Archive of a selection of past events
Baking Bread, Spring 2022
Lecture by Prof. Albrecht Classen in March 2022
Student Showcase Spring 2019
Fall 2018 Dr. Michaela Grobbel Lecture
Spring 2018 Burcak Belli Lecture
Holocaust Survivor Eva Nathanson Gives a talk in the Spring of 2018
German Studies Info Session 2018
Scholarship Info Session 2017
German Studies Info Session, 2016
The German Studies Program organized the first German Studies Info Session in February 2016 to enable students to get information about the program, minor, study-abroad programs and scholarship opportunities in German speaking countries in a convenient “one-stop” event.
A Conversation with Curt Lowens, March 2015
As part of the special topics course “The Exile Experience,” the German Studies program organized an event where the USC campus community had the opportunity to meet with the Holocaust survivor Curt Lowens for a conversation & lecture.
Tear Down This Wall, 2014
On the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, the German Studies Program organized an outdoor screening of the documentary “Behind the Wall” including invited guest speakers from USC and the Wende Museum in Los Angeles.
Working in a Global Economy – A German Perspective on Cross-Cultural Understanding and Business Practices, 2014
“Change your language and you change your thoughts” —Karl Albrecht, Founder of ALDI & Trader Joes supermarket chain
No matter whether you find yourself working in business, politics, engineering, design, science, education or any other field, it is impossible to be a “citizen” of just one culture while ignoring the rest of the world. Part and parcel of the paradigm of the 21- century work environment are not only skills such as adaptability to constantly changing technologies – one of the key elements of a successful career is also to speak more than one language and the ability to successfully navigate in a multicultural society, in a global economy across different cultures and in a world in which all countries and its citizens are growing increasingly dependent on each other.
The German Studies Program at USC has invited experts from the German-speaking business world to talk about their experience as “bi-culturally fluent” members of the global economy. Leaders from companies such as Mercedes Benz, Bosch-Siemens Home Appliances, EuroVat Refund and the chairman of the German American Business Association in Southern California will not only share their insights with you but are also available for breakout sessions focusing on particular areas of interest (creative design & engineering and business) and Q&A.
EVENT LOCATION: University Club, Sriptorium Room
EVENT DATE: Thursday, November 6, 2014
Event Organizer & Moderator: Dr. Britta Bothe, USC German Studies Coordinator
Introductory Remarks: Dr. Bernd Fischer, Consul General of Germany
SPEAKERS:
Dr. Bernd Fischer, Consul General of Germany
Dr. Bernd Fischer is currently the Representative of the Federal Republic of Germany in Southern California and the states of Arizona, Colorado, Nevada and Utah. In his role as Consul General in Los Angeles he seeks to foster and deepen German-American relations and has lectured at prestigious universities on Germany’s reunification and the important role it plays in the European Union.
He holds a Doctorate in Philosophy from Heidelberg University and was a Fulbright fellow at the University of Arizona. Key posts of his Foreign Service career include German Ambassador to the Republic of Croatia, Head of the Economic Department at the Embassy in Washington, Deputy Ambassador in Tokyo and he served in the Permanent Mission of Germany to the United Nations in New York as well as various positions at the German Foreign Office headquarters in Bonn and Berlin.
Dr. Fischer also co-authored the German book “Zwischen Wilhelmstrasse und Bellevue: 500 Jahre Diplomatie in Berlin” in 1998, an overview of the history of foreign diplomacy in Berlin.
Philip Walter, Senior Vice President, BSH
Philipp Walter is a Senior Vice President at Bosch and Siemens Home Appliances in Irvine. Mr. Walter is since 2010 responsible for product development, manufacturing and marketing of dishwashers in North America. The products are sold under brands like Bosch, Thermador and Gaggenau.
From 1994-2000 Mr. Walter worked as a product manager at Rowenta Werke with several stays in Boston USA, Warzawa, Poland and Offenbach, Germany.
After joining BSH in 2000 he worked in various sales and marketing positions. He started as a national account sales manager for the Siemens brand after 3 years he got promoted to the head of the international marketing team for vacuum cleaners and irons. In this time he developed more than 20 new products, several products have received the iF design award and were recognized globally by several consumer test institute for outstanding performance. In his role he worked closely with all European countries, as well as with factory sites in Germany, Spain and China.
Mr. Walter earned his degree in International Marketing from the University (Berufsakademie) Mannheim.
Wolfram Doelker, Chairman, GABA
With 25 years experience in taking businesses global, his consulting practice focuses on start ups and market entry into the US and Europe. Services include business presence, market entry, start-up and project management, as well as temporary CEO, COO, CFO and business services.
Prior to founding WDE in 1998, he managed the successful globalization of a European based company from an $80 Mio business in 4 countries to a $400 Mio business in 19 countries. For 8 years based out of Europe and 7 years out of the US, he negotiated and successfully integrated over 20 acquisitions, started businesses from scratch, negotiated joint ventures, developed licensing and franchise programs and managed business units in Europe, Asia and North America.
As a certified banker, he started his career in banking and finance in Stuttgart, Germany and Chicago, IL
A graduate in Business Economics of the University of Saarbruecken, Germany, he earned his MBA from Union Graduate College in Schenectady, New York.
He served and serves on a number of corporate Boards of US subsidiaries, as Chairman of the German American Business Association of Southern California, Chairman of an Industry Association of Plastic Manufacturers in Germany, the Board of German American Schools, and the International Advisory Council of the Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation.
Christopher Rhoades, Chief Designer, Mercedes Benz Advanced Design
Mr. Rhoades currently holds the position as Chief Designer and Senior Design Manager in the Mercedes-Benz Advanced Design Center in Carlsbad, California.
He is a graduate of the University of Washington, Seattle, where he earned a BFA, Industrial design. Upon graduation, he continued his studies by attending Art Center College of Design, Pasadena. After a brief Internship with GM Design, Warren, Michigan, Chris graduated with honors earning a BS Transportation Design degree in 1987.
That same year, Mr. Rhoades was offered and accepted an opportunity to be one of the two founding automotive designers in the newly formed Mercedes-Benz Advanced Design Studio in Sindelfingen, Germany. He worked for 11 years in Germany on various show car and production vehicle programs.
In 1998, Christopher Rhoades accepted an offer to transfer to Daimler Trucks of North America to work as Senior Designer and Project Manager in the Freightliner commercial truck division located in Portland, Oregon. In these 6 years at Daimler Trucks, he was successful at contributing to both the exterior, as well as, the interior design for a number of production commercial vehicles. Most noticeable is the current Cascadia truck family where he was responsible for both the exterior and interior dashboard.
In 2004, Chris was appointed to Chief Designer and Assistant Manager in the Mercedes-Benz Advanced Design of North America studio located first in Irvine California, but then relocated to Carlsbad in 2008. He has lead teams of designers and clay modelers on various concept cars, as well as production vehicles. His current responsibilities include; Design, Project and Personnel Management, as well as, General Studio Operations.
Apart from his extensive 27 years working as an Automotive Designer with Mercedes- Benz, he enjoys spending time with his wife, Angelika and two daughters. He holds a private pilot’s license and is fluent in German.
Daniela Treptow, International Market Communications Analyst, Euro VAT
Daniela Treptow is the International/Market Communications Analyst at Euro VAT Refund, Inc., a leading U.S. financial services firm,specializing in assisting North American companies with Value Added Tax(VAT) refund collection, VAT registration and management when conductingbusiness in the European Union. Her responsibilities include marketing,communication with European embassies, consulates, trade and investment agencies, as well as U.S. companies who are involved in trade with the European Union.
She is on the board of the German American Business Association (GABA) of Southern California, and it’s Director of Seminars and Stammtisch. Daniela is also an active member of various other internationalorganizations and associations, including the British American Business Council (BABC), Meeting Professionals International (MPI), the Swedish Women’s Educational Association (SWEA), and the Valley International Trade Association (VITA).
Daniela earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Intercultural Communications from Pepperdine University, Malibu, California. She previously worked for Lufthansa and Thai Airways and holds an Airline Travel Certificate. Born and raised in Sweden by German parents, she is fluent in Swedish and German.
Teaching Internship at German Immersion School, April 2014
CONGRATULATIONS!!!
German Studies minor Katie Kelsh completed her 6-week teaching internship at the Goethe International Charter School.
In Memoriam Cornelius Schnauber 1939-2014
It is with great sadness that we share the news of the death of our colleague Emeritus Associate Professor Cornelius Schnauber. He died on February 21, 2014, two weeks after he suffered a heart attack.
Dr. Schnauber taught at the USC German department from 1968-2006 and was department chair from 1975-1984. He was a dedicated teacher who served as a Ph.D. advisor to many students and took delight in his role as an educator. Dr. Schnauber was also the director of the Max Kade Institute for Austrian-German-Swiss Studies, which he founded at USC in 1975 as the Max Kade German Center and which was expanded/renamed in 1984. At the Max Kade Institute, Dr. Schnauber organized “German Semesters“ and invited prominent authors from German-speaking countries, such as Peter Handke, Heiner Müller and Jurek Becker, who held seminars, lectures and workshops. In addition, Dr. Schnauber created a Swiss-writer in Residence program in the 1980’s, where for one semester each year a Swiss author worked with students. Among the writers were such well-known authors as Friedrich Dürrenmatt and Eugen Gomringer.
Dr. Cornelius Schnauber was an eminent scholar of the German exile community in Los Angeles and an advocate devoted to German-Jewish reconciliation, which prompted him to cofound the German Jewish Dialogue, a regular meeting place for conversations between members of the German and Jewish communities in Los Angeles.
He will be missed as a colleague and advocate for German Studies in Los Angeles.
Our thoughts are with Dr. Schnauber’s family and all those who knew and loved him.
Jack Arensmeyer, Britta Bothe, Gerhard Clausing, Eve Lee, Helga Schwarz
https://dornsife.usc.edu/news/stories/1642/in-memoriam-cornelius-schnauber-74/
German Studies X-mas Party at the Max Kade Institute, 2013
Scholarship Info Session, October 2013
The scholarship info session this year was a huge success. The room was too small to accomodate all the students who were interested in the information that the CBYX representative Anne Kaufman and the director of the DAAD office in San Francisco, Hannie Geist were disseminating.
German Currents Film Festival, October 2013
For the past 7 years, the American Cinematheque and the Goethe Institute, Los Angeles have co-presented a film festival with movies form German speaking countries. This year the opening night featured “Measuring the World” an adaptation of the successful novel by Daniel Kehlmann. USC German Club members were able to attend for free.
Teaching Internship at Goethe Charter School, May 2013
Congratulations!!! German Studies minor Ella Yan completed her 6-week internship at the German Immersion school in Marina del Rey.
The German Club organized an evening at a German restaurant in downtown L.A., April 2013
German Club Spätzle Night, May 2013
German Club members got together for the last event of the spring semester and cooked Spätzle.
Check out the Facebook album for more pictures!
Max Kade Open House, April 2013
The Max Kade Institute for German, Austrian and Swiss Studies officially re-opened after it was renovated last year. German Studes organisations from the L.A. area and USC participated in a fair at the institute and speakers from the German and Austrian consulate, campus community and music students were part of the program. Please read the following three online articles on the website of the German consulate, the Dornsife College and the Shoah Foundation. You can find more pictures on our German Studies Facebook page.
Involvement Fair, January 2013
Members of the German Studies Club participated in the Spring Involvement Fair advertising the activities of the club.
German Studies X-Mas Party, 2012
German Studies minor selected as delegate to healthcare conference November 2012
CONGRATULATIONS!!!!
German minor Terrence Liu is one of 12 selected delegation members of the Transatlantic Program – Young Technology Leaders, which is organized by the German American Chamber of Commerce in Chicago. The delegation will participate in a 8-day trip to Germany in November. This year’s focus is on Healthcare Delivery & Medical Technology.
Addendum: Upon his return, Terrence’ trip to Germany as a member of the delegation was featured in the Daily Trojan.
Internship at German Immersion School – October 2012
The German Studies Program has started an internship collaboration with the Goethe International Charter school in Culver City. German Studies minors have the opportunity to experience a “taste of teaching” during a six week internship at the immersion school. Margaret (M.E.)Purnell is the pioneer at the Marina Del Rey frontier. Congratulations M.E.!!!
USC Internship Coordinator Dr. Bothe, Principal Nancy Martorelli and intern M.E.Purnell
German Stammtisch Visit at the Feuchtwanger Archive October, 2012
German Studies Program Scholarship Info Session 2012
This year’s scholarship info session started with opening remarks by German deputy consul general Stefan Biedermann and proceeded with presenations by the representative of the CBYX program, Anne Kaufman and the director of the DAAD office in San Francisco Leslie Harlson.
DAAD INFO SESSION 2012
German Studies X-Mas Party, 2011
LECTURE with Vice Consul Eichhorn, October 2010:
In celebration of the 20-year anniversary of the German reunification, Deputy Vice Consul Marc Eichhorn was invited by the German Studies program to come to campus for a conversation about the economical aftermath of this momentous event in German history.
X-MAS PARTY, DECEMBER 2009:
GRILLFEST, MAY 2009:
German Studies Faculty: Dr. Lee, Dr. Arensmeyer, Dr. Bothe – Emeritus Professor Dr. Clausing and former administrator Helga Schwarz
X-MAS PARTY, DECEMBER, 2008
OCTOBER 2008:
After the closure of the USC Department of Germanic Languages and Literatures (2008) our adminstrator, Helga Schwarz leaves the program, which is now called German Studies Program
Grillfest 2007
