Hier & There. The podcast of the Germanic-American Institute (GAI Podcast)

The Russian invasion of Ukraine rages on. We are in week 3 of a war between Goliath and David. In US media, most of the focus is on Russia and Ukraine and the position of the United States. Only some references may be found regarding the actions and involvement of the D-A-CH regions. We are providing a snapshot summary of Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.

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In part 2, we are welcoming Jeana Anderson, Executive Director of the GA...

In this episode, we are tabling "This fortnight in history", summarizing the similarities of contemporary Russian and WWII German propaganda.

The leading article for this episode came from the Washington Post: https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2022/02/24/hitler-czechoslovakia-sudeten-putin-ukraine/

Fact-checking links: 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/02/23/fact-checking-putins-speech-ukraine/

https://www.dw....

In this episode, Audra & Gunther take you on a journey through history, touching on the Holocaust and Mozart, among other significant events.

For the interview, we're welcoming the GAI's Assistant Director of the Kinderstube, Emily. She's sharing with us how the Kinderstube faired during the pandemic and shares some incredible tips for parents who are spending a lot of time at home with their children these days.

As always, we ...

In this episode, Audra and Gunther introduce you to our new "format". 

First, we're diving into the "fortnight of history". Then we'll welcome our resident political scientist, Katrin, to give us a bit more insight into the mechanics of the newly formed German government.

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This fortnight in history:

Birth of Walther Bothe (1891-1957) in Oranienburg, Germany. Bothe was a physics professor at the universities of Berlin, Gies...

This is the final episode of 2021, and we invite you to join Minnesänger Director John Hoffacker leading German Christmas songs from the grand piano at the GAI Haus with a guest appearance by Colombian-American soprano Cristina Czaia. Recorded on December 16, 2021.

You can also watch the video recording of this episode on our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GvWyrgGUbFI

Hier & There will take a short break over ...

In this episode, Audra and Gunther are talking with Claudia Clark, a US-Expat, presently living in Germany. 

Claudia joined us via Zoom - we apologize for some inconsistent audio levels.

Claudia also holds an M.A. in Labor Industrial Relations from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, a Master's in U.S. History with an emphasis on women’s history from San Jose State University, and a Master of Social Work (MSW) from...

In this episode, Audra and Gunther welcome Dr. Priscilla Layne.

Dr. Layne is presently a professor at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Her academic background is in comparative literature of the University of Chicago, with a Master's degree and Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkley.

Particularly interesting is Dr. Layne’s dissertation “Black Voices, German Rebels: Acts of masculinity in postwar German cultu...

If you wondered what it's like to live in Germany, as an American, Ex-Pats Alex and Geoff can fill you in.

In this episode, we’re talking about taxes, immigration and refugees, real estate, and dating.

Living in Berlin, Geoff and Alex have inside knowledge, interesting perspectives, and also their own podcast - "Americans in Germany Drinking Whiskey" - or, AGDW. You can find their website with all relevant links here: https://www.a...

In this episode, we welcome Katrin and Wim, discussing the outcome of the German election in September.

If you would like to know more, there are various resources available, however, DW.com is commonly one of the better ones. Read more about the election here: https://www.dw.com/en/german-elections-2021/t-57208974

Also, we've mentioned it before, Storycast, our podcast where we narrate German stories, has been separated out into i...

After 16 years, Chancellor Angela Merkel is stepping down, opening the race to various contenders. Who is in the lead, what do they stand for, and what's in store for the Germans? We have enlisted Katrin back to the podcast, who has many of the answers to our questions. 

As the election happens in real-time as you are listening to this recording, here are some sources to follow the vote counts:

For highly proficient German spe...

Der Wanderbus is a digital learning environment, virtually taking you through Germany, highlighting aspects of culture, sustainability, and more.

Nils Martin, of the Goethe Institute, which is Germany's cultural representation abroad, joins us to tell us all about the Wanderbus. 

You can also find a printable pdf file of the Wanderbus here: https://www.goethe.de/resources/files/pdf196/wanderbus-digital-learning-package-by-the-...

This is likely one of the shortest episodes we've brought to you. 

Nonetheless, it is worthy of your time, as we talk about the upcoming classes, events, and announce a short summer break.

As always, please connect with us at podcast@gaimn.org and let us know what you think!

We'll talk to you again in September. Until then, Happy Summer '21!

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Since 1957 The Germanic American Institute has been building cultural bridges betw...

Storycast: "Die anhänglichen Pantoffeln"

If you'd like to read along, you can find the text to the story by clicking this Link

This story comes from the shelf of Merkel's Erzählkabinett.

As far as your German-speaking children are concerned - earmuffs are not needed, but prepare for some added depth to the meaning of Herrn Meiers adventures. If you have a German group to talk with, your interpretation of "Herr Meier" would make for...

In this episode, we welcome the Consul General of Germany, Wolfgang Mössinger. He is located in Chicago, IL, representing Germany in the Midwestern states.

We discuss international relations, the state of the economy, politics, and the long-lasting friendship between Germany and the United States.

The Consulate’s website is at: https://www.germany.info/us-en/embassy-consulates/generalkonsulat3

Thank you to Consul General Wolfgang M...