Amerika Haus, Cologne New director hoping for more US members
Cologne · Dr Benjamin Becker hopes to attract more US members to Amerika Haus, which aims to foster German-US relations. Upcoming events include a talk in English in Bonn on chemical weapons use in Syria and Iraq and a fourth of July barbecue in Cologne.
Dr Benjamin Becker (34) was recently appointed as the new director of the Cologne-based Amerika Haus e.V. NRW. A staunch supporter of transatlanticism, Dr Becker was most recently a head of division at the German-American Fulbright Commission, where he was responsible for special programmes. He was born in the Rhineland and is delighted have returned to Cologne, where he studied English and history at university.
Formed ten years ago as a public-private partnership and a legacy institution of Amerika Haus Cologne which opened in 1955, Amerika Haus e.V. NRW aims to strengthen German-US relations through a programme of around 30 to 35 events annually in NRW focussing on relevant political, cultural and economic issues.
In what Dr Becker calls, “these challenging but very interesting times, in which there is a heightened interest in the US,” he is keen to use Amerika Haus events as a neutral platform to present and discuss current general political topics.
Dr Becker says there are around 12,000 US citizens living in NRW and although many of the events are in German, he also wants to attract more US members to the organisation. Those who understand German but who may not be confident enough to speak it are encouraged to participate in English. There is also an upcoming lecture and discussion in English on June 12 at the Uniclub in Bonn on chemical weapons use in Syria and Iraq and their impact on global security.
New projects for 2017 include Junges Amerika Haus (Young America House), which aims to attract more young people to discuss transatlantic topics as well as a new networking and support initiative for start-ups. Dr Becker points out that within Germany, Cologne, for example, has the second highest ratio of digital start-ups among its companies, just behind Berlin. “We want to put added focus on the effect of digitalisation on people’s lives,” he says.
But there is also room for social and cultural events. Recent examples include a performance by dancers from the Paul Taylor American Modern Dance Company to music from Handel and the Indiana Jazz Exchange, an annual jazz concert resulting from close contacts between jazz musicians in Cologne and Indianapolis, which is now in its fifth year. The annual fourth of July festivities are also a highlight and this year there is a barbecue, music and fireworks at the Long Island Grill and Bar in Cologne, which Dr Becker hopes to enjoy with many “transatlantic friends”.
Those wishing to attend events can register on the organisation’s website at Amerika Haus NRW e.V. Members of the general public can attend individual events and can also become part of the organisation’s Circle of Friends, giving them priority registration and reduced entrance fees.
