Programs and Events

November 24-25, 2005
Consul for Public Affairs Mark Wenig attended the American Studies Committee 2005 Conference at the Leucorea Foundation in Lutherstadt Wittenberg. Before a group of 20 German academics specializing in U.S. studies, Wenig introduced the Leipzig Consulate General and participated in post presentation discussions on presentations which included “Dissent in America” by Dr. Erik Mortensen, a Fulbright professor from Wayne State University, and “The Origins of the Southern Evangelical Mind,” presented by Leipzig-based Fulbrighter Dr. John B. Boles of Rice University.

November 24, 2005
During a whirlwind visit to Leipzig U.S. Consulate General, the Cultural Attaché and Minister Counselor for Public Affairs from the German Embassy in Washington accepted a check from a delegation of Dresden musicians and Sächsische Zeitung staffers in support of New Orleans flood victims. The 10,000 Euro donation came from the proceeds of a concert staged on September 25, at which more than 100 musicians from the region played for free to demonstrate their solidarity with displaced musicians in the south. The newspaper had supported the initiative by advertising the concert and appealing to its readers to contribute to the cause.

November 23, 2005
Leipzig U.S. Consulate General staffer Birgit Kämmer attended this year's “Language Day” at the Leipzig University of Applied Sciences. While representatives from other Leipzig institutions spoke about educational opportunities in various Eastern European countries, Spain, France, Great Britain and Australia, Kämmer informed the students about the U.S. system of higher education, opportunities to study abroad, internship programs and visa regulations. On November 24, the regional job center in Erfurt invited Kämmer to an all-day event reaching out to high school and university students as well as to young professionals.

November 23, 2005
Consul for Public Affairs Mark Wenig and Leipzig U.S. Intern Michael Cude addressed students at the Magdeburg Vocational School. After a presentation about the Consulate, Wenig made a short presentation on the U.S. educational system, social security and treatment of minorities in the U.S. A friendly discussion followed, and the students, none of whom had ever been to the U.S., demonstrated great interest in these and other themes. The class also presented Wenig a signed class photo.

November 21, 2005
The photo exhibit featuring 32 portraits of blues musicians and countryside images from the deep south was put on display at the Thuringia headquarters of public broadcaster Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk (MDR) in Erfurt. The exhibit was initiated by Leipzig's U.S. Consulate General in cooperation with photographer Axel Kuestner to draw attention again to the loss of cultural heritage in the aftermath of hurricanes Katrina and Rita. In their opening remarks, Leipzig Consul General Mark Scheland, MDR Thuringia Director Werner Dieste, and Reinhard Lorenz from the Eisenach International Jazz Archive, all stressed the strong cultural ties between regional institutions and Leipzig's Consulate General, which were reflected by this successful cooperation.

November 19, 2005
As part of International Education Week (IEW), Cultural Affairs Assistant Birgit Kämmer, U.S. Consulate General Leipzig, traveled to Wurzen to speak about educational opportunities in the U.S. Some 35 high school students received up-to-date information about the workings of the U.S. higher education system, study opportunities, grant programs and current visa regulations. In addition to the general overview, Kämmer elaborated on the Fulbright exchange program and encouraged the future university students to take advantage of this excellent study program.

November 18, 2005
Consul for Public Affairs Mark Wenig and Consulate General Leipzig's staff joined the festivities to celebrate the 240th anniversary of TU Bergakademie Freiberg. The college is unique in that as a mining college, it is one of the few of its type in Germany. Ministerpresident Georg Milbradt gave the keynote speech. Consul Wenig spoke to Ministerpresident Milbradt and Rector Professor Unland after the formal proceedings.

November 16, 2005
U.S. speaker Charles K. Mallory, Senior Adviser at the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, addressed students at the Friedrich-Schiller-Universitaet of Jena. Mallory interpreted recent developments in overall U.S. Middle East policy, and analyzed changes in U.S. policy and assistance to Egypt since September 11, 2001, placing special emphasis on the role of civil society in the region. Mallory audience showed great interest in his presentation on U.S. reform initiatives.

November 11, 2005
Consul for Public Affairs Mark Wenig attended a performance of the “Jazzmeile Thüringen” in the brick keller of the public library in Weimar. Several American Jazz artists are now performing in Thuringia, among them Chicago-based harmonica player Howard Levy, Pat O’Bryan from Texas and Chris Cacavas from Tucson, who will present American jazz to large audiences in various cities in Thuringia. The Consulate and the organizers of Jazzmeile Thüringen have been working together for 5 years. The Consulate General again supported this year’s festival series.

November 8, 2005
Consul for Public Affairs Mark Wenig, U.S. interns Sean McGrath and Michael Cude and the Information Resource Director, U.S. Consulate General Leipzig, attended a presentation by 5th and 11th grade students showcasing their English language skills, held at the school library of the Humboldt Gymnasium in Leipzig. The principal and English teachers thanked the Consulate for its longstanding support and cooperation, and Consul Wenig officially presented the new English language books to the school’s library. A lively discussion about the U.S. rounded off the program.

November 3, 2005
Consulate General Leipzig hosted teachers of English at an in-service training seminar in Leipzig. Consul General Mark Scheland welcomed participants from across Saxony, Consul for Public Affairs Mark Wenig and Consulate General staff talked about services for teachers and students, while Bettina Kutsche, Foreign Commercial Service (FCS), presented FCS Leipzig and gave an overview over recent economic developments in the U.S. Prof. Crister Garrett of Leipzig’s American Studies Institute discussed U.S. domestic and foreign policy with the group. The seminar, which was supported by the Ministry of Education and regional school authorities, introduced consular activities, and current issues in American society to teachers from vocational schools.

November 3, 2005
Consulate General Leipzig, in cooperation with the Houston-Leipzig Sister City Society and the main library of the city of Leipzig, opened an exhibit entitled, "German-Texans and the Llano Estacado Connection." Consul for Public Affairs Mark Wenig delivered welcoming remarks, and Dr. Meredith McClain from Texas Tech University in Lubbock presented a slide-show lecture, followed by a reception.

November 1, 2005
Professor Holger Kersten from the University of Magdeburg and a group of his students attended a presentation on study and internships in the U.S. delivered by Consulate General Leipzig staffer Birgit Kämmer, which took place at the Magdeburg International Library. While Mrs. Kämmer provided general information and addressed questions, the head of the Academic Exchange Office, University of Magdeburg, introduced the group to U.S. exchange programs involving Magdeburg. The director of the Consulate General Leipzig's Information Resource Center (IRC) talked about IRC services and resources.

October 27, 2005
Consul for Public Affairs Mark Wenig, U.S. Consulate General Leipzig, and the Director of the Information Resource Center (IRC) conducted a workshop for English teachers at the Magdeburg Public Library. Wenig spoke about the U.S. in presenting his home state of Alaska, and discussed political and environmental issues with the 35 participants. The introduction to IRC services and products was followed by a donation of books on U.S. history and immigration to the Magdeburg library.

October 25, 2005
Consul General Mark Scheland welcomed a group of six participants of a Fulbright seminar for U.S. Administrators on International Education at the Consulate’s facilities. Scheland outlined the structure and work of diplomatic posts abroad, explained the Consulate's involvement in international educational exchange (i.e. with regard to the Fulbright program) and engaged the group in a lively discussion on a variety of topics.

October 25, 2005
Consul for Public Affairs Mark Wenig welcomed 25 librarians and staffers from Leipzig school libraries and introduced them to the Consulate's tasks and services. Consulate's Information Resource Center staff presented USA information on the Internet, while Consulate's Cultural Affairs Assistants provided an overview on 'Educational Information Services' and the Leipzig- Houston sister city partnership. U.S. intern Sean McGrath compared his library experiences in the U.S. and Germany.

October 24, 2005
Nicole Krauss - considered a new, inspiring voice in American literature - read from her latest novel "The History of Love" in Leipzig's ‘House of Books’. Her novel has already been translated into 27 languages and is to be produced as a Hollywood movie. According to literary critics, Krauss had added a new protagonist to Jewish literature. The joint-venture between Consulate General Leipzig and one of the city’s leading cultural institutions was enriched by Germany's best-known speaking voice: Christian Brueckner reading the part of Leo Gursky.

October 21 - 23, 2005
The sixth Saxon Youth Media Forum took place at the Dresden State Parliament, featuring for the first time a U.S. speaker via Internet link-up. Parliamentary President Erich Iltgen welcomed the 200 young media buffs, aged 13-20, who produced radio and TV programs, photo stories, a newspaper and Internet web pages in the course of their three-day workshops. After the opening, media specialist Professor Heilbrunn from Ohio State University was projected via Internet link-up on a large screen in the assembly hall and took part in a panel discussion on the effects of digitalization on the future media landscape.

October 19, 2005
American author Leonard Chang read from his latest writings at Jena's City Library, talked about his experiences as an Asian American, and discussed his own path in becoming a writer. The reading ended with a long and vivid discussion on writing strategies, and the role of Korean-Americans in American society. Chang added a colorful facet to the image of multicultural America, while demonstrating at the same time that mystery novels can also be high quality literature.

October 19, 2005
The German-American Dialogue Center (GADC) in Magdeburg, Saxony-Anhalt, launched its annual scholarship competition for students from Saxony-Anhalt at a news conference in Magdeburg. Consul for Public Affairs Mark Wenig, who attended the event together with Consulate General Leipzig staff, underscored in his remarks the importance of exchanges for young people. Chairman of the GADC Board and Bundestag Member (MdB) Dr. Uwe Küster praised the Consulate for its continued support. Consul Wenig will participate in selection process in late January 2006.

October 18, 2005
U.S. Speaker Mark Gibb, Executive Director of the Northern Virginia Regional Commission (NVRC), met with experts of Leipzig's Regional District Government to discuss trends, problems and perspectives in land use planning, demographics and economic development. Gibb presented examples from Virginia and gave an overview of the NVRC’s successful cooperation with German partners in Stuttgart. Leo Artmann, his Saxon counterpart, took Gibb on a tour of one of Leipzig's former brownfields, which are being recultivated and turned into attractive areas for housing, tourism and environmentally friendly businesses.

October 11- 15, 2005
Supported by the Consulate General Leipzig, the Leipzig Jazz Club hosted its 29th international festival (“Leipziger Jazztage”), which - as in the past - proved to be the most important forum for contemporary jazz and world music in the five new German states. The 73 musicians attracted more than 5,300 jazz enthusiasts: many young, in addition to those who have stayed young. The concerts took place in smaller clubs, as well as in Leipzig’s large Opera House, and featured newcomers as well as U.S. legends like Branford Marsalis, Ralph Towner and Dave Holland with their bands.

October 12, 2005
Accompanied by the project and marketing manager of the city, the Weissenfels municipal library staff - including its new director - visited the Consulate General for the first time. The group studied resources of the Consulate's Information Resource Center (IRC) and was trained on USA information on the Internet.

October 11, 2005
A photo exhibit paying tribute to the Deep South opened in Leipzig's student club Moritzbastei. The exhibit was initiated by Leipzig's Consulate General in cooperation with photographer Axel Küstner to draw attention again to loss of cultural heritage in the aftermath of hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Küstner chose 32 portraits of blues musicians, city and countryside images out of a pool of more than 20.000 photographs. After Leipzig, the exhibit will go on the road for display at further destinations throughout Germany. In their opening remarks, Consul for Public Affairs Mark Wenig, U.S. Consulate General Leipzig, and Reinhard Lorenz from the Eisenach International Jazz Archive stressed the strong cultural and educational ties between regional institutions and Leipzig's Consulate General, which were reflected by this successful cooperation.

October 3-9, 2005
The 48th International Leipzig Festival for Documentary Film attracted a primarily young audience of more than 20.000 this year. As a result of Consulate General Leipzig's facilitation, several U.S. filmmakers were able to attend the festival, which featured 327 contributions from 50 countries. Special screenings of films by American film pioneers Albert and David Maysles enriched this year's program. Diane Weyermann, director of the Documentary Department of the California Sundance Institute was on the jury of the festival, which received broad national and regional recognition and press coverage. Jenny Abel from Los Angeles received the Movie World DVD Award for her film "Abel Raises Cain."

October 8, 2005
Consulate General Leipzig invited exchange organizations, students, parents and teachers to an all-day youth exchange fair at the Leipzig Public Library. About 300 students gathered information on educational opportunities in the U.S. and listened to Sylvia Schill, co-author of “A High School Year in the U.S.” Bundestag deputy Rainer Fornahl talked about the Congress Bundestag Youth Exchange Program while a recently returned German student recounted her U.S. experiences as Au pair. Consul for Political and Economic Affairs Mike Rousek welcomed the 25 exchange organizations from all over Germany and singled out youth exchanges as a vital element of German-American relations.

October 7, 2005
Consulate General Leipzig hosted a working luncheon for Marybeth Peters, United States Register for Copyrights. Peters introduced representatives from Leipzig libraries, law offices and the German Association of Publishers and Book Traders to legal copyrights in the U.S. and the differences between the U.S. and German/European systems. Peters also toured the Deutsche Buecherei (German Library), which was founded in 1912 and collects all books printed in German since 1913. In return, she explained to her German counterparts the role and activities of the Library of Congress.

October 6, 2005
The Institute for American Studies, University of Leipzig, staged its first Orientation Day for new students. As one of the guest speakers, Consul for Public Affairs Mark Wenig presented an overview of American BA and MA programs. The staff of the Consulate General explained Consulate resources. Approximately 80 students who will begin their American Studies program this year were familiarized with the Consulate and its research services and received the CD-Rom "About the USA.”

October 4-5, 2005
U.S. Consulate General Leipzig hosted Saxon teachers of English at an in-service training conference in Rodewisch. The conference, which was co-sponsored by the regional school authorities (Regionalschulamt Zwickau), centered on U.S. domestic and foreign policy, transatlantic relations, cultural misunderstandings -and how to avoid them- and the U.S. as a multi-ethnic society. Featured U.S. speakers included Heidelberg-based Professor Steven Bloom and Erlangen-based historian and political scientist Dr. Herbert Sirois. The teachers unanimously expressed their appreciation for the rare opportunity to discuss U.S. issues with “real Americans, in a remote region, where foreign nationals are a rare occasion.”

October 5, 2005
Consul for Public Affairs Mark Wenig, Consulate Leipzig's IRC director and U.S. intern Sean McGrath handed over a book donation from the former Rhein Main U.S. military base to the Görlitz European Library. In the audience were the director of the Euro-School-Organization (ESO) as well as students from the ESO and the Augustum high school. The participants were introduced to the Consulate's tasks and services and IRC products and resources. Intern McGrath presented his home state Colorado and discussed U.S.-German cultural differences with the 30 students.

October 1, 2005
Consul for Public Affairs Mark Wenig and his wife were among the guests of the world premiere of "das treffen - the otherside", a transatlantic simulcast by the Magdeburg theatre and the Tennessee Repertory Theatre Nashville.
At both venues, the spectators took part in the same performance with the actors entering and taking their seats among the audience.

September 30, 2005
Consul for Public Affairs Mark Wenig and his wife represented the Leipzig Consulate General at the annual Gera-Fort Wayne sister city festivities. Following Wenig’s welcome speech, the celebrations included videos of previous visits, rock music, and an American western-style buffet. Among the guests were members of the Fort Wayne sister city organization and a band.

September 9, 2005
The German and American interns of the Consulate General visited the Euro-School Leipzig, where they spoke with students from English language classes. The casual meet-and-greet session allowed the school’s students to practice their English comprehension, while learning about the activities of the Consulate and life growing up in the United States.

September 8, 2005
As part of the active sister city relationship, a jazzband from Akron, Ohio, played an open-air concert in Chemnitz, which was attended by Consulate General Leipzig staff. The Jack Schantz Quartet, which arrived a week ago, played and rehearsed with the local youth jazz youth band and toured the Chemnitz area. Chemnitz Lord Mayor Dr. Seifert welcomed the band and underscored the importance of and his support for the sister city relations with the U.S.

September 7, 2005
The new Consul for Public Affairs Mark Wenig and Consulate staff member Beate Renker traveled to Glauchau to participate in the bi-monthly meeting of the local sister city group. The group gave a warm welcome to Consul Wenig and then asked all participants for a moment of silence to commemorate the hurricane victims in the southern United States. The main focus of the meeting was a first-hand travel report by a Glauchau family that gave a vivid account of its stay with various American host families in Lynchburg during the summer. Mark Wenig handed over English-language childrens’ books for the Glauchau public library.

September 1, 2005
Consul for Public Affairs Mark Wenig and U.S. Consulate General Leipzig staff traveled to Magdeburg for a press conference introducing the world premiere of "das treffen - the other side," a multi-media live theater project to be performed and simulcast in Nashville and Magdeburg from September 30 - October 2, 2005. The event will take place under the chief patronage of Phil Bredesen, Governor of Tennessee, and Prof. Böhmer, Minister-President of Saxony-Anhalt. As a panelist in the press conference line-up, Mark Wenig took the opportunity to underscore the Consulate’s support for the project.

August 25, 2005
New Leipzig Public Affairs Officer Mark Wenig represented the Leipzig Consulate at the fourth annual Ronald McDonald House summer barbeque. The institution provides accommodation and support for families with children suffering from life-threatening illnesses. As part of the opening, Mark Wenig was officially introduced to about 200 guests and made brief comments.

August 15, 2005
Departing Consul for Public Affairs Dr. Elizabeth Bonkowsky greeted the American rock/blues band Shri after its performance at the Leipzig outdoor summer series around the Bach monument. The Arizona group, making its second appearance in Leipzig, drew a large and enthusiastic crowd. Leipzig Consulate General supported a further concert in the consular district for Tangermuende on August 16.

August 15, 2005
The town librarian in the southern Saxony town of Seiffen told departing Consul for Public Affairs Dr. Elizabeth Bonkowsky that she would welcome more English language books to meet a growing demand from high schoolers and their parents. She also noted that tourists to this wooden toy manufacturing town often looked for English-language publications. The director of the town’s famous toy museum, Dr. Konrad Auerbach, showed Dr. Bonkowsky his display of toys exported to the United States in the early years of the 20th century and expressed appreciation for his contacts with folk art museums in the United States.

August 7 and 12, 2005
Chargé d'Affaires John A. Cloud represented the Embassy at the opening concert of the Moritzburg Music Festival in the Dresden VW Glass Factory. As part of the series, Leipzig Consul for Public Affairs Dr. Elizabeth Bonkowsky also attended a concert at an Elbe river wine estate near Meissen on August 12. The artists, led by cellist Jan Vogler, included both Americans and German-Americans.

August 11, 2005
A mixed group of seventeen French and German youths visiting Leipzig church communities in the framework of the upcoming World Youth Day celebrations in Cologne got a look behind the scenes at the Consulate. Acting Consul General Dr. Elizabeth Bonkowsky explained the structure of U.S. representations in Germany, consular responsibilities and services while Information Specialist Rita Wallace focused on American outreach to German youth.

August 7, 2005
Public Affairs Officer Mark Wenig represented Consulate Leipzig and officially greeted attendees at the close of a modern art exhibition in Weimar entitled, “Transmission.” The exhibit at the Neues Museum featured the work of Milwaukee natives Laurence Rathsack and Liz Bachhuber, and 16 alumnis from the Bauhaus University. Bachhuber, a U.S. artist who teaches and resides in Weimar, introduced her audience to new forms of installation art, which were inspired by her teacher Laurence Rathsack.

August 6, 2005
New Leipzig Public Affairs Officer Mark Wenig attended an evening “jam session” and addressed a Sunday dance workshop on August 7 at the “Weimar Klezmer Weeks.” This program has proven highly successful at melding music and culture, and has proven so popular that over three quarters of the worldwide participants are non-Jewish. A number of the world’s best Klezmer musicians and performers continue to come to Weimar each summer to share their talents. The organizers were highly appreciative of the U.S. Embassy and Consulate’s support of the event which also featured an instrumental workshop called “Crossroads: New York to Constantinople.”

July 21, 2005
Consul General Fletcher Burton hosted a luncheon for Leipzig artists Neo Rauch and Rosa Loy. The pair has traveled extensively in the United States, most frequently to New York City, as the work of the “Leipzig School” has become much sought after by American collectors.

July 17, 2005
Consul for Public Affairs Dr. Elizabeth Bonkowsky represented the Consulate General at the Sorb folk group festival at Crostwitz, near Bautzen. She was welcomed at every turn including a luncheon - attended also by Saxon state ministers and representatives - a festival parade and the afternoon program of folk music and dancing. The Sorbs, a Slavic minority group, live in a small town and rural area of Saxony and south Brandenburg.

July 16, 2005
The Consulate General Leipzig supported the summer Karl May pageant at Bishofswerda after their costumes were destroyed in a fire last year, which was apparently due to arson. Consul for Public Affairs Dr. Elizabeth Bonkowsky attended a performance adapted from “The Treasure in the Silver Sea” with Winnetou, Old Shatterhand, a giant grizzly bear, numerous special effects and a cast of some 50 “extras” made up of local school children. The cast and towns people undertook considerable research in creating replacement costumes in order to make them as authentic as possible.

July 14, 2005
The Technical University (TU) Dresden Communications Department conducted a symposium on “biotechnology in public opinion and the media,” which drew a large group of communications majors and scientific researchers. At the forum, Dr. David Nisbeth from Ohio State University and TU guest professor during the 2005 summer semester explained U.S. public opinion on stem cell research.

July 1, 2005
About 500 guests flocked to the Leipzig Consulate General’s 4th of July celebration, which took place at the Chemnitz Industrial Museum. In their speeches, Saxony Minister President Milbradt and Chemnitz Lord Mayor Peter Seifert underscored the good relations with the Consulate and the importance of people-to-people contacts across the Atlantic.

June 27, 2005
Raphael Perl, senior policy analyst for terrorism with the Congressional Research Service, discussed in Dresden with representatives of Saxony's Law Enforcement Agency (LKA) new conditions and strategies in combating international terrorism. In a lecture at Dresden University he explained to students and staff of the Center for International Studies how the altered political and economic landscape has increased the global threat of terrorism, and how success and failure in fighting terrorism can be measured.

June 23, 2005
A group of about 20 lawyers from the Leipzig Lawyers Association visited the consulate to gather information on consular duties and services. The event included remarks by Consul for Political and Economic Affairs Eleanore Fox, and Public Affairs and administrative staff. The IRC introduced its resources and services.

June 22, 2005
Consulate General Leipzig staff joined the Golden Book signing ceremony of former Jewish citizens of Leipzig, among them Americans from New York and New Jersey, at the Town Hall of Leipzig. Lord Mayor Tiefensee welcomed former Jewish Leipzig citizens who left Germany in the 1930's and now came back to the town they were born in.

June 21, 2005
The Magedeburg Dialogue Center honored CG Fletcher Burton with an evening of entertainment and presentations in thanks for his support of the start-up of the successful Nashville Sister City program. Players from the theater put on small skits featuring Nashville-style music and soap opera plots. Among other gifts, Burton was given a ticket to the first ever two-city DVC theater production, which is scheduled for fall 2005. Members of the drama troupe from Nashville, who are currently consulting on the play, were present for the evening. Consul for Public Affairs Dr. Elizabeth Bonkowsky attended as well and met with students who have taken part in the school exchange program over the past five years.

June 20, 2005
Prof. Samer Shehata from the Center for Contemporary Arab Studies at Georgetown University, explained to students and staff of the Oriental Institute at Leipzig University the most recent developments in Egypt and the Arab world. Analyzing the historic roots and perspectives of new political movements in Egypt, Shehata provided valuable insights on their impact on the Arab-Israeli conflict and their role as a conduit for political and cultural change in the region. By outlining the reasons for future successes or failures of the democratization process in Egypt and the Middle East as a whole, Shehata presented a differentiated picture of U.S. politics in the region.

June 19 - 20, 2005
Consul for Public Affairs Dr. Elizabeth Bonkowsky participated in the opening sessions of a joint Ohio State-TU Dresden program in urban planning. The topic of the meetings, held at the Leipniz Institute in Dresden, was the ecological use of areas surrounding large cities. The two-week graduate program included trips to other smaller cities in the region and the presentation of specific projects by the Dresden students. The group will meet again in Columbus in August for the presentations of the nineteen American students.

June 16 - 17, 2005
June 16/17 marked the first visit of a former U.S. president to eastern Germany since the fall of the Wall, and thus garnered much attention in the region. President Bush made a quick stop at the U.S. Consulate General Leipzig, where he met the staff and a mixed student group from Gera and its American sister city Fort Wayne, Indiana. He then traveled on to Weimar and Erfurt, where he signed Erfurt’s Golden Book and that of the state of Thuringia. The next day, Bush and his former international counterparts, Mikhail Gorbachev and Helmut Kohl, received the Point Alpha Prize at the Thuringia/Hesse border, where U.S. and Soviet troops had faced each other in arms throughout the Cold War. 7,000 spectators, including 150 VIP guests, the minister-presidents of Thuringia and Hesse and CDA John Cloud, followed the award ceremony, which paid tribute to the three statesmen’s crucial role in bringing about reunification.

June 16, 2005
Paul Michael Lutzeler, Rosa May Distinguished University Professor at Washington University, gave a lecture on "St. Louis and its Immigrants - From Carl Schurz to Max Beckmann.” The lecture was part of a program the Angermuseum Erfurt organized along with the exhibit "Exile and Modern Art: Masterworks of the Classical Avantgarde from the art collection of Washington University in St. Louis, USA.” In a lively lecture, Prof. Lutzeler explained the impact of immigrants - mostly of them Germans – on the arts as well as on academic life at Washington University. The presentation provided the audience with insights in how the U.S. art scene is kept alive by private institutions, such as universities.

June 10 - 15, 2005
Gary Holcomb, presently Fulbright Professor in Romania, and Burton Peretti, Fulbright Professor in Regensburg, continued Leipzig's Fulbright Lecture Series in Dresden, Magdeburg , Chemnitz and Jena. In lectures, seminars and consultations at universities in three eastern German states, they discussed aspects of multicultural society, the histories of jazz and ethnicity in American movies, and the impact of American politics on jazz.

June 3, 2005
Information Resource Officer Holly Murten from the U.S. Embassy Berlin lectured on “Internet Trends in American libraries” to students and faculty members of the Leipzig University of Applied Sciences. The 20 participants, among them the American Studies subject specialist and the IT expert from the city University Library, learned about the impact of the Internet on U.S. libraries and discussed future technical trends.

June 3 - 5, 2005
Four German schools representing the cities of Kiel, Aachen, Chemnitz and Markkleeberg (near Leipzig) participated in the first Battle of the Books in Germany. The competition on American youth literature was organized by four Fulbright teaching assistants who had initiated the program as part of a contest by the PAD (Pedagogical Exchange Service – which was also represented at the event). The 54 11th graders proved to be amazingly eloquent in English when answering factual, interpretative and creative questions on the books, thus refuting the notion that children would rather watch TV or play computer games than read.

May 16 - June 5, 2005
The “Baghdad Stories” photo exhibit was on display in Leipzig, which presented visitors with unusual and new perspectives from the war-torn region. German journalist Philipp Abresch had traveled to Baghdad in June of 2003 where he handed out 170 disposable cameras to Iraqi children and American GIs. They produced photos focusing mainly on civilian life and every-day hardships in the region. The Consulate General Leipzig supported the exhibit and attended the closing event, which drew about 100 guests who also listened to the analysis of an Iraqi guest professor.

June 4, 2005
The American studies department at the University of Leipzig last week celebrated the 80th birthday of Prof. Eberhard Brüning who had kept the department running during the difficult GDR period. Consul for PublicAffairs Dr. Elizabeth Bonkowsky attended a brunch he hosted on June 4 where he and his former colleagues regaled the group with tales of their times in American prisoner-of war camps and a ninety-days-for-$99 trip they managed to organize in the 60s to travel around the United States in spite of bureaucratic roadblocks put up by their government. The American studies program at Leipzig University invariably receives high marks in university surveys, thanks in no small part to the dedication of professors in the GDR times, who kept it alive, maintained contacts with U.S. academics and successfully trained the next generation of professors.

June 2, 2005
Consul General Fletcher Burton and Consul for Public Affairs Dr. Elizabeth Bonkowsky represented the US Embassy and Consulate General at the opening ceremonies of the annual Händel festival in Halle. The festival attracts large numbers of international visitors; the Lord Mayor in her opening remarks welcomed those from the United States. The solo soprano for the evening was an American, a music club from Maryland had traveled to the festival and a group of music scholars from universities in the United States was on hand for a conference, which runs concurrent to the festival.

June 1, 2005
Dr. Robert Lieber, Professor of Government and Foreign Service at Georgetown University, discussed at Chemnitz University American foreign policy and U.S. relations with Europe and the Middle East. Lieber explained to his audience - students, professors, and Chemnitz public - how the strategic relationship between both sides of the Atlantic has evolved in the past few years and to what extent Europe's role has been reassessed by its ally.

May 31, 2005
Consul for Public Affairs Dr. Elizabeth Bonkowsky represented the Consulate General at the 10th anniversary celebrations of Radio Mephisto 97.6 (90.000 listeners). The radio station is owned and supported by the University of Leipzig and has been a unique undertaking. The station was founded with assistance from Ohio University and closely modeled on similar stations at American universities. The Consulate helped support a trip by the staff of Mephisto to Ohio and also to California where it established a working relationship with the Goethe German-American radio station.

May 30 - June 1, 2005
Ayanna Yonemura, Loyola Marymount University / Frankfurt University, continued a lecture series on U.S. history, policy and culture in Dresden (May 30), Leipzig (May 31), and Chemnitz (June 1). In her presentations, Yonemura introduced her audiences to a not-so-well-known aspect of multicultural society when she talked about history and present of Asien Americans (especially with Japanese and Chinese roots), and zoning in U.S. cities respectively. The series brings American Fulbright Professors from European universities to eastern Germany.

May 23 -24, 2005
John Gates (University of New Mexico / Bonn University) continued a lecture series on U.S. history, policy and culture in Dresden (May 23) and Leipzig (May 24). In his presentations, John Gates (himself a member of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe) introduced his audiences to modern tribal governments in the U.S. and talked about the work of a Native American judge and university teacher, thus illustrating another facet of American multicultural society. The series brings American Fulbright Professors from European universities to eastern Germany.

May 19-20, 2005
Consul for Public Affairs Dr. Elizabeth Bonkowsky represented the Consulate General at the annual meeting of the former East German political prisoners in Bautzen. Among those leading discussions were Saxony Minister for Science and the Arts, Barbara Ludwig, and Pastor Gauck, the first to be entrusted with organizing access to the Stasi (State Security) files after the end of the DDR. Dr. Bonkowsky’s attendance was greeted with enthusiastic applause. For most who were imprisoned in Bautzen, the U.S. remains a symbol of hope.

May 18, 2005
Consul General Burton assisted a volunteer project in one of Leipzig’s suburbs: The community library in Mölkau (threatened by closure and saved by people from the neighborhood, as well as by well-known German author Erich Loest) combined a public reading of Werner Heiduczek from Baalsdorf with activities to gain more awareness for the importance of libraries. The event was the culmination of a long commitment of Leipzig citizens and the Consulate General, which provided a grant to the library and carried out programs for students. In his speech, Consul General Burton pointed out the importance of volunteers' engagement. The attending library users appreciated their first chance to get acquainted with the American books, which had been acquired for the library and were on display.

May 17, 2005
Consul General Fletcher Burton visited the Goethe Gymnasium (academic high school) in Chemnitz, where he discussed German-American relations. Groups from the school visit the Consulate General in Leipzig frequently to meet the staff and work on research projects. The school also has a partnership relation with a Spokane high school, which they keep up-to-date with Digital Video Conferences. Consul General Burton was enthusiastic about the high quality of the discussion and clear positive interest of the students in the United States, while he stressed the importance of German-American meetings, exchanges and reconciliation.

May 12, 2005
Consulate General Leipzig conducted its third annual all-day media workshop for the journalism trainees of Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk (MDR), the regional public broadcaster for Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia and the most successful ARD affiliate in Germany. The 11 aspiring journalists were introduced to Information Resource Center (IRC) resources, relevant U.S. web sites and fellowships for journalists, engaged Consul General Fletcher Burton and Consul for Public Affairs Dr. Elizabeth Bonkowsky in a dialog on the Consulate’s activities and U.S. policy objectives, and received an overview from Foreign Commercial Service of U.S. investments in the region. The day’s highlight proved to be a Digital Video Conference with Alberto Fernandez, Director for Public Diplomacy in the Office of Iraq Affairs. Alberto Fernandez’s highly informative and engaged accounts of the current situation in Iraq, in particular, left a deep impression on the group. By addressing problems but also pointing out successes in Iraq, i.e. the flourishing media landscape, Fernandez provided the group with valuable insights that are often underrepresented in every-day reporting on the region.

May 11, 2005
Students from the Chicago School of Professional Psychology and from The College of Applied Sciences in Merseburg, Saxony-Anhalt, who engage in an exchange program, spoke with Consul for Public Affairs Dr. Elizabeth Bonkowsky.

May 6, 2005
Leipzig Consul General Fletcher Burton attended the opening of the 1200-year-celebrations of the city of Magdeburg, an event with a spectacular light show that attracted VIPs from all over Germany, including former president Richard von Weizäcker. Bill Purcell, Lord Mayor of Magdeburg’s sister city Nashville (TN) brought along a U.S. delegation to the festivities. In an interview with Volksstimme Magdeburg on May 9, Nashville mayor Purcell underscored the close ties and strong people-to-people contacts between Magdeburg and Nashville

May 3, 2005
Consul for Political and Economic Affairs Eleanore Fox welcomed students and a professor from the spring group of Ohio University and their German tandem partners to the Consulate. Fox explained the function and services of the U.S. diplomatic mission to Germany.

May 3, 2005
Consulate General Leipzig's Information Resource Center (IRC) staff met with three groups of high school and college students to discuss intercultural differences between the U.S. and Germany and inform the students on the Consulate’s work and educational exchanges during America Day at the Goerlitz Europe library. The library came into existence when books from the former USIS Library at the U.S. military base in Baumholder where transferred to the city in 1996. Staff also attended the official opening of the Europe Direct Information Office at the Europa Library, where Dr. Gerhard Sabathil, Director of the Agency of the European Commission in Germany, served as keynote speaker.

May 2, 2005
Consul General Fletcher Burton and SPD Bundestag deputy Jelena Hoffmann met with students from the Humboldt Middle School for a discussion forum entitled “60 Years Later – Bombs on Chemnitz.” The students wanted to know how World War II had affected the American public but also raised questions about the Iraq war. 60 years after the war, Consul General Burton stressed the importance of German-American meetings, exchanges and reconciliation.

April 30, 2005
Dr. Horst Saalbach, a successful American entrepreneur who grew up in Leipzig introduced the First Annual Saalbach Lecture to a highly interested audience at the Leipzig Gewandhaus. The event was supported by Professor Crister Garrett of the University’s American Studies Department and the Consulate General Leipzig. Consul General Fletcher Burton, who greeted the audience, pointed to the importance of spending time abroad. The lecture, followed by a reception, drew about 150 students, faculty, and Leipzig community leaders. Dr. Martin Gillo, the keynote speaker, member of the Saxon State Parliament and former State Minister for Economics spoke, on “Why Americans Favor Investing in Saxony,” thus highlighting the U.S. economic presence in the region.

April 28, 2005
A group of English teachers from Stadtroda/Thuringia came to the Consulate General's Information Resource Center (IRC) to attend a workshop organized by IRC staff. Consul for Public Affairs Dr. Elizabeth Bonkowsky and Political Specialist Andreas Fuerst engaged the teachers in a discussion on transatlantic relations and American political culture.

April 28, 2005
Consulate General Leipzig staff represented the Consulate at a concert staged by students of the Leipzig University and the University of Music “Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy”. The young musicians played music by American, European and Jewish composers. The organizers made a deliberate effort to include works by American composers to emphasize the concert’s theme: “Music brings the world together.”

April 28, 2005
Chargé d'Affaires John A. Cloud, U.S. Embassy Berlin, and Leipzig Consul General Fletcher Burton joined Saxony-Anhalt parliamentarians for the commemorations of the 60th anniversary of the liberation of Magdeburg. Referring to the date of liberation, State Parliamentary President Adolf Spotka called May 8, “the day when Germany abandoned a horribly wrong track in its history.” Later in the day, Chargé Cloud, the British and the Russian Ambassadors, were engaged by German high school students in a lively discussion on Germany’s history and current political issues.

April 28, 2005
About 250 illustrious guests from Leipzig and the German media landscape gathered at the city hall for the 5th award ceremony honoring selected journalists with the Leipzig “Prize for Freedom and Future of the Media.” This year’s 30,000 Euro award went in equal parts to Russian journalist Anna Politkowskaja, German reporters Hans-Martin Tillack and Britta Peterson, and U.S. journalist Seymour Hersh for defending freedom of the press and journalistic ethics. In the afternoon, the four award winners participated in panel discussions focusing on the tough environment and working conditions of investigative journalists. Leipzig Consul General Fletcher Burton and Consul for Public Affairs Dr. Elizabeth Bonkowsky represented the Consulate at the award ceremony.

April 28, 2005
Professor Kenneth Stein, Director of the Middle East Research Program and Institute for the Study of Modern Israel and one of America's most prominent experts on the region, explained to more than 200 students and staff at Jena University the most recent developments in the "Arab World." Stein analyzed historic roots and the perspectives of the Arab-Israeli conflict, which he described as a war about culture rather than about land. Professor Stein fascinated his audience with the reasons for failure and progress in the Palestinian conflict as well as the Middle East as a whole, thus providing a differentiated picture of U.S. policies in the region.

April 26, 2005
Constance Bartlett Schulz, University of South Carolina/University of Genoa, launched a lecture series on U.S. history, policy and culture in Leipzig, which will bring American Fulbright Professors from European universities to eastern Germany. Schulz introduced LIFE Magazine's coverage of the Vietnam War, especially documentary photography, to her student audience.

April 25, 2005
Chargé d'Affaires John A. Cloud, U.S. Embassy Berlin, represented the U.S. at the festivities marking the 60th anniversary of the famous handshake between American and Russian military representatives on the Torgau bridge. The event was celebrated throughout the Torgau region with numerous veterans from the U.S. and Russia in attendance.

April 23, 2005
Consulate General Leipzig presented U.S. information at Torgau's public library on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the liberation, the 'Elbe-Day' celebrations. Consul for Political and Economic Affairs Eleonore Fox did a Q&A session for the general public and conducted a quiz for students at the Consulate's booth. The Jazz poster show put on display at the library also attracted visitors.

April 22, 2005
Consul for Public Affairs Dr. Elizabeth Bonkowsky represented the Consulate General Leipzig at the opening of the exhibit “Cowboys” at the neighboring Gallery for Modern Art. The show featured photographs of cowboy clubs that existed in the GDR. The clubs were seen as a way of identifying with the United States and as a subtle resistance to the communist state. As one club put it, “We are the private rebels.”

April 20 - 21, 2005
The visit of U.S. veterans to the Leipzig Consulate General district brought back memories all around. While the detailed accounts of veterans Joe Lipsius and Edgar Parsons left a deep impression on the students of the Kant Gymnasium and the Berufsschulzentrum 6, the veterans’ tour of the Leipzig liberation exhibit held some emotional moments of its own with Joe Lipsius detecting himself on the photograph of the city’s surrender and another veteran meeting his war-time sweetheart. In the evening, Lord Mayor Tiefensee hosted the veterans for dinner and took part in a discussion at the Leipzig city museum of U.S and German witnesses to the final days of the war.

April 20, 2005
Leipzig Consulate General staffer Birgit Kämmer, Cultural Affairs Assistant, lectured on current visa regulations and the visa application process to students at the University of Applied Sciences Magdeburg-Stendal. The two-hour event drew an audience of 45 students and faculty members, the majority of whom had already been accepted at an American university or who plan to continue their education abroad. Kämmer explained the modalities of the SEVIS fee, and illustrated step by step which documents are needed to apply for a visa. The visa application process and newspaper articles about changing passport regulations continue to be a source of uncertainty among German Students.

April 19, 2005
Leipzig Consul for Public Affairs Dr. Elizabeth Bonkowsky delivered the main address at the commemoration of the end of World War II in Wurzen, a food-processing town which controlled a key location on the Mulde River. Eyewitnesses to the end of the war contributed to the program. The children of the mayor and pastor who had peacefully surrendered the town to the American military were also present.

April 18, 2005
As an early Earth Day program, Samuel Napolitano, Director of the Clean Air Markets Division at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in Washington (D.C.), explained American air quality management to scientists from Leipzig's Environmental Research Center. Napolitano impressed his expert audience, which held a special interest in the problems caused by fine and ultra-fine particles, by outlining the effectiveness of U.S. federal activities to improve air quality. Due to new EU guidelines, air pollution from fine particles dominated the headlines during the week of Napolitano’s visit.

April 16, 2005
Consul General Fletcher M. Burton opened the exhibit "Liberation: The Americans in Leipzig" at Leipzig's city museum. The exhibition brought together material on the American troops who liberated Leipzig at the end of World War II. The exhibit will also include lectures on U.S. reporters and photographers Robert Capa and Lee Miller, a meeting between U.S. war veterans and local witnesses to the war events and a movie showing of Leipzig at the end of WWII.

April 16, 2005
Leipzig Consul for Public Affairs Dr. Elizabeth Bonkowsky participated at the 60th anniversary commemoration of the liberation of Colditz Castle, which became well known as a prison for Allied officers during World War II. Dr. Bonkowsky met with Polish and British veterans and their families, and introduced the American play “The Man Who Came to Dinner,” which had been presented by the prisoners during their incarceration. The Consulate supported the English-language theater group at Leipzig University for the production, which was shown during the week in Leipzig.

April 15, 2005
Chargé d'Affaires John A. Cloud received a warm welcome in northern Saxony-Anhalt during his visit to Stendal. The Chargé conducted a lively exchange with Lord Mayor Schmotz and Stendal community leaders, which highlighted the city’s economic prospects and challenges. He also met with representatives from the local university for applied sciences and visited the nearby birthplace of Bismarck, which now houses a museum.

April 13, 2005
A wreath-laying ceremony in Gardelegen commemorated the deaths of over 1000 prisoners who were herded together in this small town and then burned as the American troops were approaching. The commanding American officer oversaw the burial of the victims in a cemetery that was declared to be under American protection. Leipzig Consul for Public Affairs Dr. Elizabeth Bonkowsky participated in the dedication of a monument at the site of the atrocity and met with children of Holocaust victims and a high school group that actively supported the commemoration.

April 12, 2005
Consul General Fletcher M. Burton spoke on the anniversary of the city’s liberation at Lepsius-Gymnasium in Naumburg. After meeting the Lord Mayor of Naumburg the Consul General delivered a word of greeting at the memorial ceremony on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of WWII's end at the Marien-Magdalenen-Church.

April 9, 2005
Chargé d’Affaires John Cloud traveled to Erfurt to open the exhibition “Exil und Moderne,“ a show of 20th century art from Washington University in St. Louis. Accompanied by Leipzig Consul for Public Affairs Dr. Elizabeth Bonkowsky, Chargé d’Affaires Cloud spoke about St. Louis as a gateway to the western United States and a center for German immigrants. Some 800 works in the Erfurt museum had been declared “degenerate” by the Nazis and thus hidden, sold off, or destroyed, but the Washington University curator – a Jewish art historian who had fled Hamburg -- managed to buy up a number of significant paintings with the support of St. Louis donors. Many of the pieces in the exhibit are returning to Germany for the first time since World War II.

April 8, 2005
Leipzig Consul for Public Affairs Dr. Elizabeth Bonkowsky was guest of honor at the third graduation reception of American Studies majors at Leipzig University. The American Studies Alumni Association organized a festive farewell for the 30 graduates of the classes of 2004 and 2005. In her remarks, Dr. Bonkowsky encouraged the graduates to explain American society and values to German audiences.

April 7 - 9, 2005
Consulate General Leipzig hosted Thuringian teachers of English at an in-service training conference in Eisenach. The conference, which was co-sponsored by the Thuringian Center for Political Education, centered on U.S. domestic and foreign policy, literary comments on 9/11 and the U.S. as a multicultural society. Featured U.S. speakers included Fulbright professors and a Bosch Fellow.

April 4, 2005
Leipzig Consul General Fletcher M. Burton took part in ceremonies in Gotha marking the 60th anniversary of the city’s surrender to American troops. At the event, Gotha Mayor Volker Doenitz presented the Consul General with a duplicate of the city’s capitulation note, which -- in the mayor’s words -- “probably saved thousands of lives.”

March 30, 2005
Leipzig Consul for Public Affairs Dr. Elizabeth Bonkowsky welcomed the head of the Saxony chapter of the German Library Association and 30 members representing public libraries to the Leipzig Consulate General. Dr. Bonkowsky discussed the Consulate’s activities and services while staff of the Information Resource Center presented U.S. information on the Internet, IIP products, and IRC resources.

March 29, 2005
Leipzig Consul for Public Affairs Dr. Elizabeth Bonkowsky represented the Consulate at a concert in Leipzig by the Horace Mann secondary school of New York City. The concert, which featured both classical German and modern American music, was performed for the benefit of UNICEF. The musicians, many of whom also take instruction at The Juilliard School, New York, NY, were in the area to participate in a festival of secondary school music in Halle.

March 23, 2005
Consul for Public Affairs Dr. Elizabeth Bonkowsky hosted a luncheon for Dr. Michael Seadle, Assistant Director for Information Technology at Michigan State University and Editor of 'Library Hi Tech', at which he discussed joint German-American projects such as virtual periodical databases and Library Day 2006. Guests included the directors and representatives from several libraries in the Leipzig Consulate General district, including the German National Library. In the afternoon, Dr. Seadle addressed a highly interested group of library and publishing students at the University of Applied Sciences.

March 22, 2005
This day marked a day of U.S. engagement in Saxony-Anhalt with the participation of Charge d'Affairs John Cloud in a tour of Dow Chemical's newly built PET factory and his visit to Mitteldeutsche Zeitung in Halle. In a press conference following the tour of the plant, which produces primarily plastic packaging materials, Minister for Traffic, Housing and Construction, Manfred Stolpe, highlighted the U.S. economic engagement of Dow Chemical, the largest single investor in eastern Germany.

March 20/21, 2005
Leipzig Consul for Public Affairs Dr. Elizabeth Bonkowsky represented the Consulate General at the celebrations surrounding the 320th birthday of Johann Sebastian Bach, which were held March 20-21 at the Thomas Church and Bach Archives in Leipzig. Harvard University Professor and Bach scholar Dr. Christoph Wolff was the featured speaker.

March 17-20, 2005
For the second time, Leipzig Consulate General represented the U.S. at the Leipzig Book Fair from March 17-20. With 108,000 visitors and 2,142 exhibitors from 31 countries, the Fair logged a record attendance this year and further established its reputation as a major German national event. The booth supported by the US Embassy Berlin attracted about 300 interested visitors a day. Pamphlets, brochures, bookmarks and CD-ROMs "About the USA" were distributed. On March 18, Consul General Fletcher Burton and Consul for Public Affairs Dr. Elizabeth Bonkowsky hosted a reception at the fair. On March 18, American author Roger MacBride Allen read from his latest book "The Ocean of Years" and signed books.

March 15-18, 2005
Supported by the Consulate General Leipzig, the German Literature Institute Leipzig hosted its 1st International Congress of Creative Writing Programs (March 15-18), which took place in conjunction with the Leipzig Book Fair. American poet Cole Swensen and Christopher Merrill, Director of the International Writing Program, represented the University of Iowa Writers' Workshop, which instituted the first creative writing degree program in the U.S. and is serving as a model for contemporary writing programs worldwide.

March 7, 2005
Dr. Dennis Rich, Chairperson of the Arts, Entertainment & Media Management Department at Columbia College Chicago, conducted a workshop in Leipzig, which discussed general principles, but also problems and potential for fundraising with a view especially to eastern Germany. The 30 participants represented local cultural, social and educational institutions as well as NGOs, libraries, and professional or business associations.

March 10, 2005
On the occasion of a visit of students and teachers from the St. Paul High School in Concord (NH), Consul for Public Affiars Dr. Elizabeth Bonkowsky was invited to a panel discussion on "Educational Opportunities in the U.S. and Germany - A Comparison" at the Humboldt Gymnasium Leipzig. In the afternoon, Dr. Bonkowsky welcomed the St. Paul group and its German hosts to the Consulate where they visited the IRC and discussed German-American relations.

March 9/10, 2005
Dr. Joachim Roski, Assistant Vice President for Quality Measurement at the National Committee on Quality Assurance (NCQA) in Washington D.C., met representatives from Saxon Ministries and German counterparts in Dresden. In his lecture and discussions for personnel in the medical sector, which were part of a series of professional in-service training programs for the region, Roski compared Quality Assurance and Disease Management Programs in the U.S. and Germany.

March 1, 2005
Consul General Fletcher Burton participated in the press conference of the Magdeburg German-American Dialog Center announcing this year’s grantees for a high school year in the U.S. The three students were thrilled about the opportunity to travel to the U.S. and the organizers expressed their appreciation for the Consulate’s financial support for the program.

February 26, 2005
Leipzig Consul for Public Affairs Dr. Elizabeth Bonkowsky gave remarks at the opening of exhibit “Lyonel Feininger: Die Halle-Bilder” at Quedlinburg. The exhibit was the first joint presentation of the combined Halle and Quedlinburg collections of American-German artist Feininger who was driven out of Germany by the Nazis when the Bauhaus arts were declared “degenerate.”

February 22-23, 2005
Leipzig U.S. Fulbright Professor Crister Garrett and Consul General Fletcher Burton prepared the ground for President Bush’s visit to Germany by explaining U.S. positions and expectations to local media in the Leipzig consular district.

February 21, 2005
In the framework of the “Jazzmeile Thüringen” the trio of Chicago-based saxophone player Ken Vandermark performed in Jena, presenting American jazz to a large audience.

February 14, 2005
Former Ambassador Nicholas Platt, president emeritus of the Asia Society, visited Leipzig to meet with local Asia experts. During a round-table discussion, he presented his view on current developments in China, the Korean peninsula and Japan. Representatives of the academic, government and business professions joined the round-table.

February 13, 2005
Ambassador Daniel R. Coats and Mrs. Marsha Coats, Leipzig Consul General Fletcher Burton and Consul for Public Affairs Dr. Elizabeth Bonkowsky represented the U.S. at the commemorations marking the 60th anniversary of the Dresden bombing. The event, attended also by other allied representatives, attracted wide media and public attention for its demonstrations of peacefulness in the face of war and neo-Nazi demonstrations.

February 7, 2005
Dr. Stephen Szabo, Professor of European Studies at the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), discussed at Dresden's School for International Studies the crisis in German-American relations. Szabo explained to his audience of students, professors, journalists and a public audience how the strategic relationship between both countries has evolved in the past few years and to what extent Europe's role has been reassessed by its ally.

February 1, 2005
Dr. James Bacchus, chairman of the Global Trade Practice Group, discussed with Halle-based lawyers, professors and students of Martin-Luther-University the status quo of and perspectives for the World Trade Organization (WTO). Other issues of interest were the effects of globalization, and the trade policy under the 2nd Bush Administration. Dr. Bacchus, a former U.S. Congressman, Member and Chairman of the Appellate Body of the WTO (the only North American in this function), described trade as a means -- not as an end -- for promoting democracy worldwide.

January 29, 2005
Leipzig Consul General Fletcher Burton represented the Consulate at the annual music gala of the German-American Federation of Country Music in Erfurt, featuring country music greats from both sides of the Atlantic. Consul General Burton welcomed the American performers and presented a posthumous award to John Denver, introducing him to the German Country Music hall of fame.

January 27, 2005
Dr. Horace Huntley, Professor of History at the University of Alabama, introduced to Leipzig University and high school students the "Oral History Project" of the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute. Huntley shared personal memories and illustrated the importance of the audio and videotape project, which gives a voice to the normally nameless and faceless participants in the civil rights movement. Professor Hartmut Keil, American Studies Department, University of Leipzig, welcomed Dr. Huntley's presentation as a valuable follow-up to a student excursion to the Deep South.

January 27, 2005
30 lawyers from the Leipzig Lawyers Association visited the consulate to gather information on consular duties and services. The event included remarks by Consul for Political and Economic Affairs Eleanore Fox, Public Affairs and administrative staff. The Information Resource Center introduced its resources and services.

January 26, 2005
Consul for Public Affairs Dr. Elizabeth Bonkowsky opened a poster show on American jazz at the Immanuel-Kant-Gymnasium, Leipzig, a magnet school for the creative arts. Bonkowsky spoke on the fusion of African American and Jewish music, which created mainstream American jazz in the United States. Goodman, Gershwin, and Bernstein, children of Jews victimized by pogroms in the Russian empire, picked up jazz rhythms and worked with African American jazz greats to create music that is considered typically American. Students presented a program of American blues, gospel and jazz music.

January 25, 2005
Consul General Fletcher M. Burton delivered a speech and power point presentation as a part of a lecture series entitled “Views of the World” at the Academy of Visual Arts in Leipzig. Consul General Burton spoke about the role of culture in transatlantic relations from an American perspective. Burton and the students engaged in a lively dialogue about German-American cultural and also political relations at the event.

January 21, 2005
Consul Dr. Elizabeth Bonkowsky welcomed upper-level English language classes from Wuerzen to the Information Resource Center of the U.S. Consulate General and led a discussion on the Bush inauguration.

January 18, 2005
On his official farewell visit to the Leipzig Consular District, Ambassador Coats and Mrs. Coats had coffee with the Consulate staff followed by lunch with multipliers from the region. In the afternoon they engaged in a lively dialog with participants in last year’s Visitors’ Program for Eastern German Teachers. In the evening, the Ambassador addressed 200 political, academic, business and cultural contacts, who came to the German Administrative Court to listen to his parting remarks and his outlook on German-American relations.

January 14, 2005
Consul Dr. Elizabeth Bonkowsky visited the Gutenberg vocational school, which has close ties to the Leipzig printing industry. The occasion was the dedication of modern computer equipment (Hewlitt-Packard) for producing commercial advertisements and posters. In the past, the Consulate has supported the school library with reference books.

January 12, 2005
The director of Leipzig's Information Resource Center, Consulate General, presented books on the U.S. to Leipzig’s branch library in Mölkau to enhance its American collection and help secure its future existence. At the event, Consul Eleanore Fox also talked to 25 9th and 10th graders from suburban Leipzig high schools about U.S. society.