Visit from Dickinson Professor DeBlasio

Posted on by
Reply

by Dr. Janine Ludwig

November started with a wonderful visit from our colleague, Prof. Alyssa DeBlasio, Associate Professor and John B. Parsons Chair in the Liberal Arts and Sciences in the Russian Department at Dickinson College.

She was invited to the annual literary festival globale° (http://globale-literaturfestival.de/) at Bremen to participate in a panel discussion on November 5, 2022 under the title “Literature and Science in Times of War” (https://globale-literaturfestival.de/05-11/). The in-depth discussion centered around questions of how Russian studies and Slavic Studies in general should react to the Russian War on Ukraine, among them: Should one cancel or re-evaluate certain pieces of art or literature? How does the present influence our ways of looking at the past and its cultural products? Prof. DeBlasio made the important suggestion to de-center Russian studies from Moscow, meaning to acknowledge all the Russian-speaking people and cultures outside of a Moscow-centered narrative which needs to be critically evaluated. Oxana Matiychuk, a Ukrainian German philologist at the University of Tscherniwzi/Czernowitz, corroborated this with regard to Spanish studies which are not focused on Spain alone and German Studies which should not uncritically coopt Swiss or Austrian authors, for example.

From left to right: Libuše Černá (Head of the globale° Literature Festival), Merle Meyer interpreting for Alyssa DeBlasio, Oxana Matiychuk (Chernivtsi National University), Gun-Britt Kohler (University of Oldenburg), Simon Lewis (University of Bremen)

Thankfully, Prof. DeBlasio had already been preparing for some years, together with Izolda Savenkova, a textbook to do exactly this: ПРО-ДВИЖЕНИЕ: Advanced Russian Through Film and Media. Forthcoming with Georgetown University Press, 2022.

The invitation occurred via a nice Dickinson connection which underscores the depth and impact of the long-lasting partnership between Bremen and Carlisle through our exchange program: Two former students of the University of Bremen, Merle Meyer and Daniel Schmidt, who had studied abroad at Dickinson College, were part of the organizing team of the globale°. Daniel, who had taken a class on “Philosophy and Literature” with Prof. DeBlasio, invited her to contribute a text on the letter “Z” for an event at the Bremen Theater in March (https://www.theaterbremen.de/de_DE/wort-ergreifen-2) and then invited her to the globale°. Maybe this can be seen as a reminder of how important international communication and cooperation still is – these days more than ever.

Daniel Schmidt, Alyssa DeBlasio, Merle Meyer, Janine Ludwig (from left to right)

Vasilisa Pallis, student of German and Russian Studies, currently studying in Bremen, with her professor DeBlasio at the statue of the Bremen Town Musicians, making a wish

Alyssa DeBlasio and Janine Ludwig at the Bremer Ratskeller

My study-abroad experience in Bremen

Posted on by
Reply

by Mac Tambussi ’23

When I was picking which college to go to my senior year of high school, I knew studying abroad was a huge factor in my decision. Ultimately, I landed on Dickinson, which has great study abroad programs all over the world. Before I started school, I went to Germany in 2019 with my host family and fell in love with the country. After I returned to the U.S., I knew I wanted to come back. When I found out Dickinson had a program in Germany, I was ecstatic and had a feeling that when Junior spring came around, I would be back in the country that I grew to love.

When going through the application process, I knew the program was in Bremen, but to be honest, I did not know Bremen existed. Well fast forward to today, I consider Bremen my second home. In the six months I spent in Bremen, I formed friendships, tried new activities, learned more about the culture, and overall just had a blast.

The friendships I made, both people from Dickinson and the USA on the trip, and those from Germany and all over the world, have made a huge impact on my life. My friends and I went on many trips to many different cities/amusements across Germany and Europe such as Cologne, Hamburg, Bonn, Heide Park, Bremerhaven, Berlin, Vienna, and Amsterdam. In addition in Bremen, we were able to travel to different parts of the city, where we would try new restaurants, go shopping, help in service activities, watch soccer, and go to clubs (my personal favorite was Modernes). In addition to that, I and two of my friends joined the rugby team, where we were able to form a solid friendship with them also.

The school aspect was also really cool. For the first two months, we spent time with both Aristoles and Goethe Institute learning the language. This was because almost all of our classes at the University of Bremen were in German. After becoming proficient in German, we began our classes. Three of my classes were business related and one was Political Science related. They were all super interesting and gave me a different perspective on how higher education is in Germany and different viewpoints. All in all, I had a great learning experience in Germany.

Lastly, learning about the culture and trying new foods was a highlight. Having Doner Kebab, Wiener Schnitzel, and Wurst was awesome. Everything was delicious! Trying different things, playing new games, and experiencing the culture from a first-hand experience were amazing. The Dickinson in Germany study abroad experience is one I will never forget. I was able to try so many different things and get to meet and see so many friends! I liked it so much, that I am currently applying for a Fulbright Grant to be an English Teaching Assistant in Germany. I can’t wait to come back to visit. Till next time Germany!

Dance in Bremen

Posted on by
Reply

by Shannon Vogel

At the University of Bremen, the Hochschulsport provides many fitness classes for students to take for a relatively low price. Dickinson will also reimburse you up to a certain amount to take these courses. You can see a list of past/current course offerings on their website, as well as when registration goes live for the upcoming semester. They offer several styles of dance, martial arts, team sports (volleyball, rugby, etc.) and yoga.

I took a Modern Jazz course this semester, where I got to meet several other Uni Bremen students. Our class had the opportunity to perform at the Breminale, a music festival in Bremen. The class focused on learning a few combos, as well as an entire choreographed dance.

While the Hochschulsport classes provide many options, they do follow the semester class schedule (generally the lecture period), which means the courses won’t run the entirety of the time you are in Bremen. For me, I arrived in February and left in August, but the Modern Jazz course only ran from April through July. Since I still wanted to dance/exercise for the entire semester, I found an independent ballet studio in the city. There are a lot of dance studios throughout Bremen, but the one I settled on was polkadotBallettStudios. I found their prices fair and the staff helpful. They offer modern and hip-hop classes as well, but they are primarily a ballet studio. I signed up to take classes twice a week, and really enjoyed it! I got to learn some new German vocabulary, as well as meet people my age who don’t study at Uni Bremen.

If you’re interested in a particular style of dance, I do recommend researching all of your options in Bremen, as there are many studios in the city.

Die Dreigroschenoper (The Threepenny Opera)

Posted on by
Reply

by Nick Rickert ’23

Last week Evan and I were delighted to attend Theater Bremen’s performance of the classic German musical play “Die Dreigroschenoper” (The Threepenny Opera), written by Bertolt Brecht with music composed by Kurt Weill and first performed in Berlin in 1928. This was our first time attending a theatrical performance in Bremen. Having only read a brief synopsis of the narrative beforehand, we came to find that the production was much less of what one might expect from an opera but rather a musical supported by a modestly sized jazz ensemble (with no conductor!). I wouldn’t call myself an avid musical goer, but I was enthralled by the lively assortment of characters and fantastic music.

Adapted from an 18th-century English ballad opera, “Die Dreigroschenoper” tells the precarious love story between the antihero Macheath (Mackie Messer), a prominent gangster, and Polly Peachum, whose father controls the beggers of London and is determined to put Macheath in prison after the two become married (not to mention tying the knot just days after meeting for the first time!). I was immersed as soon as the curtains opened silently to reveal a rugged wooden floor with a steep slope and the beggars laying in darkness.

I was stunned by the singing voices of Polly and Macheath, whose dialogue and ballads easily stole the stage whenever they appeared. In between these moving scenes Evan and I couldn’t help but chuckle at every move of the corrupt chief of police “Tiger” who broke the fourth wall by having a short interaction with the drummer, breaking one of their cymbals. I also found it heartwarming that since it was the last performance of this production, the director bade thoughtful farewells to several cast members leaving the theater company. Later that evening I couldn’t help but hum ‘Die Moritat von Mackie Messer’ to myself.

 

Kathryn Baker’s student job: The German Lutheran Identification Project

Posted on by
Reply

by Kathryn Baker ’23

In February of this year, I was offered a job at the University of Bremen by Dr. Thorsten Wettich. Dr. Thorsten Wettich is currently working on multiple religious projects, including the one I am helping with: The German Lutheran Identification Project. There are also two other students, besides me, from Uni Bremen that are working on this project funded by the American Academy of Religion. The Collaborative Research Grant of the American Academy of Religion is used for students from each university of the applicants in the USA and Germany to support Thorsten Wettich with the observation of German-speaking (online) worship services in the USA and interviewing one pastor and one member in the congregations.

The focus of this project is to gather more information about German Lutheran churches and services in the United States. Dr. Wettich traveled to different German Lutheran Churches all over the USA, attended services and interviewed pastors and churchgoers about what it means to be German and Lutheran. He interviewed over 35 people, and one of my jobs was to transcribe interviews and write down important notes. We have had workshops that go into detail about how to analyze data from the interviews and how to interview people. I was assigned a German Lutheran Church in the Baltimore area. I attended their online church services, interviewed the pastor of the church and then transcribed the interview. My focus was on the differences between the German Lutheran Church he preaches at, and the English-speaking Lutheran Church he also preaches at.

Overall, I have thoroughly enjoyed working on this project. I have learned many new skills including how to transcribe interviews, how to properly interview people, analyze data and coding interviews. Even though I am not being paid anymore for this job after June, I am currently still helping with the project. I will be helping with the publication of the findings and hopefully presenting this project online in the future. Even when I am back at Dickinson, I will still be working on this project!

GIS on Entrepreneurship in Bremen – Reflections from Kayden Tucker and William Giguere

Posted on by
Reply

“I thought the program was phenomenal. German culture is full of some of the most friendly and innovative minds that I’ve ever come into contact with. From the heightened level of sophistication seen in the Mercedes Benz factory to the attention to detail in the art of brewing beer- I learned so much about business abroad here and I’m super grateful for all of the experiences I had the pleasure of enjoying while abroad!”
(Kayden Tucker ’22)

“My time in Bremen, Germany with the GIS program was for sure a time to remember. The Dickinson Program and students currently studying abroad were extremely helpful in preparing us and making a country I have never been to feel like home for two weeks. I was amazed at learning the German culture and learning a bit of the German language on the side. As I had never been to Germany before, I had a wonderful time taking in every experience. Our time visiting local businesses was very eye opening into the global markets and the ways COVID-19 altered business outputs/operations.” (William Giguere ’23)

Photo credit: Durden Dickinson Bremen Program

Globally Integrated Semester on Entrepreneurship in Bremen – Reflection from Sierra Stevens

Posted on by
Reply

As part of the GISEB (Globally Integrated Semester on Entrepreneurship in Bremen) program, we recently had the pleasure of welcoming some great visitors to Bremen! Check out these wonderful photos, taken by participant Sierra Stevens! Stay tuned for more photo and video content!

This is what Sierra had to say about her 2-week stay in Bremen:
“I was initially very nervous about traveling to Germany. Not only had I never traveled out of the country, but I also didn’t know any German. Sophie’s expertise (an exchange student from Bremen University) calmed my nerves a bit, but I was still anxious about the trip.
However, the minute I landed in Bremen and boarded the tram, I knew it was going to be an incredible trip. Everyone was incredibly welcoming, kind, and understanding about our lack of knowledge concerning the German culture and language.
The food, despite its surprisingly low cost, was incredible. I am a very picky eater, but I didn’t have a single meal that I disliked. Even the cafeteria food at the University of Bremen was delicious. The Dickinson-in-Bremen program treated us to a number of meals at luxurious restaurants and cafes, assisting us through our interactions and ensuring we acted in a respectful manner.
The program assistant and academic director of the Dickinson program in Bremen were especially helpful. Leandra handled our large, occasionally rowdy, always tardy, group with ease. She treated us as friends and offered earnest recommendations daily. I am thankful for her friendliness and diligence. Dr. Ludwig was equally as supportive, giving us informative lectures on German entrepreneurial history, the country’s opinions on America’s contemporary issues, and instructing us on how to behave in a “German” way. She was always enthusiastic in answering our many questions and was clearly passionate about her job. She truly wanted our group to have a wonderful experience (and that we did).
Our itinerary was packed with business visits and informational sessions, with plenty of free time mixed in. Some of the highlights included a tour of Mercedes Benz, a visit to Beck’s Brewery, meeting with members of the Bremen Senate, the Emigration Museum in Bremerhaven, exploring the restaurants and gift shops in the Schnoor and the Schlachte, as well as our trip to Berlin.
There is plenty more I could say about the experience, but I will end it with this. I had an extraordinary time in Germany and I will definitely be back. This trip is one that I will remember forever.”
Photo credit: Durden Dickinson Bremen Program