The German Symposium - LSESU German Society

6
German Symposium 2002
President’s Memories
Proud of being German? Some of us had struggled
with our national identity all our lives. Different
cultures were passionately embraced; the less
one was considered to be German, the better.
Studying in an international environment such as LSE changed
perceptions. Being able to compare our country to others made
us see its achievements in a different light: our modern social
market economy, our democracy, our two-thousand year old
history, our rich traditions and culture. In the course of these
reflections we discovered that – while most countries were
well represented through very active country societies – the
German Society did not have even 50 members, despite the
fact that there were hundreds of German students at LSE and
many more who studied our language and history. Our vision
for the German Symposium (then still called ”German Week”)
emerged: to clear up some of the misconceptions about Germany
by highlighting its diversity through speaker events, discussion
panels, film screenings and a party, all over the course of one
week. We aimed to create an interest in our country by fostering
a lively debate between students and academics alike.
It was a difficult start for the eight of us. As this was the
first German Symposium, we were not able to refer back to
any prior speakers. Neither staff nor fellow students were
convinced that the venture would become a success. Some
speakers cancelled on short notice and, with a budget of
only £500, we were not able to offer travel reimbursement.
Therefore, trying to convince guest speakers to believe
in and participate in our vision was a great challenge.
I still remember the evening Thomas Gottschalk called. Rushing
to the phone in my pajamas, I was convinced that a friend was
playing a prank on me by mimicking Mr Gottschalk’s voice.
Relaxing on the sofa, I greeted him in an overly flamboyant
manner. He voiced his interest in coming to our event and
eventually inquired very politely, “As this is the normal procedure
when I’m asked to speak somewhere, will you be able to pay for
my speech?” In mock seriousness I replied “But of course not,
Mr Gottschalk, we are a poor student society.” He inquired
further: “What about my travel expenses?” I firmly replied: “Again,
sorry Mr Gottschalk, but there is nothing we can do.” He seemed
surprised and asked, laughingly: “Oh, so one has to feel honoured
to be invited to speak at LSE for free?” “Yes, Mr Gottschalk, you
should consider yourself very lucky”, I replied, still convinced I
was actually talking to my friend. Baffled, he said: “OK, then... I’ll
attend.” By the end of our conversation I suddenly realised that
I had been speaking to the real Gottschalk – I sat up in horror
and surprise, just managing to stammer a grateful goodbye.
From then on everything went smoothly. During a fantastic
opening event with more than 500 excited students, Gottschalk
clearly proved that we Krauts can have a wonderful sense of
humour – his modesty and charm will not be forgotten. The
speeches and debates during the week were enlightening
for all of us. Some speakers like Willy Bogner and Professor
Simson cordially invited us to a dinner after their events. Apart
from our generous sponsor BASF, the Prince of Bavaria sent
us 600 Litres of Bavarian beer to guarantee an unforgettable
Oktoberfest Party in the Underground bar. There were
even moments of historic magnitude in our lecture theatres
– when Konrad Adenauer missed his flight and had to dial
in for a debate, his voice, crackling through the phone,
sounded as if his grandfather had risen from the dead.
All in all, I am proud that what we started has become
a regular and appreciated fixture on the LSE academic
calendar. And I am also grateful to my successors who
have taken the idea further and established the German
Symposium as the most successful student event at the LSE.
Nicola von Hoenbroech (born Kammer)