The Role of the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Washington, DC

On November 29, over 37 AAFSW and FBS members attended a presentation on the role of the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Washington, DC.

We were welcomed by Jan Patrick Eckendorf, the Head of the Cultural Section of the Embassy of Germany, who gave us a very informative presentation on the current political issues that Germany faces today. The presentation was followed by an extensive question and answer session. Many of us were surprised to find out that Germany is the most populous member state of the European Union and, after the United States, it is the second most popular immigration destination in the world. As a global leader in several industrial and technological sectors, it is both the world’s third-largest exporter and importer of goods.

As the Head of the Cultural Section of the Embassy of Germany let us know, Germany was affected by the European migrant crisis in 2015, as it became the final destination of choice for most migrants entering the EU. The country took in over a million refugees and developed a quota system, which redistributed migrants around its federal states based on their tax income and existing population density.

We certainly enjoyed having so many AAFSW/FBS members join us for this educational presentation.

We are looking forward to seeing you all at our next AAFSW/FBS event!

Sheila Switzer
AAFSW Program Chair