An Ambassador in Freiburg

More precisely: The United States ambassador to Germany, Her Excellency Professor Dr. Amy Gutmann, came from Berlin to Freiburg to honor the 70th anniversary of the foundation of the Carl-Schurz-Haus, formerly Amerikahaus, in Freiburg.

Since Richard Grenell stepped back as ambassador in Berlin on June 1, 2020, the post has been vacant until February 17, 2022.

Wikipedia knows, "Through her writings, Gutmann has consistently sought to bridge theory and policy to advance the core values of a civil democratic society: liberty, opportunity, and mutual respect."

We waited for her at the Gerichtslaube (courthouse) entrance, the oldest town hall in Freiburg, where she came on foot. Leaving her limousine with the Berlin license plates behind, she walked toward Mayor Martin Horn, smiling.

From the right
America's Consul General in Frankfurt, Norman Thatcher Scharpf,
Lord Mayor Martin Horn, Ambassador Amy Gutmann, 
Freiburg’s Finance Mayor Stefan Breiter, and
 Hanna Böhme, Managing Director at Freiburg Wirtschaft Touristik Messe GmbH.

They took a group photo before the flagpole with the Star-Spangled Banner.

Martin Horn wearing his chain of office on occasion welcomed the ambassador. He regarded her visit as a sign of the tight connection between Freiburg and the USA. In this context, he mentioned the city partnership with Madison, Wisconsin, the "global players" Pfizer and Stryker busy in Freiburg, and of course, the Carl-Schurz-Haus, on whose 70th birthday Amy Gutmann came to Freiburg. The CHS is a great institution dedicated to German-American relations, said Horn, bringing people together.

Consul General Scharpf is listening too.

In her answer, Amy Gutmann found it spectacular that Freiburg University was founded in 1457 - making it more than 300 years older than the United States. She praised innovation and creativity in Freiburg, particularly important in times of crisis. Meeting people who share the same values despite the pandemic, the Ukraine war and the energy crisis is a pleasure. Sending the greetings of President Joe Biden, who considers it essential to strengthen German-American relations, she hoped this would not be her last visit to this "wonderful city."

During her speech, Amy Gutmann exuded enthusiasm and esprit. When she approached the invited American students, she was entranced.

       

The traditional exchange of presents

The ambassador signed the city's Golden Book.

Her enthusiasm continued in the evening when she gave the Carl-Schurz lecture. Freiburg's good parlor, the Kaisersaal in the historic Kaufhaus, was filled to capacity. A long line formed in front of the entrance as all registrations for the evening were checked. Red Baron was glad to have a seat reserved among the members of the Freiburg-Madison-Gesellschaft. From there, I took some photos.

The Director of the Carl-Schurz-Haus
Friederike Schulte welcomes the ambassador and the guests.

The Mayor for Cultural Affairs
Ullrich von Kirchbach addresses the crowd

Ambassador Amy Gutmann
gives  the Carl Schurz Lecture

Hymns by Paul Hindemith and songs by Kurt Weill
with texts by Walt Whitman

Amy Gutmann based her lecture "Our Shared Responsibilities for Tomorrow" on two quotations. One from Benjamin Franklin, the other from Carl-Schurz.

Franklin's comment at the time of signing the Declaration of Independence, "We must all hang together, or, most assuredly, we shall all hang separately," Gutmann extended to the German-American relations. We two countries must stand together to defend our democratic values, especially in times of crisis.

Carl Schurz's saying, "My country, right or wrong," - he replied to a country fellow who accused him as an immigrant of not being sufficiently American - you find nearly always truncated. Carl Schurz notably added, "If [my country is] right, to be kept right; and if wrong, to be set right," referring to his active involvement in building the American democracy, such as the founding of the Republican Party.

Her lecture perfectly introduced the following One Day Pop-Up Think Tank: Democratic Vistas, Sharing Ideas for a Transatlantic Future.

From the left, the Ukrainian and the German student,
Ambassador Gutmann and the Tunisian student (©Meike Voß)

It followed a discussion between the ambassador and three students of the Freiburg Bosch College.

Amy told these students not only to protest against things they would like to have changed but to engage themselves actively politically.

Concerning the spread of fake news in social media, she recommended not to suck it in but to answer any false information fast and precisely.

Ultimately, Professor Gutmann insisted that you must teach and learn history. Only then can you learn from history. This last remark warmed Red Baron's heart.

Ambassador Gutmann is a stroke of luck for Germany.

The beer brewed on the occasion
was süffig (went down well).

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