Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany San Francisco

#Startups #SchleswigHolstein #PlugandPlay #Tech #AI 🇩🇪startups from Land Schleswig-Holstein are back in the „Valley“ exploring the Bay Area, the Californian mindset and the many opportunities around - for 6 full weeks! Great to meet them at Plug and Play Tech Center in Sunnyvale, CA and to find out more about their ideas, concepts and impressions - getting ready to „pitch“ at the Plug and Play Summit. A host of brand-new tech in many sectors: from histology to public support services, from new digital sales assistants to drone-powered thermal imaging and local energy networks! Mindblowing. A big thank you to Raitschin Raitschew for connecting and organizing our meeting and to all young participants for their time, interest and openness! They are: Histolution GmbH MyProtectify retailflow Skywalker Energie GbR ENIQO Schleswig-Holstein. Der echte Norden. Northern Germany Innovation Office - NGIO The Bay Areas e. V. StartUp SH Dirk Schrödter Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Klimaschutz Bundesministerium für Digitales und Verkehr Auswärtiges Amt (Federal Foreign Office) Germany Embassy of Germany in Washington, D.C. Axel Schulz

Congregation Emanu-El of San Francisco one of the two oldest Jewish congregations in California, and one of the largest congregations in the 🇺🇸. Founded in 1850 by mostly German Jews from Bavaria - one of the first members: Levi Strauss. A great honor to have been invited to attend a moving and uplifting Shabbat and installation service of Ryan Bauer as Senior Rabbi of the congregation (Richard and Rhoda Goldman Senior Rabbi) alongside my colleague Marco Sermoneta, Consul General of 🇮🇱. Amazing and inspiring welcome speech by acclaimed author, editor and eminent scholar of Jewish liturgy, two-time winner of the National Jewish Book Award, Professor Emeritus Rabbi Lawrence A. Hoffman! A joyous celebration of hope and optimism in times of trouble and uncertainty. A great reunion of peace and solidarity also with members of the SAN FRANCISCO INTERFAITH COUNCIL and its President Michael G. Pappas. Mazel tov, dear Rabbi Bauer! American Jewish Committee (AJC) Serena Eisenberg Jewish Federations of North America Jewish Community Center of San Francisco Anti-Defamation League Seth Brysk🎗️Leo Baeck Institut New York | Berlin Auswärtiges Amt (Federal Foreign Office) Germany Embassy of Germany in Washington, D.C. Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany San Francisco

Today in many parts of 🇩🇪 Christians celebrate #Totensonntag („Eternity Sunday“) to remember family members and friends who passed away. Last Sunday - and always preceding this day - we came together for #Volkstrauertag (🇩🇪 Remembrance Day) to commemorate all victims of war and tyranny. Like every year we gathered at the Golden Gate National Cemetery in City of San Bruno to remember and to contemplate - with music and in words and lay a wreath of memory. A big thank you to UNITED GERMAN AMERICAN SOCIETIES OF SAN FRANCISCO AND VICINITY and their President Alto Rechenauer for organizing and the Deutscher Musikverein, President Walt Keller. A special thank you to Pastor Christian Jennert, St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church San Francisco and to the three Officers from the 🇩🇪Navy (Bundesmarine), currently stationed at Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, CA - for their presence and salute to the fallen. Im Gedenken Wenn leise weht der Wind der Zeit, und Stimmen klingen fern, gedenken wir der Dunkelheit, die riss, was uns so gern. In stummen Reihen, Stein an Stein, erzählt die Erde still, vom Leid, das blieb, vom langen Sein, vom Krieg, der niemals will. Doch zwischen Schatten bricht ein Licht, ein Strahl der Hoffnung klar, dass Menschheit neu die Worte spricht: Nie wieder, niemals, war. In Remembrance When softly blows the wind of time, and voices fade away, we honor shadows, grief, and loss, that took what wished to stay. In silent rows, stone next to stone, the earth speaks words unspoken, of pain that lingers, years that groan, of war’s enduring token. Yet through the shadows breaks a light, a beam of hope anew, that humankind will speak again: No more—this vow is true. Volksbund Deutsche Kriegsgräberfürsorge e.V. Reservistenverband California National Guard Auswärtiges Amt (Federal Foreign Office) Germany Embassy of Germany in Washington, D.C. Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany San Francisco

“Never again” – We all have said, read and heard this many times. But in order to actually fill this sentence with meaning and truly internalize it, remembering, talking and educating about the Holocaust is key – not just once, but continuously. We were therefore very grateful for the opportunity to attend “The Mitzvah Project,” created by Roger Grunwald and kindly hosted by the Excelsior German Center (EGC) at “The Altenheim” in Oakland. The Mitzvah Project consists of a short but stirring one-person-play, a personal lecture by the actor and is followed by a Q&A session. It explores the nature of prejudice through the interconnected lives of a Polish-Jewish Auschwitz survivor and a half-Jewish Wehrmacht officer who cross paths during the darkest days of the Holocaust. Through its powerful storytelling and presentation, the Mitzvah Project not only educates about the past, but raises awareness about today’s developments where fake news, populism, antisemitism, xenophobia, hate speech and violence are on the rise. If there is one message the audience takes home as the conclusion of the Mitzvah Project, it is: There is no “other.” The “other” is us. Deputy Consul General Franciska Obermeyer and EGC president Petra Specht applauded Roger Grunwald and actor Victor Talmadge for this moving performance and their commitment to bring the Mitzvah Project to high schools and colleges all around the United States in order to keep the memory alive and learn from the past. If you are an educator, parent or student who would like to bring the Mitzvah Project to your school or college, please find out more here: www.themitzvah.org ©️Pictures by The Mitzvah Project

🎞 Berlin & Beyond Autumn Showcase 2024: Congratulation Berlin & Beyond Film Festival and Presenting Partner Goethe-Institut San Francisco for an excellent kick-off to the 29th Season and the 9th Autumn Showcase of this remarkable German-language #filmfestival! The one-day event sold-out to an audience of over 400 cinephiles at the Roxie Theater! Consul General Oliver Schramm was delighted to welcome attendees to the event for which the Consulate General was a Premiere Sponsor. The film choices were meaningful and timely, given that this year is the 100-years anniversary of the passing of literary giant Franz Kafka and 35 years since the fall of the Berlin Wall: •⁠ ⁠”The Glory of Life” tells the love story of Franz Kafka and Dora Diamant in the last year of his life. •⁠ ⁠“Two to One” is a comedy about a group of clever East Germans who seizes on the chaotic post-GDR era to retrieve hidden millions from an underground vault. Berlin & Beyond Director Sophoan Sorn treated attendees to a special experience: A personal video greeting from “The Glory of Life” lead actor Sabin Tambrea, as well as a pre-filmed Q & A with the film’s co-director Georg Maas. For the screening of “Two to One,” director Natja Brunckhorst joined for a live Q & A with the audience via video feed! What a delight to witness such a loyal audience, supporting this one-of-a-kind in film festival—the largest in the US—for going on 30 years now! We want to also express our deep appreciation for Goethe-Institut Director Noémie Njangiru, who has been a force to reckon with in her support of this film festival for the past five years. This was her last Berlin & Beyond as she passes the torch to her successor next year. Mark your calendars now for the next Berlin & Beyond Film Festival on March 27-31, 2025! pictures © Barak Shrama

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Today marks 1000 days of war in Ukraine. On February 24, 2022, the world watched in horror as Russia invaded Ukraine in an unprecedented act of aggression. "For almost 1000 days now, Putin's war has been shaking the everyday life of Ukrainians to the core—yet not their courage and their hope of a life in safety in a free Ukraine," German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said during her last visit in Kyiv. Germany has remained unwavering in its support for Ukraine. We are the second-largest donor of humanitarian and military aid to Ukraine, providing nearly 40 billion USD since 2022. And we have significantly increased our defense investments, reaching 2.12% of our GDP in 2024. These contributions, like dedicating a 100 billion EUR fund to modernizing military hardware and stationing a permanent brigade in Lithuania by 2027, reinforce Germany's role within NATO and bolster European security. Germany stands with #Ukraine

Congratulations German International School of Silicon Valley to putting on this excellent event commemorating the 35th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. It was a pleasure for Consul Kerstin Klee to address attendees, and the consulate was delighted to collaborate with GISSV to display poster exhibit “The Peaceful Revolution and German Reunification.” 🇩🇪 If you know an educational or cultural organization interested in exhibiting these posters (image 5), please contact ku-100@sanf.diplo.de.

#Montana #Germany #worldaffairscouncilsofamerica #business #friendship Visit to the Great State of Montana Montana World Affairs Council, 2nd day: Great first meeting with Senator Daniel Zolnikov, frm. chairman of the MT House Federal Relations, Energy and Telecommunications Committee and currently member of the same MT Senate committee and others. Great exchange on energy technology and sources! Hope to see you next year in 🇩🇪for an official visit by 🇺🇸lawmakers organized by Embassy of Germany in Washington, D.C. and Auswärtiges Amt (Federal Foreign Office) Germany! By the way: Did you know, that Montanan Jeannette Rankin (pictured) was the first woman to be elected for US-Congress/US House of Representatives (in 1916)? From City of Helena, Montana on to City of Bozeman through wide plains and majestic views of the Rocky Mountains. Meetings with CEOs of two 🇩🇪companies (Andreas Scherer/@Golden Helix and @Marcel Kleßen /VACOM). Thank you for your time and openness. Seems, things are going great for you in MT! Final highlight: Talk for and with around 50 Community Leaders in Bozeman on 🇩🇪, the 🇺🇸 and the many aspects of our relationship, including Montana. Amazing evening! AHK USA - San Francisco GABA Northern California - German American Business Association Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Klimaschutz Germany Trade & Invest Montana Photonics & Quantum Alliance Montana World Trade Center German Consulate General San Francisco

#Montana #Business #Friendship #Germany #WorldAffairsCouncil It‘s great to be back for my 3rd visit to the amazing Great „Treasure State“ again! Thank you to Montana World Affairs Council and Montana Department of Commerce for organizing an awesome visit and program! Nikki Geiszler Katie Willcockson ❤️ First day: Enormously grateful to Governor Greg Gianforte for his time and for the many insights into Montana‘s trade and it’s promotion (e.g. „Red Carpet Program“ for foreign businesses), economic development, infrastructure, energy and much more. And yes, we talked about politics and elections too… A great pleasure also to meet Paul Green, Director of Montana Department of Commerce and his team. Lots to do in terms of networking and connections and glad to meet again soon at SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, „Photonics West” in San Francisco! Equally a privilege to connect with Mark Blasdel, frm. Speaker of Montana’s House of Represantatives and incoming Director of Montana Governor’s Office of Economic Development and to learn more about the latest opportunities and challenges too. And finally a little glance at the very historic center of City of Helena, Montana - where it all began. Good to be here again! 🇩🇪🇺🇸🙏 Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany San Francisco Embassy of Germany in Washington, D.C. Auswärtiges Amt (Federal Foreign Office) Germany SPECTARIS Photonik AHK USA - San Francisco GABA Northern California - German American Business Association Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Klimaschutz Germany Trade & Invest Montana Photonics & Quantum Alliance Jason Yager Brigitta Miranda-Freer Montana World Trade Center