Berlin: Some Observations from the German Fulbright Commission's Mid-Year Seminar

As I recover from a wonderful week in Berlin, let me recount the highlights of the German/European Fulbright Commission's Mid-Year Conference for American Grantees in Europe. The theme of the conference was "1989-2009: New Hopes - New Challenges." The theme was clearly aimed at commemorating one major historical landmark: the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. The conference also addressed another historical landmark: the 60th anniversary of the founding of the Republic of Germany. Both themes were the uniting factors throughout the course of the conference, which brought together nearly 300 American Fulbright scholars and teachers to Berlin as well as over 200 German Fulbrighters who will studying in the United States.

So what to discuss?

First, the seminars and workshops deserve a mention. Although the Commission started off the conference on Sunday with a welcome dinner, the official events did not get underway until the following day with a panel titled "German Unification: Chances and Challenges," which was held at Humboldt University, Alma Mater to major historical figures such as Hegel, Marx, and Lenin. The evening's event was the opening ceremony, which featured a keynote speech by Dr. Klaus von Dohnanyi, Fulbright Alumnus, Secretary of Science and Education of the Brandt Administration, and former Mayor of Hamburg. His speech addressed the issues related to the shared Geopolitical interests of the USA and Europe. The speech, which echoed the themes raised at a Spanish Fulbright Association monthly meeting earlier this month, revolved around the convergences and divergences in the manner that United States and Europe were addressing issues such as climate change, the economy, and security issues.

Dr. Dohnanyi giving his speech

The Spanish Fulbrighters also had an opportunity to shine during the conference. One of my colleagues, a researcher who is studying how the right to vote for immigrants in Spain has raised major questions over the formation of new political communities, presented his work at the project presentation round table for Fulbright Researchers. The panel also featured presentations the identification of women through modern and contemporary Turkish art, the relationship between Turkish immigrants and 'Ethnic Banks' in Berlin, and a presentation from a teaching assistant who help organize a German elementary school's first science fair. Overall, it was a diverse array of strong research projects from a dedicated group of researchers; it's all the more impressive when one considers that most of these individuals are not enrolled in a doctorate or masters program back in the States.

Another one of my colleagues, a classical-trained guitarist who was researching contemporary classical guitar music in Spain, debuted two pieces of music at a formal Music Gala of performances by Fulbright Grantees. Several highlights from the gala included his pieces, Vientos de Primavera, written by David del Puerto, and La Fragua de Vulcano, written by Eduardo Morales-Caso; Billie, a music concrete piece for alto sax and a boom box written by Jacob te Velhuis that featured a mash up of beats, jazz samples, and recordings of Billie Holiday's voice; various Debussy preludes; and Carmen Fantasy Opus 25 for violin and piano, which is typecast as the "tango song" in commercials worldwide. It was an enormous pleasure watching this talent on stage covering a wide range of contemporary and classical music. Where else would you find hip hop beats creeping up in Billie followed by a cascade of arpeggios on a Bártok piece? Berlin, apparently.

The performers at the end of the night

On my end of things, I had a chance to appear on a panel called "European Dimensions," which discussed the experiences of several Fulbright grantees in Europe. The panel featured grantees from the UK, Slovak Republic, Italy, and Norway, each with their own views on the experience of living abroad as a Fulbrighter. I focused on the act of abandoning preconceived notions of Europe and utilizing one's own experience and careful observations to guide one's work and life as a Fulbright scholar.

Beyond my own topic, the panel engaged in a long ranging discussion over the importance of language in developing social ties with people in our respective countries, the importance of social networks in meeting our work goals as well as making friends over the course of our grant, the impact of the decline of the birthrate on our respective host countries' societies, and the prominence of xenophobia in our respective countries of research. Needless to say, I felt the workshop was a positive experience -- I clearly have been learning enough about Spain to answer various questions about the country without any problems -- and was happy to have represented the Spanish Fulbrighters on the panel.

How else would we represent Spain?

Finally, there were several parties thrown each evening in various swank venues in the city. I will simply leave it at this: the German Commission, of all organizations, knows how to throw a good dance party with delicious beer.

On my own time, I had an opportunity to visit the Jewish Museum, have coffee in the central offices of the STASI, which was the East German Government's secret police, the Pergamon, which features the gates of Babylon, various historical sites such as Hitler's Bunker - a parking lot, nowadays - remnants of the Berlin wall, the Brandenburg Gate, and the site of the Nazi sponsored book burning in the mid 1930s on a lengthy walking tour. I also had a chance to visit Sauchausen, a concentration camp near Berlin that housed, among others, Martin Niemöiler, a priest who made this famous reflection on the terror of the Third Reich:

"When the Nazis came for the Communists,
I said nothing,
for I was not a Communist.
When they locked up the Social Democrats,
I said nothing,
for I was not a Social Democrat.
When they came for the trade unionists,
I said nothing,
for I was not a trade unionist.

And then they came for me, and there was no one left to protest."

Sadly, the terror did not end with the end of World War II. The camp became an internment site under the Soviet occupation until 1950. In both instances, many innocent people suffered and perished at the hands of brutal regimes that were determined to rob them of their humanity. The experience of walking through the camp cannot not be summarized in words.

Bathrooms from one of the prisoner's cabins

On a more positive note, I also had an chance to receive a private tour of the Reichstag, the upper house of the German parliamentary system, from one of my friends who was a coworker of mine at the Department of Justice. The photos will speak for themselves, but the rich history of this site can be found here. (I will add that the building's innovative use of space and light - interns' offices feature windows looking into an open courtyard - certainly could inspire some architects in the States to liven up the homely office building. Given the state of the economy, I am not holding my breathe.)

View from inside the glass dome that sits atop the Reichstag

All in all, it was an amazing week. Check out the photos in my next post to see how I spent the rest of my time in Germany.

And the Most Memorable Thing from Germany?

Given the diverse number of experiences from my time in Berlin, one encounter stands out. While I was getting falafel with a friend one night at a Turkish restaurant, the man working behind the counter asked us where we were from. We explained to him that we were from the United States. After telling us he was from Lebanon, he immediately went into a moving description of the time he spent in Flint, Michigan in the early 1990s. Despite the fact that the economy - then, as now - was in terrible shape, he said the city gave him the opportunity to socialize with people from different backgrounds and walks of life.

After two years, however, he returned to Germany and obtained German citizenship to stay with his family. (Note: obtaining German citizenship is extremely hard; children of immigrants born in Germany do not receive this legal status and all individuals must live in Germany for 8 years before taking a series of tests to obtain the status.) As he explained the reasons that prompted his return to Germany, he teared up and explained that the nation never embraced him as a fellow German, only as an immigrant. The man explained that he missed the openness of America, where "everyone can be an American" and stated that he was determined to return to the States soon. We thanked him for his time and wished him luck as we paid him for the sandwiches and left the restaurant.

I can begin to unpack this experience on several levels, but I will simply leave it to you to draw your own conclusions.

A Few More Comments About the Fulbright Program

Although the program is part of the State Department's Cultural Exchange Program, the International Institute for Education (IIE) manages the admission process of the program and serves as the liaison between the American Fulbright Commission and the Commissions in host nations. The funding of the program varies. In some instances, the Commission in a host country receives funds from public or private sources without any assistance from the American Fulbright Commission. In other instances, the State Department and the American Fulbright Commission funds the grants for a particular country. In the case of Spain, the Spanish Commission funds all grants without any outside assistance.

The management structure of the program also varies. In most instances, the Fulbright Offices and Commissions in other countries handle the daily administration of the program and work with the grantees to handle any issues that come up over the year. The Commissions also put on conferences such as the Andorra and Berlin seminars for their grantees and invited guests. It is a great deal of work on their part, but the result is worth it: happy Fulbrighters who are prepared to ask their representatives to support the Fulbright Program.