Looking back at 2013

Dear members and friends of the DEF,

About one year ago the members of the DEF decided to break new grounds in communicating to its members and the public. No newsletter in paper form, no formal membership and no membership-fee anymore. All news and events will be conveyed to its recipients in a electronical way via e-mail or internet in general. A venture into new territory!

The turn of the years 2013/2014 offers a good opportunity, to reflect and take a critical look at those steps taken:

1. The electronical announcments of events and spreading the news via e-mail seem to be sucessful. Those who can not be reached this way, receive the information from friends or get a telephone call.

2. At this years exchange with our friends from Nottingham less people took part, but this did not harm the existing friendship. For the coming years younger people on both sides have already expressed their interest in this kind of personal encounter.

3. Interesting well visited events -all in English, were supported and even offered from members and friends, e.g. „Scotish Concert“ at the Gastdozentenhaus, „A Karlsruher guides through her native town“, The beekeeper and his fascinating life with the bees“, „Wind power on top of the Karlsruhe council tip“.

4. Further we offered a „Hiking tour in the south of Rhineland-Palatinate“, a „Fish’n Chips“ in an Irish Pub and an „Advent coffee gathering“ at the Gastdozentenhaus.

5. Under the new flag of the english speaking meetup group Karlsruhe, but well-supported by DEF-members a „German-English Round Table“ takes place with an impressive international feedback. The parish of the evangelical Alt- and Mittelstadtgemeinde took over the Christmas Carol Singing.

6. Unfortunately, we have not found a school which is willing to take on the organisation of the „Pancake Race“ on the marketsquare -but we have not given up yet.

„Karlsruhe -an english event“ -this is where we would like to expand the networking with other institutions from Karlsruhe:

1. The English speaking meetup-group from Karlsruhe invites everybody to a variety of events in and around Karlsruhe -Everybody is welcome to join, it’s free!

www.meetup.com

2. The American Library, a library run by the City of Karlsruhe, offers over 37000 books and other medias in the english language and is also organising other cultural and social events like readings, talks and film shows.

www.amerikanische-bibliothek.de

3. The „Schauburg“, an arthouse cinema located in the southern part of Karlsruhe was founded in 1929 and offers a high-quality repertoire in films of all kind. Usually twice a week or more films in the english language with or without german subtitles are shown there.

www.schauburg.de

We would like to continue the pursued path and be a mediator within the English-speaking community in Karlsruhe. Maybe the DEF-database can be a helpful contributor in the long run.

In any case we are looking forward to receiving constructive comments and active support in order to accomplish this task.

Jochen Klaus (chairman)

(Translated by Kurt)