A golden celebration of AJY

For 50 years, Heidelberg College and the University of Heidelberg in Heidelberg, Germany, have shared a unique exchange – one of the oldest of its type in the U.S. On June 6, the American Junior Year program will celebrate its golden anniversary of the partnership with festivities at the historic campus in Germany.

 

AJY alumni and general alumni, administrators from both colleges as well as a delegation of students from the Tiffin campus have arrived in Germany to participate in the celebration.

 

The 46-member Heidelberg Concert Choir, under the direction of Dr. Grant Cook, will perform to open the celebration program. Welcoming remarks will be given by Rektor Professor Dr. Bernhard Eitel of the University of Heidelberg and Dr. F. Dominic Dottavio, Heidelberg College’s president, Heidelberg Mayor Dr. Joachim Gerner and Deputy Principal Officer Richard Aker, U.S. Consulate Frankfurt am Main. Dr. Brian Tracy, long-time director of the American Junior Year program, will also give remarks, and the Camerata Carolina of the University of Heidelberg will give a performance. The keynote address will be given by Professor Dr. h.c. Detlef Junker, founding director of the Heidelberg Center for American Studies.

 

At the conclusion of the program, the Concert Choir and the Camerata Carolina will combine for a joint performance.

 

While in Europe, the Concert Choir also is visiting sites such as Vienna, Salzburg and Munich. In all, they’ll give eight performances at European castles.

 

In addition to the Concert Choir and alumni and campus delegations, a group of nine Heidelberg Honors students also have made the trip abroad as part of a seminar titled German Impressions. Prior to the trip, the students learned about German history, culture, politics and the arts. They are spending a week touring Germany, focusing on the city of Heidelberg, and visiting the walled medieval city of Rothenburg and Nuremberg, where they’ll visit the arena where Hitler staged the Nazi party rallies and the courtroom where the Nuremberg trials were held. The students won travel grants offered by Trustee Andrew Kalnow.

 

AJY alumni are participating in a series of events planned around the celebration, and are enjoying reconnecting with former classmates while they rediscover the charm of Old Heidelberg. They’ll also tour Munich, the Neuschwanstein Castle in Heidelberg, explore other German attractions and take a pair of river cruises.

 

 

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