Dear Members of the Yale Community in Germany,

We hope this finds you back in the groove after a summer of permissible fun with friends and family. We have lots going on this autumn, and we hope you can join us either in-person or virtually for one of the events.

Every single event below is made possible by the support of our community. While we do not have dues for our members, if you have donated this year, a huge thank you for making all of this possible. If you have not, we hope you might consider supporting our activities. We suggest a minimum of €20, but any amount helps us with costs like website hosting and email newsletters as well as travel and accommodation for our Munich Dialogues on Democracy guests. We are all volunteer, and all donations are tax-deductible in Germany. Thank you!

If you are on Facebook, consider joining our Yale Club of Germany group for updates. And don't hesitate to get in touch if you would like to host a spontaneous Yale Stammtisch in your city!

Boola Boola!
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DEMOCRACY RULES

HOW WE CAN REINVENT OUR SOCIAL CONTRACT

 

WE’RE BACK! Join us in-person for an evening in Munich.  Everyone knows that democracy is in trouble, but do we know what democracy actually is? In his latest work, political philosopher Jan-Werner Mueller, author of the widely acclaimed What Is Populism?, takes us back to basics. 

He explains how democracy is founded on three vital principles: liberty, equality, and also uncertainty. The latter, he argues, is crucial for ensuring democracy’s dynamic and creative character. Authoritarians, as well as Big Tech, seek to render politics (and individual citizens) predictable; democracy holds open the possibility that new ideas, movements and identities can be created.

Acknowledging fully the dangers posed by populism, by kleptocratic autocracies like Russia’s and by the digital authoritarianism of Xi, Mueller also challenges the assumptions made by many liberals defending democracy in recent years. He shows how the secession of plutocratic elites in the West has undermined much of democracy’s promise. In response, we need to re-invigorate our institutions, especially political parties and professional media, but also make it easier for citizens to mobilize. 

Taking on many of the most difficult political questions we face, this book is a vital rethinking of what democracy is, and how we can reinvent our social contract.

For German readers, the book was released by Suhrkamp Verlag as Freiheit, Gleichheit, Ungewissheit: Wie schafft man Demokratie? Prof. Mueller will be available to sign books after the event.

Thursday, September 30th, 7pm

Amerikahaus Munich

Karolinenplatz 3

80333 Munich

Admission is free. Registration is required: https://www.xing-events.com/janwernermueller.html

Not in Munich? Join us for the livestream here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9if0lDqCIgE
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TAUNUS WANDER TO THE ROTE MÜHLE

Sunday, October 17th, 3pm

Krister, our paleontologist alum, had a baby this year (congratulations!) and will lead us on a family-friendly/dog-friendly hike to and from the picturesque Rote Mühle (ca. 5 km on easy terrain).
We’ll meet on Sunday, Oct. 17, at ca. 3 p.m. in the “Breite Weg” parking lot (see GoogleMaps) off the B455 across from Rettershof (Kelkheim) and start our wander promptly at 3:15. If you do not have a car, I could take three people from the Eppstein Bahnhof (S2). Send me an email if you’d like a pickup (laura.sprague@aya.yale.edu).

Please RSVP by Oct. 15 so I know what size table to reserve at the Rote Mühle.
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DUSSELDORF FEB CLUB GATHERING

Friday, February 4th 2022, 6:30 - 10:00pm

It’s never too early to mark a Feb Club gathering on your calendar! Jens and Jan in Düsseldorf have organized a first-Friday-of-the-month meet-up at the Williams Bar in Düsseldorf. This is your opportunity to go on a road trip if you’ve never spent time in Düsseldorf. If you are from the Rhineland, definitely attend because you are a small group and it would be great for you to meet each other! Please RSVP: laura.sprague@aya.yale.edu
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IT'S THAT TIME OF YEAR AGAIN!

ALUMNI INTERVIEWS FOR ADMISSIONS

While we enjoy the last bits of summer, the Undergraduate Office of Admissions in New Haven is already gearing up for the upcoming admissions cycle.  Whether you are a seasoned interviewer or considering becoming one, all are welcome! 

As an alumni interviewer you both help shape the upcoming first-year class by providing the Admissions Office with first-hand information that helps personalize individual applicants while at the same time providing applicants with valuable insights into the unique opportunities that Yale provides.  Out of an abundance of caution, all interview for the 2021-22 admissions cycle will be conducted virtually.  (This means you can choose to interview for the ASC that serves the geographic location where you are physically located or choose to be a “Bulldog” interviewer who interview students from around the world, regardless of your physical location.). 

Alumni who interviewed in the last five years should have already received an email asking them to update their interviewing availability.  If you are new to interviewing, or missed the initial email it’s as easy as surfing to asc.yale.edu to join the ASC or update your profile.  The ASC has numerous online training and refresher sessions planned as well as a plethora of online resources.  If you have more questions, feel free to contact me at asc@yaleclub.de.  ~ Rebecca Haltzel-Haas
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YALIES INTERVIEWING YALIES

 

And finally, speaking of interviews, in our new feature "Yalies interviewing Yalies," Maria Kouneli has graciously offered to accept the baton and conduct an interview of another alum in Germany for a newsletter later this fall. Watch for it!
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The Yale Club of Germany e.V.

• http://www.yaleclub.de

• For up-to-date event information, join our Facebook group.

If you have event ideas, would like to get involved in club activites, let us know!

Interviews

The Yale Club is always looking for alumni to interview local high-school students who are applying to Yale College. If you would like to help out or learn more, please contact our ASC director, Rebecca Haltzel-Haas.

Yale Book Award

If you interested in presenting the Yale Book Award at a high school in your area, please contact the club board.

Contributions

The Club does not assess dues, but asks its members to make an modest annual contribution (€20 suggested, but any amount is welcome) to help fund Club activities such as the Yale Book Award.

To contribute, please arrange a bank transfer (Überweisung) to the following account and be sure to include your email address so we can send you your tax-deductible donation receipt:

Bank (Kreditinstitut des Begünstigten): n26 Bank
Payee (Begünstigter): Hans Christian Siller
IBAN: DE76 1001 1001 2621 3219 84
BIC (SWIFT): NTSBDEB1XXX

For any question regarding contributions, please contact our Treasurer, Hans Christian Siller.

Club Officers

PRESIDENT

Bartley Grosserichter (Yale College ’88)
Munich
bgrosserichter@aya.yale.edu

TREASURER

Hans Christian Siller (GSAS ’12)
Berlin
chris.siller@aya.yale.edu

SECRETARY

Alexander Schmitt Glaeser (LLM ’89)
Munich
aschmittgl@aol.com

ALUMNI SCHOOLS COMMITTEE

Rebecca Haltzel-Haas (Yale College ’90)
haltzel-haas@aya.yale.edu

DATA PROTECTION OFFICER

Jana Striezel (LLM ’02)
Wolfsburg
jana.corinna.striezel1@volkswagen.de