The German Blog

March Eurococktail in Dallas

2010-03-05T10:23:00Z

GACC North Texas Chapter
&
Co-Sponsoring Organizations:
The British American Commerce Association of DFW
Finnish American Business Guild
French-American Chamber of Commerce Dallas/Fort Worth
Italy America Chamber of Commerce of Texas, Inc
Swedish American Chamber of Commerce

Cordially invite you and a guest to attend our next

“Euro Cocktail”

An Informal Reception Where You Can:

Make Your Services & Special Products Known

Make New Business Contacts *

Exchange Corporate Literature & Business Cards

Thursday, March 11, 2010

6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Roche Bobois

5304 Alpha Road

Dallas, TX 75240

972.239.4430

Roche Bobois offers the most luxurious materials and leathers, with an unsurpassed level of creativity in fabrics, which brings their furniture to life through their designers and craftsmen. Each piece of Roche Bobois furniture has a unique character, inspired by multiple personalities: the personality of the creator who deisigned it, with his sense of talent and ingenuity; and the client's personal touch of freedom and creativity. You will find the Roche Bobois attention to the smallest details is what makes each piece of furniture unique; a mortise and tenon, the shine of the finish, the choice of material, or the piping on the upholstery...these are the signs of a labor of love and expertise. We invite you to visit their website www.roche-bobois.com .

RESERVATION FORM: “EURO COCKTAIL” – THURSDAY, MARCH 11,, 2010

PRICE: $20 per person MEMBERS, $25 per person NONMEMBERS

(Includes appetizers & 2 drink tickets for wine)

Please RSVP by returning this form to: GACC NTX Chapter, Attn: Traute H. Malhotra 12700 Preston Rd., Ste. 190, Dallas, TX 75230. Phone/Fax: (972) 437-5705 by Monday, March 8th , 2010 with your payment or via email to gacc@thmrealty.com. Please make check payable to GACC NTX. No cancellation accepted after March 8th, No-shows will be billed. Names held at the door.

Name:______________________________Company: ________________________

Guest(s):____________________________Company: ________________________

Please circle one:Amex/Visa/MC Amount: __________________________________

Credit Card #: ___________________________________Exp. Date: ____________

Name on Card:________________________________________________________

Signature: ___________________________________________________________

Telephone: _________________________

Traute H. Malhotra
GACC NTX Chapter President
972.437.5705
GACC@thmrealty.com www.gaccsouth.com

Company Showcase at Poggenpohl in Dallas, Texas

2010-03-05T09:51:00Z

and the GACC North Texas Chapter

Cordially invite you

to join us for a special company showcase

Thursday, March 25, 2010

6:00 pm to 8:00 pm

Poggenpohl Showroom
1804 Hi Line Drive

Dallas, TX 75207

(214) 572-9190 Ext. 13

Enjoy appetizers and wine

What makes Poggenpohl different is its ability to think afresh time and time again. And it is also a thread running through the company's entire history. Founded over 110 years ago as the first German kitchen brand, Poggenpohl is now the best known kitchen brand in the world – present in more than 70 countries around the globe. The history of fitted kitchens is indelibly linked to the name Poggenpohl. Worldwide, the name is synonymous with the claim of exclusive, individual kitchens and first-class quality in every detail.

Discover the company and the people behind the brand.

GACC and YEC Members: Free

Non-Members: $ 15.00 (to be paid at the door)
no-shows will be charged

RSVP required by March 22nd, 2010

Traute H. Malhotra, Director GACC

email: mhtml:{3B1E6665-FEAE-466A-A72E-B68FEB3A5565}mid://00000317/!x-usc:mailto:Traute@thmrealty.com

Traute H. Malhotra
GACC NTX Chapter President
972.437.5705
GACC@thmrealty.com www.gaccsouth.com

ALDI opens stores in the Dallas/Fort Worth area

2010-02-01T20:46:00Z

ALDI will open locations the following locations in the Dallas
and Fort Worth area in 2010

March 18th, 2010

3632 Frankford Road, Suite 200C, Dallas, Texas 75287

3635 Gus Thomasson Road, Mesquite, Texas 75150

6951 Preston Road, Frisco, Texas 75034

1628 Precinct Line Road, Hurst, Texas 76054

1601 W. Northwest Highway, Garland, Texas 75041

7440 McCart Avenue, Fort Worth, Texas 76133

700 Alta Mere, Fort Worth, Texas 76116

5728 North Tarrant Parkway, Fort Worth, Texas 76137

5617 S. Hulen Street, Fort Worth, Texas 76132

8034 Chrysalis Drive, Dallas, Texas 75237

2417 W. Park Row Boulevard, Pantego, Texas 76013

April 15th, 2010

13548 Preston Road, Dallas, Texas 75240

5828 Abrams Road, Dallas, Texas 75214

4120 Gaston Avenue, Dallas, Texas 75246

2926 N. Belt Line Road, Irving, Texas 75062

424 E. Pioneer Parkway, Grand Prairie, Texas 75051

April 22nd, 2010:

2400 K Avenue, Plano, Texas 75074

3500 Lakeview Parkway, Rowlett, Texas 75088

1549 E. Belt Line Road, Richardson, Texas 75081

9660 Legacy Drive, Fort Worth, Texas 76108

May 13, 2010:

3108 Matlock Road, Mansfield, Texas 76063

2926 Buckner Boulevard, Dallas, Texas 75227

3044 Old Denton, Carrollton, Texas 75007

1518 Buckingham Road, Garland, Texas 75042

9779 Forest Lane, Suite 200C, Dallas, Texas 75243

2440 W, Illinois Avenue, Dallas, Texas 75233

1201 W. Airport Freeway, Euless, Texas 76040

German movie "The white ribbon" shown in Dallas

2010-02-01T20:33:00Z

2010 GOLDEN GLOBE® WINNER Michael Haneke (CACHE, FUNNY GAMES, THE PIANO PLAYER) directs this Cannes runaway favorite, a piece called “imacutlatey crafted” (Variety), “stunningly photographed and deliberately paced” (The Hollywood Reporter).

Shot in gorgeous black and white, THE WHITE RIBBON, through a host of mysterious accidents which gradually takes on the character of a punishment ritual, captures the tension and uncertainty of a small German village on the eve of World War I. THE WHITE RIBBON took three awards at Cannes this year, including the coveted Golden Palm.

Awards Winner: Golden Palm - Cannes Film Festival, 2010 GOLDEN GLOBE® WINNER

Language German (with English subtitles)

More info:

http://www.angelikafilmcenter.com/angelika_comingSoon.asp?hID=7915&page=Coming Soon

Starting Feb 5, 2010

Angelika Film Center & Café
Mockingbird Station
5321 East Mockingbird Lane
Dallas, TX 75206
214-841-4713

German Teacher needed in Dallas

2010-01-26T21:42:00Z

" OneWorld Language solutions is looking for a German teacher to work with our client in Coppell.

Our client works for Delta and has to pass a test in April and she is looking to take classes once or twice a week until April.

She is an advanced German speaker who needs to polish up on her skills before the test, Because of her job her schedule is hectic and she would need someone who is flexible with the days and times they meet. Most weeks she would like to meet on Mondays. She is interested in starting right away.

We are looking for someone who is a native German speaker and has several years teaching experience with adults.

Please send your resume to kenza@oneworldlanguage.com."

4th Annual Holiday and Member Appreciation Event of the German American Chamber of Commerce in Dallas, Texas

2009-12-08T19:49:00Z

The Recipe for a Successful Evening – Take a pinch of Italian delicacies, mix them carefully with an outstanding selection of Texan wines and add a coup of Dallas history. Mix these ingredients and you will have the 4^th Annual Holiday and Member Appreciation Event of the German American Chamber of Commerce - North Texas Chapter. No preheating necessary.

This year’s event took place at Swirrl Winery which is located in the historic Davis building in downtown Dallas. The 20 story building was constructed as home to the Republic National Bank in 1925 and was an early building for Texas Instruments. Larry Hamilton, the building's owner and the man responsible for copious downtown make overs, offered guests a tour of the hip lofts and the roof top terrace with its beautiful view of the Dallas skyline.

Thanks to Jimmy’s Food Store the members of the GACC North Texas Chapter and The Young Executive Committee enjoyed a delicious buffet with Italian classics like Mozzarella Caprese, a selected variety of Italian Salami and cheeses. The perfect ending to a perfect night was the bottle, cork and cap wine that Swirll exclusively made for the event and a sample of German ginger bread packed in a traditional German nut cracker shaped metal box sponsored by the German Deli. Guests also had the chance to win Dallas Star tickets drawing compliments of Eugene Flynn, attorney and counselor at law. The lucky winner was Jens Mueller.

“I wish all GACC North Texas Chapter members, friends and their families a wonderful Holiday Season and a successful 2010”, says Traute Malhotra, Director of the GACC North Texas Chapter. “I am also proud to announce that we can donate a new printer to the German International School of Dallas as a Christmas present.”

Chase Bank wants to support charitable organizations

2009-12-07T00:48:00Z

Chase Bank wants to support charitable organizations.

Please vote for
the Dallas Goethe Center on facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/tos.php?api_key=2a27719bdff95d4759c4fd201c4e9c92&next=http%3A%2F%2Fapps.facebook.com%2Fchasecommunitygiving%2Fcharities%2F333661%3Fsrc%3Dembedhttp%253A%252F%252Fa0.chase.contextoptional.com%252Fimages%252Fvote_for_us.jpg%253F1259891727&v=1.0

Dallas wants to bring back the FIFA World Cup in either 2018 or 2022 - Please vote!

2009-12-06T15:59:00Z

SOCCER!

The Dallas Goethe Center has received an appeal for support from Tom Leppert, the Mayor of Dallas, in its effort in bringing back the World Cup.

“Friends:

We need your help.

Dallas wants to bring back the FIFA World Cup in either 2018 or 2022! You may remember the excitement when the Cotton Bowl last hosted World Cup Soccer in 1994, and we want to welcome the world’s most popular game back again!

The Dallas bid — which currently includes both the Cotton Bowl and Cowboys Stadium — is already a finalist to be a part

of the official USA Bid. One factor is public support. We could really use your vote in an online poll.

For more information and to cast your vote in support, go straight

to

www.gousabid.com/Dallas
sign the online petition and show your support!”

Thanks for your help,

Tom Leppert, Mayor of Dallas

Elektronische Erfassung der Auslandsdeutschen - Nachricht vom Konsulat in Houston

2009-11-20T19:46:00Z

Liebe Landsleute,

ich möchte Sie auf diesem Wege über die elektronische Deutschenliste ELEFAND (Elektronische Erfassung der Auslandsdeutschen) in Kenntnis setzen. Alle Deutschen, die - auch nur vorübergehend - im Ausland leben, können in eine
Krisenvorsorgeliste gemäß § 6 Abs. 3 des deutschen Konsulargesetzes aufgenommen werden.

Es handelt sich hierbei um eine freiwillige Maßnahme. Die Botschaft und die Generalkonsulate raten, von dieser Möglichkeit Gebrauch zu machen, damit - falls erforderlich - in Krisen- und sonstigen Ausnahmesituationen schnell Verbindung mit Ihnen aufgenommen werden kann.

Die Aufnahme in die Krisenvorsorgeliste erfolgt ab sofort passwortgeschützt im online-Verfahren. Die elektronische Registrierung soll die bisher manuell geführte Krisenvorsorgeliste der Botschaft und der Generalkonsulate
ersetzen. Wir bitten Sie daher, Ihre Daten möglichst bald über das Internet einzugeben, auch wenn Sie bisher schon registriert waren.

Zur Registrierung gehen Sie bitte auf folgende Website:

https://service.diplo.de/elefand/registration.do

Sie werden künftig automatisch in regelmäßigen Abständen aufgefordert werden, Ihre Angaben zu bestätigen bzw. zu aktualisieren. Damit sollen Vollständigkeit und Aktualität der Registrierungen im Sinne einer wirksamen Krisenvorsorge und --bewältigung sichergestellt werden.

Bitte beantworten Sie die Ihnen automatisch zugehenden Aufforderungen deshalb im eigenen Interesse.

Falls Sie Fragen zu ELEFAND haben sollten, können Sie sich jederzeit Kai-Uwe Spicher in Verbindung setzen.

Kai-Uwe Spicher

Deputy Consul General
Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany
1330 Post Oak Blvd., Suite 1850
Houston, TX 77056-3018, USA
Tel.: (001) 713-627-7770 (front desk)
Fax: (001) 713-627-0506
Email: Vw-1@hous.diplo.de
Website: www.houston.diplo.de

Precision. Motion. Style. - www.Germany.info

Work life in Germany is so hard - Germans work 86 % as much as Americans

2009-11-11T16:07:00Z

Life in Germany is hard, so Germans don’t have the energy to work as much as Americans. Even German professionals punch the clock to track their time spent at work down to the minute. The concept of flex time is nearly universal in Germany as is the constant complaining by every German employee that they have so many overtime hours that they don’t know how to get rid of. It is such a burden to them knowing that they are needed by their employers yet owed more time off, because their 30 days of vacation and multitude of holidays a year just aren’t enough, when they work a little longer on the few days a year that they actually go to the office.

When the stress of trying to take care of their own leisure time needs and work place demands simultaneously gets to be too much, Germans go to a doctor to get prescribed a six week Kur, a sort of health spa retreat, where they can enjoy the benefit of having their health insurance pay for the all-inclusive resort, and their employer paying them their full salary for learning horseback riding and cooking. The best part for Germans is that these count as sick days and don’t take away any of their thirty days of vacation.

Germans are delicate and need lots of time to erholen, to sort of rejuvenate, and they need at least one vacation a year with 3 consecutive weeks to properly recoup. This is best done in a sunny place like Greece, Turkey, Spain, or Portugal. In America we tell each other to have fun on vacation, Germans command each other to erholen themselves well.

Germans don’t make very many babies, but the ones who do are well rewarded for leaving their employers in a precarious position. Whether they are male or female, Germans can take maternity or paternity leave for up to three years and their employers must hold a place for them, so they can waltz back into corporate life right where they left off. These poor workers can still complain though that they unfairly have to start back where they left off, having missed out on 3 years of raises and promotion opportunities.

Source: http://nothingforungood.com/2008/11/23/germans-work-86-as-much-as-americans/

German Language Film “Barroco” shows in Dallas

2009-10-30T14:52:00Z

Sunday, November 15, 2:30 p.m.

Dallas Museum of Art, 1717 North Harwood, Dallas, TX 75201

Barroco is a journey, from the hills of eastern Bolivia, Paraguay and Argentina, past the Iguaçu Falls and through Rio de Janeiro’s old town to Minas Gerais in Brazil. A quest to find the roots of a continent’s cultural identity – Latin American baroque. This is not a search for the well-known, authentic monuments of indigenous culture, not Aztecs, Mayas or Incas, but rather the cultural traces of daily survival between religion and the modern world, decaying ruins, magnificent state buildings and squalid shanty towns.

Barroco explores how art, architecture and music address the contemporary gulf between poverty and progress, jungle and city, and the historical struggle to reconcile the native Indian population, European conquistadors and African slaves. In a series of spectacular images, Heinz Peter Schwerfel, art critic, award-winning filmmaker and author of a literary portrait of Buenos Aires, tells of the origins and remnants of the first model of a multicultural society.

This society was made possible by a unique phenomenon which has remained controversial to this day – the Italian and Spanish philosophical and religious vision of the unity of the self and the world, spirit and reason, the psyche and the mind, which conquered Latin America in the 17th century and still influences culture and life there today.

Director: Heinz Peter Schwerfel, 95 min., color, 2008

German Town in Texas for Sale! Not a joke :-)

2009-10-27T20:57:00Z

German Town in Texas for Sale

Click on both links for more information.

http://www.alberttexas.com/home/

The Bader Meinhoff Complex now playing in the Angelica theatre in Dallas, Texas

2009-10-18T20:44:00Z

About The Film

Synopsis

Germany 1967. The children of the Nazi generation have grown up in the devastation their parents created. They vowed fascism would never rule again. In their fight for freedom they lost themselves in the cause and ignited a revolution around the world.

Meet the original faces of terrorism, the Baader Meinhof Group, in this Academy Award and Golden Globe nominated film based on the true story of the Red Army Faction.

Directed by Uli Edel (LAST EXIT TO BROOKLYN). Produced by Bernd Eichinger (LAST EXIT TO BROOKLYN and DOWNFALL).

See the trailer:

www.badermeinhoff.com

No playing in the Angelica film theatre in Dallas, Texas. http://www.angelikafilmcenter.com/angelika_index.asp?hID=7915

Texas schools saying auf Wiedersehen to German programs

2009-10-14T12:21:00Z

By JESSICA MEYERS / The Dallas Morning News
jmeyers@dallasnews.com

Posters of snow-capped castles, Oktoberfest revelry and Albert Einstein decorate the walls of Claudia Keller's classroom in Frisco. She's only missing students. Six attend her AP German class, the only one in the school district.

Across the country, German is sputtering next to its garrulous Spanish competitor, and now Mandarin is grabbing the spotlight.

Even in Texas, a state once known for its meat-and-potatoes heritage and annual polka festivals, German's lost the love.

The battle of the tongues is tight. Foreign languages remain a low priority among American students, who start later and study fewer years than counterparts in many other countries. Teachers blame this language loss on budget constraints and a heavier focus on core subjects such as science and math.

But they also point to a societal crutch: Students know they can always rely on English. This leaves German teachers trying to prove that languages have value and that German is still worth it.

"These days we're just happy when kids are taking any language," said Helene Zimmer-Loew, executive director of the American Association of Teachers of German. "It's pitiful. And I have a feeling German might be one of the losers."

National membership in the group has dropped by 2,000 in a little more than a decade, she said. Hawaii is down to five members.

About 200 students study German in Frisco ISD, compared with more than 3,000 enrolled in Spanish classes. It's the least-celebrated language in the district, behind even American Sign Language. It also has the smallest enrollment in Richardson, where Japanese and Latin are more popular. Highland Park and Lovejoy ISD have dropped their German programs and taken up Mandarin instead.

Shrinking numbers

This collective disinterest had the opposite effect on Frisco High School senior Chase Porter, a student in Keller's AP class. "Everybody else takes Spanish," he said, "so I went for German."

Porter is one of a handful of students who study a language throughout high school. Texas students are required to take only two years of foreign language, and in many area schools, at least half don't continue.

That mirrors the rest of the country. Nationwide, less than half of students take foreign languages in public high school, according to the most recent report from the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages. The percentage of students enrolled in these classes has crept up just 2.5 percentage points since 1990.

The numbers are flipped in Europe. About 60 percent of high school students in the European Union studied at least two foreign languages in 2007, according to Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Communities. Only 6 percent didn't study at least one.

"There just doesn't seem to be as much of a push here to find and embrace solutions to language deficits," said Steve Ackley, a spokesman for the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages. "There's a lot of lip service but languages are not being translated into things schools are graded on."

Beverly LeMaster, a retired German teacher who taught in North Texas for 30 years, said that mentality plays almost as significant a role in marginalizing language classes as funding does.

"Part of it is good old American arrogance," she said. "Haven't you heard, 'I don't need to learn another language; everyone speaks English?' "

The educational structures in place reinforce that notion, LeMaster said.

"We're not immersing them at an early age, and we're teaching them one hour a day," she said. "By the end of two years, it's impossible to have any fluency."

German's suffering even more because it can no longer draw on the intrigue of ancestral ties or frequent exchange programs, said Gray Westmoreland, president of the Texas German Society and a former German teacher in Yoakum, Texas.

"Young people just don't seem to be interested in cultural heritage," he said. "It's a real pitfall in teaching this language."

Influence on Texas

The German influence in Texas stretches back to the 19th century, when job opportunities and open land brought thousands to Central Texas. The community expanded, leaving legacies like the town of New Braunfels and Shiner beer. More than 2.7 million Texans claim German ancestry, according to the 2008 American Community Survey done by the Census Bureau. More than 112,000 Collin County residents report German heritage, nearly 15 percent of the population.

Backlash from the World Wars silenced a number of German speakers, but German language study gained popularity again as a result of the Cold War. Texas became a prime location for military bases as did Germany, where many American soldiers landed at some point in their careers. And military children like Kevin Lariscy returned to Texas hoping to continue their language study.

He remembers full classes at Lamar High School in Arlington in the late 1980s. Almost two decades later, he struggles to speak more than a few pleasantries – even though he lives in New Braunfels, with one of the oldest German communities in Texas.

"There is definitely an influx of other cultures watering down the tradition," he said, adding that taquerias now outnumber delis.

A reshaped ethnic landscape doesn't mean German shouldn't still get credit in public high schools, said Frisco's Keller as she joked with her small batch of students about pronoun placement.

She points out that Germany is the world's biggest exporter and Europe's largest economy. It's a leader in research and high-tech products. German tourists are the largest spenders of vacation money in the world. And its lively punk and metal music scene spawned a generation of imitators.

Foreign languages, she said, "open us to different cultures so that not everything is Texas, America."

Then she smiled and gave a courtesy nod. One student had just roared from across the room: "No English!"

Best German Restaurant in America title goes to Bavarian Grill of Plano, Texas

2009-10-04T18:12:00Z

“Best German Restaurant in America” title goes to Bavarian Grill of Plano, Texas.

Over 400 German restaurants, located throughout the United States participated in this first year of the search for the “Best German Restaurant in America”. Bavarian Grill, located in Plano, Texas, near Dallas – Fort Worth garnered almost one third of all the validated votes cast during the two-month online voting period. They also received the majority of positive judging forms from “undercover judges”, and the restaurant scored well with teams of expert judges who dined incognito at the highest scoring German restaurants. Health Department inspections were also reviewed to confirm a consistent “A” rating for the restaurant. The goal of the annual competition, according to Inga Bowyer, president of GermanDeli.com, is to recognize German restaurants that serve up a truly ethnic experience.

“Millions of US citizens trace their ancestry back to Germany. It’s only fitting that we celebrate restaurants that connect us with that heritage,” said Bowyer, who was born in Germany and whose online German food store hosted the contest. After scoring highest among all German restaurants in Texas in the ZAGAT Surveys® 2006, 2007, and 2008, and being voted #1 Ethnic Food by the Plano Star Courier’s Choice Award in 2008 and 2009, the latest recognition is their biggest yet, according to Juergen Mahneke, who along with wife, Elke, has been welcoming guests since 1993.

After receiving the great news Mr. Mahneke said: “My team and I thank all of our loyal, passionate guests who support us not only with regular visits, but also their votes.. And thanks also to our entire team who work hard so that our guests leave smiling, and want to return with their friends soon.” According to Bowyer, Bavarian Grill’s classic German entrees like schnitzel, sauerbraten, bratwurst, and roasted ham hock are complimented by a selection of over 50 different imported German beers. “They top it all off with nightly live music with a distinctly Bavarian vibe. We like their sense of fun, which is not only visible during this Oktoberfest time, but all year long,“ said Bowyer, who will present the award to Bavarian Grill on October 14 along with representatives of competition co-sponsors, Spaten and Franziskaner Breweries, and telecommunications company, Telna.

Reference:

http://www.BestGermanRestaurant.com
http://www.GermanDeli.com/top20.html

http://www.BavarianGrill.com

Contact Inga Bowyer at 817-905-7668 or Inga@GermanDeli.com
Contact Juergen Mahneke at 972-881-0705 or bavarian@bavariangrill.com

Did you know that Bad Koenigshofen in Germany is the sister city of Arlington Texas?

2009-09-11T14:58:00Z

Bad Koenigshofen is the sister city of Arlington, Texas

Bad Koenigshofen, a town with 6,949 inhabitants, is located in the northern part of the state of Bavaria and is about a hundred-mile drive east and slightly north of Frankfurt/Main.

The town has a long history, dating back over 1250 years to the year 741. In 1896 mineral springs were discovered in the town, but in those first years the healing properties of the water became known only to the local people.

It would be many years before the full development of health resort facilities there, leading to the change in name from Königshofen to Bad Königshofen in 1974.

More info: http://www.ci.arlington.tx.us/sistercity/index.html

New German International School (Kindergarten) in Dallas now open!

2009-09-02T14:21:00Z

Young children can acquire native-like fluency as easily as they learned to walk. Where adults have to work through an established first-language system, studying explicit grammar rules and practicing rote drills, the young kids learn naturally, absorbing the sounds, structures, intonation patterns and rules of a second language intuitively, as they did their mother tongue. Benefiting from these skills and encouraging children in the age from 1 to 5 years to learn a second language – this is the goal of the first German International School in Dallas that just had its grand opening.

“Our purpose is to provide an environment with comprehensive programs where the children may better develop their learning and physical skills before formally entering the school system”, says Charlotte von Engelbrechten, Principal of the school. “Two years ago I started realizing my idea”, she remembers, “and with the help of the German community here in Dallas we were able to finish the project just in time to open for the school season 2009/2010. It was such a joy to see how many people were willing to support me building this school. Traute Malhotra, the director of the German American chamber of commerce NTX, helped us finding the right facility in the right location. Thanks a lot also to Nici Bremer, the treasurer of our school. She and her husband Andreas committed a lot of their free time helping us to getting the school up and running.

” Mr. Roland Herrmann, General Consul of the Federal Republic of Germany was the guest of honor at the opening event. “I just moved to Houston a few weeks ago and when I heard that there will be an opening of a German school in Dallas, I was more than willing to come to that event”, he says. “It is important that we further establish the German community in Dallas and a German school is an integral part of that community.

” In her opening speech, Charlotte also emphasized the international and multicultural aspect of the school. “The children who visit our school come from various cultural backgrounds. We have an Indonesian couple who met in Germany. So they want their daughter to learn German. We have German parents who want their children to practice their mother tongue, and we have American families who may have German ancestors and want their children to connect with their roots.” In a time where globalization expects us to create a greater intercultural appreciation and sensitivity - more than ever before – learning a second language helps us expanding our world view and gives our children a competitive edge in future markets and the global marketplace.

From left:
Traute Malhotra (President German/American Chamber of Commerce NTX), Charlotte von Engelbrechten (Principal of German Intl. School) and her husband Malte, Roland Herrmann, General Consul of the Federal Republic of Germany, Karl Ziebarth (President Dallas Goethe Center) and Andreas Bremer (Board Member of German Intl. School)

You want more information about the German International School in Dallas?

http://www.german-isd.com/German_School/Welcome.html

Fall at the beautiful Dallas Arboretum at White Rock lake

2009-09-01T13:22:00Z

Don't miss the gorgious colors and varieties of beautiful fall plants at the Dallas arboretum this Fall. The Dallas arboretum is a great outdoor venue for families and children to enjoy the upcoming cooler days in Dallas.

More info: http://www.dallasarboretum.org

Pictures YECnetting August 26, 09 Cool River, Irving Texas

2009-08-31T14:57:00Z

Dallas Goethe Center

2009-08-24T19:24:00Z

The Dallas Goethe Center offers German Language School for Adults and Children

@ Dallas: Harwood & Young Every Saturday 10am- 12pm Adults & Children age 4-15

@ Richardson: Arapaho & Meadowcreek Every Saturday, 1:30-4pm Children only, age 4-18

While children are taught in a playful manner, teaching plans prepare them to take and pass high school exams for high school credits.

The ultimate goal is to pass the Deutsches Sprachdiplom (DSD) which allows them to enter universities in German speaking countries without taking required language preparatory courses.

· At present, German universities charge no or very little tuition · This school (established in 1989, is part of the Dallas Goethe Center · Classes are kept to a maximum of ten students ·

Experienced instructors are native Germans with teaching degrees from US or German universities For information go to www. DallasGoetheCenter.org or call 972.416.3421