Democratic Vistas: Anniversary festival of the German-American Institute in Freiburg

Join this four-day festival from October 13 to 16, 2022, to celebrate 70 years of transatlantic dialog in Freiburg! 

Sharing ideas for a transatlantic future

To mark its 70th anniversary, the German-American Institute in Freiburg (the Carl-Schurz-Haus) invites you to a four-day festival of talks, discussions, networking, music, games and fun for all the family. 

The US Ambassador to Germany, Dr Amy Gutmann, will ceremoniously kick things off Thursday, October 13, followed by the opening of Barbara Peacock’s exhibition, entitled Hometown, on October 14. Then on Saturday, October 15, the institute will host several transatlantic talks in a "Pop-Up Think Tank". Finally, an exciting program for the whole family awaits you with live music and many interactive activities on Sunday, October 16. 

Democratic Vistas: Festival program

The following events make up the festival program:

October 14, 7pm: Hometown Exhibition Opening

Hometown showcases an impressive journey through time in the small town of Westford, Massachusetts. On display are parades, prom queens and community BBQs from nearly four decades. In images from everyday situations and major celebrations in her hometown, photographer Barbara Peacock captures moments of poetry and comedy that take a nostalgic look at the fading community of a small town in the US.

October 15, 11am-8.30pm: Democratic Vistas – Pop-up Think Tank

In October 1922, Thomas Mann publicly professed his support for democracy and introduced Walt Whitman to German audiences as an American model of democratic thought. Flash forward to October 2022, when we present our Pop-up Think Tank with renowned experts from the US and Germany who will design ideas for the future of our democracy.

Speakers at this event include:

• Kai Sina: Professor of modern German literature and comparative literature with a focus on transatlantic literary history at the University of Münster.
• John Nichols: Washington correspondent for The Nation and author of several books, such as The Fight for the Soul of the Democratic Party and Horsemen of the Trumpocalypse.
• Derk Janßen: Literary publisher based in Freiburg and the winner of the Baden-Württemberg state prize for ambitious small literary publishers. 
• Joshua Sellers: Associate professor of law at Arizona State University, who focuses on election law, legislation and regulation, constitutional law, and civil procedure.
• Mirrianne Mahn: Political activist, city councillor for Frankfurt am Main and chairperson of the Committee for Culture Science and Sport.
• Joshua Yaffa: Journalist and foreign correspondent for The New Yorker and author of Between Two Fires: Truth, Ambition and Compromise in Putin’s Russia.
• Sarah Churchwell: Professor of American literature and public humanities at the University of London and author of Behold America: A History of America First & the American Dream and The Wrath to Come: Gone with the Wind & the Lies America Tells.
• Dr Tobias Endler (moderator): American studies and political science scholar who has taught and conducted research at the Heidelberg Center for American Studies and at Yale University.

October 16, 11am-6pm: Open house

Celebrate the German-American Institute’s 70th anniversary with live music and many fun activities for the whole family such as story time, bingo, and an interactive puppet show about the life of Carl Schurz, as well as creative activities like blackout poetry, and much more! There will also be limited-time deals such as reduced-rate membership offers and language course discounts. 

The Carl-Schurz-Haus looks forward to celebrating, reflecting and discussing with you! For a detailed festival program, visit the website. 

About the Carl-Schurz-Haus

The Carl-Schurz-Haus (German-American Institute in Freiburg) offers a diverse cultural program, English language courses for all ages, and has a vibrant, all-English library. They are a non-profit institute with the goal of facilitating transatlantic discourse across all areas ranging from literature to politics to business.