August 2024

AGP German Business Committee to Host German American Chamber of Commerce South CEO & President Matthias Hoffmann

The AGP German Business Committee will be hosting Matthias Hoffmann, CEO & President of the German American Chamber of Commerce (GACC) South.

The meeting will take place this upcoming Thursday at BLG Logistics in Northport, AL. The committee will receive updates on the current German and American business climate, union activities in the South, and other topics.

The German Business Committee (GBC) is composed of leaders from German companies with varying levels of experience in Alabama.

Email the AGP Office if interested in attending. Deadline to sign up for meeting is Tuesday, August 6.

AGP Stammtisch in Birmingham

Come out to network at our monthly "Stammtisch". This is a great opportunity for German expats to meet and for other German-speaking/practicing to improve their German. Speaking German is encouraged but not required.

What does "Stammtisch" mean? A Stammtisch is an informal group meeting held on a regular basis, and also the usually large table around which the group meets. A Stammtisch is not a structured meeting, but rather a friendly and casual get-together.

Wednesday, August 14, 2024

5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Cahaba Brewing Company

Birmingham



AGP Golf Tournament - A Swing for German Language Education

We are excited to host our second golf tournament. Please join us for a day of networking and a swing for German language education on the beautiful Valley course at the RTJ Golf Trail of Oxmoor Valley in Birmingham. All proceeds goes to the AGP Educational Fund to support the teachers and students of the German language education.

Four-person scramble that can be entered as a team or individual. Reserve your spot today!

Don't play? No problem; plenty of opportunities to sponsor.

Friday, November 1, 2024

7:15 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. (shotgun start at 8:30 a.m.)

RTJ Golf Trail of Oxmoor Valley

Birmingham

Registration fee includes green fee, cart fee, range balls, tournament scoring, breakfast and lunch; and the opportunity to bring home an award and/or prizes. Tournament is LIMITED to 72 Golfers!

Dankeschön to our PATRON Members:

2024 UEFA European Football Championship

The 2024 UEFA European Football Championship, commonly referred to as UEFA Euro 2024, was the 17th UEFA European Championship, the quadrennial international football championship organized by UEFA for the European men's national teams of their member associations. Germany hosted the tournament, which took place from 14 June to 14 July 2024. The tournament involved 24 teams.

It was the third time that European Championship matches were played on German territory, and the second time in reunified Germany, as West Germany hosted the 1988 tournament, and four matches of the multi-national Euro 2020 were played in Munich. It was the first time the competition was held in what was formerly East Germany, with Leipzig as a host city, as well as the first major tournament since the 2006 FIFA World Cup that Germany served as a solo host nation. The tournament returned to its usual four-year cycle after the 2020 edition was postponed to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Italy was the defending champions, having won the 2020 final against England on penalties, but were eliminated in the round of 16 by Switzerland. Host nation Germany were eliminated by Spain in the quarter-finals; Spain went on to win the tournament for a record fourth time after defeating England 2–1 in the final.

AGP hosted five watch parties in total before Germany was eliminated by Spain. Thank you to everyone who came out to support Germany! 



AGP Educational Fund

In 2023, AGP created an Educational Fund to help support German as a second language in the schools of Alabama plus help promote our German companies in Alabama and the opportunities that the companies offer in the form of internships, apprenticeships, jobs, and careers. The Educational Fund offers grants and scholarships. Learn more!

One of the grants offered is for educators of the German language. Teachers can receive funds up to $500 from AlabamaGermany Partnership (AGP) in support of a German education event or project. Some examples include a German language and/or cultural event, classroom project, or visit to a German company or cultural site.

The application must be submitted at least 30 days in advance to allow time for approval. Find the application for the AGP Grant for German Educators here!



2025 German American Business Awards

The German American Chambers of Commerce (AHK USA) have open for applications for the 2025 German American Business Awards.

The awards recognize the pinnacle of achievement within the German American business community, celebrating their collective success and highlighting their ongoing commitment to a flourishing future. This year again, they look forward to honoring outstanding achievements across five categories: Excellence in Community Engagement, Excellence in Economic Development, Excellence in Innovation, Excellence in Services, and the Coolest German Thing Made in the USA (People’s Choice Award).

The awards are open to applications and nominations from companies that are current members of GACC Midwest, GACC New York, or GACC South. Companies are welcome to apply or be nominated for multiple categories, although previous winners must wait two years before reapplying for the same category. They invite you to showcase your contributions and achievements in fostering German-American business relations.

Key Dates and Deadlines:

• June 3: Application opens (Runs for 60 days)
• August 4: Application closes
• August 12 - September 3: People's Choice Award decision period
• February 28, 2025: Award Dinner Night, where winners will be announced and must send a representative to accept their award in person

Dankeschön to our SUSTAINING Members:

Foley Sister Cities Delegates Return from Hennef Germany

By Linda Sprangrud, Foley Sister Cities

Photo Credit: Foley Sister Cities



The city of Foley has formed a partnership with Hennef, Germany. The Foley Sister Cities

Board of Commissioners are excited to announce that their first student delegate exchange was very successful. The returning Foley High School student delegates and teacher chaperones attended a recent Foley City Council meeting. Copper Watkins, one of the student representatives, gave a presentation to Foley City Council about their experiences on their current exchange to Germany.

They visited Hennef, Germany, staying with host families while visiting schools, the cities of Cologne and Bonn Germany, and the surrounding area of castles, cathedrals, chocolate factories and bakeries to mention a few of their favorites. While in Hennef, the students and chaperones visited City Hall and met with Mayor Dahm. After their visit in Hennef, they spent three days in Munich, Germany, touring that city, the Dachau concentration camp, and Neuschwanstein Castle. The students and chaperones report that there was an unbelievably warm reception from the Hennef families and citizens. Many stated they have built relationships for a lifetime. Students described this trip as a life-changing experience, and they have gained a lift time of connections. Kylee Raulerson, chaperon, said she “was overwhelmed by the hospitality of the Hennef hosts. It was amazing.” Dr. Michael Roy, teacher, stated “that at the heart of this program is building relations. I feel confident in saying we did more than that. We built families.”

Linda B. Spangrud, Executive Director ended with thanking the Mayor and City Council for their support. “We could not do it without you. Travel opens your mind to other cultures and enables you to paint the palette of your life in more colors”.

Other topics shared by Linda B. Spangrud include the pen pal program where students in fifth grade in Foley and Hennef exchange letters with each other. Another project in the works is an International Intergenerational cookbook. The students of Foley High School and the Foley senior citizens and students and senior citizens in Hennef are working together to gather recipes for their cookbook. They will be combined into one cookbook with recipes in both languages, German and English. These cookbooks will be available for purchase by the general public. Other partnerships, such as culture, art, sports tourism are in the beginning stages of discussion.

Foley Sister Cities Commission will host its annual “Foley Sisters Cities, 5K Octoberfest Run” on

Saturday, October 5, 2024, at OWA starting at 9 a.m. This fundraiser will assist in raising funds for the Sister Cities; initiatives such as recipe book, student trips and other projects. More information here!

Tuscaloosa Sister Cities International

By Lisa Keyes, Tuscaloosa Sister Cities International

In early June, devastating floods caused by heavy rain affected the city of Schorndorf, Germany (Tuscaloosa's Sister City). The floods claimed the lives of two people in the countryside near Schorndorf. There was serious damage in some rural areas nearby in the Rems Valley. Schorndorf Oberbürgermeister Bernd Hornikel was on national news, in response to the flooding, and stated that the cost of repair to roadways, etc. in the countryside is expected to be in the millions of Euros. 

Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox has communicated with OB Hornikel, and offered a message of condolence from the City of Tuscaloosa. A donation fund to help offset expenses for those who are rebuilding has been established by the City of Schorndorf, and a Community Delegation from Tuscaloosa will visit Schorndorf in September, and present collected funds to the City of Schorndorf then.

If you wish to make a monetary donation, or send a donation to an online Schorndorf Relief secure account, please contact Tuscaloosa Sister Cities International at tuscaloosasistercities@gmail.com, call (205) 343-0100, or mail checks (payable to TSCI/Schorndorf Relief to 1305 Greensboro Avenue, Tuscaloosa, Alabama 35401 by August 15, 2024. 

All collected donations will be presented to Schorndorf in early July.

Tannehill VolksJam 2024

Annual VW/Audi/Porsche show at Tannehill State Park in McCalla, Alabama.

You can enter your car if you drive a Volkswagen, Audi, or Porsche, that is air and water-cooled.

Saturday, August 26th.

9 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Tannehill Ironworks Historical State Park

Awards for Top 25 show cars, as well as various Best of awards, will be given. The park charges for entry however there is no additional charge for spectators to come to the show.

The German Schultüte

Back-to-school season in the U.S. involves several fun rituals, like shopping for classroom supplies, picking out a special first-day outfit, and taking photos with a personalized sign.

On the first day of school in Germany, however, you’ll see an even more striking sight. German children mark the transition to school by carrying large paper cones on their first day of classes. The cones — which seem larger than the kids themselves — are brightly colored and sometimes have ornate decorations.

A Schultüte ― also known as a ‘school cone’ ― is a cardboard container in the form of a pointed cone that schoolchildren carry with them when they start school. The children receive these cones from their parents on their first day of elementary school. The Schultüte is very large and cone-shaped and is usually filled with sweets and small gifts such as crayons or other school supplies.

The cone has been a tradition for a long time and is an important part of the very first day of school for children in Germany. The custom has been practiced in Germany since the 19th century, but the roots go even back into the 18th century. Historically it has its roots in Saxony and Thuringia, but is well-known across Germany today.



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