07 accents

The English Language Journal

for Baden-Württemberg
www.accents-magazine.de
November/December 2005
magazine

Life long learning

A guide to studying in English

Turning up: stags and hens in Stuttgart
Tuning up: orchestras in transition
Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches
 Cover photo: www.PhotoCase.com
10
Contents
14 16 18
Feature English at Work Children’s Corner Regulars
10 Live and let learn 9 A Swede on the job 18 An English author on tour 4 Letters
A guide to English study 18 Books for kids 19 Classifieds
in Baden-Württemberg Arts and Culture 20 accents choice
13 On-campus and Good to Know What’s on listings
online study 14 Orchestras in focus 22 accents guide
Classical musicians and 25 Money Matters Clubs and contacts
News and Events budget cuts Student finance
15 Book reviews 25 Stuttgart Tips
5 Stag attractions
5 The legendary accent on… Labyrinth
Dinner for One
6 Tax advice for US citizens 16 Heidelberg 26 Kindergartens and schools
7 Carl Schurz House moving Student city and tourist 27 My Two Cents
8 English libraries Mecca Happy Holidays!
blossoming

Editorial

Germany’s education system
is said to be in a state of cri-
sis. International studies show
Germany is lagging behind
other countries in terms of
what its young people know
and how capable they are
of solving problems. More
teachers and more resources
are needed, say some. Others
argue the system is too infle-
xible, too resistant to change.
One area of education in
Baden-Württemberg which
certainly gives the lie to the
latter assertion is English-
language education.
Baden-Württemberg is the first
state in Germany to introduce
the compulsory teaching of
English (in some areas, French)
in the first grade of school.
Beyond that, the opportunities
for learning or studying in the
English language, in south-west
Germany, for people of all ages,
have blossomed in recent
years.
We’ve put together a compi-
lation of studying-in-English
possibilities available to resi-
dents of Baden-Württemberg.
We’ve covered pre-school,
school and post-secondary-
school study options. If you’ve
always wondered where you
might find a bilingual kinder-
garten or how you might up-
grade your qualifications – and
how to do it in English – read
our Feature story, beginning
on page 10.
Much of our studying-in-Eng-
lish research led us to Heidel-
berg – the city boasts two
English-language universities
and an international school. Our
erudite travel writer, Thomas
Ravel, became curious and
decided to poke his nose into
Heidelberg’s business as well.
Find out what he thinks of
cycling on the city’s famous
cobbled streets, on page 16.
Musicians from all over the
world are attracted to Stuttgart
as a place where classical
music is appreciated by a know-
ledgeable audience. But in an
age of budget cuts, how much
longer will the state continue
to fund the city’s four full-time
orchestras? Arts editor, Stuart
Marlow, talks to a Scottish
violinist and a Canadian French
horn player, among others,
about fine music and state-sub-
sidised arts.
Also, in this edition of
accents, the success of English
libraries in Karlsruhe and Stutt-
gart; a new home for the Ger-
man-American centre in Frei-
burg; how millions of Germans
will brush up on their English on
New Year’s Eve; why American
ideas of a snack don’t go down
well in German kindergartens;
and what the English are sup-
posed to do on Boxing Day.
Enjoy the holiday season,
and a Happy New Year to you!
accents magazine
editorial team

accents magazine Published by accents media GbR (Bryan Groenjes, Maki Kuwayama, Geoff Rodoreda) Libanonstraße 58, 70184 Stuttgart.
Tel 0711 3102160, Fax 0711 3102161, info@accents-magazine.de Editor Geoff Rodoreda, editor@accents-magazine.de Arts Editor Stuart Marlow
Copy Editor Katharine Schmidt Photographer Chris Rynearson Contributors Toni Astle, Krysia Diver, Dagmar Fritz, Liz Gaiser, Jonathan Graham,
Rebecca Perrin, Marty Potrop, Thomas Ravel, Steve Trevallion Advertising Enquiries Bryan Groenjes, ads@accents-magazine.de. Webmaster
Andrew Golledge, webmaster@accents-magazine.de Website www.accents-magazine.de Graphic Design Brucklacher Visuelle Kommunikation,
www.brucklacher.de Prepress CGS Möhrle, Vesoulerstraße 4, 70839 Gerlingen Cost free Published every two months Circulation 10,000 Distri-
bution everywhere English is spoken: subscribing firms, cultural institutions, shops, pubs, clubs, theatres, hotels and selected tourist centres
Advertisers and Corporate Subscribers Adolf Würth GmbH & Co. KG, Biddy Early’s Irish Pub, Carl Schurz Haus Freiburg, Children’s English
Library e.V., Corso Cinema International, Derpart Reisebüro, Deutsch-Amerikanisches Zentrum/James-F.-Byrnes Institut e.V., Dixon & Sondheim GbR,
Ernst & Young AG, European School Karlsruhe, Expatica.com, Goethe-Institut, IKS Sprachschule, International School of Stuttgart e.V., Montessori
Kindergarten Esslingen, Open University, Piccadilly English Shops, Robert Bosch GmbH, Schiller International University, SEB AG Stuttgart

accents magazine 3
 Letters
to the Editor
Words of colour
Dear accents,
I was interested to read Sheila Steeb’s letter in the June/July/
August issue about the use of the German word ‘Neger’. I was
pleased to see that accents corrected Ms Steeb’s assumption
that the word ‘Neger’ translates as ‘nigger’. Like Ms Steeb,
I am also British, a person of colour, and have been living in
Stuttgart for some years. As accents pointed out, the word
‘Neger’ is considered dated or politically incorrect in modern-
day Germany. But it’s also true that racial terminology has
taken on a variety of meanings in recent years. The word ‘nig-
ger’ has been adopted by some black communities as a word
of empowerment, especially in rap or hip-hop music. As a
librarian, I know that Daniel Defoe, Mark Twain, Joseph Conrad
and Rudyard Kipling all used racial language considered today
to be politically incorrect. Yet their writing enriches the minds
of people of all generations and racial backgrounds. Although
we may dislike certain words, we must strive to understand the
context and time in which they are set, rather than eliminate
them altogether.
Mark Lawrence, Stuttgart
Quick off the mark
Dear accents,
Regarding the article on Ulm (accents 06, p. 14-15) by Thomas
Ravel, I guess the proof reader missed the typo about Ulm’s
fortress being ‘raised’ by French forces in 1800. That’s quite a
feat. Please let your readers know the word should have been
‘razed’. Congratulations on a great magazine!
Bert Schnell, Ettenheim
Editor’s note: Mea culpa! In a last minute editorial rush, the
Ulm article was the only one in the last edition NOT to come
under the eagle eye of our copy editor, who’d flown off to
New York for a vacation. She’s back on the job for this edition.
Thanks, Bert.
For travel arrangements
worldwide contact
DERPART
Reisebüro H. von Wirth
Königstrasse 1
70173 Stuttgart
Caterina Steuer
direct number 0711 2289327
caterina.steuer@derpart.de
Fax 0711 2289310
4 Letters
accents magazine
Libanonstraße 58
70184 Stuttgart
editor@accents-magazine.de
Plugging in
Dear editor,
I am writing in response to the article ‘Just call me’ (accents
06, p. 22). You state that regarding telephone costs, staying
with Deutshce Telekom might be preferable for expats living in
Baden-Württemberg if one makes frequent long-distance calls
since call-by-call features are not available with Alice, Versatel,
or Arcor to name a few. This is no longer true. Our company,
WebServiceCenter KG, has developed an Internet telephone
system which allows calls to landlines anywhere in the world,
and allows you to receive landline calls on your computer, or
wireless phone if you have one, at your home or office. The
prices for landline calls are about 30-60 % cheaper than call-by-
call dialling through Telekom. Germany, sad to say, lags years
behind other countries in terms of innovations in this area but
we hope our product may be of interest to the mainly foreign
readers of accents.
Daniel Deckert, Offenburg
Flabbergasted
Dear editor,
As 2005 draws to a close, I want to express once again how
flabbergasted I am at the British Government’s decision to shut
down the consulates-general in Stuttgart and Frankfurt at the
end of the year. I regard it as an another example of “Best
British Bungle”, which sends the wrong message to Germany
and other European Union states. I really doubt, as the British
Ambassador in Berlin says, that the interests of British citizens
in southwest Germany can be effectively dealt with from Berlin
or elsewhere. The consul-general in Stuttgart, Mark Twigg,
does an excellent job here in Baden-Württemberg and the fruits
of his labours are being thrown down the drain. This closure
decision represents a serious failure on the part of the British
Government to understand the influence and importance of
provincial governments in the German federal system. It is
short-sighted and wrong.
Kevin J. J. MacInerney-May, Starzach-Wachendorf
accents magazine

The “must-vomit” capital?
Stuttgart’s image in the UK
By Krysia Diver
Whether we like it or not, Stuttgart’s beer
halls and pubs are becoming a prime hot-
spot for the notorious British stag. Gone
are the days when a groom-to-be would be marketing body, Stuttgart Marketing, is
handcuffed to a lamp post outside his local delighted with the publicity the city is get-
pub by his so-called mates. According to
the UK Foreign Office, around 70 per cent
of Britons now prefer to travel abroad for
prenuptial celebrations. And what could be
more enticing than a night guzzling litres
of beer, dancing and toasting every 15
minutes at the Cannstatter Volksfest?
London’s Times newspaper recently
reported that Stuttgart had been dubbed
this autumn’s “must-vomit” capital for
stags and hens. Even the website Stags-
andhens.com recommends Stuttgart’s beer vealing that many young British men and
festival as a favourite destination in Europe. women are getting themselves into trouble
“This is stag-party heaven,” it states, refer- abroad, new guidelines have now been
ring to the festival’s German folk bands and issued for stags and hens embarking on
endless supply of beer.
Same procedure as last year
The legendary Dinner for One
It is easily the most repeated program on
German television. In fact, it’s officially
the most repeatedly broadcast television
production worldwide. Last year, a record
15.6 million Germans switched on their
televisions on New Year’s Eve to watch it
once again. What’s amazing is that this
18-minute-long comedy sketch is in black-
and-white, and it’s not even in German –
it’s in English.
If you haven’t heard of “Dinner for One”
you haven’t been living in Germany long
enough. (Most Germans are surprised to
learn that very few native-English speakers
have ever heard of the film.) Dinner for
One was filmed for German television in
1963 and since 1972 has been broadcast
every year on New Year’s Eve, often re-
peatedly on a number of regional television
stations. It has developed a cult status in
Germany and has become a traditional part
of New Year’s Eve celebrations.
Dinner for One was written by English-
man Lauri Wylie in the 1920s but it was
the English actor and comic Freddy Frinton
who bought the rights to the sketch in
1950-51, adapted it, and made it his own.
Frinton plays a butler, James, who has to
organise yet another birthday party for his
accents magazine
News and Events
Although young Brits abroad are renow-
Photo: Stock.XCHNG
ned for binge-drinking and a tendency to
end the night with a fight, they’ve so far
been behaving themselves in Stuttgart.
Far from being concerned, the city council’s
ting in the UK.
Spokeswoman Karin Storz, who played
host to a group of British journalists at this
year’s beer festival, said: “This seems to
be a very new experience for British peo-
ple. The journalists from England were very
surprised at how peaceful the event was,
despite the fact that everyone was drinking
and having fun. Perhaps it is simply be-
cause the beer is better here!”
Following a Foreign Office survey re-
Endless supplies
of amber liquid in
“stag-party heaven.”
Stuttgart is gaining
a name for itself
drinking binges across the globe. in Britain.
boss, Miss Sophie (May Warden). This year
she’s turning 90. As usual there’s lots of
food to be eaten and lots of alcohol to be
drunk. And as usual the table has been set
for four guests. The trouble is they’re all
dead and James has to run around the
table pretending to be each of the guests,
downing their drinks and becoming more
and more inebriated in the process.
No one in German broadcasting would
dare consider putting German subtitles
on the screen or (God forbid!) consider
dubbing the film. It would be sacrilege.
Germans want their “Dinner” served as
originally cooked.
How and why this particular English
comedy sketch has come to occupy a place
deep in the hearts of the German public is
hard to say. What can be said is that the
two most oft-repeated lines in the sketch
echo like a parody of the discussion that’s
been going on in German households every
New Year’s Eve since 1972, when the que-
stion arises as to what one should watch
on television:
“The same procedure as last year,
Miss Sophie?
“The same procedure as every year,
James.”
News and Events 5
 Taxing advice
your business for US Citizens
accent on
Expat readers often ask about their
rights or responsibilities regarding taxes
while living in Germany. In the first part
of a special series, US tax advisor and
Tübingen resident Marty Potrop writes
about tax obligations for US citizens.
US citizens living and working abroad may
be under some misconceptions about their
tax obligations. The law is: “Every US citi-
zen must file a tax return each year, repor-
ting all ‘worldwide’ income.” In fact, the
US consulate in Düsseldorf has just issued
a statement saying proof of the filing of
a tax return is now required for renewing
passports. There are a few basic rules you
www.brucklacher.de
should be aware of in order to stay on the
tel 07121 25860
fax 07121 25870
right side of the Internal Revenue Service
(IRS), minimize your tax obligation, and
best position yourself for your financial
future. First, taxes are nothing to get jittery
about; US Tax Laws are complex but not
impenetrable. Of course, I would advise
you to find a qualified, reliable tax advisor.
(Which accountant wouldn’t!) Here are
some key tax issues to watch out for.
Form 2555
Foreign Earned Income Exclusion
I received an E-mail recently from an
visuelle kommunikation
American who’s been living in Germany
since 2001. He explained he hadn’t yet
filed a tax return, since he was earning less
72762 reutlingen
büro brucklacher
than $80,000 a year. Did he nevertheless
kammweg 46
have to file something, he asked? It’s a
common mistake to think that if you earn
less than 80K, you don’t have to file a
return. The fact is, to get the 80K tax ex-
clusion you must file a 2555 Form for each
informational systems
missed year or you will owe taxes. The
good news is that the IRS will accept a
corporate design
2555 Form for three prior years, with no
penalties or interest.
webdesign
You haven’t received an IRS letter indi-
cating you owe back taxes? Be patient,
it is winding its way through a vast system.
100 big ones:
not filing a tax
return could cost
you dearly.
Photo: Stock.XCHNG
6 News and Events
Is there hope? The IRS is known to be
forgiving and to accept payment plans. The
agency is more lenient if you approach it
first, rather than vice versa.
Head-of-Household
Filing Status
You are married to a foreign national (a
German, let’s say) and are not sure what
you have to file? Notwithstanding that your
spouse pays taxes to the German autho-
rities, you may be able to file a “Head-of-
Household” return, if your child is your
dependent. The difference in filing status
means a higher standard deduction, trans-
lating in 2004, for example, into $2300
more in your pocket. Additionally, Head-of-
Household status often increases the
amount of Additional Child Tax Credit, a
credit you receive even if you had no taxes
withheld.
Form 1116
Foreign Tax Credit
If you pay any type of tax, except sales or
value added, to the German authorities you
are entitled to receive a US tax credit by
filing a Form 1116. Also, if your spouse is
a German national and pays additional
taxes in Germany because of you, you may
also be entitled to the Foreign Tax Credit.
During Tax Year 2004, two of my clients
each qualified for the above-mentioned
tax benefits. Neither had been aware that
these rules applied to them. In one case,
we amended the last three years’ returns,
and my client received a refund of more
than $5000. In the second case, we are
amending seven years of prior returns with
an expected refund of more than $20,000.
Schedule E
Income from Residential Real Estate
Many of my clients have tenants who are
paying off a mortgage on a dream-home
back in the States, which they eventually
hope to retire to. These clients are able to
write off their taxes AND write off round-
trip expenses to the US once a year, just
to view their property.
A final word of advice. Unless you’ve
told them otherwise, the last state you
lived in still thinks it is entitled to tax your
income. This is an issue you should not
fail to address!
Martin Potrop
(Professional Tax Advisor, MAOD, MSW,)
has worked as a tax advisor both for
H&R Block, and independently in the US
and Germany. Contact in Tübingen:
07071 968590 or POTROP@aol.com
accents magazine
Oettinger, the English speaker
Premier a surprise guest

Photo: British Chamber of Commerce in Germany

Baden-Württemberg to casually take a seat
at the table. Premier Günther Oettinger
had been invited to the event, the “70173:
English Spoken Stammtisch,” some
months before. But organisers didn’t hold
out much hope that in the middle of the
federal election campaign the CDU politi-
cian would find much time to sit down for
a casual English discussion with around
30 people, a few of whom were not even
voters.
The 70173 Stammtisch is a commen-
dable non-partisan political initiative, which
was set up by a group of Baden-Württem-
berg politicians and senior bureaucrats who
wanted to practise speaking English once
a month over lunch. It’s not a language
class, there’s no formal agenda, there’s
Confident speaker no membership, and there are no rules or man word as his memory searched for, and
of English: Baden- regulations. The level of English ability, eventually found, an English one. It was all
Württemberg’s
Premier, Günther which ranges from passable to excellent, in keeping with the spirit of the event. The
Oettinger, second is irrelevant. The idea is simply to practise Premier must enjoy the company of English
from left. listening to and speaking in English, on a speakers, because some weeks later he
topic raised by a guest speaker. accepted an invitation to speak at a British
The looks of surprise on everyone’s faces Oettinger didn’t disappoint. His English Chamber of Commerce in Germany func-
were hard to conceal. In the middle of a was by no means excellent but he pressed tion. Perhaps he’s simply seeking to prove
lunch-time discussion, in English, about on in clear, measured tones about the poli- that Baden-Württembergers prefer speak-
Stuttgart’s international partnerships, in tical challenges facing Germany, resisting ing English more than Hochdeutsch (high
marched the highest political official in the temptation to succumb to using a Ger- German)!

CARL-SCHURZ-HAUS on the move

The CARL-SCHURZ-HAUS/Deutsch- ren and teenagers (“Kids’ Corner”) and

Amerikanisches Institut Freiburg e.V. is additional PC workstations with access
moving to a new location at the end of to the Internet and to the EBSCO Peri-
the year! odical Database with 3000 titles from all
For over 40 years CARL-SCHURZ- academic disciplines.
HAUS/ DAI has been located at Kaiser- In the future, there will be more
Joseph-Straße 266, opposite the Holz- events in the CARL-SCHURZ-HAUS: art
markt, near the old city centre. As of the exhibitions, lectures and readings, regu-
middle of December, we will be saying lar business luncheons of the German-
goodbye to the familiar and established American business community, work-
residence of the Institute – with a little shops and multimedia presentations.
wistful nostalgia, yet in eager anticipa- On Saturday January 28, 2006, we’ll
tion of the new site. be celebrating our “Opening Day” with
In January 2006, CARL-SCHURZ- German and American guests, including
HAUS will open again in new, spacious the director of the Amerika Haus Frank-
rooms located on the 3rd floor of the furt. There will be live music, a photo-
Post Office building at Eisenbahnstraße graphic exhibition (Images of the Deep
62, right next to the railway and main South) and a slide show (New York –
road access, with excellent public trans- City Images.) Of course, we will also
portation links. There will be a wider offer information about our new lang-
choice of English language courses uage courses and program of events.
for both adults and children, including The CARL-SCHURZ-HAUS team in
Business English for Early Birds, English Freiburg looks forward to welcoming you
for Senior Citizens as well as courses to our new premises with both our tried-
for pre-school- and schoolchildren, for and-tested and our new English program
bilingual children and children’s courses options.
with music and art.
There’ll also be a new, better-equip- Written for accents by the
ped library, with a special area for child- CARL-SCHURZ-HAUS, Freiburg

accents magazine News and Events 7

English libraries
blossoming
English libraries in Stuttgart and Karls-
ruhe are becoming increasingly popular.
Not only do they provide opportunities
for both adults and children to borrow
English-language books, they are con-
venient meeting places for expats. Steve
Trevallion reports.
In the beginning, there were no more than
a few donated books in a dank, dark cellar.
Four years later and 6500 English-language
books richer, the Children’s English Library
(CEL) is fast becoming a Stuttgart institu-
tion.
“We now have around 100 families
as members and cater to more than 150
kids,” says Pam Grimes, CEL chairperson.
“The library is not only a resource for
readers but also an institution which offers
expats and people interested in the English
language a meeting place. We also have
a program of English reading and writing
courses for kids and we run craft, poetry,
play-acting and storytelling workshops for
children of all ages.”
The library officially opened in 2001
but it was in 1997 that seven determined
English-speaking mothers first met to
talk about offering their children access
Fiction and non-fiction books for 0-16 year
olds, Books on tape/CD, English Games,
Listen In readings for 3-6 year olds,
Rhyme Time, Workshops, English Classes,
and much more…
For opening times and further details
see our website www.celstuttgart.de
Children’s English Library
Etzelstraße 25-27, 70180 Stuttgart
Tel 0711 3582215, info@celstuttgart.de
8 News and Events
to English-language books. They started
raising money, began collecting books,
and established a non-profit organization,
a Verein. They found rooms, in need of
renovation, on the basement floor of the
Etzel Villa in Etzelstraße, Stuttgart. Dozens
of volunteers pitched in over countless
weekends to knock down walls, put in
new floors, shelves, heating, plumbing and
lighting. The walls were painted and deco-
rated.
Step inside the library nowadays and you
see the most boisterous of children sitting
peacefully, looking at books while their
parents relax and chat in the coffee area.
The library is open to both native and
non-native English speakers, three days a
week: Tuesdays from 4-6 pm, Fridays from
3-6 pm and on Saturdays from 2-5 pm.
(During school holidays it’s open only on
Tuesdays.) It functions because of the hard
work and energy of its board and a band
of volunteers.
“The wonderful thing about the CEL is
that in a multi-cultural city like Stuttgart,
it is keen to embrace families of all natio-
nalities,” says CEL Honorary Patron, Mark
Twigg, who’s the British Consul-General in
Baden-Württemberg. “By constantly adding
to its services it not only provides excellent
opportunities for children but also for
parents who meet there.”
Meanwhile, the future of the Karlsruhe
American Library appears brighter. As
accents reported earlier this year, the
library was facing possible closure by the
CLiC
Life after starting a library
Buying good quality English books for
your school and helping your school out
financially at the same time – that’s the
principal reason many schools choose
to purchase their English reading books
from CLiC, the Children’s Literary Circle
(or KLiK, Kinder Literatur Kreis.) CLiC is
a private company set up by two found-
ing members of the Children’s English
Library in Stuttgart, Liz Hawighorst and
Maki Kuwayama. But it is a private com-
pany with a social conscience; a fixed
percentage of all profits from book sales
are donated to schools or to children’s
reading projects. CLiC also offers lec-
tures about books, as well as English-
language book readings and storytelling
sessions, conducted by native English
speakers, as part of its service. It also
sells German books. It’s an unusual con-
Photo: Chrys Rynearson
Story reading time
at the Children’s
English Library,
Stuttgart.
city government. However plans are now
being drawn up for new premises closer
to the city centre. “Our membership is
continuing to grow,” says Karen Adams-
Rischmann, chairperson of the Friends of
the American Library. “We hope that with
the move to the heart of the city, local
institutions will take more notice of the
impact we have on the community.”
The Karlsruhe American Library stocks
more than 40,000 books, CDs, tapes,
videos, magazines, and newspapers, and
has become a key meeting point for Eng-
lish speakers in the city. The City Council
provides funding for one professional
librarian, but the institution survives thanks
to the work of more than 30 volunteer
staff members.
cept born out of a love of literature and
a desire to see children develop a love
of reading.
“There are so many new and exciting
books, both English and German, being
published out there, to suit all kinds of
reading tastes,” says CLiC’s third part-
ner Nicola Volland. “We work together
with publishing houses in Germany, the
UK, and the USA and know what’s on
the market. Our aim is really to get kids
to read and to help schools with that
goal.”
Note: accents magazine is a business
partner of CLiC and supports its
community service goals. For further
information about CLiC contact:
clic@accents-magazine.de
accents magazine

The Scandinavian experience
Come to Germany, improve your English
Accents’ recent Readership Survey
revealed our readership is composed of
people from 18 different countries. Many
are non-native speakers of English who
use English in their jobs. We meet one
of them who hails from a land to the far
north.
It’s not only foreigners from English-spea-
king countries who find Sundays puzzling
in Germany. Thomas Holmberg has nice
neighbours. But when the Swedish banker
and his wife were spotted pulling weeds
in the front garden two Sundays in a row,
they were politely informed that you don’t
work on Sundays in Germany – not even
for pleasure in your own garden.
Germany took some getting used to,
but after nearly three years Holmberg feels
settled in – and his English has improved
immensely. Thomas Holmberg is one of
the many thousands of foreigners who
come to southwest Germany to live and
work whose strongest foreign language is
English, not German, and who find they are
using English on the job more often than
they thought they would.
Scandinavians are generally renowned
for their excellent grasp of English, which
they begin learning in primary school.
Thomas Holmberg is no exception. As the
SEB bank Regional Manager for southern
Germany, the big, jovial Swede banters and
jokes easily in English. “I did study German
in school in Sweden but it was a minor lan-
guage and I didn’t really use it afterwards.
Now I’m having to play catch-up.”
After his schooling, Holmberg studied
economics at Stockholm University. He’s
been employed at the Swedish-based
bank since 1981 but his current posting to
Germany is his first overseas job with the
bank. He concedes that he was not happy
when he was first offered a position in
Germany – partly because of the difficulty
of the language. “I had been looking
forward to a posting to the Baltic region.
These are dynamic new markets where I
would have no problem getting by in the
business world with English. It was my
wife who made the difference. She imme-
diately said of Germany, ‘That’s a good
idea.’ And now I’m really glad we came.”
accents magazine
English at Work
Photo: Chrys Rynearson
Swedish banker,
Thomas Holmberg,
finds that his Eng-
lish has improved
immensely in
Germany, while his
German gradually
gets better.
Two of the Holmbergs’ three children are
school-aged, and have moved to Germany
with their parents. The couple were wor-
ried about how their Swedish-speaking
kids would cope with English, the language
of instruction at the international school
they’re enrolled in. But as Holmberg has
discovered, the younger children are, the
more capable they are of learning new
languages. “My youngest one, who’s 10,
now speaks to me at home in English.
He’s providing me with language practice!”
The language of banking
Holmberg’s job at SEB involves looking
after the bank’s 52 branches in the sou-
thern part of Germany. “When I visit my
branches I find that most of the managers
speak a bit of English. Otherwise I get
by with my gradually-improving German.”
The experienced banker finds no major
differences between ways of doing busi-
ness in Sweden and Germany. “Swedish
and German banking regulations are ob-
viously different,” he says. “But in the
end you’re dealing with figures, numbers,
and accounts, and they are a common lan-
guage.” However, Holmberg does notice
differences between conducting business
discussions in English and in German.
“I would say that English is a language that
allows you to get on with people in busi-
ness within a shorter space of time. You
don’t have the formal and informal ‘Sie’
and ‘Du’ in English. Nor do we have it in
Swedish. And you can cut a lot quicker
to first names in English – as we do in
Swedish. Although in Swedish we do
have a sort of formal and informal way of
addressing people based on using first
names and nicknames. The nickname is
only used by good friends or someone you
know very well.”
So what skills does an English-speaking
Swede bring to the hard-nosed world of
German banking that give him an edge over
his competitors? The skills, he says, of
providing good customer service. Holmberg
argues that banks operating in Germany
don’t have much room to compete when it
comes to interest rates and the fees they
charge customers – there are slight diffe-
rences, but in general they are all much
the same. What foreign banks like SEB
have brought to the banking environment,
he says, is a new way of focussing on the
needs of the customer.
“If one of your customers has a com-
plaint about the bank – even if you as a
manager think it’s frivolous – you’ve got to
take it seriously. You’ve got to realize that
many other customers are probably experi-
encing the same problem and you’ve got to
act to deal with the complaint. We expect
our staff to act accordingly, and our busi-
ness is expanding in southwest Germany.
Good customer service plays an important
role in our business.”
English at Work 9
Feature
Live and let learn
Studying in English in Baden-Württemberg
It may be because your German-language
skills or your children’s German-language
skills are not good enough to study in
the German education system. It may be
that you are German and you want to
give your kids a bilingual German-English
education. It may be that you simply
want to obtain your Master of Business
Administration in the world’s lingua
franca. Whatever the reason, Baden-
Württemberg is full of English-language
study opportunities. Accents presents an
exclusive English Language Study Guide,
in three parts: pre-school, school and
post-secondary-school.
Pre-school options
Introducing pre-school children to English
– through games, songs and stories – is
becoming a regular part of the programs of
many German kindergartens. Some kinder-
gartens have gone a step further and intro-
duced bilingual, German-English programs.
Following are some examples. Note: many
international (English-language) schools in
Baden-Württemberg also offer pre-school
care. See School Education listings for
details.
English-speaking “Kindi”
The Montessori experience
Language experts tell us the earlier you
introduce a child to a foreign language,
the easier it is for them to learn it. Many
German kindergartens are therefore keen
to have children sing songs or play
games in the world’s lingua-franca, Eng-
lish. But a small kindergarten in Esslingen
has taken this idea a step further. Its
predominant language of instruction is
not German, but English.
The privately run Montessori Kinder-
garten in Esslingen-Sulzgries has more
than 20 children of eight different natio-
nalities. It aims to provide a carefully-
10 Feature
EducCare Kindertagesstätte
Stuttgart-West
Hasenbergstraße 31/2
70178 Stuttgart
Tel 0711 6581447
info@ educcare.de
www.educcare.de
A bilingual (German-English) full-day-care
centre for children aged 6 months to 6
years. Each of the four care-groups has one
teacher who speaks German and one who
speaks exclusively English to the children.
International Montessori
Kindergarten e.V. Esslingen
Sulzgrieser Straße 114
73733 Esslingen
Tel 0711 93150510
info@montessori-esslingen.de
www.montessori-esslingen.de
A bilingual German-English kindergarten
(7:30 am to 1:30 pm, offering a hot lunch)
which accepts children aged 3-6. Currently
25 children with two teachers and an
assistant.
Oberlin Kinder Universität Freiburg
Am Mühlbach 13
79114 Freiburg
planned, stimulating, German- and
English-language environment to help
children develop creative learning skills.
Montessori education got its start in
1907 with Dr. Maria Montessori, the first
woman in Italy to become a physician.
It emphasises allowing children to learn
at their own, individual pace and accor-
ding to their own choice of activities.
Esslingen’s Montessori kindergarten
has a ‘sensory area’, allowing children
to discover the world through all five
senses. A ‘language area’ is designed
to prepare children to read and write in
Photo: www.PhotoCase.com
Tel 0761 85648
www.oberlinkinderuniversitaet.de
A German-English day-care centre which
has existed since 1992.
School education
Baden-Württemberg has a number of inter-
national schools and other private institu-
tions offering primary (or elementary) and
secondary school education in English.
They are costly, compared to German state-
run schools, but they offer a quality school-
ing alternative for many children, particular-
ly those who’ve already completed some
years of English-language schooling else-
where. We offer a short description and
contact details for each school.
Black Forest Academy
Postfach 1109, 79400 Kandern
Tel 07626 91610
admissions@bfacademy.com
www.bfacademy.com
A private residential Christian school, with
365 students, providing both elementary
and secondary education with a North
American university-entrance curriculum.
Preference is given to children of mission-
both English and German. There’s also
a mathematics area, where children play
games using a variety of materials to help
them learn addition and subtraction.
Once a year, in May, the kindergarten
organises an ‘International Week’ during
which children dress up in traditional
national costumes and partake of a wide
range of national dishes. The kindergarten
welcomes inquiries on enrolments,
particularly from native-English speaking
children.
By Michelle Anderson
accents magazine
aries. Most students are North American,
but 16 nationalities are represented.
European School Karlsruhe
Albert-Schweitzer-Straße 1
76139 Karlsruhe
Tel 0721 680090
brge@eursc.org, www.eskar.org/en
Founded in 1962, offering mother-tongue
education in five different languages
(Dutch, English, French, German and
Italian) from kindergarten up to European
Baccalaureate level for around 1200 pupils
from a wide variety of European and other
backgrounds.
Heidelberg International School
Wieblinger Weg 9, 69123 Heidelberg
Tel 06221 7590600
info@hischool.de, www.hischool.de
An independent day school, currently with
80 pupils at primary and middle-school
level, intended for students between four
and, eventually, 18 years of age. (Higher
grades are being added as older students
progress through high school.) The curri-
culum is international. German is taught to
all students. It also has an early learning
centre for 4-5 year olds.
International School
Kreuzlingen-Konstanz
Hauptstraße 27
8280 Kreuzlingen, Switzerland
Tel 0041 71672 2727
info@iskk.ch, www.iskk.ch
Now in its second year of operation,
situated in the Swiss border town of Kreuz-
lingen, also catering to children across
the border in Baden-Württemberg. Offers
classes from nursery (age 3) up to grade 6
following the Primary Years Programme
(PYP) of the International Baccalaureate
Organisation.
International School of Stuttgart e.V.
Sigmaringer Straße 257
accents magazine
70597 Stuttgart-Degerloch
Tel 0711 7696000
iss@issev.de
www.international-school-stuttgart.de
A private, non-profit institution (Verein)
founded in 1985. More than 500 students
from around 30 different nations, ranging
in age from 3 to 18 years. Although the
language of instruction is English (Inter-
national Baccalaureate program), German
is taught to all students. Those for whom
English is a second language receive spe-
cial tutoring. An additional satellite school
in Sindelfingen was opened in August
2003. It offers kindergarten and grades 1,
2 and 3.
International School Ulm/Neu-Ulm
Beyerstraße 45, 89077 Ulm
Tel 0731 3793530
info@is-ulm.de, www.is-ulm.de
An all-day school that opened in Septem-
ber, 2005. Currently with around 50 pupils
at pre-school and elementary school level.
More grades to be added as children
progress and the student body grows.
Salem International College
Kurt-Hahn-Straße 1
88662 Überlingen
Tel 07553 9190
Manuel.Schiffer@salem-net.de
www.salemcollege.de
A bilingual boarding school on the northern
arm of Lake Constance which also accepts
day students. It offers upper high school
(Years 10-12) English-language instruction
leading to an International Baccalaureate.
The German section has 500+ students,
the English section around 130 students.
Post-school study
There are many universities and colleges in ness Administration) and a Department of
Baden-Württemberg that allow you to study Sciences and the Liberal Arts. Half of the
in English to obtain a diploma, a bachelor’s IU’s students are German, the rest come
or master’s degree, or a number of other
recognised qualifications. These institutions
are generally not part of the German public
education system, but private colleges or
universities and therefore charge tuition
fees. Prices vary, however, from institution
to institution and from course to course.
In some cases, students are eligible for
government study grants. In many cases,
employers are prepared to pay the costs of
tuition. Study options can roughly be divi-
ded into two categories: on-campus study,
where you attend regular classes (some-
times on weekends or outside of working
hours) in a building with other students;
and distance learning, in which study mate-
rials are sent to you and, with the aid of
the Internet, you can study from home. It
must be said that many universities all over
the world now offer distance education
programs. However, in preparing the follo-
wing listing, we’ve deliberately concentra-
ted on institutions with a Baden-Württem-
berg or south German base.
On-campus options
European School of Business
Alteburgstraße 150, Reutlingen
Tel 07121 2713023
www.esb-reutlingen.de
A German business school, based at the
Reutlingen Hochschule (college or univer-
sity), offering a one-year-long Master of
Science in International Management, enti-
rely in English.
International University in Germany
Campus 3, Bruchsal
Tel 07251 7000, www.i-u.de
Founded in 1997, the IU focuses on infor-
mation technology studies and information
technology management. It has two
schools (Information Technology and Busi-
from 30 different countries.
Feature 11

What can The
Open University
do for you?
It can give you a BA/BSc degree, MA,
MSc, MBA, Diploma or Certificate.
But just as important, it opens up a
new world of interests, challenges and
achievements. The Open University
offers a choice of 199 courses which
are taught in English. And provided
you’re over 18 and resident in the
European Union, you’re eligible.
No previous qualifications are required
for most undergraduate courses.
Over 2 million people have studied
with The Open University. For further
information please contact Matthew
Hawkes on the email below –
please quote reference code DEFASB.
email: m.hawkes@open.ac.uk
www.open.ac.uk
12 Feature
Schiller International University
Bergstraße 106, Heidelberg
Tel 06221 45810, www.schiller.edu
Schiller is an American accredited institu-
tion, founded in 1964, with a Heidelberg
base as well as campuses in six other
countries. It offers programs in the fields of
business, economics, international relations
and management. Thirty percent of stu-
dents are German, 25 percent are Ameri-
can, the rest are from other countries.
Stuttgart Institute of
Management and Technology
Filderhauptstraße 142, Stuttgart
Tel 0711 4510010, www.uni-simt.de
An international business school set up
jointly by the Universities of Stuttgart,
Hohenheim and Tübingen. It was founded
in 1998 and offers postgraduate Master
of Business Administration programs, in
English, which are fully recognized by
German educational authorities. Its focus
is technology and innovation management
as well as international management.
Troy University, Heidelberg
Vangerowstraße 18/1, Heidelberg
Tel 06221 868100, www.troyuniversity.de
Linked with the Alabama Development
Office, USA, the Heidelberg campus of this
American university is the newest of 58
Studying German at the Goethe-Institut
“Time goes by very fast”
Jens Steffen is a 21-year-old trainee
manager from Leicestershire, UK. He
lives and works in Baden-Württem-
berg. Although he has a German name
thanks to his father, up until now he
hasn’t learnt any German.
“When I was introduced by colleagues
as Jens Steffen, the other party instantly
started talking to me in German. This
caused problems, as I couldn’t say any-
thing back until my colleagues explained
that I was English and didn’t understand
any German apart from das Fenster.”
That was part of the reason he decided
to improve his ‘conversation skills’ in
German.
Steffen works for a medium-sized
company which produces drilling equip-
ment in Weinheim, a town near Heidel-
berg. But he starts every workday at the
Goethe-Institut Mannheim-Heidelberg,
where he is studying German. His com-
pany pays for his intensive language
course. In his class, 10 students from all
over the world study together. Some are
preparing to enrol at a German univer-
sity, and others work for German com-
panies or have German partners.
Steffen says he chose the Goethe-
locations worldwide. It offers a Master of
Business Administration and an Executive
Master of Business Administration.
Distance education options
Open University
Germany (south) office
Tel 089 66086583 Matthew Hawkes
www.open.ac.uk
A British institution – a pioneer of distance
learning – with around 180,000 students,
25,000 of them outside the UK. Offers a
range of study options in the fields of the
humanities, science, law, languages and
business. Graduate and post-graduate
degrees.
University of Southern Queensland
European Centre
Carl-Benz-Straße 2, Bretten
Tel 07252 97750 Martin Steinbüchel
www.usq-bretten.de
An Australian university with a European
Centre information office situated near
Karlsruhe. Offers a full range of accredited
certificate, diploma and degree programs at
the undergraduate and postgraduate levels.
USQ has five faculties: Arts, Business/
Commerce, Education, Engineering and
Surveying, and Science.
Institut because his mother studied
German years ago at one of the Goethe-
Institut’s 144 locations worldwide. The
Goethe-Institut has 50 years of experi-
ence in cultural exchange and language
teaching. It is the official partner of the
German Federal Foreign Office. Steffen
says he profits from living in Germany
because experiencing different cultures
is an essential element in his career.
In Baden-Württemberg there are
three Goethe-Institut locations: Freiburg
(Tel 0761 386710, E-mail: freiburg@
goethe.de), Mannheim-Heidelberg
(Tel 0621 833850, E-mail: mannheim@
goethe.de) and Schwäbisch Hall
(Tel 0791 978870, E-mail: schwaebisch-
hall@goethe.de). Each offers a variety of
German language courses, at all levels,
designed to match individual needs. As
Jens Steffen puts it, one of the pluses
of his Mannheim course is that “time
goes by fast in a brilliant atmosphere.”
This article was written for accents
by Eva Schmitt and Robert Sobotta,
Goethe-Institut Mannheim-Heidelberg.
For (English-language) information
about German courses:
www.goethe.de/dll/enindex.htm
accents magazine
Schiller by name …
On-campus study: an example
Schiller International University in
Heidelberg has been awarding degrees
within a US-based academic framework
since the 1960s. It has other university
locations in the U.S.A., the U.K., Spain,
Switzerland and France. Thirty percent of
its students are German and 25 percent
are American; the rest come from all over
the world to study in English in Heidel-
berg. Jonathan Graham spoke with
Campus Director Thomas Leibrecht about
studying at Schiller.
What’s special about your program?
Schiller University provides students with
an international environment and offers
degrees in the American academic struct-
ure. By studying in English, our students
have a strong career advantage when they
begin working for global companies.
How is the American system different
from the German system?
The American system of higher education,
especially in business, focuses on general
preparedness and broad academic know-
ledge across a range of business topics.
In German institutions there is strong
specialization in a specific area of business;
they even specialize in particular industries.
The American approach provides students
with a foundation for a wider variety of jobs
and allows more flexibility in their careers.
In Germany, higher education is basically
free. Why would German students pay
… Open by nature
Distance education: an example
Studying for a degree or a post-graduate
qualification from the comfort of your own
home, with the aid of an online computer,
is becoming an increasingly attractive
option for many people living in Baden-
Württemberg. The Open University (OU) is
just one of a number of higher education
institutions, specialising in so-called
Distance Education. Based in the UK, the
OU is one of the pioneers of distance lear-
ning. It currently has around 180,000 stu-
dents; 25,000 of them live outside the UK.
Nearly all students are studying part-time.
About 70 per cent of undergraduate stu-
dents are in full-time employment. More
than 50,000 students are sponsored by
their employers for their studies. The
advantage of the OU system is that you
can complete a course of study in stages,
choosing when you want to begin a new
subject as time and finances allow. And it
accents magazine
to attend an American-based university?
For 40 years now, various studies in Ger-
many have shown that paying to receive an
education from Schiller is an investment.
By investing in their education, our stu-
dents work to get the most out of it. Our
program consistently meets the demands
of German students and more than 80%
of our graduates obtain jobs within a few
months of graduation. Also, because
students pay for their tuition we have a
customer-service orientation. A 2004 study
of 100 different European MBA (Master
of Business Administration) programs, con-
ducted by the University of Applied Science
in Eberswalde, ranked Schiller University
third in providing quality customer service.
Why is an MBA becoming more attractive
in Germany?
An American MBA covers several areas
of business including finance, human
resources and marketing. It offers a greater
degree of flexibility than the German
equivalent, a Diplom-Kaufmann, which is a
degree with a narrow specialization in the
end. In addition, we tailor our programs to
meet the students’ needs, including the
needs of working professionals, by offering
MBA courses in the day, in the evenings,
on weekends and online. What’s also very
different from the German system: class
attendance is mandatory.
Schiller University
www.siu-heidelberg.de
offers a broad range of study options in
the fields of the humanities, science, law,
languages and business. It uses a variety
of media to help you study, including
books, videos, CD-ROMs and the Internet.
The university itself is ranked among the
top UK universities for the quality of its
teaching. The OU also offers a range of
quality business diplomas, degrees and a
Master of Business Administration through
its Open University Business School.
Open University
southern Germany representative:
m.hawkes@open.ac.uk
www.open.ac.uk
OU Business School
southern Germany representative:
t.sage@oubs.open.ac.uk
www.oubs.open.ac.uk
Feature 13
Arts and Culture
Staying in tune
English influences on classical music
Musicians and directors worldwide cast
an envious eye upon Germany as one
of the last major bastions of subsidized
orchestras and ballet companies. Stutt-
gart, for example, has four full-time
orchestras. But how long will public fun-
ding last at the current level? Arts Editor
Stuart Marlow talks to native English-
speaking musicians about challenges
facing the arts and integrating into
German society.
The Stuttgart Philharmonic Orchestra is
enjoying a new lease of life under the
vigorous artistic direction of Gabriel Feltz,
whose original and not uncontroversial
interpretations of traditional orchestral
pieces have raised quite a few eyebrows.
For the Stuttgart Philharmonic this is an
exciting time.
Toronto-born French Horn musician Carla
Goldberg joined the Philharmonic in 1982.
She was impressed with Stuttgart when
she first saw the cityscape from the train
and she’s been impressed with the support
provided by Stuttgart and Baden-Württem-
berg to promote access to orchestral music
for a broad section of the population.
“Stuttgart is still pretty unique in its
level of support for classical music. But
times are changing. By the year 2000,
Stuttgart’s orchestras were no longer able
to go on tour as often as they had in the
past. Yet touring is really a key feature of
any orchestra’s program. Orchestras and
14 Arts and Culture
international ensembles are very multi-
cultural. They reach out to people. They are
great advertisements for tolerance, under-
standing and co-operation … Finding cor-
porate sponsorship for orchestral activity
is now vital if we are going to keep Stutt-
gart on the international orchestral map.”
All those involved in orchestral music
are acutely aware that pop music has been
steadily pushing classical forms of music
ever further to the margins of cultural life.
Leading politicians in Germany, the UK, the
US and elsewhere have embraced the rock
guitar rather than take a seat at the opera
house. Thirty years ago this would have
been unheard of. Learning an orchestral
instrument is time-consuming and expen-
sive. Although classical music in Germany
remains an icon of traditional middle-class
culture, only around five percent of the
German population still attends classical
concerts on a regular basis, and most of
the audience tends to be over forty years
of age. This provides orchestras with a
challenge, says Goldberg.
“The Stuttgart Philharmonic is for me
‘The Orchestra of the Common Man’.
We do not want popular access to ‘high
culture’ to die. Right now we are enjoying
pretty solid audience support. But we have
to identify and train our future audiences,
to reach out to young people in particular.”
The shift towards sponsorship-driven
arts funding need not be seen as a disaster.
Despite the fact that the UK, for example,
has lost a number of orchestras there has
been no high-culture meltdown. The com-
bination of lottery funding, government
grants and vigorous sponsorship is keeping
the arts alive. The City of Leeds, for ex-
ample, is currently reconstructing a late-
Victorian opera house. BBC Radio has suc-
cessfully launched campaigns to popularize
classical music in British schools. In
Baden-Württemberg there is still a healthy
interest in classical music but the fact is
that young middle-class Germans no longer
automatically gravitate towards it.
The importance of touring
Iain McPhail, a Scotsman, is a violinist
with the internationally acclaimed Chamber
Orchestra. Being much more compact, its
touring costs are lower than those of the
Stuttgart Philharmonic. McPhail, like Carla
Goldberg, believes the value of orchestral
tours should not be underestimated. An
orchestra’s image at home, as well as
ticket sales, is considerably boosted by a
successful tour.
“We should continue to remind our-
selves – and emphasize to the public – that
the Chamber Orchestra on tour has been
a wonderful ambassador for Baden-Würt-
temberg. We have built up a tremendous
reputation across Europe, Asia, and the
Americas. There’s a profound appreciation
for what is being done for the arts here.”
In the 1980s and 90s classical music
accents magazine
 became popular via the use of jet-setting
celebrities. This ‘Pavarotti syndrome’ did
help boost concert audience figures but
with the advent of cheap digital recording
and online downloads, the financial position
of orchestras became seriously undermined
– in the West, at least, orchestras had
always been able to command high fees
and exclusive recording contracts.
McPhail describes the current set of
pressures facing orchestras as thus: “Since
the fall of the Berlin Wall, we’ve had large
Photo: Stuttgart Philharmonic Orchestra
numbers of high-quality East European
orchestras pouring into German concert
halls and touring Europe. The market has
become saturated. On top of this you have
high fees paid to ‘maestros’, the loss of
lucrative recording contracts, and public
spending cuts.”
Variety, the spice of life
Having just retired after a long career as
a director with the Stuttgart State Opera,
another Scotsman, Gordon McKechnie,
regrets the fact that budget cuts have
resulted in fewer musical maestros visiting
Baden-Württemberg.
“Orchestras and opera companies have
indeed cut down on celebrity guests; they
have become too expensive for many. But
this is a real pity. Opera companies do
thrive on the combination of musical and
dramatic art. The more the companies
rely on a resident ensemble, the less we
can provide a vital element of exchange.
When a gifted guest performer arrives, the
ensemble has to adapt and react, often
spontaneously, to a new challenge. Guest
A time for gorging
Book reviews
Since feasting is part of the round of
Christmas activities, we’ve chosen to
review two books dealing with cooking,
one of which leaves an unsavory taste in
the mouth. Our third book is a thriller.
Typhoid Mary by Anthony Bourdain
Bloomsbury, 148 pages
As the premier chef of New York’s
Brasserie Les Halles restaurant, Bourdain
has written a well-researched, enter-
taining tale of non-fiction about an early
20th Century cook, Mary Mallon, who
unwittingly became a killer. Mary was a
typhoid carrier who did not suffer from
the symptoms of the disease, but infec-
ted others through her cooking. Written
in a matter-of-fact, unquestionably New
York style, this book describes the
hardships faced by cooks and their over-
bearing patrons. As the Department of
Health closes in on Mary, you can’t help
but develop some sympathy for her.
accents magazine
performers can be a source of inspiration
from outside and of course they’re often
people who have great talent.”
McKechnie enjoyed a great deal of
artistic freedom at the Stuttgart Opera.
This reflects the dynamic marriage of the
traditional and the modern which is Stutt-
gart’s cultural hallmark. His work brought
him into contact with a cross-section of
famous figures, including American director
Robert Wilson and the English composer
Benjamin Britten. McKechnie says the
world of opera in Stuttgart stands in con-
trast to the more rigid traditionalism often
found in Munich and Vienna.
“There is great diversity here. Stuttgart
audiences are very heterogeneous. I have
experienced really lively premieres of inno-
vative work in Stuttgart, where the majority
of the audience has given a loud standing
ovation, but where some hard-line traditio-
nalists have booed. This kind of disharmony
is dynamic. This is what makes Stuttgart
such an important and vibrant location.
There is the courage and support for new
approaches and there are audiences who
continue to appreciate this. I’ve also experi-
enced this appreciation for new approaches
in Baden-Baden and indeed in Balingen,
where I was working on Aida.”
Social integration
How do musicians from English-speaking
countries feel about their integration into
German society? Carla Goldberg and her
German partner, also a musician, have had
positive experiences socializing within and
outside of the orchestral scene.
How to Eat: The Pleasures
and Principles of Good Food
by Nigella Lawson
Random House UK, 526 pages
If the adventures of Typhoid Mary have
convinced you of the need to cook for
yourself, then Nigella Lawson’s book is
a perfect place to start. It’s not just a
collection of recipes – some of them are
amazingly simple – but a book aimed at
developing a love of eating and of pro-
viding meals to loved ones. Anecdotes
about food and eating are sprinkled
among the recipes, under headings such
as: Basics, Cooking in Advance, One
and Two, Weekend Lunch, and Feeding
Babies and Small Children. Entertaining
to read and extremely practical.
The Ninth Life of Louis Drax
by Liz Jensen
Bloomsbury, 227 pages
A psychological thriller about a protective
“There are opportunities to make friends
with people from many different back-
grounds here. Although being here so long
has had a strange effect on my use of
language. Talking to Germans in German
and English to people whose first language
isn’t English you develop a strange kind of
‘Denglish.’ When I go home to Toronto,
people are seriously puzzled by some of
the weird expressions I come up with.”
Working at the Opera House has helped
Gordon McKechnie keep in touch with a
close-knit international group of people.
“It’s a privilege to have such a varied life.
And it’s not just Stuttgart; I also find that
in smaller towns around the state people
are very supportive of your work, once you
have broken the ice. Most Swabians wel-
come social exchange with people from
other nations and cultures.”
Integration varies, of course, from indivi-
dual to individual. Some international musi-
cians who come to Baden-Württemberg
feel that beyond the world of music and
theatre, the locals may not always be the
easiest people to form close relationships
with. Iain McPhail has this view:
“Glasgow, my hometown, remains
a special place for me. Glaswegians are
very open and lively people. I have not lost
my roots at all, even after 25 very creative
years in Stuttgart. Stuttgarters on the
whole tend to be very reserved. Here you
can make lots of good friends from various
cultures. I do feel however that, beyond
the orchestral circle, newcomers – inclu-
ding those from other areas of Germany –
can tend to remain on the fringes of Baden-
Württemberg society.”
mother and her highly intelligent child,
who is extremely accident-prone. Louis,
the child, falls down a ravine during a
family picnic and goes into a deep coma.
Dr. Dannachet must unlock the secrets
of Louis’s mind and bring him back to
consciousness. But the good doctor finds
himself embroiled in a tangle of family
secrets and deceptions, which have dire
consequences for him. An ambitious
literary work.
Arts and Culture 15
accent on…
Heidelberg
Still burning bright?
Accents’ very own eternal student,
Thomas Ravel, finds out if the university
city of Heidelberg makes the grade.
That painful chapter of my life so long ago
– all those C-minuses, and phrases like
“Could do better” – come flooding back as
I head toward this student-Mecca, armed
with an old school exercise book and a
beret. Bad start. Berets, it seems, went out
with portable cassette recorders and bell-
bottomed trousers. Thank God that small
and slightly fetid, smoky student bars are
still alive and well in Heidelberg – no less
than 67 of them to choose from in the
town centre alone. These no-smoking
zones of the future seem to have long ago
abolished exercise books as the cerebral
accessory of choice, so mine went straight
into the bin. I hated biology anyway.
Fortified by a heady mix of snatched
half-sentences of intellectual debate and
a large whiskey, my exploration begins.
Hiring a bike, which is cheap and easy, is a
good transport option but the cobblestones
play havoc with your piles. So, by foot it is.
The cosmopolitan charm of the old town
thoroughly masks the evidence that Heidel-
berg greets over 3 million visitors a year.
16 accent on…
And there are so many friendly faces too,
with the notable exception of the staff in
the Nordsee on the Hauptstraße. The fish
soup was excellent, though.
Leafing through my tourist guides I learn
that whilst 1196 is accepted as the first
mention of Heidelberg in official records
(albeit as Heidelberch), settlement in the
area dates back to prehistoric times. The
town is bounded by two hills at the end of
the Neckar valley. The Celts built a hill fort
here more than 500 years before the arrival
(in the 1st century) of the Romans, who
built a small fort and settlement to protect
their strategically important bridge over the
Neckar. The river and its crossing points
inevitably attracted unwanted guests
and Heidelberg has lived through many a
destructive war. Thus, what used to be a
rather imposing medieval town was rebuilt
as a Baroque town in the early 18th cen-
tury. Since funds for the rebuilding were
limited, Heidelberg’s architectural style is
unkindly referred to as “poor man’s
Baroque”.
The castle remains in ruins, but adds
significantly to the postcard quality of the
view of the old-town area. Entry into the
castle grounds is free, but it’s worth paying
Heidelberg Websites
www.heidelberg.de
www.heidelberg-tourismus.de
www.e-heidelberg.com
www.HDSolarSchiff.com (boat trips)
www.meier-online.de (city guide)
www.dai-heidelberg.de
(German-American-Institute)
the small entrance fee for access to the
impressive castle courtyard and the cellar
housing the “Big Barrel,” built to hold over
21,000 litres of wine. The Old Town has
much to offer, whether by guided tour
(available through the Tourist Office) or by
foot. Begin your exploration where you will,
but Karlstor, an 18th century gate in classi-
cist architectural style at the easternmost
point of the city, is as good a starting point
as any. There are a myriad of “must-sees,”
but the Old Bridge (built between 1786-88),
the House of Knight George (1592) – one
of the only significant survivors of a blaze
in 1693 – and the Scientific Institute where
Robert Wilhelm Bunsen produced the
Bunsen burner rank highly amongst them.
The Church of the Holy Spirit, the main
market square and the town hall, with a
splendid neo-Renaissance auditorium on
its second floor, are also worth walking
through. Ample provision has been made
for shop-aholics and munch-aholics alike.
Like most student cities, Heidelberg has a
variety of interesting shops offering new
and second-hand trinkets, clothing, health
foods, antiques and endless shoe shops.
I’m convinced everyone in Heidelberg has
at least four feet.
accents magazine
But what of the students? down the centuries. It’s said to offer the

Photos: Heidelberger Kongress und Tourismus GmbH

best views of the old bridge, the castle
and the old town, especially when bathed
An estimated one in five of the 140,000 in the red glow of the setting sun. It’s offe-
inhabitants – which make Heidelberg red inspiration to famous poets such as
Baden-Württemberg’s fifth largest city – are Eichendorff, Goethe and Hölderlin. But, as
students. Its university alone, Germany’s ever, the gods laugh in my face as heavy
oldest, founded in 1386, hosts 26,000 stu- rain begins to fall on my beret and dam-
dents, of whom about 5,000 are internatio- pens my enthusiasm. “The sun laughs
nal students. The university’s website says: over Baden – and the whole world at Würt-
“The standard time to finish a degree is temberg,” goes the old joke, told by the
eight semesters (four years) but in practice Badeners. But not today.
most students take considerably longer.” Squelching back across the old bridge,
That’s hardly surprising when you look at I’m not done yet. I want to check out a Heidelberg, with
what’s on in Heidelberg to drive students new water-craft (imaginatively called The its famous castle,
bounded by two
to distraction. Apart from five theatres, Heidelberg) which claims to be the most hills at the end of
as well as clubs and cinemas and dozens modern solar steel vessel in the world. It the Neckar.
of watering holes in the old part of town, offers “all-round visibility … two bistros, a
a further 80 pubs and clubs are dotted PA system and toilets.” For those with sea
throughout the suburbs surrounding Heidel- legs it’s good value, at six euros a head, the hub of the Rhein-Neckar BioRegion
berg. providing a great opportunity to view Hei- initiative, pioneering major environmental
To save cash as well as shoe leather, delberg, especially by night, as you cruise projects.
invest in the two-day “Heidelberg Card”. along the Neckar. But I’m a bit put off by For those who still have time to trip the
This provides free or discounted entry to the thought of lightning striking the steel light fantastic, check out the Schwimmbad
many places of interest, a 10% reduction frame of the boat and leaving me with a Music Club, just off Tiergartenstraße in
in selected shops and restaurants, as well permanent perm. Maybe next time. Neuenheim. This offers regular live bands,
as free travel on city trams and buses. It So does Heidelberg still burn brightly? a cinema, a bistro and several club areas
costs only 14 euros. The family version is I vote yes. With thousands of students with different musical offerings each night.
26 euros. burning the midnight oil the city’s lights If I thought I’d get in with wet shoes and a
I had been hoping the good weather are definitely on. Even before good old soggy beret I’d go myself – just to find out
would hold out for an early evening walk Mr Bunsen produced his famous burner, what “EBM, Gothic and Dark-wave” music
along the “Philosopher’s Way” on the Heidelberg’s flair for innovation and is all about. Eat your heart out Little Jimmy
northern bank of the Neckar. The pathway research was evident. Today it is home to Osmond. Mind you, with styles of music
takes its name from countless professors the European Molecular Biology Laboratory like that, they probably do.
and philosophers who’ve strolled along it and other top research institutes. It’s also
Children’s Corner
Promoting books in English
A children’s author on tour
Real writers are always on promotional
reading tours, but what impression do
they make on kids? Accents recently
accompanied British children’s author
Anna Dale, whose first book Whispering
to Witches was a bestseller, on a visit
to the International School of Stuttgart.
Anna Dale (pictured right) is a bookseller
by day and a writer by night. She doesn’t
look much older than a high school student,
and so she fits in among the crowd at the
International School. Dale was scheduled
to read eight different passages from her
book but she only got through two, so
eager were the children, who were from
Grades 5 to 7, to ask her questions. The
questions focused on writing, reading, and
the author’s favourite books and favourite
characters. One question had her stumped:
“What is the message of your book?” In
the end she responded by saying: “I am
writing about the neglected child. You
know, the kind of child who’s the last to be
Children’s book reviews
The daylight hours are dwindling, it’s
becoming colder, and a warm room and
a comfortable chair are becoming more
alluring than playing outside. There’s
nothing better right now than reading
an exciting adventure story!
Dawn Undercover by Anna Dale
Bloomsbury, 360 pages
A perfect book for would-be secret
agents, especially those under 14! Dawn
is a child, neglected by her parents and
ignored by her classmates, whose most
remarkable characteristic is that she is
completely unnoticeable. She is recruited
by P.S.S.T. (Pursuit of Scheming Spies
and Traitors) to become a spy and sud-
denly her dull life changes forever. She
is asked to help track down a missing
P.S.S.T. agent and to find out if the legen-
dary criminal, Murdo Meek, is still alive
and active. There are touching moments
and high suspense and action scenes. The
characters are both unique and familiar.
Death and the Arrow by Chris Priestly
Random House UK, 168 pages
The is the first in a series of Tom Mar-
lowe stories set in 18th century London.
18 Children’s Corner
picked for a baseball team. The child whom
the parents never have time for. I believe
every child is special.”
And so begins a child’s fascination with
the magic of writing, of putting pen to
paper, of telling stories. The curious thing
about the book Anna Dale was reading
from, Dawn Undercover, (see review be-
low) her latest book, is that it was already
available in German as Mary Undercover
while the English original was not due for
release in England until early November.
The publishers say this is due to the need
of booksellers in the UK for a longer lead-in
time for promotional sales. Whatever the
reason, here was a British author reading
from a book that had not even been offi-
cially released in her own language in her
home country, while the German transla-
tion could be bought at a bookshop around
the corner.
Dale explained to her young listeners
how a book is created, from the conception
Tom, the son of a printer, is as fascinated
as the rest of London by a series of
murders in which the victims are killed
by arrows and left holding a mysterious
card. His interest intensifies when his
friend Will, a street urchin, becomes the
next victim. The characters possess a
wonderful mixture of urbane wisdom and
street-smart cunning. Historical referen-
ces are clearly explained without hinde-
ring the pace of the story. This mystery
makes for addictive reading. Bring on the
next book in the series!
The 7 Professors of the Far North
by John Fardell
Faber and Faber, 218 pages
of an idea to publication. Some children
went up to the author after the reading to
reveal their desire to become writers.
“It’s important for us to have authors
and poets come to the school to reinforce
the enjoyment of reading and writing,”
said Mark Lawrence, a librarian at the Inter-
national School of Stuttgart. “It’s good to
see that success has come to Anna Dale at
such young age with her writing. This is a
good role model for the kids.”
Uncle Alexander is a scientist and an
inventor. His house, where Ben and Zara
also live, is filled with remarkable gadgets
and strange rooms. The children are joi-
ned by Sam for the holidays, who expec-
ts to have fun but not to be involved in
life-threatening adventures. This is a wild
and inventive tale, a whirlwind adventure,
racing from a strange Edinburgh house to
the Arctic Circle, where the children are
part of a rescue mission. It involves
secret underground transportation sys-
tems connecting vast areas of the world,
and a secret agreement between seven
professors that could change the world.
The only disappointing thing about this
story is that it has no sequel.
accents magazine
 Classes
Halpin School of Irish Dance
Children and Adult Irish Dance
Classes. Beginners, Primary
& Intermediate Levels start
November 2005. Tel 0711 483901
Email: ainehalpin@aol.com
www.danceirish.de
Business Services
U.S. INCOME TAX RETURNS
Professional Preparation
Tübingen/Stuttgart 07071 968590
or ZEELIG@aol.com
Need financial advice? Whether
you require German or international
solutions to your insurance and
investment requirements, we can
help plan your strategy. You have
a wide choice of products from an
independent advisor who knows the
market. Irys Ehmann, Independent
Financial Advisor, Eberhardstr. 47,
Stuttgart, Phone 0711 6333643,
info@irys-ehmann.com
Employment
Native speakers wanted
with financial/technical/business
experience and excellent inter-
personal and language skills.
Freelance work. Contact:
andrina.rout@fokussprachen.com
Business English Trainers
required for in-company courses in
the Stuttgart area on a freelance
basis. Do you have a minimum of
one year’s teaching experience
together with a TEFL or equivalent
certificate, and can you create a
stimulating atmosphere for learners
to discuss business topics? If so,
we would like to hear from you.
Please contact us at 0711 6209932
or send your CV and details to us
at info@ELBC.de
Personal
Australian Babysitter available
in Stuttgart. Contact Emma on
Phone 0175 7588343,
Email loveday89@hotmail.com
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choice
Events
Filderstadt
Event
Africa Culture Nights
Two evenings of African movies,
food, theatre, fashion and music.
Nov 11-12, 7 pm - late,
Alte Mühle, Humboldtstraße 5
Heidelberg
Slamming the Stage
Poetry slam performance, Nov 25,
8 pm, d.a.i., Sofienstraße 12,
www.dai-heidelberg.de
New Year’s Party
Dec 31, 8 pm, d.a.i., see above
Karlsruhe
DEF at the Offerta Trade Fair
Visit the DEF club at the sister cities
stand. Nov 5 and 6, Neue Messe
Guy Fawkes Bonfire
at the European School,
Nov 12, 6 pm (gates open at 4 pm)
Book & Bake Sale
Second hand books and home-made
cakes at spectacular prices,
Nov 19, 10 am - 2 pm,
American Library, Kanalweg 52,
www.american-library.de
Mannheim
54th International Film Festival
Mannheim and Heidelberg,
Nov 17-26,
www.mannheim-filmfestival.com
Stuttgart
Stuttgart German Masters 2005
21st International Riding and
Show Jumping Competition,
Nov 16-20, Schleyerhalle,
www.stuttgart-german-masters.de
Thanksgiving Dinner
Celebrate Thanksgiving
with the DAZ at Patch Barracks,
Nov 22, 6:30 pm,
(sign up by Nov 8, 0711 228180)
Christmas Fair
Carol service at “The English
Church” with lots of homemade
goodies afterwards!
Dec 11, 5 pm, St. Catherine’s
Church, Katharinenplatz 5,
www.stuttgartanglicans.de
Tübingen
d.a.i. Thanksgiving Dinner & Dance
Nov 26, 7:30 pm, Ludwig’s
(sign up by Nov 18, 07071 795260)
Christmas
Xmas
Aalen
Weihnachtsmarkt
Nov 25 - Dec 22, Spritzenhausplatz
Bad Wimpfen
Altdeutscher Weihnachtsmarkt
Nov 25 - Dec 11 (Fri-Sun)
Bietigheim-Bissingen
Weihnachtsbazaar
Nov 27, old part of town
Sternlesmarkt
Dec 8-18, old part of town
Böblingen
Weihnachtsmarkt
Nov 25 - Dec 4
20 accents choice
Esslingen
Mittelalter- und Weihnachtsmarkt
Medieval- and Christmas Market,
Nov 24 - Dec 22, 11 am - 8:30 pm,
town center
Kunst- und Handwerkermarkt
Adventsmarket, Arts and Crafts
Dec 4-5, Hafenmarkt
Freiburg
Weihnachtsmarkt
Nov 24 - Dec 23, old part of town
Heidelberg
Weihnachtsmarkt
Nov 23 - Dec 22, 11 am - 9 pm,
Universitätsplatz, Marktplatz,
Kornmarkt
Herrenberg
Weihnachtsmarkt
Dec 2-4, downtown
Karlsruhe
Weihnachtsmesse
für Angewandte Kunst
Arts and Crafts Christmas Market,
Nov 25 - Dec 4, 11 am - 7 pm,
Museum beim Markt
Christkindlesmarkt
Nov 24 - Dec 23
Nottingham Stall
at Christmas Market
Organised by the German-English
Friendship Club DEF together
with friends from Nottingham,
Karlsruhe’s twin-city and the
Celtic Shop. Helpers welcome!
Call 0721 7569503, Nov 29 - Dec 2
Christmas Carol Singing
The “Pitchbenders“, will present
a great musical program assisted
by a children’s choir from the
European School Karlsruhe. Dec 3,
4 pm, Kleine Kirche, Kaiserstraße
Konstanz
Weihnachtsmarkt am See
Christmas Market on the Lake,
Nov 25 - Dec 23,
Marktplatz and harbor
Ludwigsburg
Barock-Weihnachtsmarkt
Baroque Christmas Market
Nov 24 - Dec 22, Marktplatz
Mannheim
Weihnachtsmarkt
Nov 23 - Dec 23, 11 am - 9 pm,
Friedrichsplatz
Mel Ramos
Pop art from the Californian
artist. In cooperation with
Gallery Walter Bischoff.
Until Nov 30, Tue-Thu 2-6 pm,
DAZ Stuttgart
Christmas Time in the City
From Aalen to Weil der Stadt,
Baden-Württemberg has a
Christmas market near you!
( see listings )
Offenburg
Weihnachtsmarkt
Nov 24 - Dec 23, starting 10 am,
down town
Pforzheim
Weihnachtsmarkt
Nov 24 - Dec 22, Marktplatz
Reutlingen
Reutlinger Weihnachtsmarkt
Nov 25 - Dec 22, at the Marienkirche
Sindelfingen
Weihnachtsbazaar
Nov 5-13, Messehalle
Adventsmarkt
Nov 26 and 27, Dorfplatz Darmsheim
Weihnachtsmarkt
Dec 3-4, Marktplatz
Christmas Party
The Deutsch Australische Freund-
schaft club’s annual event. Non-
members pay for own meals. Dec
10. Call 07031 607521 for bookings.
Stuttgart
Cluss and Christmas
Excursion to the Adolf Cluss
Exhibit and the Christmas market
in Heilbronn, Dec 3, 9 am - 4 pm,
sign up by Nov 25 at the DAZ
0711 228180
Stuttgarter Weihnachtsmarkt
Nov 25 - Dec 23, Marktplatz
Weihnachtsantikmarkt
Christmas Antique Market,
Nov 25 - Dec 23, Karlsplatz
Tübingen
Weihnachtsmarkt
Dec 9-11, old town
Mittelalterlicher (Medieval)
Weihnachtsmarkt
Dec 17-18, Kloster Bebenhausen
Ulm
Weihnachtsmarkt
Nov 21 - Dec 22, Münsterplatz
Weil der Stadt
Weihnachtsmarkt
Dec 3, 9 am, downtown
Exhibits
Exhibits
Freiburg
Northern Ireland in the Eyes
of Freiburg Students
Guided tours upon request,
0761 2039263, till Nov 30,
Thu 6-8 pm, Sat and Sun
3-8:30 pm, Uniseum
Mannheim
The American Dream
Photographs from the
DZ Bank collection,
until Dec 30, Kunsthalle,
www.kunsthalle-mannheim.de
Cecily Brown – Paintings
In cooperation with the
Modern Art Gallery Oxford.
Until Dec 30, Kunsthalle
Stuttgart
Eric Carle – A Children’s Artist
Until Dec 30,
Foyer Württembergische Library,
entrance Urbanstraße
Mel Ramos
Nudes from the Californian pop
artist, till Nov 30, Tue-Thu 2-6 pm,
DAZ, Charlottenplatz 17,
www.daz.org
Stage
Freiburg
Stage
Louis Sachar’s “Holes”
Student Theater Performance
in English, Pädagogische
Hochschule, Kunzenweg 21, Nov 21
and 22, 8 pm, Nov 24 and 25,
10 pm, Tickets Carl-Schurz-Haus,
www.carl-schurz-haus.de
Heidelberg
A Christmas Carol
adapted from Charles Dickens
Dec 2, 3, 9, 10, 16, 17 at 7:30 pm,
Dec 15 at 7 pm, Dec 4 and 18 at
3 pm (special family matinees),
Dec 11 at 3 pm (special EFMP
invited performance), Roadside
Theater, tickets 06221 175020,
www.roadsidetheater.com
Leonberg
The Rocky Horror Show
Richard O’Brien’s authentic
London West End Production with
the London Musical Theatre,
Oct 23, 7 pm, Stadthalle
accents forum
Let us hear your accent!
This informal meeting is
open to anyone who would
like to add their voice to
our magazine. Comments,
criticisms, and contributions
are all welcome!
Friday, November 11th, 7 pm
at coc@.inn, Schlossstraße
77, Stuttgart-West. Owner
Chris Houston promises the
best Mexican food and drinks
this side of the border! So
come join us for a margarita
and a quesadilla and tell us
what you think of the new
issue.
Friday, January 13th,
time and location to be
announced.
accents
magazine
accents magazine
Stuttgart
A Christmas Carol
with Brian D. Barnes
Dec 15-17, 8 pm, Theater der
Altstadt, Rotebühlstraße 89,
www.theater-der-altstadt.de
Miracle on 34th Street
Nov 18-20, 26, 27 and
Dec 2-4, 5-7, 9-11 at 7:30 pm
Stuttgart Theatre Center –
Kelley Theatre, open to general
public, www.kelleytheatre.de
Mapplethorpe
Dance performance with Ismael Ivo,
Dec 1-3, 8 pm, Wilhelma Theater,
www.wilhelma-theater.de
Spirits at Christmas
NEAT Theater and Guests.
An Evening of Irish Theater and
Entertainment, Dec 9 and 10, 8 pm,
komunales kontakt teater,
www.s-line.de/homepages/kkt
African Footprint
South African Song and Dance,
Dec 10, 13, 14, 15 at 8 pm, Dec 11
at 4 and 7 pm, Dec 16 at 8:30 pm,
Dec 17 at 5 and 8 pm, Theaterhaus,
www.theaterhaus.com
Holiday on Ice: Romanza
Dec 14-18, Schleyerhalle,
www.holidayonice.com
Mamma Mia (in German)
Musical with 22 songs by ABBA,
Tue, Thur, Fri at 8 pm, Wed
at 6:30 pm, Sat 3 and 8 pm,
Sun 2 and 7 pm, Palladium Theater,
SI-Centrum, tickets 0711 2228246,
www.stageholding.de
Elisabeth (in German)
Musical, all year beginning Mar 6,
SI-Centrum, Apollo-Theater,
tickets 0711 2228-243 and -242
On tour in the region
King Lear
American Drama Group
Nov 7, 8 pm, Ulmer Theater
Nov 17, 7:30 pm, Theater Heilbronn
Nov 22, 4 and 7 pm,
Bürgerhaus Seepark Freiburg
Nov 23, 8 pm, Theater am Ring
Villingen-Schwenningen
Dec 5, 6 pm, Filderhalle Leinfelden
Dec 15 and 16, 4 and 8 pm,
Wilhelma Theater Stuttgart
Land of Lords
Irish Dance and Rock Musical
Live Irish music 7 pm,
begin of musical 8 pm, Nov 25,
Friedrich-List-Halle, Reutlingen
Nov 26, Stadthalle, Sindelfingen
A Christmas Carol
American Drama Group
Dec 8, 10:30 am,
Friedrich-List-Halle, Reutlingen
Dec 11, 4 and 8 pm, Ulmer Theater
Dec 8 and 9, 11 am and 3 pm,
Wilhelma Theater, Stuttgart
Dec 22, 7:30 pm, Theater Heilbronn
Music
Music
Aalen
14th Jazz Festival
Nov 3-6, www.aalener-jazzfest.de
Aidlingen
12th Aidlinger Jazz Days
Jesse Davis (sax., USA),
Nov 3, 8 pm
Tommie Harris (voc., USA),
Nov 4, 8 pm
Joan Faulkner – The Voice (USA),
Nov 5, 8 pm
Rod Mason and His Hot Five (GB),
Nov 6, 8 pm
Schlosskeller, www.jazzforum.net
accents magazine
Blueskraft on tour
with Louisiana Red
The local boys from
Reutlingen are on tour with
Chicago blues
musician Louisiana Red.
( see listings below )
Freiburg
Marla Glen
Nov 17, 8 pm, Jazzhaus
Candye Kane & Band
Blues, Nov 18, 8 pm, Jazzhaus
The Pretty Things &
The Crazy World of Arthur Brown
Rhythm and Blues,
Nov 27, 8 pm, Jazzhaus
Roachford
Pop, Nov 28, 8 pm, Jazzhaus
New York, New York
A Broadway song evening
by the Young Opera Company,
songs from famous Broadway
Musicals, Dec 1, 8 pm,
Elisabeth-Schneider-Stiftung
Tickets Carl-Schurz-Haus,
www.carl-schurz-haus.de
Heidelberg
Arthur Blythe Bob Stewart Duo
Nov 22, 8:30 pm,
d.a.i., www.dai-heidelberg.de
Heilbronn
Roachford & Support
Word of Mouth Tour 2005,
Nov 25, 8 pm, Harmonie,
Wilhelm-Maybach-Saal
Karlsruhe
Oldie Night 2005
Sweet, Boney M,
Showaddywaddy, Slade, Drifters,
Dave Ashby, Moonlights
Nov 19, 6:15 pm, Europahalle
Friends of Dean Martinez
Nov 17, 8 pm, Substage,
www.substage.de
Fiddlers Green
Irish Independent Speedfolk,
Nov 25, 8 pm, Substage
Ludwigsburg
Bill Evans
Soulgrass, Nov 18, 8 pm, Scala,
www.scala-ludwigsburg.de
The Jackson Singers/USA
Amazing Gospel Christmas,
Dec 10, Scala
Mannheim
Coldplay
Nov 10, 8 pm, Maimarkthalle
Simply Red
Nov 19, SAP Arena
Oldie Night 2005
Smokie, Boney M, Drifters,
Tremeloes, Racey, Dave Ashby,
Memories, Nov 26, Maimarkthalle
The Ten Tenors
Dec 4, 7 pm,
Rosengarten Mozartsaal
Reichenbach
Midge Ure
Rock, Nov 4, 8 pm, h2o – die halle,
www.h20-diehalle.de
Marla Glen & Band
Nov 10, 8 pm, h2o
Kieran Goss
Irish singer and songwriter,
Nov 26, 9 pm, h2o
Magnum
Melodic rock, Dec 2, 8 pm, h2o
Stuttgart
Tap Dogs
Nov 1, 8 pm, Liederhalle,
www.liederhalle-stuttgart.de
The Big Chris Barber Band
Dixieland Jazz, Nov 2, 8 pm, T1,
Theaterhaus, www.theaterhaus.com
The Blues Band (GB)
Nov 10, 8:30 pm, Laboratorium
Barbara Thompson &
Paraphernalia feat. Jon Hiseman
“Never Say Goodbye” Tour 2005,
Nov 15, 8:30 pm, T2, Theaterhaus,
www.theaterhaus.com
Stereo MC
Nov 21, 8:30 pm, LKA Longhorn,
www.lka-longhorn.de
The Porcupine Tree
Nov 22, 8:30 pm, LKA Longhorn
Jackie Leven &
Small World Orchestra
Nov 22, 8:30 pm, Laboratorium
Visions 15th Anniversary
Festival Tour
(Rock) Mando Diao,
Turbonegro, Life Of Agony,
Billy Talent, Dredg, Muff Potter,
Nov 26, 5 pm, Schleyerhalle,
www.schleyerhalle.de
Bloc Party
Nov 27, 8 pm, LKA Longhorn
Runrig P
Dec 1, Hegelsaal, Liederhalle
George Bailey & Oral Moses
Spirituals, Classicals, Gospels,
Lyricals, Dec 6, 5 pm, Wilhelma
Theater, see address above
Starsailor
Dec 7, 8:30 pm, LKA Longhorn
Tübingen
Laurie Lewis & Tom Rozum
American Folk Roots,
Acoustic Country, Bluesgrass,
Dec 7, 9 pm, Depot
On Tour in the Region
Louisiana Red & Blueskraft
The giants of Blues,
Nov 12, 9 pm, h2o, Reichenbach
Nov 24, 8:15 pm, d.a.i. Tübingen
Nov 25, 8 pm, Ebene 3, Heilbronn
Nov 26, 8:30 pm, Merlin, Stuttgart
Holly Cole & Band
Pop and Jazz,
Nov 15, 8 pm, Burghof Lörrach
Nov 16, 8 pm, Scala Ludwigsburg
A-Ha
Nov 26, 8 pm,
Neue Messe Friedrichshafen
Nov 28, 8 pm,
Schleyerhalle Stuttgart
The Golden Gospel Singers
Nov 29, 8 pm, Weinmanufaktur
Stuttgart-Untertürkheim
Jan 5, Neubausaal, Schwäbisch Hall
Jan 10, Stadthalle Aalen
Tickets can be bought at
Booking-offices, by calling
Easy-ticket service 0711 2555555,
www.easyticket.de or
SWR 1 ticket service 0180 5929211
Lectures/Discussions
Freiburg
Lecture
Northern Ireland Lectures
Accompanying the exhibit
Northern Ireland in the Eyes of
Freiburg Students,
Andreas Hüther, MA, Nov 11
Marcel Baumann, MA, Nov 15
Dr. Peter Wuhrer, Nov 17
Prof. Mechthild Hesse, Nov 23
All lectures at 8 pm, HS 1, Alte Uni
Open Dialog –
Why boys love cars
and girls love horses
Is this cliché true across cultures?
Nov 9, 6:30-8 pm
Term-papers, diaries, poetry
and complaint letters
The role of writing in our
everyday lives. Nov 23, 6:30-8 pm,
Carl-Schurz-Haus library,
Kaiser-Joseph-Straße 266
Heidelberg
Discussion group
with Dr. Steven Bloom
What should young people be
taught about the past? Nov 8
Why is there opposition to
homosexual marriage? Nov 15
Do we worry too much about
terrorism or not enough? Nov 22
Why does someone become
a “fanatic”? Nov 29
Tuesdays, 6 pm,
d.a.i. library, Sofienstraße 12,
www.dai-heidelberg.de
English-Language Video
Discussion Group
Elizabeth Cady Stanton 1, Nov 2
Elizabeth Cady Stanton 2, Nov 9
Elizabeth Cady Stanton 3, Nov 16
West Point 1, Nov 23
West Point 2, Nov 30
Wednesdays, 6 pm,
d.a.i. library, see address above
Hyphenated Vietnam
poetzone3 reading, Linh Dinh, Truon
Tran, Mong-Lan, Nguyen Chi Trung,
Nov 11, 8 pm, d.a.i. Großer Saal
Thanksgiving Dinner
Tuesday, Nov 22, 6.30 pm,
Celebrate Thanksgiving
with us! Please register
by Nov 8 at the DAZ.
‘Cluss and Christmas’
in Heilbronn, Saturday,
Dec 3, 9 am - 4 pm
A winter excursion to the
Adolf Cluss Exhibit and
the Christmas Market in
Heilbronn. Fee: 30 E or
20 E for members. Please
register by Nov 25 at the
DAZ.
Deutsch-
Amerikanisches Zentrum
James-F.-Byrnes-Institut e.V.
Charlottenplatz 17
70173 Stuttgart
0711-228180
www.daz.org
accents choice 21
Karlsruhe
Holiday Jobs and Placements
in the US and other
English-speaking countries
Sandra Willer of TravelWorks
in Münster talks about work
and travel programs
Nov 10, 7 pm, American Library,
www.american-library.de
LitNight in English
reading and discussing literature,
Nov 15, Dec 6 and 20, 7:30 pm,
American Library, see above
Poetry Please
Reading and discussion,
Nov 22, 7:30-9 pm, American
Library, Tom 0721 3540477
Stuttgart
Conversation Circle
The 2nd G.W. Bush Administration:
An Assessment. Nov 18, 6 pm
Obesity: Are We Getting Too Fat?
Dec 16, 6 pm, DAZ, www.daz.org
The Empire Study Group
This popular study group by
Laurence Stallings and Scott Stelle
at the dai in Tübingen now comes
to Stuttgart! Nov 11, 6 pm,
DAZ, www.daz.org
The Lakota-Sioux from Wounded
Knee to the 21st Century
Leonard Little Finger of the Lakota
Sioux from Oglala, Pine Ridge
Reservation, South Dakota, tells his
family’s story. Nov 14, 7:30 pm,
DAZ, www.daz.org
Changing Intellectual Paradigms
and the Use of Military Force
Professor Kenneth Moss, Ph.D.,
Nov 28, 7:30 pm,
DAZ, www.daz.org
Corporate Ethics Lecture
Corporate responsibility in the
global business world. Presentation
by Caux Round Table hosted by
American-German Business Club.
Nov 30, 7 pm, Stuttgart Rathaus,
www.agbc.de
Tübingen
The Social Construction of
Empire, or the Creation of Reality
Study Group with Laurence
Stallings and Scott Stelle,
Nov 25, Dec 16, 6:45 pm,
Deutsch-Amerikanisches Institut
(d.a.i.), Karlstraße 3, 07071 795260,
www.dai-tuebingen.de
An Evening with a Good Book
Literature with Walter Nilson
Just Like That Lily Brett,
Nov 4, 6:30 pm
A Prayer for Owen Meany
John Irving, Dec 2, 6:30 pm
d.a.i., see address above
Writer’s Club
with Carolyn Murphey Melchers,
Nov 18, Dec 16, 2 pm,
d.a.i., see address above
Talk at Eight
Discussion Group on Current Issues
Nov 15, Dec 20, 20:15 pm,
d.a.i., see address above
Workshops
Freiburg
Work
Creative Writing in English:
Poetry, Prose, (Auto-)Biography
3 sessions (each 6 hours)
plus performance, Oct 29, Nov 26,
Dec 17 and Feb 6, 10 am - 4 pm,
Carl-Schurz-Haus library,
Kaiser-Joseph-Straße 266,
programm@carl-schurz-haus.de
22 accents guide
Stuttgart
Quilting Bee:
The Baltimore Beauties
A multilingual, hand sewing quilting
group; guests are welcome. Nov 18,
9-12 am, DAZ, www.daz.org
Filmworkshop: Giant
Nov 24, 6:30 pm,
DAZ, www.daz.org
A Funny Thing Happened
on the Way to the Forum
Dec 20, 7:30 pm,
DAZ, www.daz.org
Tübingen
Quilting Bees:
A Forum for Patchwork Quilters
3rd Thursday of month, 3-5 pm,
d.a.i., www.dai-tuebingen.de
Kids
Kids
Karlsruhe
Storytime in English!
Children aged 2-5 years, every 2nd
and 4th Wed of the month at 4 pm,
Nov 9 and 23, Dec 14,
American Library, Kanalweg 52,
www.american-library.de
Stories for Kids ages 6 and up
The Yellow Star: The Legend
of King Christian X of Denmark,
Nov 11, 4 pm
Papa Panov’s Special Day,
A Christmas story,
Dec 16, 4 pm, American Library,
see address above
Stuttgart
Listen in
Story and activity for kids
3-6 years with parent,
Saturdays 3:30-4:30 pm,
Nov 19 automobiles, trains & planes
Dec 17 Christmas is here again
Children’s English Library (CEL),
Etzelstraße 25-27,
www.celstuttgart.de
Rhyme Time
Singing and Rhymes for kids 0-3
with parent, Mondays 10-10:45 am,
Nov 21 Ducks
Dec 12 Christmas Carols
CEL, see address above
Science Workshop
Scientist Steve transforms
the CEL into an amazing laboratory,
ages 3+, Nov 12, 2-4 pm,
CEL, see address above
Happy Days
Non-native English speakers
(ages 3-6), Mon 4:15-5 pm and
Tues 3:30-4:15 pm,
CEL, see address above
Let’s Play –
Mommy & Me English Class
Native English speakers (ages 2-3),
Mon 10:45-11:30 am and Fri 4-4:45
pm, CEL, see address above
Singing and Story time
Native English Speakers (ages 3-6),
Fri 3-3:45 pm,
CEL, see address above
Mrs. Jellybelly Eats Breakfast
Interactive children’s theater in
English for ages 6-10, duration
40 min, Nov 16 and 17, 10 am
and 2:30 pm, kommunales kontakt
teater e.V. (kkt), Kissinger Straße
66a, www.s-line.de/homepages/kkt/
Tübingen
English Storytime for Kids
with Anne Crutchfield (ages 4-6)
Nov 2, Dec 7, 4-5 pm,
d.a.i, see address above
accents
guide
Emergency
Police 110
Emerg
Fire Department 112
Ambulance & Emergency
Medical 19222
Poison Hotline 0761 19240
English Speaking Poison
Control 06131 232466
Doctor for House Calls
0711 2628012
Consulates/Embassies
sulates
Australia
030 8800880, Wallstraße 76-79,
Berlin
Canada
0711 2239678, Lange Straße 51,
Stuttgart
Ireland
030 220720, Friedrichstraße 200,
Berlin
New Zealand
030 206210, Friedrichstraße 60,
Berlin
South Africa
030 220730, Friedrichstraße 60,
Berlin
United Kingdom
0711 162690, Breite Straße 2,
Stuttgart
United States of America
069 75350, Siesmayerstraße 21,
Frankfurt
Schools & Preschools
ools
International School
of Stuttgart e.V.
0711 7696000, Sigmaringer Straße
257, Stuttgart, www.international-
school-stuttgart.de
Botnanger Kinderbetreuung
Bilingual Kindergarden
0711 6993404 Gina Kussi,
Griegstraße 18, Stuttgart
Internationaler Montessori
Kindergarten e.V.
0711 93150510, Sulzgrieser
Straße 114, Esslingen
EducCare Bilingual Kindergarden
0711 6581447, Hasenbergstraße
31/2, Stuttgart, www.educcare.de
European School Karlsruhe
0721 680090, Albert-Schweitzer-
Straße 1, Karlsruhe
English Garden
English and music lessons, 0761
8866181, Hasenweg 34, Freiburg
Oberlin Kinderuniversität
0761 85648,
Am Mühlbach 13, Freiburg,
www.oberlinkinderuniversitaet.de
International School
of Kreuzlingen Konstanz
0041 71 6722727
Hauptstraße 27, Kreuzlingen,
Switzerland, www.iskk.ch
Heidelberg International School
06221 7590600, Villa Heinstein,
Wieblinger Weg 9, Heidelberg,
www.hischool.de
International School Ulm/Neu-Ulm
0731 3793530, Beyerstraße 45, Ulm,
www.is-ulm.de
English for preschoolers
and first graders in Freiburg
0761 1378177 Cathy Plog,
plogs@t-online.de
Little English House
English and art for kids 3 and up
www.littleenglishhouse.de
Helen Doron Early English
Learning English with fun and
gamens, www.hdee.de
Libraries
Librari
Children’s English Library e.V.
0711 3582215, Etzelstraße 25-27,
Stuttgart, Tue 4-6 pm, Fri 3-6 pm,
Sat 2-5 pm, www.celstuttgart.de
Deutsch-Amerikanisches Zentrum
Charlottenplatz 17, Stuttgart,
Tue-Thu 2-6 pm
Deutsch-Amerikanisches
Institut Tübingen
Karlstraße 3, Tue-Fri 1-6 pm,
Thursdays 1- 8 pm
Karlsruhe American Library
0721 72752, Kanalweg 52,
Tue-Fri 2-6 pm, Wed 10-12 am,
Sat 10 am-2 pm,
www.amerikanische-bibliothek.de
Deutsch-Amerikanisches
Institut Heidelberg
Sophienstraße 12, Mon-Fri 1-6 pm,
Wed 1-8 pm, Sat 10 am-2 pm
Carl-Schurz-Haus Freiburg
Kaiser-Joseph-Straße 266,
Mon-Fri 11:30 am - 1:30 pm, 3-6 pm
Clubs & Organizations
Clubs &
Deutsch-Amerikanisches Zentrum /
James-F.-Byrnes-Institut e.V.
0711 228180, Charlottenplatz 17,
Stuttgart, www.daz.org
70173: English Spoken Stammtisch
12:00 pm at Restaurant Plenum in
the B-W Landtag Building, contact
Andrea.Krueger@wm.bwl.de for
dates. Open participation. Founders:
Andrea Krueger & Dr. Peter Mendler
(both of the B-W Ministry of Eco-
nomic Affairs) and Rainer Wieland
(Member of the European Parliament)
Stammtisch TRANSATLANTIK
Once a month at Plenum Restaurant
Stuttgart, info at DAZ 0711 228180
Metropolitan Club e.V.
social, educational & cultural events
for all nationalities, www.metclub.de
Stuttgart Conversation Club
0711 8892252 Ed Wilson,
35 years and up, www.metclub.de
Baltimore Beauties
Quilting bee at the DAZ, Stuttgart,
every 3rd Fri of the month,
9 -12 am, 0711 243242 Judy Ehmer
Stuttgart Book Club
www.StuttgartBookClub.de
German-American Club 1948
0711 814270 Eberhard Stein
German-American
Women’s Club Stuttgart
info@gawc-stuttgart.de,
www.gawc-stuttgart.de
International
Women’s Club Stuttgart
All nationalities and ages, every 1st
accents magazine
Wed of the month, 10 am - 12:30 pm,
Kulturcafe Merlin, Augustenstraße 72,
0711 6566340, www.iwcstuttgart.org
Anglo-Stuttgart Society
0711 568113 Günther Jaumann,
www.jaumann.de/ass
British Club Stuttgart
0711 455464 Alison Seyerle
Deutsch-Britische Gesellschaft e.V.
0172 7391495 Peter Alderath,
Gasthaus Hirsch, Bernhausen,
1st Wed of the month
Asia Circle International Club
07156 29164, asia-circle@web.de,
www.asia-circle.de
International Choir of Stuttgart
0711 769600912 Carola,
int_choir_stuttgart@hotmail.com
Stuttgart Singers
07159 44991 Kathy Williams,
www.stuttgartsingers.de
Stuttgart German-American
Community Chorus
0711 463463 David A. Beckner
EUCOM Harmonizers
Stuttgart-Vaihingen
barbershop and a cappella,
07146 20677 John Gerrish
German-American Seniors Club
0711 2560867 Hildegard Göhrum
English Round Table, Esslingen
Conversation group,
0711 3451344, Claudia Stadelmann,
info@bueroservice-jaeschke.de
Fáinne Irish Dance Group Stuttgart
0711 483901, www.fainne.de
Irish Dance Ceili, Stuttgart
every 3rd Saturday of the month
www.danceirish.de
German Conversation Group
07032 77919 Elena Fieres
ELTAS e.V.
English Language Teachers’
Association Stuttgart, www.eltas.de
International Toastmasters Club,
Stuttgart, Heidelberg, Karlsruhe,
Freiburg, Ulm
presentational skills in English,
find links to all chapters at
www.toastmasters-stuttgart.de
English-Speaking Stammtisch
S-Untertürkheim
0711 3041337 Derek Evans
Deutsche Australische
Freundschaft e.V.
07031 607521 Jeff Gomes,
www.deutsch-australische-
freundschaft.de
Friends Club International e.V.
Böblingen-Sindelfingen
07031 806522 Jan W. Boon
“Here We Are”
International Group Esslingen
07163 8580 Alison Unrath
English Morning Tea Aidlingen
07034 7339 Ellen Zeller,
Wed 10 am - 12 pm
Deutsch-Amerikanisches
Institut Tübingen
07071 795260, Karlstraße 3,
www.dai-tuebingen.de
Anglo-German Club Pforzheim
07231 472155 Dr Maurice Claypole,
www.agc-pforzheim.de
Pro Country e.V. Deutscher
Country & Western Dachverband
07150 33212 Ralf Russig,
www.pro-country-ev.de
English-Speaking Circle Starzach
and Landkreise Freundenstadt,
Tübingen & Zollernalb
07478 8290 Kevin MacInerney-May
Schorndorf English Club
07181 64440 Marion Rube
Deutsch-Amerikanisches
Institut Heidelberg
ygroups
06221 60730, Sofienstraße 12,
www.dai-heidelberg.de
German-British Society,
accents magazine
Freiburg, Heidelberg, and Stuttgart
0761 4098804 Dr. Susanne Press,
06221 864761 Prof. Manfred Liedtke,
0711 66721255 Dr. Christoph Selzer,
www.debrige.de
German-English
Friendship Club e.V. Karlsruhe
0721 7569503 Rose Schrempp,
info@def-karlsruhe.de,
www.def-karlsruhe.de
International Women’s Club
Karlsruhe e.V.
Annemarie Frenzel, Postfach
110448, 76054 Karlsruhe
Verein Deutsch-Amerikanischer
Freundschaft Pfullendorf
07552 6249 Dr Gary Anderson
Carl-Schurz-Haus Freiburg
0761 31647, Kaiser-Joseph-Straße
266, www.carl-schurz-haus.de
Anglo-German Club e.V. Freiburg
07661 1324, Wehrlehof Straße 11,
Oberried, peleube@hotmail.com
Freiburg English Club
0177 6553688 Terrence Barr
www.freiburg-english-club.org
Network of English-Speaking
Women e.V.
07664 962450 Candice Siegenthaler,
NesWomen@web.de, www.nesw.de
British International
Villingen-Schwenningen
07721 53278 Carol King,
www.bivs.gmxhome.de
Deutsch-Irischer Freundeskreis (dif)
0711 2361736, www.dif-bw.de
Region Schwaben, Verband der
Deutsch-Amerikanischen Clubs e.V.
07156 29164 Mi-Kiyoung Wöhler,
www.schwaben-vdac.de.vu
Theater Groups
Theate
A.C.T.S. Anglophone
Collaborative Theatre of Stuttgart
0711 6858370 Stuart Marlow,
smarlow@hdm-stuttgart.de
Kelley Theatre
Kelley Barracks, Stuttgart,
0711 7292825, www.kelleytheatre.de
N.E.A.T.
New English American Theater
0711 634320, Stuttgart,
urban.spy@z.zgs.de,
www.neat-theater.de
Outcast International
0711 634409, Stuttgart,
www.outcast-theater.de
Anglo-Irish
Theatre Group Tübingen
07071 67968 David Hegarty,
dave@anglo-iren.de,
www.anglo-iren.de
The Round Table Players, Aalen
Eva Schumm,
schumm@vhs-aalen.de
Roadside Theater
Patton Barracks, Heidelberg,
06221 175020,
www.roadsidetheater.com
Theaterhaus TiG 7
0621 154976, Theater Trennt e.V.
G7, 4 b, Mannheim, www.tig7.de
The maniACTS Freiburg
University English Department,
www.maniacts.de
Kids & Playgroups
English Playgroup Stuttgart-West
0711 6361169 Bryan Groenjes,
EKiZ Ludwigstraße 41-43,
0-6 years, Wed 4-6 pm
accents guide 23
English Playgroup Stuttgart
0-9 years, www.englishplaygroup.de
English Playgroup at the DAZ
Stuttgart
0711 228180, 4-6 years on Tue
3-4 pm, 6-8 years on Tue 4-5 pm
English Playgroup Böblingen
07031 287647 Stefanie Spence,
0-7 years, Wed 3:30-5 pm
English Playgroup
Holzgerlingen/Böblingen area
07034 654608 Anita Mayer
0-5 years, Wed 9:30-10:30 am
English Playgroup Sindelfingen
07031 873823 Christine Mitlacher,
2-5 years, Tue 3:30 pm,
Mitlacher-sifi@t-online.de
St. Georg MKK English
Playgroup in Bonlanden
Tue 3:30-5:30 pm,
0-5 years, Nicki 0711 3270748,
5-10 years, Mhorag Heger
07127 960046
English Playgroup
siness
Herrenberg/Nebringen
07032 77452 Erika Laudenbach,
0-5 years, Mon 3-5 pm
Meet, Chat and
Playgroup Waldenbuch
07157 8561 Elaine Rauhöft,
Fri from 4 pm onwards
English on a Friday Afternoon
Tübingen
07071 930466 Günter Henke,
Fri from 3:30 pm onwards
English Playgroup in Rödersheim-
Gronau (postal code 67127)
06231 929616 Mrs I. Smith,
Fri 10 am, Luise Koch Kindergarten
English Reading Group Freiburg
Mütterzentrum Weingarten,
Krozingerstraße 11,
0761 286803 Amanda Lampert or
07666 99126 Fredi Trenkle
24 accents guide
Political Groups
Political
American Voices Abroad Tübingen
fritz.hackert@arcor.de,
www.americanvoicesabroad.org
Democrats Abroad
Heidelberg,
06221 3780 Charles Keene,
Stuttgart,
0162 9824870 Dennis O’Donohue,
www.democratsabroad.org
Republicans Abroad Stuttgart
07146 20677 John W. Gerrish,
www.republicansabroad.de
Business Organizations
American German Business Club
e.V. Stuttgart, Heidelberg,
Karlsruhe
0711 2486078 Peggy Stinson,
President, stuttgart@agbc.de,
www.agbc.de
American Chamber of Commerce
in Germany e.V.
0711 1667156 Prof Dr Roderich
C. Thümmel, Regional Chairperson,
www.amcham.de
British Chamber of Commerce
in Germany e.V.
0711 25540460 Ralf Steppart,
Regional Chairperson,
www.bccg.de
USA forum Tübingen
07071 55970 Bernd Zeutschel,
www.usaforum.de
Religious Services
St. Catherine’s Church
Reli
(Anglican) 07151 68973,
Katharinenplatz 5, Stuttgart,
www.stuttgartanglicans.de
City Chapel e.V. Stuttgart
0711 6142956 Roland Krumm,
Marienstraße 12, www.citychapel.de
International Baptist Church
Stuttgart-Vaihingen:
0711 6874365 Pastor Jay McFadden;
Heidelberg-Sandhausen:
06224 51516 Pastor Richard Blake;
www.ibcstuttgart.de
St. Antonius Church
0711 4597152 Odilo Metzler,
Catholic Mass in English
1st Saturday every month, 6:30 pm
Paracelsusstraße 87,
Stuttgart-Hohenheim
First Church of Christ, Scientist
0711 6207921 Heinz Clauss,
www.christian-science-stuttgart.de
United Methodist Church
Stuttgart: 0711 251984
Dr Hans-Martin Niethammer;
Reutlingen:
07121 78546 Harald Rückert;
Karlsruhe: 0721 43721 Peter Vesen;
www.emk.de
Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter Day Saints
Stuttgart:
0711 3419240 Ralf Gierschke;
Mannheim:
06223 809040 Dr Frank Heckmann,
www.lds.org
Church of the Nazarene
0711 551147 Mary Schaar,
Friedenskirche, Bad Cannstatt
Evangelical Students
Community Tübingen
07071 61928 Heidi Abe
English Vesper Service Tübingen
Sun 6 pm, during the university
semester, 07071 51475,
www.institut-urchristentum.org
Jewish Observance,
Learning & Meditation, Tübingen
07071 968590 Martin H. Potrop,
SPIRITSHUL@aol.com
St Columban’s Mission Karlsruhe
(Anglican) 0721 28379 (Fax also)
Rev. Dr. Hanns Engelhardt,
www.staugustines-wiesbaden.de/
karlsruhe.htm, St.Columban@gmx.de
Calvary Chapel Freiburg e.V.
Sports
0761 7071333 David Pham,
www.ccfreiburg.de
Anglican Church of Freiburg
0761 904693 Minister Rev Robin
Stockitt, Katharinenstraße 9,
www.anglicans-fr.org
English Church Heidelberg
Erlöserkirche, Plöck/Schießtorstraße
06221 804146
Movie Theaters
Movie
Corso, Stuttgart-Vaihingen
0711 734916, Hauptstraße 6,
www.corso-kino.de
CinemaxX Bosch-Areal, Stuttgart
0711 22007979, www.cinemaxx.de
Kommunales Kino Stuttgart
0711 221320, Friedrichstraße 23 A,
www.koki.de / filmhaus
Kommunales Kino Esslingen
0711 310595, Maille 5,
www.koki-es.de
Schauburg Filmtheater Karlsruhe
Marienstraße 16, www.schauburg.de
British Chamber
of Commerce
in Germany
Coming Events
StuttgarterAbend-Event with
Mr Erwin Staudt, President
VFB Stuttgart 1893 e.V.
Topic “VfB Stuttgart, the
underestimated economic
power in B-W“, Nov 11, 6 pm
BCCG / Ernst & Young
Seminar Topic “The English
Ltd. - Is the GmbH outdated?“
Nov 21, 5 - 8 pm
Internationales Unternehmer
Forum with State Secretary
Dr Horst Mehrländer, B-W
Ministry of Economics. Topic
“Public Private Partnership“
Dec 7, 18:30 pm
BCCG New Year’s Reception
with the former State Prime
Minister Erwin Teufel,
Jan 12, 6 pm
Visit www.bccg.de to sign-up for all events or
contact Ralf Steppat, Regional Committee
Chairman, 07032 918334, ralf.steppat@bccg.de
Scala Filmhaus Mühlacker
07041 3884, Bahnhofstraße 65
Kino-Center Weil der Stadt
07033 2241, Badtorstraße 21
CinemaxX Freiburg
0761 20281400, Bertholdstraße 50
Friedrichsbau-Lichtspiele
0761 36031, Kaiser-Joseph-
Straße 268
Sports
American Football Verband
Baden-Württemberg e.V.
0621 7624567 Andreas Stehle,
www.afv-bawue.de
Baden-Württembergischer
Baseball- und Softballverband
0711 705682 Jan van den Berg,
www.bw-baseball.de
Basketballverband
Baden-Württemberg e.V.
06224 975150 Roland Dopp,
www.bbwbasketball.net
Heidelberg International
Ski Club Charter
06221 767539 Margaret McGinley,
www.heidelbergski.com
Rugby Association
of Baden-Württemberg
0172 7384207 Jimmy Collins,
www.rugby-bw.de
Read accents guide on
www.accents-magazine.de
accents magazine

Money Matters
Germany needs more students
Germany doesn’t have a great track
record when it comes to numbers of
people entering post-secondary school
education.
Each year, only 37.5% of Germans who
could study at a college or a university
choose to do so. That’s well under the
average of 51% for other industrialised
countries. In view of the decreasing birth
rate and the increasing demands of indu-
stry for highly-qualified workers, it’s crucial
for Germany’s competitiveness in the
globalized economy that the talents of its
young people be fully utilised and that
more of them complete college or univer-
sity studies.
Studying, however, is not cheap. The
federal government estimates that a uni-
versity degree costs each student 40,000
euros, on average. The bulk of this amount
is taken up by a student’s day-to-day or
‘living’ expenses – accommodation, food
and so on. In Germany, it’s mostly a stu-
dent’s parents who cover these costs. And
none of these calculations include the cost
of tuition fees.
Christmas City
Stuttgart transformed
Every year during Advent Stuttgart trans-
forms itself into a twinkling Christmas
city. The Stuttgart Christmas Market,
with around 250 wonderfully decorated
stands, counts as among the biggest and
most beautiful of Europe’s Christmas
markets. The glittering lights, the scent
of Glühwein (hot, spiced wine) cinnamon
and vanilla, the concerts in the Renais-
sance courtyard of the Old Palace, the
wooden stands meticulously decorated
with angels, fir-tree branches and Christ-
mas-tree balls, and the “Fairy Tale Land”
accents magazine
At the start of this year, the Federal Con-
stitutional Court ruled that state govern-
ments now have the right to introduce fees
for anyone undertaking university study.
In light of the budgetary difficulties facing
Germany’s state governments, it’s only a
matter of time before public colleges and
universities introduce tuition fees. The
state will then be obliged to ensure that
these fees do not lead to more social
inequality and that post-secondary study
remains an option for children from low-
income families.
Banks can also demonstrate some social
responsibility in this regard. Many banks
haven’t even begun making – or are only
now drawing up – plans to deal with finan-
cing a college or university education. A
few banks in Germany (among them, SEB)
have already developed a model for finan-
cing the payment of tuition fees. “Study
now – pay later” is the central idea of a
“Study Financing” agreement. The bank
pays the balance of tuition fees (which
must be at least 2,500 euros) and the stu-
dent is required to pay only the interest
on the loan while they’re still studying.
in the Schlossplatz all create a magical
Christmas atmosphere and attract millions
of excited visitors to Stuttgart every year.
It runs this year from November 25 till
December 23 (10 am - 9 pm weekdays
and Saturdays, 11 am - 9 pm Sundays.)
Use a visit to the Christmas Market
to have a look at what else Stuttgart
has to offer at this time of the year.
The Staatsgalerie, for example, has a
wonderful exhibition “The Discovery of
Landscape – Masterworks of Dutch Art
of the 16th and 17th Centuries.” The
new Kunstmuseum presents “Retro-
spective of the Swiss Artist Max Bill.”
It includes more than 200 objects
from the artistic fields of architecture,
sculpture, design, painting and graphics.
Good to Know
Send your
comments and
questions to:
Günther Spieth,
Director,
SEB Bank Stuttgart.
Email:
Guenther.Spieth
@seb.de
Repayments begin only a year after the
completion of a diploma or degree. SEB,
for example, has already implemented this
financing model in co-operation agreements
with around 20 private universities and
colleges, ranging from colleges for physio-
therapy and make-up artistry to renowned
business schools.
Written by Günther Spieth, SEB Bank, for
accents magazine. With over five million
customers and 20,000 employees, SEB is
one of the biggest financial service provid-
ers in northern Europe. www.seb.de
Photos, from left to right: Christmas Market entrance, Kunstmuseum, Best Wines guide
A tip for wine lovers: on Sunday,
November 20, Stuttgart Marketing,
together with the city’s winemakers, is
hosting an exclusive tasting of quality
Stuttgart wines. The Stuttgart’s Best
Wines event takes place (11 am - 7 pm)
in the stately König Karl Hall of the Haus
der Wirtschaft – for the first time as part
of the Stuttgart Book Weeks. Tickets can
be pre-purchased at the “i-Punkt” for 13
euros, or on the day of the wine-tasting
at the Haus der Wirtschaft for 15 euros.
Tickets and info
Stuttgart-Marketing GmbH
Tourist Information ‘i-Punkt’
Königstraße 1A, 70173 Stuttgart
Tel 0711 2228-0, Fax 0711 2228-253
info@stuttgart-tourist.de
Good to Know 25
Labyrinth
Morning learners
Kindergarten and early schooling
Germany’s kindergarten and schooling
system can take some getting used to
if you’re a young parent from an English-
speaking country. The biggest adjust-
ment involves getting used to the hours.
German kids, it seems, are morning
learners who need a home-cooked lunch
and loads of free time in the afternoon.
Every child from the age of three has
a legal right to a place in a kindergarten.
Most kindergartens offer half-day care
(mornings until noon or shortly after.)
A place in an all-day child-care centre –
known as a Kindertagesstätte or Kita – is
not a legal right and is harder to find. (It’s
best to get a child placed on a waiting list
for a Kita soon after they’re born if both
parents want to keep working full time.)
Kindergartens and Kitas are run mostly
by city governments and churches, and
parents have to pay some of the costs. The
amount depends on the parents’ income.
Kitas provide a midday meal for children.
Kindergarten kids are meant to bring a
snack with them – there’s often no provi-
sion for serving lunch, as children are
picked up shortly after the middle of the
day. If you would like your child to become
How to really stand out in kindergarten
By Liz Gaiser
My first child, Alexander, was my guinea
pig for the dos and don’ts of German
kindergartens. His polyester glow-in-the-
dark Sponge Bob slippers made quite
an impression on the other children, but
not on the adults. In fact, they caused
a rebellion among the kids. Suddenly,
everyone in kindergarten wanted to get
rid of their pure-wool slippers and wear
cartoon-character footwear instead. The
American mother lost popularity points
that day.
The next problem involved getting
something decent to drink. Was it only
my son’s kindergarten that served fresh-
brewed fruit tea to kids? With no sugar?
My son was caught pouring his tea down
the drain and helping himself to a simple
glass of tap water. However, Germans
(apparently) don’t trust their tap water,
so the kindergarten (seemingly) solved
26 Labyrinth
integrated into German society, a kinder-
garten placement is probably the best way
to allow him or her to become more fluent
in German if they’ve largely grown up in an
English-speaking household.
Primary (or elementary) schooling gene-
rally begins when your child turns 6. There
are four years of primary school in Baden-
Württemberg. Your children will bring home
more homework than you’d expect from
schools in English-speaking countries –
maybe this is to compensate for them
getting off at midday or just after! If you,
as parents, need to work beyond normal
school hours, you’ll have to find what’s
known as a Hort or after-school child-care
in your local area.
Primary school becomes quite challeng-
ing and competitive in the third and fourth
years because afterwards – at just 10 years
of age – children in Baden-Württemberg
are streamed into a three-tiered high school
system based on their academic achieve-
ments. Despite accusations that a child’s
academic future is decided way too early
the system is not under any threat of being
toppled. Although a child can progress
from a ‘lower’ high school to the next to
eventually gain their Abitur (leaving certifi-
the problem by buying one of those ever-
popular soda machines with which you
carbonate the water yourself. Although,
isn’t soda-machine water technically just
tap water?
In American pre-schools you pack your
kid a few cookies or crackers for a snack.
I thought I was upping the nutritional
value by packing a Milchschnitte, which
contains chocolate. The commercial
does say it contains a full portion of milk.
However, it was suggested I make my
son a sandwich instead. I was eager to fit
in, especially after the slipper rebellion,
so I packed him a peanut butter-and-jelly
sandwich. Once again, the Americans
were the talk of the kindergarten. Peanut
butter was unusual enough but to put it
together with jelly (or jam, as non-Ameri-
cans call it) actually disgusted everyone.
So the next day I made my son a ham
sandwich. This time, the mayonnaise
and mustard dressing on the bread was
Photo: Chrys Rynearson
“What should I eat
now?“ Snack time
in kindergarten
requires tough deci-
sions.
cate) and thereby gain entry to university,
it doesn’t happen too often.
The good news is that education is free
to children of expatriates. Of course, clas-
ses are conducted in German. This is fine
for school beginners but becomes more
difficult as a child gets older. International
schools, in which the language of instruc-
tion is English, are an option for older child-
ren or for school-age children who are not
fluent in German.
the snack-time attraction. When I looked
at the other children’s snacks, I noticed
they all had whole-grain bread. I had been
using white toast-bread which, I admit,
has about as much nutritional value as
the plastic in Alexander’s slippers. But it
gets worse. All the other kids had air-
tight Tupperware containers. I was using
plastic wrap or tin-foil and putting it all in
a paper bag. A new one each day. And
this in a country with four different-colo-
red trash cans.
My second child started his first day
of kindergarten with top-of-the-line wool
slippers. And he had two Tupperware
containers. One with wedges of organi-
cally-grown apples and the other with
a whole-grain bread-and-butter sandwich.
Alas, most of the contents ended up in
the brown trash can at home, after kin-
dergarten. He wanted a peanut butter-
and-jelly sandwich instead. And a glass of
tap water.
accents magazine
My Two Cents
By Katharine A. Schmidt
Holidays? Vacation? A public holiday?
A bank holiday? Sometimes even native
English speakers get confused when they
hear these terms.
Generally, when Americans use the
expression “the holidays“ they’re talking
about the series of religious and cultural
celebrations, with corresponding days off,
stretching from the day after Thanksgiving,
at the end of November, until New Year’s
Day. Other English speakers use the term
“holidays” more broadly, to mean not only
designated days off work at Christmas,
Easter and so on, but also blocks of time
off work to go away somewhere. They “go
on holidays” to Spain or go on a “skiing
holiday.” Kids also have “school holidays.”
In contrast, Americans use the word “vaca-
tion,” to describe the idea of going away
somewhere or to denote a block of school-
free days (summer vacation, Christmas
vacation). And a bank holiday? This is what
Germans call a Feiertag. However, “bank
holiday” is really only used in Britain and
Ireland. Most other English speakers say
“public holiday.”
Some language purists grit their teeth at
the rather bland phrase “Happy Holidays.”
I can sympathize because the expression
does lack the essential good cheer asso-
ciated with saying, for example, “Merry
Christmas.” But the phrase does have
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