The Dinner took place in the Havana Lounge in Bremen. After welcome speeches by Club President Ulf-Brün Drechsel and special guest Prof. Dr. Wiebke Ahrndt (Director of the Overseas Museum in Bremen), it was time to cut the turkey.
From October 27 to November 2, 2025, Bremen’s renowned annual international Festival for Border-Crossing Literature called Globale took place. We had the honor of being invited to the opening night, a festive event in the Town Hall.
Afterwards, we listened to a reading of excerpts from David Safier’s book Die Liebe sucht in Zimmer (Love in Search for a Room) by the famous actress Anna Thalbach, intermingled with Uni Bremen’s Prof. Dr. Karen Struve interviewing the author to explain the complex and captivating story of his book. Our students were able to obtain a signed copy afterwards.
During the subsequent festive reception, our Dickinson students met several interesting people, including a group of Ukrainian students from Odesa, who were attending a research week at the Research Centre for East European Studies at the University of Bremen and who invited our students for a joint dinner the next evening.
Many fascinating events, readings, and talks followed throughout the week, including, on Oct 29, a talk by Dr. Oxana Matiychuk with the title “Literature in/From the War: A Report from Chernivtsi,” which was introduced by Prof. Dr. Susanne Schattenberg, head of the Research Center for Eastern Europe.
On Nov 1, a discussion was held between Heike Paul and Marcel Dirsus (author of How Tyrants Fall: And How Nations Survive) on: “Looking West: On the Current Situation in the United States.”
Marcel Dirsus (left), interviewed by Heike Paul
The same day, a reading (with interview) of Dmitrij Kapitelman’s Russische Spezialitäten (Russian Specialties) explored the heartbreaking attempt of a Ukrainian German from Kyiv, who grew up in Leipzig, to convince his own mother—who lives safely in Germany and has been taken in by Russian propaganda—that it is Putin who is attacking Ukraine, not the other way around.
German Ukrainian author Dmitrij Kapitelman (right), interviewed by Klaas Anders
This wonderful literature festival has been founded and run for a long time by Libuše Černa. Last year, she handed over to a young team, led by Tatjana Vogel and Daniel Schmidt, who was an exchange student from the University of Bremen at Dickinson College a few years ago.
Tuesday started with a visit of the University of Bremen Law Faculty, which recently moved into their new building Forum am Domshof in the city center. Two professors and former judge President Jones got a chance to have a chat about their specialties and the different legal systems of our two countries.
Afterwards, the newest Dickinson Chair on the University of Bremen campus was inaugurated. Exactly ten years after the unveiling of the first three “Dickinson Chairs” on campus, this is the first chair at the new Forum at Domshof campus. The “Dickinson Chairs” in Bremen symbolize the enduring partnership between the institutions.
In the afternoon, President Jones and his wife Beth were given an exclusive tour at the late medieval Town Hall, together with Consul General Jason Chue (Consul General at the U.S. Consulate General in Hamburg) and former College President Bill Durden and his wife Elke, among others
The exclusive tour was given by Dr. Annette Lang (Head of Division International Cooperation and Development Cooperation at the Senate Chancellery of Bremen and former head of the International Office at University of Bremen).
During the visit at the town hall, the group also had a special meeting with Mayor Andreas Bovenschulte who warmly expressed his personal dedication to the transatlantic partnership.
In the evening, the sixth Dickinson College Public Lecture took place at the Schütting, the16th-century house of the Chamber of Commerce at the market square of Bremen. Almost 100 people attended the festive event.
The evening began with greetings by Eduard Dubbers-Albrecht (Vice President of the Chamber of Commerce Bremen) and Ulf-Brün Drechsel (President of the Carl Schurz German-American Club), followed by welcome addresses delivered by Prof. Dr. Jutta Günther (Rector of the University of Bremen) and Jason Chue (Consul General at the U.S. Consulate General in Hamburg).
Then, Dr. Ludwig spoke with President Jones about the new US Administration. At the end of the insightful interview, the guests had the possibility to ask questions to President Jones, and many seized this opportunity.
The event was concluded with a reception during which students & alumni engaged in stimulating conversations with experienced transatlanticists & representatives and made many new contacts.
Monday morning started with a short visit to the Dickinson Room on campus, before President Jones and his wife received a special tour through the Bremen Drop Tower, at Uni Bremen’s ZARM institute.
ZARM is an institute within the faculty of Production Engineering, and the Center of Applied Space Technology and Microgravity. More than 100 scientists conduct cutting-edge research using experimental, theoretical, and computational approaches to explore fundamental scientific questions as well as to develop innovative technologies for space missions and microgravity experiments.
The ZARM Drop Tower enables short-term microgravity experiments. A capsule can be dropped and has a free fall in zero gravity. ZARM cooperates, among others, with NASA. This drop tower is unique in Europe.
After a joint lunch at Bellini, it was time to head to the SFG Building on the University Campus, where the Alumni Reception took place.
We welcomed more than 70 people in total: 55 to 60 alumni from Dickinson and the University of Bremen, current Dickinson-in-Germany students, current and former Bremen partners and program officials as well as friends of the program attend the event in person. Several former Dickinson-in-Bremen students traveled to Bremen for the celebrations from other parts of Germany, where they now live; one flew in from the United States.
An additional 22 people joined us virtually from around the world and did not let the, in some cases, very early times due to time differences dissuade them from celebrating with us.
We also welcomed many guests of honor: Prof. Jürgen Timm and his wife, former rector of the university, Klaus Wedemeier, former mayor of Bremen, Bill Durden and his wife Elke, former president of Dickinson, and the current president John E. Jones and his wife Beth. Besides, former program directors and coordinators, many teachers of Uni Bremen and from Dickinson’s German Departments, and people involved in the International Office or the Rectorate who have supported the program.
The celebrations started with five short welcome speeches by current and former directors and college/university presidents.
Afterwards, we (re)connected and engaged in conversation with alumni who are “live” in Bremen and alumni who joined us virtually. Alumni shared anecdotes and their favorite moments of their time in Bremen or at Dickinson, and we cherished the special moments and life-long connections that were formed during this formative period.
The range of alumni attending the event covered the entire program history, with both the very first student participating in the exchange in 1985 and our current Dickinson-in-Bremen students, as well as the University of Bremen students that have just returned days ago from their exchange year at Dickinson, being present.
Afterwards, we held our coffee and cake reception outside in the backyard, while we started the virtual screening of our anniversary movie inside and for our guests in the zoom. The approximately 30min long movie presented a beautiful bag of memories with pictures, videos and impressions from student adventures over the years.
40 years of the William G. and Elke Durden Dickinson in Bremen Program
back row, from left to right: Samantha Brandauer (Associate Provost and Executive Director of the CGSE at Dickinson), Eduard Dubbers-Albrecht (Vice President of the Chamber of Commerce Bremen), Ulf-Brün Drechsel (President of the Carl Schurz German-American Club), Dr. Harald Wilms (Secretary of the Carl Schurz German-American Club) front row, from left to right: Dr. Janine Ludwig (Academic Director of the Durden Dickinson in Bremen Program), our main speaker that evening: Dickinson College President John E. Jones III, Prof. Dr. Jutta Günther (Rector of the University of Bremen), Dr. Mandy Boehnke (University of Bremen Vice President for International Affairs, Academic Qualification, and Diversity), Jason Chue (Consul General at the U.S. Consulate General in Hamburg)
Thank you to all our guests and everyone who took part in the three-day celebrations. We are so grateful for our Durden Dickinson in Bremen Program Community, Friends and Supporters all around the world. ❤️
Janine Ludwig interviewing President John E. Jones III on the new US administration
Dickinson College Public Lecture – an event organized by our program, in cooperation with the University of Bremen, the Carl Schulz German-American Club, and the Amerikazentrum Hamburg. Welcome addresses delivered by Prof. Dr. Jutta Günther (Rector of the University of Bremen) and Jason Chue (Consul General at the U.S. Consulate General in Hamburg).
