Public Diplomacy
It marked the birth of the euro, when a new era in the history of European cooperation began 20 years ago with a brief ceremony in Maastricht, the Netherlands. On February 7, 1992 the ministers for the finance and foreign affairs of the then twelve member states of the European Community signed the Treaty on European Union, thus sealing the introduction of a single European currency.
The foundation stone of the EU monetary union
Great international cinema in Berlin: at the 62nd International Film Festival (February 9-19) the German capital is once again expecting many famous actors, directors and film stars as guests from around the globe. Hollywood star Angelina Jolie, teen heartthrob Robert Pattinson and the two-time Oscar winner Meryl Streep, who will be awarded the Honorary Golden Bear for Lifetime Achievement, are among the film celebrities at this year’s festival.
Berlinale 2012
The effects of the economic and financial crisis, the growing world-political significance of the Asia-Pacific region and the radical changes in the Arab world are among this year’s key themes at the 48th Munich Security Conference (MSC).
Munich Security Conference
She sports a conspicuous tooth gap, doesn’t like walking in high-heels and would thus seem rather unsuitable for an international career on the catwalk: nonetheless Lara Stone is one of the most sought-after models who is attracting many looks this week in Berlin. The 28-year-old blonde beauty from the Netherlands is the face of the tenth Berlin Fashion Week.
Berlin Chic
Climate change, biodiversity, energy efficiency, world food supplies and population growth: The Year of Science 2012 is fully focused on sustainable development. The aim is to stimulate public awareness about sustainability research under the motto “Future Project Earth” by making current scientific developments accessible to a broader public. In the coming months numerous events are planned throughout Germany.
Stimulating awareness for sustainability
Germany 2012: four events in a tour of discovery
Frederick the Great’s 300th birthday
Rediscover “Old Fritz”, the great Prussian king. With 2012 marking the 300th anniversary of his birth, the Prussian Palaces and Gardens Foundation Berlin-Brandenburg is paying tribute to a king with a risk-loving character.
Germany 2012
Federal Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle on the EU’s new financial policy stability and the goal of a political union in Europe.
Minister, for many months now Europe has been engaged in financial policy crisis management – what will a sustainable solution look like?
We are now developing the European Union into a stability union. That is what we agreed at the European Council on 9 December 2011. Almost all member states of the European Union committed themselves to observing the stability criteria by showing, for example, increased thrift and greater budgetary discipline.
“Europe will grow closer together”
The efficiency of light sources is low, and a lot of energy is often lost. Three scientists from Dresden set out to find a solution to this problem.
German Future Prize
It combines the symbols of a hand and a bird: “Free as a man” is the title of the blue logo which was created by Predrag Štakić from Serbia and became the universally recognized symbol of the international movement for human rights at the end of September 2011. The graphic designer’s work won convincingly in a worldwide competition for a human rights logo which Federal Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle launched in Berlin in May 2011.
December 10: Human Rights Day
On December 5, 2011, ten years after the first Afghanistan Conference at the Petersberg near Bonn, leading representatives of the international community will again be meeting to discuss the future of the country in the Hindu Kush. At the conference, which is being headed by the Afghan government under the motto “From Transition to Transformation”, Germany will be hosting around 90 international delegations.
Future perspectives for Afghanistan
Hiking is in. Around 34 million Germans go hiking in their free time. And that is no coincidence, because Germany has an excellent infrastructure for hiking with just less than 200,000 km of fully-developed paths leading through many kinds of landscapes, some of them quite spectacular.
Hiking in Germany
Will the international community be able to make concrete steps towards global climate protection? This will be the decisive question when representatives from around 200 states meet from November 28 to December 9, 2011 in Durban, South Africa, at the 17th United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (Cop 17) to negotiate an agreement for the years following 2012. That is when the Kyoto Protocol expires, so far the most important instrument in international climate change policy.
Climate protection
The Kleist Memorial Year 2011 was officially opened on 4 March in the Kleist’s native city of Frankfurt/Oder under the patronage of Federal President Christian Wulff. It featured exhibitions, film and theatrical productions, concerts and reading contests paying tribute to Heinrich von Kleist’s work. One of the main cities hosting events, besides Frankfurt/Oder, was the Spree metropolis Berlin, where Kleist took his own life on 21 November 1811.
Heinrich von Kleist Memorial Year 2011
Germany is strongly involved in the preservation of cultural monuments around the world. Now Germany has again been elected as a new member of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee until 2015.
Fascinating World Heritage
The Bauhaus University in Weimar, Thuringia, describes itself as being eager to experiment, open and creative, and it seeks proximity to industrial practice. But now, it can also boast the title of “best international university 2011” in Germany. This year the university came first in the “international university” competition.
Weimar has the best international university in Germany
Scientific insights that can change our world are at the centre of a special scientific conference in Berlin. Twenty top international scientists from the natural sciences, humanities, life science, economics and technology, will be presenting their specialist disciplines at the third “Falling Walls Conference” which is being staged in the German capital on November 9, the anniversary of the fall of the Wall.
Science – a powerhouse of ideas
From welcome breakfasts to friendship programmes, German universities come up with lots of interesting ways of making it easier for international students to settle into their new surroundings. The DAAD offers them a combined scholarship and support programme (STIBET), which is funded by the Federal Foreign Office. It supports introductory events and country evenings as well as specialist support for foreign doctoral students. Projects like Die Brücke (The Bridge) in Münster have developed their own special approaches and act as examples for other universities.
Scholarship and support programme
It all began with a very long train journey from Istanbul to Frankfurt am Main – and a great deal of confidence: when Yilmaz Atalay came to Germany as a young 27-year-old Turkish man in 1961, he was convinced that he could achieve a lot through hard work and determination. He first worked in a factory, then as a social worker. Later he founded a Turkish travel agency and headed an association that provides advice on health questions to migrants with Turkish roots.
From “guest workers” to citizens
As the 21st century progresses the consequences of global climate change will have a major impact on people all around the world. The German government is keen to take international climate diplomacy forward.
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The Third World Health Summit, which is taking place in Berlin, will be spotlighting the worldwide challenges facing medical research and healthcare. Leading representatives from the fields of science, medicine, the healthcare sector, politics and civil society will be gathering at this important international forum at the Charité University Hospital in Berlin.
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The shining city: from October 12 to 23, 2011 the German capital will once again be bathed in a sea of light. Numerous events will be accompanying Berlin’s 7th Festival of Lights when more than 70 famous landmarks, buildings, squares and streets sparkle with stunning illuminations.
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Thousands of books and exhibitors, prominent writers from around the globe, the latest trends in publishing, international conferences, prestigious literary awards – and Iceland, a land of booklovers, as guest of honour: the Frankfurt Book Fair 2011 from 12 - 16 October is a key meeting place for the international publishing sector.
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At the beginning of October 2011 Germany and Indonesia are launching a wide-ranging programme of events that highlights cooperation between the two countries under the motto “Creativity in Diversity”. The 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations, which Germany and Indonesia will be celebrating next year, forms the background for the programme. Until February 2012 more than 60 cultural, economic, educational and scientific events are planned in Jakarta and other Indonesian cities within the framework of a series of events called “JERIN – Germany and Indonesia”.
Culture exchange Germany Indonesia
A 21-gun salute was fired to welcome a special guest: Pope Benedict XVI has arrived in Germany for his first official state visit. On his arrival at Berlin’s Tegel Airport on Thursday (22 September) the head of the Roman Catholic Church was welcomed by Federal President Christian Wulff, Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel and government and church representatives.
Pope Benedict XVI Visits Germany
Germany’s strong innovation profile has remained stable since the 2008 STI Outlook. Science and technology occupations are well represented in total employment, and medium and high-technology manufacturing exports have been robust for a number of years.
OECD Country Note Germany
The Year of Germany in India begins on 23 September 2011. A multifaceted programme with events in the fields of culture, education, research, business and politics is planned in 13 Indian cities, culminating in the 13th Asia-Pacific Conference of German Business at the beginning of November 2012.
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More world premieres, more exhibitors, more exhibition space: this year’s 64th International Motor Show (IAA) in Frankfurt am Main is clearly on a growth course. A total of 1,012 exhibitors from 32 countries are represented at the world’s leading mobility fair from 15 to 25 September.
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Water, food and health are the central topics at the 8th Asia-Pacific Weeks (APW) in Berlin. From 6 to 17 September 2011 more than 140 events with 100 experts from 14 countries will be examining the main theme of the APW and its various aspects in the worlds of business, science and culture. At the beginning of the APW, which are being held under the motto “Asia-Pacific: Partner for a Common Future”, Federal Development Minister Dirk Niebel and high-ranking representatives of German and Asian companies are discussing industry as a partner for development in the region.
Asia-Pacific Weeks
Fifty years ago the Berlin Wall was erected between East and West, dividing the country and the people. Countless lives were affected by the construction of the Wall. [...] Little by little, people are starting to forget how much pain and suffering was caused by the division of Germany, how the division was overcome, and what elation was felt when the Wall fell.
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Being cool and 'in' have not been the main qualities Germans are usually credited with. Berlin, though, is a different matter: for years now, the Spree metropolis has seen a constant influx of creative workers, artists, scientists and academics from across the globe. Especially in summer, when young people flock to Berlin from all over the world.
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It is one of the summer’s most popular maritime cultural festivals: the annual Hanse Sail event in Rostock. This year, the 21st international tall ships gathering is taking place from 11 - 14 August.
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At the beginning of August, when the blue carpet with the yellow stars is rolled out in front of the Konzerthaus at Gendarmenmarkt in Berlin, it’s time for the start of a special concert event.
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This is a special year for the Bayreuth Festival. The Festival, featuring the music of Richard Wagner, will celebrate its 100th anniversary.
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The Women’s World Cup tournament 2011 has ended with a beautiful big surprise: Japan’s female footballers have won the world championship title for the first time. In the exciting World Cup final on Sunday (July 17) in Frankfurt am Main, the Asian team beat the USA 5:3 following a penalty shoot-out.
Japan first-time world champions
Sixty-one years after fast-footed men got the chance show off their skills to a worldwide audience, women entered the field for their first World CupGames. Now, 20 years later, they will play in their...
The history of women's football
Times have changed in Germany as a football country: nowadays, parents no longer take just their sons to training sessions on the pitch – they’re taking their daughters, too. Long gone are the days when the fascination of football was an exclusively male domain
Women’s football is booming in Germany
The countdown is on, the excitement is growing and the finish line has come into view. On 6 July the eyes of all German sports fans will be on the South African city of Durban.
Munich is going for gold
Introducing the Federal Government’s Strategy for Africa, Federal Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said it coincided with a “time of dramatic change and upheaval taking place right next door to Europe”. He said that what was happening – particularly in Africa – presented us with “perhaps the most intriguing evidence of a changing world”. For Germany this highlighted the necessity to maintain and deepen old friendships, but also to make a concerted and conscious effort to establish new ones
New Chapter in German-African partnership
Who could wish for a better start to the first Women’s Football World Cup in Germany? The opening match between the German hosts and Canada will be kicking off on the evening of Sunday June 26 at 18:00 CET in front of some 73,000 spectators.
World Cup
If there were such a thing as a German foreign minister for sport, her name would be Steffi Jones. The former world-class player has circled the globe completely since 2008 as representative of the German Football Association (DFB). Her mission is the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Germany (June 26 to July 17). As president of the organizing committee, Steffi Jones is the most famous ambassador of this World Cup
WM-Countdown
Reggae from Jamaica, calypso music from Trinidad & Tobago, ska and salsa from Cuba: this year the strains of Afro-Caribbean music will be echoing at the Mainwiesen in Würzburg on the first weekend of June.
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The German section of Amnesty International (AI) is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the organization with a “Festival for Human Rights” on May 27 at the Haus der Kulturen der Welt (House of World Cultures) in Berlin.
Amnesty International
The countdown has begun for the world’s biggest music show, and the performance of defending champion Lena. Now Germany and the whole of Europe are eagerly awaiting the 56th Eurovision Song Contest. On May 14, Düsseldorf is staging the finals of Europe’s spectacular music competition. The capital of North Rhine-Westphalia is looking forward to a total of three shows, contest participants from 43 countries and up to 35,000 spectators at the Düsseldorf Arena, which has been transformed from a football stadium into a gigantic music stage.
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It’s one of the highlights in this year’s celebrations for the anniversary of the car: the Automobile Summer in Baden-Wurttemberg.
Automobile Summer takes off
A magnificent sea of flowers between the Deutsche Eck (German Corner), the Electoral Palace and Ehrenbreitstein fortress: the Federal Horticultural Show (BUGA) in Koblenz is currently a popular excursion destination for lovers of nature and gardens both from Germany and abroad.
Koblenz in blossom
The Japan Weeks kicked off in mid April at German universities starting a series of lectures by scientists and students, workshops and info days, conferences and cultural events. Until the end of 2011 a total of 18 universities in Germany will be organizing events focusing on German-Japanese cooperation in studies and research. The Japan Weeks, which are being financed by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and coordinated by the German Rectors’ Conference (HRK), are contributing to a special anniversary in 2011: Germany and Japan can look back on 150 years of bilateral relations. The signing of a “Treaty of Amity and Commerce” in 1861 marked the starting point of cooperation between the two countries.
Japan Weeks at German Universities
A big surprise at the German Film Awards 2011: the film “Vincent will Meer” (Vincent Wants to Sea) and actor Florian David Fitz are the big winners of the most prestigious and most highly endowed award for German films, worth 2.8 million euros. The coveted “Golden Lola” for the best film went to the road movie by director Ralf Huettner at the 61st award ceremony on April 8 in Berlin. The tragicomedy centres on Vincent, who suffers from Tourette’s syndrome. He and two other patients escape from a psychiatric clinic with the aim of reaching the sea in Italy.
German Film Awards 2011
This year, renewable energies and energy efficiency are the main themes at the Hannover Messe, the world’s largest industrial fair. From 4 to 8 April some 6,500 exhibitors from 65 countries will be presenting their latest products under the keynote heading Smart Efficiency, which spotlights the economical use of energy and materials in industry. Many of the roughly 5,000 innovations focus on saving energy. Alternatives to nuclear power and oil are among the most interesting technologies that the fair has to offer this year.
Industrial Fair Full of Energy
It is a major element in climate and environmental protection, a vital habitat, an important economic factor and a popular place for recreation: the forest is an indispensible ecosystem on our planet – and in 2011 it is the focus of a special International Year of Forests, called into being by the United Nations (UN). The year is aiming to raise people’s awareness about the significance of forests, their sustainable cultivation and their role in fighting poverty.
International Year of Forests
The Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research in the Helmholtz Association does research in the Arctic and Antarctic regions, as well as on coasts and in high and mid-latitude oceans. It coordinates polar research in Germany, analyses global environmental changes, and contributes to deciphering the complex natural connections in the Earth System.
The Alfred Wegener Institute
Shortly before the start of the 2011 Grand Prix season, the majority of the Formula One team chiefs are pretty sure who will be this year’s champion: Sebastian Vettel, the reigning and youngest ever Formula One world champion. The 23-year-old German racing driver will begin defending his title on March 27 in Melbourne.
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Writers, publishers and book fans: the Leipzig Book Fair (March 17-20) is the first major meeting for the sector in the year and a forum for new springtime publications.
The Leipzig Book Fair
For the fourth time, Germany has emerged from an international poll conducted by the BBC World Service as “the most popular country”. 62 percent of those surveyed from 27 countries around the world believed that Germany’s influence is positive – three percent more than last year.
Germany’s good image in the world
Fifty years ago the Berlin Wall was erected between East and West, dividing the country and the people. Countless lives were affected by the construction of the Wall. [...] Little by little, people are starting to forget how much pain and suffering was caused by the division of Germany, how the division was overcome, and what elation was felt when the Wall fell.
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The international travel sector is gathering in Berlin: at the world’s largest trade fair for tourism, the ITB, around 11,000 exhibitors from 180 countries are presenting the latest travel trends from March 9-13. In the 26 halls beneath Berlin’s Funkturm (radio tower) Asian countries are definitely more strongly represented than ever before, reflecting the importance of the tourism market as a major growth factor in the region.
ITB
From web-capable mobile phones to new tablet computers and the little brother of the American “Watson” supercomputer which won in the US quiz show “Jeopardy” only a few weeks ago: the international software and information technology sector is meeting at the world’s largest IT trade fair, CeBIT, from March 1-5 in Hanover.
CeBIT
Hollywood star Liam Neeson takes a spectacular dip: during action shots for his latest thriller “Unknown”, which is set in Berlin and opens at German cinemas in March, the famous actor took the plunge at Babelsberg film studios – in 500,000 litres of water. Germany’s largest water tank for filming complex water scenes provided the setting as the taxi carrying Neeson plummeted from a Berlin bridge into the River Spree.
German Dream Factory
Great international recognition for two outstanding German musical institutions: the Deutsche Symphonie-Orchester Berlin and the Rundfunkchor Berlin have won a Grammy in the classical music category at the 53rd Grammy Awards in Los Angeles (Feb. 13). They received the prize for their recording of the opera “L’Amour de Loin” headed by American conductor Kent Nagano (photograph)
Classical Grammy for Germany
Germany is a country usually associated with poets, thinkers and composers – and with the sort of top-notch high-tech products manufactured there. Such products are in demand the world over and German technology has even been used to clean the stone sculpture featuring the heads of former US presidents at Mount Rushmore.
Germany: Leader in Technology
Things couldn’t look better at the moment for Germany’s most successful Alpine skier: Maria Riesch is almost invincible on the slopes this season and currently leads in the overall World Cup score. The 26-year-old double Olympic champion has just demonstrated her excellent form in Italy at the World Cup in Cortina d’Ampezzo at the end of January.
Ski World Cup: Maria in the hunt for medals
Single cylinder, about 0.9 hp and a top speed of 12 km per hour: the German engineer Carl Benz revolutionized mobility 125 years ago with his patent automobile (photograph). His invention of 1886 is regarded as the world’s first car, and is very reminiscent of a coach without the horse. At that time, this strange looking three-wheeler with a petrol engine certainly raised a few doubtful eyebrows.
German inventive genius that changed the world
