by Alex Arnold ’27

On the evening of June 19th, I was able to attend my first Bremer Sessel. The “Sessel” (German for “armchair”) is a regular interview series hosted by the Bremen Union von 1801 in partnership with the Carl Schurz German-American Club. The Union von 1801 is a merchant’s association local to Bremen, dating back to the city’s rich history of independent trade. I will admit that, this being my first time attending a “Sessel” talk, I was skeptical that I would get much out of being there. However, I was very pleasantly surprised!

This meeting’s guest was Cornelia Holsten, a trained lawyer who serves as the director of Bremen’s “Landesmedienanstalt”, which is essentially the German version of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Remember that since Bremen is a “Stadt-Staat” (city-state), it has its own independent administration and institutions. I can imagine that most readers’ knowledge of this field encompasses, at most, a loose familiarity with the acronym FCC. Thus, I think that you will understand when I say that I had absolutely no clue what the German Landesmedienanstalt is or does. As it turns out, it’s actually quite an interesting topic. The Medienanstalt is responsible for monitoring everything that is broadcasted on TV, radio, and the internet and ensuring all of this media is in line with the law when it comes to content and advertising. Holsten shared that the Medienanstalt is responsible for everything from making sure that no inappropriate shows air on TV before 8 pm to warning social-media influencers that they can’t advertise for a product without mentioning they own the company. 

All in all, Cornelia Holsten was a witty and informative guest, who captured the audience’s attention. I also learned a thing or two about media law and regulation. Oh, and in case you were wondering, the guest always sits before the crowd in an ancient leather armchair, hence the name “Sessel.”