To mark the start of the Deutschlandjahr USA 2018/19 on 3 October 2018, we would like to invite you to the kick off event at the Wunderbar Together marquee at Potsdamer Platz in Berlin on 25 and 26 August.
Funded by the Federal Foreign Office, organised by the Goethe-Institut and supported by the Federation of German Industries, the Deutschlandjahr USA 2018/19 will be presented as part of the Federal Government’s Open Day. A wide-ranging programme will give visitors a taste of the over 1000 events that will take place in the US between October 2018 and the end of 2019. The Deutschlandjahr USA is the largest year-long programme of events of its kind.

Background information:

Under the motto “Wunderbar Together”, the aim of the Deutschlandjahr USA is to present the range and depth of transatlantic relations, to underline similarities, to breathe new life into the joint partnership at a difficult time, and to engage with as many people as possible, ranging from policymakers and business people to cultural professionals, particularly in the heartland of the US, and not only the East and West coasts. Further information is available at .

The Kulturzelt at Potsdamer Platz, whose concept was drawn up by renowned publisher Gerhard Steidl, will present the full spectrum of the Deutschlandjahr USA 2018/19 and provide a forum for transatlantic dialogue and exchange for two days. A large number of players involved in the Deutschlandjahr USA will present their projects. The Flying Steps breakdancing troupe from Berlin will combine classical music by Bach with contemporary dance moves; the popular children and youth adults’ author Cornelia Funke will read from one of her many books and the Allied Museum will present an exhibition on the 70th anniversary of the Berlin Airlift.
A panel discussion at 4 p.m. on Saturday, 25 August, will address the future of the transatlantic partnership, with a focus on the question “Germany and the US – distant friends? What policymakers, business people and cultural professionals need to do now”. The panel will include Michelle Müntefering (Minister of State for International Cultural Policy at the Federal Foreign Office), Klaus-Dieter Lehmann (President of the Goethe-Institut) and Dieter Kempf (President of the Federation of German Industries). The discussion will be chaired by Christoph von Marschall of the “Tagesspiegel” newspaper.