And so it came about that I began to write to this blog. Last weekend, Treffpunkt Manchester, I was delighted to attend the Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst (DAAD, German Academic Exchange Service) `alumni conference', marking the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall and exploring current opportunities for British-German collaboration in a changing world'.
Dr Christian Bode, Secretary General of the DAAD, addressing the conference.
Academics, diplomats, barristers and a wide range of other former DAAD students met at the Chancellors Hotel in Manchester from 11 to 13 September to the discuss the story of Germany and also that of the DAAD over the past 20 years. It was natural that the conference should focus on events in Berlin, from the fall of the Wall, through German reunification and the reinstallation of Berlin as capital city, to plans to commemorate recent German history there.
In fact, this emphasis on Berlin was very apposite for me, as I had recently seen my son off on a flight to Schönefeld where he was to join three fellow students on a charity cycle ride of some 1800 miles from Berlin to Istanbul.The trip was to raise funds for Camfed and for Teenage Cancer Trust. It would last for one month cross seven countries, climbing over two large mountain ranges and visiting four capital cities. Would that I might have accompanied the cyclists as driver of a team car! Details of the cycle ride can be found, together with photographs on Berlin to Istanbul blog
