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Dr. Hardy Ostry, Head of the KAS Washington Office, opened the discussion with a short overview of German history since Konrad Adenauer. The special friendship with the United States, he explained, has shaped Germany since the end of the Second World War: "Americans are allies," and Germans have been able to rely on that. He recalled President Ronald Reagan's speech at the Brandenburg Gate on June 12, 1987, 39 years ago, when he called on Mikhail Gorbachev to "tear down this wall." For many Germans, he said, this was a historic moment that remains vivid. He also pointed to the friendship between President George H.W. Bush and Chancellor Helmut Kohl, and to American support for German unification.
Dr. Ostry presented Konrad Adenauer as an example of standing up for one's convictions. The Nazis removed Adenauer as mayor of Cologne in 1933. He lived under surveillance and was arrested in 1944. From 1949 to 1963, as the first Chancellor of the Federal Republic, he helped rebuild Germany. The Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung continues to be guided by personal responsibility, justice and solidarity, and by a Christian view of humanity.
Dr. Ostry did not overlook current tensions, in particular over trade and tariffs and in security policy. He also noted ongoing exchange and economic ties. German automakers continue to invest in the United States: Mercedes-Benz announced a $4 billion investment in its Alabama plant in March, Daimler Truck North America plans to build a new plant, and Volkswagen recently started production of the redesigned Atlas SUV at its plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee, in which it has invested about $4.3 billion to date.
"We live in a fast-changing political world, and it is important to know with whom we still share the same values. With the U.S., these are democracy, human rights and freedom." He addressed the students directly: "You are the next generation. This student exchange will help you build mutual understanding. Be respectful, stand up for your values and ideas, and always accept different opinions." The next generation, he said, will help decide what the transatlantic future looks like, which is why student exchanges matter.
Three of the German students described their impressions. Their American hosts were surprised that Germany has more than two political parties, and they appreciated the punctuality of their German guests. The German students, in turn, were struck by everyday differences: the amount of meat served, the size of American portions, and the fact that Sprite tastes much sweeter. Americans they met outside the group also asked the German students questions, for instance whether Germany already has artificial intelligence. "Some of them seem to think we are living in the Stone Age," one of the students said. Such remarks show why personal encounters matter: they correct mutual misperceptions. What remains, the students agreed, are the friendships. All three would like to return to the United States.
