating in the embassy’s MEET US program, a Fulbright professor teaching Political Science at the University of Halle as well as two young Germans of Turkish origin who took part in Fulbright-sponsored summer schools in the U.S.(more)
Attention: American Citizens Service Moves from Hamburg to Berlin
As of July 1, 2007, the American Citizen Services role of the U.S. Consulate General in Hamburg will be taken over by the Consular Section of the U.S. Embassy in Berlin. This consolidation of consular services is part of a global effort to bring about greater efficiencies in how the U.S. Government conducts its diplomatic engagement overseas. After July 1, U.S. citizens resident in Hamburg, Schleswig-Holstein, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Bremen, and Niedersachsen are welcome to visit the U.S. Embassy in Berlin, (address: Clayallee 170, 14195 Berlin, Tel: 030-832-9233 or our Consular Agent in Bremen (Rooms 68/69, Third Floor, World Trade Center, Birkenstrasse 15, 28195 Bremen, Tel: 0421-301 5860, in conjunction with a passport or citizenship application, or other service requiring a personal appearance before a consular officer.(more)
The Last Three Feet - 2007 State Alumni Reception at the Bucerius Art Museum in Hamburg
May 7, 2007. Consul General Duane C. Butcher and the ZEIT foundation hosted a reception for 84 North German alumni of the International Visitor Leadership Program, the Congress Bundestag Youth Exchange Program and the Fulbright Program. Dr. Markus Baumanns, member of the board of the foundation and a 2002 IVLP alumnus, welcomed the guests and stressed how invaluable his participation has been for his work and the foundation, resulting in close U.S.-German ties. View the photo gallery(more)
American Tales Intrigued Students in Mecklenburg-Pomerania
April 16-19, 2007. As part of its America@YourLibrary project, IRC Hamburg developed and arranged an educational program April 16 – 19 with writer/musician Matthew Graham for 3rd and 4th grade students at the City Libraries in Wismar and Schwerin, the Montessori School in Greifswald, and the Regional Library in Neubrandenburg. A cheerful crowd of 242 students and their teachers were fascinated by the lively audience participatory presentation that included the tall tales of “John Henry”, “Johnny Appleseed” and “Annie Flatboat Christmas,” as well as traditional songs. Picture Gallery(more) 
Consul General Butcher Delivers Speech on the Changing Face of America to Turkish Community in Kiel
March 28, 2007. On March 28, Consul General Duane Butcher addressed close to 60 members and guests of the Turkish Community of Schleswig-Holstein in Kiel to speak about the U.S. immigrant experience and current debates about the topic in American society and politics. In his remarks, Consul General Butcher outlined the history of immigration and described contemporary shifts in America’s ethnic composition as well as how diverse groups have been successfully incorporated into one society and nation.(more)
Award-Winning High School Students from Northern Germany Meet with Hamburg Consul General Butcher
March 26, 2007. Consul General Duane Butcher and the Hamburg Public Affairs section hosted a reception for 7 high school students from Northern Germany, their parents and representatives from exchange organizations on March 26, 2007. Five of the students will spend the upcoming school year in the U.S., having been awarded scholarships for their exemplary volunteer work in their communities and at their schools. The Community Foundation Region Ahrensburg in Schleswig-Holstein had hosted one of Germany’s largest exchange fairs in September of 2006 and announced the scholarship competition.(more)
Mrs. Sue Timken Donates Book Collection at Amerikazentrum Re-Opening
February 22, 2007. Mrs. Sue Timken, wife of U.S. Ambassador William Timken, helped to re-launch the Amerikazentrum at its new location in the HafenCity. Mrs. Timken donated a collection of books, “First Lady Laura Bush’s Family Favorites,” emphasizing the importance of the library as a place of life-long learning. Also participating in the ceremony were Amerikazentrum chairwoman Irmingard Zahn, Hamburg’s Minister for Financial Affairs Dr. Michael Freytag, and Consul General Duane Butcher.(more)
U.S. Consulate General Visits City of Oldenburg
February 7, 2007. Consul General Duane Butcher and staff of the consulate’s Public Affairs section paid a full-day visit to Oldenburg in Lower Saxony, exploring opportunities for joint programs and projects. CG Butcher first met with 40 high school students from the Cäcilien High School who learned about the American Foreign Service and about study and work opportunities in the U.S. for young Germans. The Hamburg delegation then met with newly elected Lord Mayor Prof. Gerd Schwandner, discussing a possible sister cities partnership with Baltimore county, Mission Germany support for an international independent film festival and American art exhibits in Oldenburg.(more) 
DCM Takes Part in "American Spirit" Panel Discussion in Hamburg
January 25, 2007. Deputy Chief of Mission John M. Koenig joined Karsten Voigt, the Coordinator of German-American Cooperation, on a panel on civil society in the United States that the Koerber Foundation had organized. The evening was part of the annual alumni conference of Koerber’s transatlantic idea contest USable and three USable prizewinners complemented the panel. Speaking to an audience of over 250, DCM Koenig stressed the invaluable role a strong civic culture, private voluntary initiative and a tradition of practical problem-solving have played in bringing about social change in America.(more) 
American Tales Kick Off the 'Season of Light' 
December 3-7, 2007. Professional storyteller and musician Matthew Graham performed a holiday program focusing on diversity in American culture to 325, 5th through 8th graders and teachers at America@yourlibrary partners in Wismar, Neubrandenburg, Stralsund and Schwerin and at the American Reading Corner in Mirow. The program covers a variety of season celebrations including Diwali, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa. more
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December 6, 2007. Karen E. Johnson and Hamburg’s Mayor Ole von Beust spoke at the ground breaking ceremony for the Hamburg-America-Center which will be home for the Amerikazentrum GAI and companies with a business relationship to the US. In the presence of 80 invited guests including former Consul General Susan Elbow and representatives of the political and cultural communities, both speakers focused on the long and excellent history of Hamburg-US relations and the great potential of a strong Amerikazentrum as a dynamic, public place to experience American culture and to advance our bilateral relationship. more
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December 7, 2007. The U.S. Consulate General Hamburg hosted its annual Christmas Tree Lighting reception for more than 650 guests from the 5 North German states, representing the media, politics and the cultural scene. Guests included the heads of the Turkish Community in Schleswig-Holstein and Hamburg, the president of the Alliance of Islamic Communities in Northern Germany as well as the managing director of the Association of Islamic Communities in Lower Saxony. more
Consul Karen E. Johnson Shares Insights on Afghanistan 
December 14, 2007. Consul General Karen E. Johnson was an invited speaker at a two-day German Canadian workshop on ‘NATO and the International Engagement in Afghanistan’ organized by the Hamburg-based Institute for Peace Research and Security Policy and hosted by the German Armed Forces Staff and Command College. CG Johnson shared her assessment of the US engagement in Afghanistan based on her personal experience as the Provincial Reconstruction Team Director for the US Embassy in Kabul. more