Poland Excursion March 2016

Posted on March 22, 2016 by Dickinson-in-Bremen

Art exhibition along the city wall of Kraków.

Kraków Old Town

Our Dickinson-in-Poland excursion was very diverse and well-planned. The schedule provided us with friendly and knowledgable Polish tour guides who made sure we were not walking through the old and historical cities without knowing what we were walking past. I found the group walking tour of Krakow to be especially interesting and also helpful. Thanks to the tour, we were given a good overview of the different areas of Krakow and we never needed to use a map in order to refind those places to which we wanted to return. Despite trekking through the one day of not-so-great weather, the tour introduced us to the most beautiful and most historical of Krakow and I enjoyed every minute. Ultimately, despite having spent only a few days there, I felt as though I received a good sense of how the city was shaped by hundreds of years of history and tradition, an understanding that cannot be neglected if one is to really feel as though any foreign city has become a temporary home. >Carol Rynar ‘ 17<

The Wawel Castle

One of the highlights of this excursion was the beautiful, historic centrum of Kraków, the Old Town Market Square or Rynek Główny. One of the largest historic market squares in Europe, the unique and lovely spot contains an underground archeological museum, the ornate and awe-inspiring St. Mary’s Basilica, a line of shops and carriages, hundreds of flocking pigeons, and the Jagiellonian University class where we had our interesting lecture series. We were especially lucky to experience this vibrant city around Easter with a charming Easter and spring-themed market on the main square. >Helen Schlimm ‘ 17<

Gdansk

One of our first days in Poland, we visited the city of Gdansk, which involved a three-hour train ride from Warsaw; a far but worthwhile journey. We met with our tour guide outside the train station, who led us towards the shipyards where the Solidarity movement grew its roots. We walked under the gate where Lech Walesa shared the news that a deal had been made with the communist government in 1980. We entered the museum to learn of the events that led up to that critical moment. Through interactive dioramas, props and photographs, we learned about the struggle against communism and martial law and the numerous political uprisings that took place because of that struggle. We saw the original 21 demands of the 1980 shipyard demonstration handwritten on old plywood, which led to the creation of the first trade union. I learned a lot about Polish history and am really appreciative of the opportunity to have seen this great historical city. >Phoebe Allebach ‘ 17<

The famous Gate No. 2 at the Gdansk Shipyard.

Vienna Calling – Excursion 2016

Posted on March 7, 2016 by Dickinson-in-Bremen

Schönbrunn – Sehr schön indeed!

From left to right: Ira, Phoebe, Carol, Helen, Janine Ludwig

We were really lucky to experience the Schönbrunn Palace on the sunniest day of our excursion! Only a twenty-minute train ride outside the city center, this absolutely stunning palace and gardens really lives up to its name with an unbelievable self-guided tour through the regal halls and rooms of the summer home of the Hapsburg Emperors and Empresses, most notably Maria Theresia and Elisabeth “Sissi”. From finely enameled wallpaper and portraits to bejeweled mirrors, chandeliers and furniture it was really exciting to experience the wealth of the empire and imagine living in a time where one might actually attend a ball in the great hall. The gardens and grounds were also gorgeous and provided an awesome view of the city from the short hike up the hill! >Helen Schlimm<

Schönbrunn Gardens: Ira Lauer, Helen Schlimm, Carol Rynar, Phoebe Allebach (from left to right)

The National Library

One of my favorite experiences on this trip was our visit to the national library. Thanks to our program, we were given this unique opportunity that we would not have otherwise had, had we just visited on our own. (It was incredibly satisfying to be ushered behind a red velvet rope to an off-limits section of the library for a closer look at the books while normal tourists watched jealously on.) We were given a private tour by a very knowledgeable and friendly professor, who gave us a thorough history of the library building as well as of the books. We began outside the doors with a description of the library’s impressive exterior before we headed up the Stiege (a new regional German word was learned on the way up the stairs) and I was able to use the same key Maria Theresa used during the 18^th Century to open the large library door into one of the most beautiful and priceless rooms I have ever seen.

Students looking at an original Luther bible from the 16th century, adorned with paintings from Lucas Cranach the Elder!

We learned how to read a bit of the symbolism painted on the impressive ceiling fresco before we had the opportunity to actually read (and handle!) two texts from the Habsburg collection from the 16^th Century. Vienna is a city full of history, that fact can be grasped easily enough just by walking down the street, but to actually hold in your hands a document so incredibly old and so carefully cared for helped me to appreciate how valuable such history is and how concerned Vienna is with conserving it. From the Schatzkammer to the Kunsthistorisches Museum even to the Kaisergruft, it is obvious the Habsburgs liked to collect priceless artefacts, but I think it is safe to say that the Nationalbibliothek contained Vienna’s most impressive collection. >Carol Rynar<

One of the best experiences of my time in Vienna was our city tour. Vienna is such an old and beautiful city with nearly 1000 years of history. Walking through the city’s streets lined with architecture from Baroque to Art Nouveau was out of the world and will be a life-long memory. >Ira Lauer<

Academic substance

The broader theme of this excursion is German-Austrian history and culture from the middle ages until today. In three introductury lectures, I lead the students back to the origins of what is “German,” (an umbrella term coined by Tacitus) and why we are named after different tribes in other languages, like “Allemannen”, a.k.a. Swabians or “Deutsch,” stemming from “theodisk” which actually means belonging to the people / folk-like. From the defeat of the Romans in the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest through the migration period, we follow the emergence of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation, from Charles the Great (800) to its dissolution after the Napoleonic conquests (1806) using historic maps and documentaries. At the same time, we track the rise of the Habsburg dynasty from 1273 until 1918 and the overlapping of the Austro-Hungarian k.u.k Monarchy, later the Austrian Empire (1804-1918) with the German Empire (1871-1918). Backed up with this information, the students can better understand the museum exhibits and grasp the importance of Vienna as a former political and cultural center of Europe. And additionally, we indulge in the imperial glamour and the culinary abundance of this beautiful city. >Dr. Janine Ludwig<

Fußball: Dickinson-in-Bremen at the Weser Stadium

Posted on February 29, 2016 by Dickinson-in-Bremen

Helen and Ira

On February 27, Dickinson-in-Bremen went to see Werder Bremen play against Darmstadt 98 (an ascender from the second league). Let’s say, the game was a little unfortunate – only a draw of 2:2… But we had fun nonetheless!

For the last couple of seasons, Werder has been having a somewhat bad streak in the German league called Bundesliga: Right now, we are on the so-called relegation spot, which means # 16 of 18 teams. The last two teams will be directly relegated into the second league (in exchange for their top two), and the 16th will battle the 3rd of the second league. Of course, we do not plan on doing that, but stay in the first league for sure. After all, Werder Bremen has a long history and tradition in the Bundesliga and is, in fact, the second best team in the all-time table!

“Lebenslang Grün-Weiß.” The green # 14 is our beloved Peruvian striker Claudio Pizarro.

Uni Bremen Yearbook Featuring Dickinson

Posted on February 28, 2016 by Dickinson-in-Bremen

On February 23, 2016, the University of Bremen proudly presented its Yearbook 2015 and celebrated it with a reception. Since the focus of this yearbook is “cooperation,” it highlights Dickinson College as one of the most esteemed partners and as an example of very fruitful cooperation. Please find the article on the Dickinson Durden Bremen Program here:

UB Jahrbuch 2015 Dickinson

And here, you can read the entire yearbook:

UB091_Jahrbuch2015_komplett_WEB – Kopie

Additionally, a film was presented at the reception, which entails interviews with the most important partners of Uni Bremen – and Dickinson is featured here as well, in interviews with the student Madison Alley, with President Nancy Roseman, former Rector Wilfried Müller, and head of the International Office, Annette Lang (starting at 6:15):

Happy Holidays!

Posted on December 20, 2015 by Dickinson-in-Bremen

This year’s Christmas celebration served as a meeting place for current and former Dickinson-in-Bremen students as well as future and former OSAs, altogether a group of almost 20 people. We started off with a round of Secret Santa, followed by building one’s own gingerbread house – in miniature. See for yourself:

Helen, Phoebe, Carol, former OSA Laura, former OSA (from left to right)

Berlin, Berlin, wir fahren nach Berlin!

Posted on December 16, 2015 by Dickinson-in-Bremen

Meeting with Hans Modrow

Our Berlin excursion began with the exciting and unique experience to meet the last Premier, or Chairman of the Council of Ministers, of the German Democratic Republic (East Germany), Hans Modrow! Herr Modrow’s fascinating history includes living through four different political and social regime changes in Germany, and he is currently the honorary Chairman of die Linke Party (the Left). Most fitting to our theme of German Reunification was his detailed description and explanation of the political transition in East Germany from the fall of the Berlin Wall on November 9^th, 1989 to official reunification, nearly a year later, on October 3^rd, 1990. We asked questions about his involvement and opinions on this time and the time since for the better part of three hours. In turn, we received a very interesting perspective from the side of the GDR, a typically lesser known part of recent German history than the West. >Helen Schlimm<

From left to right: Verena Mertz, Janine Ludwig, Ira, Carol, Hans Modrow, Phoebe, Helen. © Frank Schumann

As part of our Berlin trip, we got to meet several political figures from the former German Democratic Republic. We met with Hans Modrow, who was the second last leader of the GDR. We had a long discussion about life, politics of East Germany and the fall of the Berlin Wall. He painted a picture of how the integration of East Germany into the West could have gone and how things would be different for it. Later in the week we had the opportunity to meet member of the Bundestag, Gregor Gysi, who is a leader in the Left party in the Bundestag. With him, we also discussed East Germany and the fall of the Berlin wall. We also learned about the current political climate surrounding the former GDR, such as the debate about whether or not the GDR was a nation built upon the rule of law. From both of these meetings with influential political figures, we gained a much deeper understanding of the politics that surrounded the fall of the Berlin Wall and the ramifications of German unity. >Ira Lauer<

Left: Dr. Gregor Gysi. From front: Janine Ludwig, Carol Rynar, Ira Lauer, Phoebe Allebach

Left: Dr. Gregor Gysi. From front: Janine Ludwig, Helen, Carol, Ira, Phoebe. © Verena Mertz

Meeting at the Federal Foreign Office (Auswärtiges Amt)

Our group also got the fascinating chance to meet with a member of the Transatlantic Coordinator’s Office at the Federal Foreign Office! We were lead through a tour of the unique space that was also the National Bank for the Third Reich and the Central Seat of the Socialist Unity Party of East Germany, take (unofficial) press photos, and even got to ride on a Paternoster lift! We had a lively talk and discussion of our questions relating to the American-German relationship in the past, present and future. Themes included the Office’s strategies to inform more Americans and Germans of their program and the importance of the relationship between the two countries, the upcoming presidential elections in the US, and stereotypes of both cultures and how or if they can be changed in the future. It was an extremely interesting meeting and tied in very nicely with our class this semester taught by Janine: Kultur heißt Vergleichen- USA/Deutschland. >Helen Schlimm<

Julian Assange & the BStU

When I first learned that a mass Skype-call with founder of WikiLeaks Julian Assange was on the schedule for the day, I had two initial reactions: firstly, one of excitement that I was to be given an opportunity to be in attendance during a critical contemporary dialogue led by one of the most influential whistle-blowers of the modern age, but secondly one of surprise as well. After speaking with two relevant German political icons earlier that day, the last communist premier of East Germany, Hans Modrow, and the last leader of the Socialist Unity Party (SED) in East Germany, Gregor Gysi, I was curious to see how listening to the ideas of an Australian journalist would fit with our excursion’s overall theme of the division and unification of East and West Germany. What this Skype event quickly helped me to realize, however, was that there really is an incredible amount of thematic overlap with what is happening in the world today and what was happening behind the Wall not too long ago, particularly concerning the right to access information, the notion of privacy, and the necessity of recognizing and spreading the truth. These ideas constituted the theme of the night’s conversation with Assange, titled “The End of Democracy.”

Julian Assange warned us in his speech against the power of technology and of the unchallenged authority of the Silicon Valley. He told us of Google’s geopolitical aspirations, of its closely-established relationship with the United States government, and of its frighteningly-powerful surveillances capabilities. He called us to arms in the fight for justice for a world of clarity and truth, to expose the reality that we are living behind our own virtual “Wall,” while being watched by our own kind of Stasi, an overlord we ourselves have chosen and support both through our dependency on technology and our compliancy to resist the implementation of a severely-limited sense of freedom in today’s world. These ideas were still fresh in my mind when the Dickinson group visited the BStU (Official German Stasi Archive) the next day. >Carol Rynar<

We went to Hohenschönhausen in Berlin, the former prison for the East German Ministry of State Security, the Stasi. A former prisoner, who had an amazing and moving story of imprisonment, gave us a tour. We saw rooms where prisoners stayed which were comprised of a wooden bunk and a bucket for a toilet. We saw a reproduction of a Chinese torture apparatus, in which water was slowly dripped on the person’s forehead for an indefinite amount of time. I was surprised to hear that 90% of the prisoners in Hohenschönhausen were innocent of the so-called crimes they committed. Our tour guide was imprisoned for helping others escape over the wall. The second time he tried himself to escape, he was captured. His best friend was shot and killed. He was put in solitary confinement for 3 years. When he was released, he continued to help people escape into the West. Because of his intense, life-long fight against oppression, he isolated his wife and children, leading to a long estrangement. He told us this with a shaking voice and teary eyes. At this point, the language barrier didn’t matter. I could see and sense his pain, but could only imagine how much he hurts. I couldn’t help but wonder how difficult it must be for him to walk through the halls of the prison daily. Has he numbed himself to the painful physical and emotional memories? Or perhaps in informing others of his difficult plight, he is given strength; there is a renewed purpose to what happened. The tour through Hohenschönhausen was a moving experience and I learned a lot. I would definitely recommend a visit.

During our free time, Helen, Carol and I went to the Museumsinsel and visted the Alte Nationalgalerie (Old National Gallery), which presents a collection of 19^th century art. We saw pieces by Adolph von Menzel, Claude Monet, Max Liebermann, Auguste Renoir and our personal favorite, Caspar David Friedrich. It was really cool to see art that we studied in “German Cultures!” The museum itself was stunning, modeled after the Acropolis of Athens. Afterwards, we walked over to the Berliner Dom and for an afternoon, we enjoyed being surrounded by beautiful architecture. >Phoebe Allebach<

From left to right: Janine Ludwig, Carol, Phoebe, Ira, Helen, Verena Mertz

The Annual Thanksgiving Dinner of the CSDAC

Posted on November 30, 2015 by Dickinson-in-Bremen

Every year, the Carl Schurz Deutsch-Amerikanischer Club hosts a wonderful Thanksgiving Dinner. This year, it took place at the Atlantic Grand Hotel in the city center of Bremen. The red carpet was laid out at its entrance in the Böttcherstraße to welcome the many guests.

Our current Dickinson-in-Bremen students were joined by Janie Feldman, who spent a year in Bremen in 2013-2014 and has returned to Germany on a Fulbright teaching assistantship, and Philipp Schott, OSA at Dickinson in 2014-2015.

After the welcome reception, the evening entailed a quiz, musical acts, and of course an amazing Thanksgiving dinner buffet that was accompanied by live piano music. What a wonderful way of starting into the holiday season!

All photos are courtesy of the Carl Schurz Deutsch-Amerikanischer Club and were taken by Raju Gurung. For additional photos, please follow the link to the Thanksgiving Dinner 2015 photo album on the Facebook page of the CSDAC HERE.

The William ’71 and Elke Durden Literary Series at Bremen #1: Kerstin Hensel

Posted on November 24, 2015 by Dickinson-in-Bremen

Kerstin Hensel

An advantage of being part of the Dickinson-in-Bremen program is having the opportunity to participate in a variety of cultural events, such as in a private workshop with German author Kerstin Hensel, preceding a reading of one of her books, Lärchenau, later that evening at the theater in Bremen. This workshop provided us with the comfortable environment in which to ask Frau Hensel, who began her writing career in the GDR, many questions concerning literature, culture, and cultural politics behind the Wall, as well as what it meant to be an East German author after Germany’s Reunification. I was interested to learn about how art for the masses was endorsed by the communist government in East Germany, and to learn about the extent in which growing up in the East affected Hensel’s opinions and motivations as a writer. I did not expect to learn that Frau Hensel, despite growing up in the GDR, does not identify herself as an East German writer, but rather as a German writer. It was also interesting to learn that one can differentiate East German from West German writings by recognizing stylistic differences between them. Overall, this workshop allowed me to bring a greater understanding and appreciation of literature to Frau Hensel’s book-reading later that night, and I was thankful to be offered the opportunity to better familiarize myself with the literary culture of East Germany and of the time of German Reunification. >Carol Rynar<

The opportunity to hear a reading from a prominent German author in addition to also participating in a personalized workshop was very exciting. We were able to ask Frau Hensel questions about her background in the DDR and how this has influenced her work today or how she approaches writing novels. This fascinating discussion was very applicable to our theme of Deutsche Einheit and taught me a lot about the foundation of life in East Germany. At the reading, we were treated to segments of her novel Lärchenau and could form parallels between her earlier workshop with us and the story and writing style that we were presented with. This was a really interesting experience to be a part of, and I gained valuable insights into the teachings and thoughts of a modern German author. >Helen Schlimm<

I really enjoyed the workshop wit Kerstin Hensel. I learned a lot about how literature was created and received in the German Democratic Republic. I had no idea that East Germany had such a strong reading culture and how culturally aware the common person was. >Ira Lauer<

Kerstin Hensel reading from her novel “Lärchenau”.

The Kerstin Hensel meeting was informative and interesting. She read an excerpt of one of her books in which she wrote an alternative ending to Hänsel and Gretel. In her version, Hänsel and Gretel accept their captivity and live a secure life with the mean witch. When she finally dies, Hänsel and Gretel are unsure what to do with their freedom and approach the new, unknown world with hesitancy and fear. She wrote this story as a symbol for the people in the DDR, who grew comfortable in their life in the communist east. Overall it was definitely a valuable learning experience, and I really enjoyed listening to a German writer talk about her past and her writing methods. >Phoebe Allebach<

Click HERE to see the flyer of the event.

First week in Bremen: Orientation!

Posted on October 15, 2015 by Dickinson-in-Bremen

Day Four of orientation week:

After all the introductions, lectures, and discoveries at the university, we needed a time-out and some relaxation. Thus, on Thursday night, we had a small celebration to which we invited the new students along with Bremen-in-Dickinson and Dickinson-in-Bremen alumni. Together we watched the soccer game between Germany and Ireland, which was one of the qualification games to the European Championship to take place in 2016.

The “offside rule” with a bunch of gummy bears

First, some of the Germans explained the soccer rules for the Americans, and maybe also for some Germans, e.g. the offside rule, for which they relied on the helpf of gummy bears. There was pizza as well as a large choice of snacks and drinks. Although Germany lost to Ireland, it was a nice event, and we had a lot of fun. After all, we still qualified!

Before the game: Anna, former OSA Philipp, Janie, former OSA Laura, Phoebe, Carol, Helen, Lea (intern), Ira, former spring student Nicholas, former spring student Daniel (from left to right)

Dickinson-in-Bremen students donate money to local refugee organization

Posted on July 6, 2015 by Dickinson-in-Bremen

The current Dickinson-in-Bremen students decided to donate money to a refugee organization in Bremen. Read here the accounts of two of them:

Rachel:

After receiving some cash back from their health insurance company, the Dickinson Students in Bremen sought to give back to the community that has hosted them for the last nine months. Their search and hearts led them to the non-profit organization “Fluchtraum,” housed less than twenty minutes by foot from the students’ apartments. Fluchtraum works according to one simple ideal, all people deserve guidance and companionship, and works with the Bremen community to bring guidance and companionship to those who need it the most and are denied it quite often; minor refugees without parents or other guardians. The nonprofit’s main goal is connect those youth refugees with the service and mentors they need, often picking up where the state can no longer provide. They work together with the centers that house the young refugees to connect those refugees in need of help, especially with legal matters where the minors cannot sign for themselves, with a Mentor. The mentor can help the child or teenager with a wide range of issues and will do activities together such as visiting museums and exploring the city. Above all, Fluchtraum strives to help these young people feel like members of the Bremen community, from their mentorship program to getting the kids together for a round of football (soccer) to connecting the refugees with language programs.

“Like all refugees, these minors are searching after protection from war, persecution, forced migration, hunger, natural catastrophes, human rights violations, and violence, or simply are searching for a humane life” states the front page of the Fluchtraum’s website. Around 550 minor refugees without guardianship arrived in Bremen alone and this number is 14 times more than in the year 2010. The centers are over capacity. When we sat down with Fluchtraum to discuss their program and its goals, they told us there are around 800 young refugees currently in Bremen whose parents died, disappeared or are unreachable. The organization simply wants to show these children and teenagers that they are welcome here in Bremen and they are not alone. Fluchtraum would love to grow further in their mission by expanding the artistic and cultural activities offered and by working on training former participants in their program to be mentors. The money donated by the Dickinson students will help these new members of the Bremen community find a new safe home, whether it is here in Bremen or a city somewhere else along the road. We hope that this bit of luck will be the start of a strong relationship between the Fluchtraum and the Dickinson-in-Bremen program.

Ezra:

My fellow Dickinsonians-in-Bremen and I received a pleasant surprise in the mail: our health insurance company had decided we would get extra money. Enclosed in the envelope was a check for 100 Euros! We reported this to our coordinators, Janine and Verena. Was it a trap? Did the money belong to us or to the Dickinson-in-Bremen program, which had set up our health insurance? We came to a compromise. The students who had received the money would come up with an appropriate way to spend it. After much discussion, we put it to a vote. We would donate half the money to a good cause and use half for cultural events. Now how to donate the money to the best cause? We came up with the idea of using the money to help refugees. There even happened to be an organization called Fluchtraum within walking distance from our student apartments. We organized a meeting over email, so we could see exactly what would happen with our money and learn more about Fluchtraum.

I went with two other Dickinsonians-in-Bremen to visit this organization. The administrators we met at Fluchtraum were extremely excited to receive our donation, because they were in the midst of applying for money from the state and unsure if they would be officially funded in the near future. They talked to us about their main mission: pairing immigrants with volunteer guardians or mentors. They said refugees are often young men from Africa between the ages of fifteen and eighteen. A guardian/mentor had many benefits for a refugee. They could help them learn German, show them around Bremen, and/or serve as a legal guardian to sign important documents (for example, for education, housing, or health services), increasing the refugees’ integration into the city.

Where would our money go specifically? Most of the money would be spent on campaigns promoting information and training sessions for future mentors. This organization also provided new shoes for refugees (normally teenage males), who loved soccer (or as it is known in the rest of the world, football). I liked the idea of my money going to fund this specific cause, because it represented a physical object (the shoes) but so much more as well: enabling the refugee to have fun playing a sport after troubled times at home and an extremely long journey to reach Germany (one administrator mentioned that one of her mentees had been away from home for over two years before finding a permanent location to live in Germany). I had the feeling that teenage refugees who come to Germany often do not have the same luxury of being a child and a teenager as I did in America; in many countries, there is no time to “hang out and play sports.” The shoes also represented making friends and connection in the refugee’s new home in Bremen, Germany. I played many pick-up games of soccer in Germany, and is it a great opportunity to meet people from all over the world— everyone in the whole world loves soccer (except silly Americans like me). I saw soccer as an important tool for the integration of refugees in Bremen; giving a refugee Fußball shoes granted them an opportunity to play more comfortably with other refugees or native Germans, allowing them to build connections within the Bremen community.

Unfortunately, this year’s Dickinson-in-Bremen program is drawing to a close. Working together with an organization like Fluchtraum would give future Dickinson students in Bremen the opportunity to be a mentor for a refugee. I believe this to be an important experience, as a Dickinsonian-in-Bremen could help a refugee with English and German (learning German together) and discover German cultural events together (one future goal, mentioned the administrators, involved incorporating more cultural experience in their mentor programs, such as visiting museums, galleries, or concerts with refugees). I recently saw a video online where the speaker challenged the audience members to “engage with someone with whom you have very few shared experiences.” Work as a mentor would accomplish exactly that for Dickinson students during their year abroad. I would definitely be a win-win situation: the refugee would gain a friend and important connection in Bremen and the Dickinson student would also gain a friend and the opportunity to help someone less fortunate than him- or herself. Being a mentor would represent an important step on a Dickinson student’s path to becoming a global citizen.