08The English Language Journal

for Baden-Württemberg

www.accents-magazine.de

January/February 2006

Testing Stuttgart’s English ability

Jazz, funk and soul back in vogue

Ludwigsburg’s splendid palaces

A very dirty fairy tale

accentsmagazine

English, please!

3accents magazine

Excuse me, do you speak

English? It’s one of the most

common questions you’ll ask

at a shop or an information

counter in a foreign country.

It’s also a question posed by

many foreigners upon arrival

in Baden-Württemberg. But

just how good, actually, is

Stuttgart’s English?

Baden-Württemberg’s capitalcity prides itself on its inter-national outlook, where Englishis learnt in business and istaught to 6-year-olds in schools.Later this year Stuttgart willplay host to hundreds of thou-sands of international guestsarriving for the football WorldCup. English will be in demand– more than ever before.

With the World Cup in mind,accents magazine decided toput the question of Stuttgart’sEnglish competence to the test.We designed a unique test tosee how well businesses andpublic institutions in and aroundStuttgart’s main train stationhandle requests for help fromEnglish-speaking visitors. Wealso carried out smaller-scalecomparative tests in Heidelbergand Tübingen. We proudly makethe claim that this is a world-wide first! We found no evi-dence of any similar test for acity’s language competencebeing carried out anywhereelse.

And the results? We werepleasantly surprised to discovermany people coped reasonably

well when they had to commu-nicate in English, but therewere also some major deficien-cies. In some areas, Stuttgartwill need to do some Englishhomework if it’s going to makethe thousands of foreign tour-ists arriving for the World Cupfeel welcome.

Speaking of touring, our travel writer Thomas Ravel isleaving us for greener pastures.Alas. Many of you enjoyed the self-deprecating sense ofhumour he often wallowed in ashe took us to a range of townsand regions across Baden-Württemberg. His replacementis Steve Trevallion – a youngerwriter, but an experienced tra-veller himself. Steve discoversthe palatial splendour and fairy-

tale wonder of Ludwigsburg in his first travel article foraccents.

Our Arts Editor StuartMarlow has also been out andabout, visiting jazz, soul andfunk clubs in Stuttgart. Also in our first edition for 2006, we introduce you to the newlyappointed British HonoraryConsul for Baden-Württemberg,to the Scottish barber who cutGeorge Bush, Sr.’s hair, and we provide you with lessons on recycling your rubbish. (Rule number one: don’t letyour mother-in-law into your kitchen!)

accents magazine editorial team

Editorial

85 12 14

8 “You go bus!”

Testing Stuttgart’s English10 Prominent opinions

English standards: good or bad?

5 UK Honorary Consul

named

6 Scottish-Swabian barber

7 Hungry Caterpillar’s roots

7 Books on wolves

12 Jazz, soul and funk

American musical imports make a revival

13 Book reviews

14 Ludwigsburg

City of Palaces

21 Money Matters

Investing in stocks in 200621 Stuttgart Tips

22 Garbage disposal

23 My Two Cents

Eating translations

4 Letters

16 accents choice

What’s on listings18 accents guide

Clubs and contacts20 Classifieds

Contents

Feature

Arts and Culture

accent on…

Good to Know

Labyrinth

Regulars

News and Events

Children’s Corner

Cover photo: B

ryan Groenjes

accents magazine Published by accents media GbR (Bryan Groenjes, Maki Kuwayama, Geoff Rodoreda) Libanonstraße 58, 70184 Stuttgart. Tel 0711 3102160, Fax 0711 3102161, info@accents-magazine.de Editor Geoff Rodoreda, editor@accents-magazine.de Arts Editor Stuart MarlowCopy Editor Katharine Schmidt Photographer Chrys Rynearson Contributors Toni Astle, Krysia Diver, Margaret Farmer, Dagmar Fritz, Liz Gaiser,Anna Gentle, Jonathan Graham, Pam Grimes, Emma Manning, Nichole Martinson, Rebecca Perrin, Steve Trevallion Advertising Enquiries BryanGroenjes, ads@accents-magazine.de. Webmaster Andrew Golledge, webmaster@accents-magazine.de Website www.accents-magazine.deGraphic Design Brucklacher Visuelle Kommunikation, www.brucklacher.de Prepress CGS Möhrle, Vesoulerstraße 4, 70839 Gerlingen Cost freePublished every two months Circulation 10,000 Distribution everywhere English is spoken: subscribing firms, cultural institutions, shops, pubs,clubs, theatres, hotels and selected tourist centres Advertisers and Corporate Subscribers Adolf Würth GmbH & Co. KG, Biddy Early’s Irish Pub,British Consulate General Stuttgart, Brucklacher Visuelle Kommunikation, Corso Cinema International, Derpart Reisebüro, Deutsch-AmerikanischesZentrum/James-F.-Byrnes Institut e.V., Ernst & Young AG, Montessori Kindergarten Esslingen, Open University, Open University Business School,Piccadilly English Shops, Robert Bosch GmbH, Schiller International University, SEB AG Stuttgart

Letters

to the Editor

Dear Editor,

After reading the article “The Scandinavian Experience”(accents 07, p. 9) I felt quite sorry for the Holmbergs. If anyneighbour told me not to pull up a weed or pick a flower in myown garden on Sunday, I would be more than puzzled, I’d befurious. Why not? What law says I can’t? The Holmbergs must have been embarrassed and annoyed. People in Germanydo work on Sundays. How could we do without restaurantemployees, tram and taxi drivers, hospital staff, policemen etc?So, Mr and Mrs Holmberg, take no notice of busy-body neigh-bours and do what you want on Sundays – inside or outside. Hazel Bolstad, Karlsruhe

Dear Editor,

As a Brit, I’d like to add to the explanation in “My Two Cents”(accents 07, p. 27) about why Boxing Day is called Boxing Day.As Katharine Schmidt explains, some historians say it was a tradition where house servants, who always had to work onChristmas Day, were rewarded the day after. Their employerswould put gifts such as food, clothing or money in Christmasboxes for their servants. However, another explanation is thatthe term Boxing Day derives from wooden boxes in a church in which money is collected for the poor. These boxes wereusually opened for alms to be handed out to the poor the dayafter Christmas. I have to say that in Britain the second expla-nation is the most accepted. Hope this helps.Kay Hatfield, Mannheim

Dear Editor,

I would like to draw your readers’ attention to the story of aformer ‘Swabian’, Henry Stern, who fled Nazi terror to Britainand now lives in Israel. An English speaker who was born inStuttgart, Henry asked me to write to you about a project he’sinitiated to set up a museum documenting so-called Kinder-transporte – children’s transports to Britain in 1938/39. Whensynagogues were burned down in November 1938, the BritishCouncil acted quickly to allow 10,000 children from German-Jewish families to migrate to the UK, without the need forvisas, as refugees. Many were thereby saved from Nazi perse-cution but said goodbye to loved ones forever. Henry Stern,then aged 14, treasured his Swabian roots and wasn’t keen onleaving family and friends behind. But his parents managed toget him onto one of the last trains leaving for Britain, just acouple of days before the outbreak of World War II. After set-ting foot in Britain, Henry and 700 other young travellers weredirected into a big building. When the name “Stern” was calledout, a man took his hand and walked him away towards the cityof London. The next day, he was sent to Hull to live with hisnew family. “They were pretty unsuitable and I felt terriblyhomesick,” recalls Henry. “But as a refugee boy I was expec-ted to be satisfied with what I received.” After finishing highschool, Henry enrolled in the British army and was sent back tosouth-west Germany to fight. “I was allowed to visit Stuttgartprivately for half an hour once but I hardly recognized myhometown.” Henry’s parents and his younger sister perished ina concentration camp. His brother survived. In 1949, Henry andaround 60 other former ‘transport children’ emigrated to Israel.They settled at Kibbuz Lavi, where Henry now hopes to esta-blish a museum commemorating the Kindertransporte. It is tobe located in an old grain silo. For further information, contactHenry Stern, Kibbutz Lavi, Lower Galilee, Israel. Or look up thewebsite: www.kibbutzlavi.co.ilTanja Kasischke, Dresden

accents magazine4 Letters

accents magazine Libanonstraße 58 70184 Stuttgarteditor@accents-magazine.de

Sunday gardening

Boxing up Boxing Day

Jewish Swabian roots

For travel arrangements

worldwide contact

DERPART Reisebüro H. von WirthKönigstrasse 1 70173 StuttgartCaterina Steuer direct number 0711 2289327caterina.steuer@derpart.deFax 0711 2289310

News and Events 5accents magazine

News and Events

The United Kingdom has a new consularrepresentative in south-west Germany. Dr. Fritz Oesterle, Chairman of the Board of Management and Chief ExecutiveOfficer of Stuttgart-based Celesio AG, hasbeen named the UK’s Honorary Consul forBaden-Württemberg. He takes over respon-sibility for consular affairs from a full-timediplomat, Mark Twigg, who served asBritish consul-general in Stuttgart throughthe end of 2005.

Dr. Oesterle was born in Stuttgart in1952. He studied law at the University ofTübingen and was a partner at two Stutt-gart law firms before his appointment ashead of Celesio in 1999. Celesio is Europe’sleading pharmaceutical distribution com-pany, operating in 15 countries. It employsmore than 34,000 people. The company

has an especially strong presence in the UKmarket where it owns both AAH, a leadingpharmaceutical distributor, as well as morethan 1500 pharmacies under the brandname of Lloyds Pharmacy.

The appointment of a UK honorary con-sul for Baden-Württemberg was promptedby the British government’s decision a yearago to shut down its consulate-general inStuttgart as part of a worldwide revision ofits diplomatic network. This also includedthe closure of British offices in Leipzig,Frankfurt and Hamburg.

Commenting on the appointment, Sir Peter Torry, the British Ambassador toGermany, said: “It’s important for us tomaintain a continuing presence in Baden-Württemberg. Dr. Oesterle is an excellentchoice as honorary consul and I very muchlook forward to working with him.“

New British Honorary Consul

Dr. Fritz Oesterle

UK Honorary Consul for Baden-Württemberg,Celesio boss Fritz Oesterle.

Australia may not be a traditional football(soccer) playing nation, but this summerBaden-Württemberg can expect to playhost to thousands of football fans fromDown Under who’ll be arriving en massefor the World Cup finals.

Australia is the only English-speakingnational team to officially draw a game inStuttgart for the World Cup football finals.Australia will play Croatia on June 22 in thefinal match of the first round of the finals.

Other English-speaking national teams –England, the USA and Trinidad & Tobago –will play their games in other Germancities, although England will be playing agame in Stuttgart on June 25 if it tops itsgroup in the first round.

Around 8500 tickets have been allocatedto the Australian Football Federation foreach of Australia’s three first-round games.At the same time, hundreds if not thou-sands of the 7800 Australians residing inGermany are expected to apply for ticketsfor the ‘Aussie’ games. Australian footballofficials are also scouring towns in Baden-Württemberg for use as a ‘base’ locationfor the Australian national team during theWorld Cup.

Baden-Württemberg’s DeutschAustralische Freundschaft e.V., an Aussieclub, is involved with other cultural clubs in official planning for World Cup events inStuttgart. Chairman Jeff Gomes says it’ll be great to welcome his compatriots to theregion. “Aussie fans know how to partyand enjoy a drink. But they’re good-naturedand peaceful when they support their national teams. I’m sure they’ll enjoy theirtime in Stuttgart and will provide an eco-nomic boost to the region.”

Aussies on their way

Thousands expected for World Cup

Photo: S

tock.xchng

Heading your way:Aussie football supporters will becoming to Stuttgartin June

The British Consulate General in Stuttgart closed for business permanently on 30 December 2005.

British representation in Baden-Württemberg will continue through an Honorary Consul who will take care of Consular issues.

The remaining work of the Consulatewill be divided as follows:

Consular Protection and Planning,Press and Public AffairsBritish Consulate Munich Tel 089 2110090

Trade, Investment, Passport, VisaBritish Consulate Düsseldorf Tel (Passport) 0190 700661 (Visa) 0190 700611 (Trade / Investment) 0211 94480

Bilateral Affairs, Public DiplomacyBritish Embassy Berlin Tel 030 204570

Expatica.com’sguide to ‘surviving’in Germany.

accents magazine6 News and Events

If you’ve just moved to Baden-Württem-berg from an English-speaking country you might be feeling a bit overwhelmed.Besides coping with a new culture and language, you have to organise lots of

practical things – finding a place to live,sorting out finances, permits and papers.The Expat Survival Guide might be one ofthe first things you want to pick up.

It’s a magazine-type booklet, free ofcharge, with basic information about get-ting yourself settled in Germany. It containssections on relocation, housing, money,education, jobs, health care and a listing ofimportant contacts. And for the first time,there’s a special section on Stuttgart.

The Survival Guide is published annuallyby Expatica.com, an information websitefor expatriates living in Europe. Distributionpoints in Baden-Württemberg are still beingdetermined but the Guide can also be order-ed by e-mail at: germany@expatica.com.

Coping in Germany

Expatica’s new Survival Guide

What can The Open Universitydo for you?

It can give you a BA/BSc degree, MA,MSc, MBA, Diploma or Certificate. But just as important, it opens up anew world of interests, challenges andachievements. The Open Universityoffers a choice of 199 courses whichare taught in English. And providedyou’re over 18 and resident in theEuropean Union, you’re eligible. No previous qualifications are requiredfor most undergraduate courses. Over 2 million people have studiedwith The Open University. For furtherinformation please contact MatthewHawkes on the email below – please quote reference code DEFASB.

email: m.hawkes@open.ac.ukwww.open.ac.uk

By Krysia Diver

If any of you men out there are missing thefriendly banter of your barber back home,Charlie Taylor is your man. Charlie – a Scotwhose claim to fame is cutting GeorgeBush, Sr.’s hair in the 1980s – has workedas a barber in Stuttgart for 25 years.

It was a brief holiday romance with a girl from Oberhausen that first sparkedCharlie’s interest in Germany. Although theromance soon fizzled out, Charlie’s loveaffair with Germany was just beginning.

Keen to inject some international flairinto German hairdressing, Stuttgart hair-dresser Ralph-Dieter Hörrmann advertise-med for British recruits. Charlie, a barberfrom Edinburgh who was approaching 30and looking for new opportunities, jumpedat the chance. Armed with a passport to anew life and a sparse knowledge of Ger-man, he packed his bags and was off.

But as communication is essential in theworld of hairdressing, Charlie had a fewproblems at the outset of his new workinglife. “There was the odd misunderstan-ding,” he recalls, “like the time I shavedoff someone’s moustache when they didn’twant that, or the time I accidentally calledsomebody Mr. Mühleimer instead of Mr.Müller.

“I was also pretty homesick during thefirst couple of years. If a song like ‘Yester-day’ came on the radio,” he adds, slightlytongue in cheek, “I would take a walk inthe Schlosspark with a little tear in myeye.”

But in reality, Charlie shouldn’t have suffered from homesickness. After all, heconcedes, the Scottish, like Swabians, are

renowned for being tight with their money. “The Scots make a lot of jokes about theirstingy reputation, but I reckon the Swa-bians really do find it hard to part with theirpennies.”

Nevertheless, Charlie likes his adoptedhome and speaks highly of the locals. “Itmay be hard to get to know people here,but once you do, they are friends for life.I’ve got customers who’ve been coming tome for 20 years. They are incredibly loyalpeople.”

Being a native English-speaking hair-dresser has its advantages. Charlie doesget to meet the odd dignitary on businessin Stuttgart, such as George Bush, Sr. Buthe doesn’t get too much of a chance tospeak English. “So if anyone fancies a chatwhile their having their hair done,” he says,“they know where to come.” (Charlieworks at Typ Gerecht, 7 Arnulf-Klett-Platz,opposite Stuttgart’s Hauptbahnhof.)

Swabian Scot

Charlie the barber

A chat in Englishwhile cutting your hair: Scottish barber,Charlie Taylor.

Photo: C

hrys Rynearson

Children’s Corner

He’s a world famous children’s authorwho’s American, right? Well, yes, EricCarle, author and illustrator of more than 70 children’s books, was born in Syracuse,New York in 1929. But unbeknown to manyGermans, Eric Carle moved to Stuttgartwith his German parents in 1935. He com-pleted his schooling and went to art collegein Stuttgart too. In fact, much of the inspi-ration for his books derives from his Swa-bian roots.

An exhibition at the Württemberg StateLibrary in Stuttgart has shed new light on the early, formative years of Eric Carle, the biggest selling picture-book writer of all time. His most famous title, The VeryHungry Caterpillar, has been translated into34 languages and has sold more than 20million copies. In all, he’s sold 65 millionbooks since the 1960s. Carle’s books arenot only colourful and entertaining but offerchildren the opportunity to learn somethingabout nature and the world around them.

“Many of the insects and other animals Eric Carle uses in his books are from thispart of Germany,” says exhibition organiserVera Trost. “We’ve learnt that he went forwalks with his father through fields andparks around Stuttgart and remembersdeveloping his love of nature at that time.”

Eric Carle says the main aim of hisbooks is to help bridge the gap betweenhome and school. He argues that childrenare naturally creative and eager to learn,and he wants to show children, through hisbooks, that learning is both fascinating andfun.

“I think it’s the simplicity of the text and his paintings which make his books soappealing,” says Ulrich Bachteler, directorof the German-American Centre/James F.Byrnes Institute in Stuttgart, which provi-ded material and financial support for theEric Carle exhibition. “You understandimmediately what he wants to tell you look-ing at the pictures. And it was new and

highly interesting for me to learn that thisrenowned author actually grew up in theregion I grew up in. I would say that mostGermans don’t know about Eric Carle’sSwabian origins.”

The Hungry Caterpillar’s roots

Eric Carle, the Swabian

Books about wolves

Recommended reading

Wolves by Emily Gravett

Macmillan, 34 pages

This is a delightful picture book about alittle rabbit who ‘burrows’ a book aboutwolves from his local library (West BucksPublic Burrowing Library.) Wonderfullyillustrated, brilliantly witty and with inter-active pages, this book is perfect forchildren of all ages. And for the squeam-ish there is an alternative ending.

Beware of Storybook Wolves

by Lauren Child

Holder Children’s Books,

30 pages with audio CD

For children who are a bit older, this isthe story of Herb, who can’t wait for hismother to read him bedtime storiesabout mean bad wolves, until one daythe wolves escape from his book andappear at his bedside! The hip illustra-tions and fanciful typography, and thestory’s wild mixture of insider fairytalejokes make for a great read. Childrenand adults will love guest appearancesby the Fairy Godmother, Cinderella and the Frog Prince. British actor HughLaurie reads the story on the audio CD.

The Day the Dog Dressed Like Dad

by Tom Amico and James Proimos

Bloomsbury, 29 pages

Now for something still canine but lessfrightening. This story starts when thedog comes down to breakfast one daydressed like Dad. He does all the thingsDad does; he even barbecues the meat at dinnertime, although he refuses to eat the hot dogs. Boldly illustrated withsimple straightforward text, this is notonly a book for small children – anyonewho has to deal with a Dad will find thisbook entertaining. Perhaps it’s some-thing to keep in mind for Father’s Day.

In both English andGerman: a recentedition of The VeryHungry Caterpillar(GerstenbergVerlag)

accents magazine Children’s Corner 7

Feature

An international city, open to the world,

ready to host visitors for events like the

World Cup football games. That’s what

we’re told about Baden-Württemberg’s

capital. But how well does Stuttgart cope

with the world’s lingua franca? We desi-

gned a test to find out.

You arrive as a non-German-speaking tour-ist at Stuttgart’s main train station and youneed information. You don’t necessarilyknow where the tourist information officeis. You simply wander up to an official look-ing person or into a shop to ask questions.And you fire off with a question asked bycountless numbers of tourists all over theworld every day: “Excuse me, do youspeak English?”

Stuttgart’s English is not altogether poor– it could be classed, in general, as reason-able, if the results of accents magazine’suniquely designed test are anything to goby. But there is definitely room for improve-ment. Our aim was to try to judge in somesort of scientific way how well the popu-lation speaks English and deals with enquir-ies from tourists. We consulted expertsfrom two Stuttgart language schools, theAnglo German Institute (AGI) and FokusLanguage School, to design our test. Wedecided to concentrate on the area in andaround Stuttgart’s main train station. Over athree week period in December 2005, nineaccents’ researchers – all of them native-English speakers – conducted 42 individual

tests on unsuspecting ‘targets’ working at information counters or in shops at themain train station. We were not trying tobe surreptitious or sneaky in not tellingpeople they were being tested; our aimwas to make the testing as ‘real-life’ aspossible, replicating conditions that anaverage tourist or newcomer to Stuttgartmight face on arrival.

The results

Banks and currency exchange dealershipsas well as Stuttgart’s Tourist Informationoffice proved they employ the best Englishspeakers in and around the city’s main trainstation. (See opposite page.) The resultsshould not be surprising: tourist officialsare employed because of their languageabilities; foreign exchange agencies dealmostly with tourists. But it was surprisingto discover that bank clerks working in normal German banks near the train stationalso speak good English.

Deutsche Bahn (German Rail) staff haveproven, in general, to be more than com-petent in English. At most ticket countersthey could provide information in English.But at some ticket counters and at themain information desk there were a fewterrible English speakers among the capableones. When World Cup football crowdscome to Stuttgart staff might have to dobetter than to explain – as one tester wastold – that the “train to Kaiserslautern goone hours.” (Is that once every hour? Or onthe hour? Or in one hour? Or maybe at oneo’clock?)

German Rail managers in Stuttgart havedecided to take action. SpokespersonMartin Schmolke told accents that around30 of his colleagues – of the 50 who dealface-to-face with customers – are to begiven English-language training in the leadup to the World Cup. (The twenty remain-ing customer service staff “can alreadyspeak good English.”) Says Schmolke:“The training will consist of a three dayblock of courses, focussing mainly ongiving directions, explaining timetables etc.It’s basically to freshen up the English they might have forgotten from school.”

Sales staff working in newsstands and

bookshops, and in various kiosks, cafes andgift shops at the train station achieved anoverall score of “reasonable.” Althoughwithin this group there was a large varietyof very good and very bad English spea-kers.

Deutsche Post and SSB (bus and tram)service personnel scored surprisingly badlyin the test. A number of testers reported,anecdotally, that they’ve encountered quitegood English speakers working in post offi-ces around Baden-Württemberg. Why thepost office at the main train station shouldscore so badly in English is a mystery. Itappeared to be the case that one memberof staff spoke quite good English but therest spoke hardly any at all. English-speak-ing foreigners would be left in a muddle ifthey went in to post something at thewrong time.

SSB customer service staff, like theDeutsche Bahn, are to receive specialEnglish-language training in the lead up tothe tourist wave expected to hit the city forthe World Cup. In fact, according to SSBspokesperson Berte Schaper, training hasalready begun for 15 staff members whodeal with telephone enquiries. Beginning inFebruary up to 130 staff who deal withface-to-face enquiries from the public willbe able to volunteer for courses in English.The SSB is also making an English-languagetraining CD-ROM available to staff “to helpfreshen up their knowledge of English.”Schaper also points to a new English web-site, (www.vvs.de/wm2006en) speciallydeveloped for the World Cup, to inform foreigners about bus and tram travel duringthe big event.

Stuttgart’s tourism authority, StuttgartMarketing GmbH, estimates that aroundone million people will be coming to Stutt-gart throughout June and July because ofWorld Cup football games. Not all of themwill be foreign tourists. But the city acknow-ledges the need for better English-languagesignage to accommodate foreign visitors.

“We will be producing new signs for the city,” says Klaus Lindemann, StuttgartMarketing’s Managing Director. “These willalso be in English to point foreign visitorsin the right direction when they arrive forthe World Cup.”

“Bus! You go bus!”

Testing Stuttgart’s English

accents magazine8 Feature

English spoken tovarying degrees:Deutsche Bahninformation desk,Stuttgart station.

Photo: C

hrys Rynearson

Feature 9accents magazine

The Test: how we did it

Banks/

Currency exchange

accent's English test

the results

Excellent result! One very poor score brought the average down. Otherwise top marks at most outlets. On the basis of this result, tourists should have very few problems with financial enquiries in Stuttgart, such as transferring money, replacing lost or stolen credit cards etc.

Tourist information As expected, an excellent score. By far the most consistent range of top scores. The only group without any failures. Perhaps let down slightly by the absence of a near-to-perfect score but visitors to Stuttgart, making enquiries in English, should have no problems.

Deutsche Bahn

personnelA good result. Better than expected. Many good English speak-ers among staff. A few bad scores brought down the average considerably but most personnel tried hard to communicate even if English was poor. Need to work on reducing the incidence of bad scores, as DB is at the coalface of dealing with enquiries from the public.

Newsstands

and bookshopsSurprise performers. One very bad score brought down the average, otherwise the mostly youthful staff coped reasonably well. Perhaps English learnt in school is still fresh at hand.

Bakeries, cafes,

food and gift shopsPot luck for tourists. Not a bad result overall but the widest range of scores – from excellent to atrocious – shows a lack of reliabili-ty in English. Tourists cannot be sure they'll get the information they want. Plus points, however, for often referring an enquiry on to a better English-speaking staff member. Indicates tourists should not be left completely stranded.

Deutsche Post

personnelNot good news for letter writers. With only one good score there is need for improvement. If the apparently one good-English-speaking staff member is not on duty communication falls apart. An investment in English-language materials or training wouldn't go astray.

SSB:

bus and tram officialsA disappointing result. Only one good score among the sample. Somewhat surprising given that personnel – especially those in the Klett Passage – are there to answer enquiries from the public. In one area, however, they receive plus points: SSB is the only organisation to issue staff members with a badge indi-cating languages spoken. Pity that English is so rarely among them.

Police

1

very good

2

good

range of scores

average score

3

reasonable

4

poor

5

very poor

Note: only a very small sample. Nevertheless, a poor result given the close contact with the public. No absolute failures is some-thing positive: an effort was made at friendly communication despite lack of language ability. Definite need for improvement.

1.8

1.9

2.6

2.9

3.1

3.7

3.8

4.1

1-4.4

1.6-2.2

1-4.4

2.2-5

1-5

2-4.8

2-5

4-4.2

Aim

Native-English speaking ‘testers’ act as tourists or newcomers to Stuttgart andengage ‘targets’ in a conversation in Eng-lish in order to judge their competence in the language. Some targets are testedseveral times, by different testers, inorder to eliminate the chance of a single‘hard’ or ‘easy’ tester dictating results.

Targets

Officials from public institutions, shopowners and sales staff working in and around the main train station, including:Deutsche Bahn personnel; post officestaff; tram and bus (SSB) officials; touristinformation officers; police officers; staff

in banks and currency exchange dealer-ships; and sales staff in newsstands,bakeries, kiosks and other shops.

Method

The tester approaches a target. Asks,“Do you speak English?” Then continueswith a question related to the target’sarea of expertise. (For example, “Can youtell me how to get to Kaiserslautern bytrain?” for the Deutsche Bahn; “Can youtell me the prices for sending parcels toAustralia?” at the post office; “Do youhave any English magazines?” at a news-agent.) Tester asks follow-up questions inorder to draw out responses from target.Finally, the tester poses a ‘directions’

question, asking the target how to get toa particular place nearby.

Criteria

Tester listens for English competence in five different areas: understanding –how well the target comprehends what‘sbeing said; pronunciation – how clearlythe target speaks English; vocabulary –range of words used; grammar – use ofcorrect tenses, prepositions etc.; fluidityof speech – how well sentences arestrung together. After the conversation,the tester allocates scores (very good –good – reasonable – poor – very poor) inthe five competency areas listed above.Overall impressions are also written out.

accents magazine10 Feature

We asked a number of prominent native-

English speakers about town for their

views on Stuttgart’s English competence.

Anthony Gibbs, an Englishman, has beenliving in Baden-Württemberg since 1969.He teaches in the English Literature depart-ment at Stuttgart University, but is perhapsbetter known as the former presenter of a popular English-language radio program,Five O’clock Special, broadcast on SWR(and, previously, SDR) every second weekfor 24 years from 1974 to 1998.

“My impression is that at the universitylevel, where between a third and a half ofmy students will become school Englishteachers, standards were better in pastyears than they are now. But today manymore people speak passable English thanever before, and given half a chanceGermans love to practise their English, nomatter how good or bad it is. English hasinfiltrated the German language so muchthat many people now feel more comfort-able speaking it.“

Alex Woodruff, from the UK, is the mana-ging director of the advertising agencyenglish talk: The native speaker agency.He’s been living in Stuttgart since 1996 andspecialises in providing German companieswith English-language advertising and marketing materials.

“In conversational situations I find thatGermans speak some of the best English in the world, especially younger Germans.They do like to show off and practice theirEnglish on expats. But there are somegaps, especially in business, where stand-ards need to be a lot better. If anything, themarketing materials that many businesseschurn out now are getting worse. As theeconomy has worsened, companies havestopped turning to professionals and tosave money have tried to put together theirEnglish-language websites or brochuresthemselves, with disastrous consequences.They only wise up when they get laughedat by their customers abroad. There is agreat difference between standards of spoken and written language – especially inbusiness.”

Peggy Stinson is a US citizen and presi-dent of the American German BusinessClub, Stuttgart. She moved to the Stuttgartregion three years ago, but has lived andworked in Germany since 1996. Her ownbusiness, Executive Management Com-pany, helps managers, especially at inter-national firms, to optimize the performanceof employees at their companies.

“Most people I’ve come into contactwith through the Business Club have givenpositive feedback about English usage inthe Stuttgart area, especially in shops inthe pedestrian zone and the train stationarea. I think tourists and new arrivals areable to get what they need in most shopsby speaking English. The only difficultiesI’ve noticed with the English language iswhen I’m in a production plant somewhere.Employees with little to no internationalcontact have much less English capability.”

Mark Twigg was the British consul-generalin Stuttgart from 2001 till the end of 2005.He heard many a faux pas in English duringhis diplomatic term but his favourite camefrom someone who ended a speech by saying: “I thank you from the heart of mybottom.” That occurred somewhere else inGermany, not in Baden-Württemberg, he’spleased to report. However, he says Eng-lish in this part of Germany is not as goodas many assume.

“Many Brits have this stereotypicalimage of Germans as being good speakersof English. Well, most can speak Englishbut in my experience many (public) officialsdon’t really speak good English and in busi-ness circles it’s only really those exportingto the English-speaking world who feelcomfortable conducting business in Eng-lish. This is especially so among small andmedium-sized companies – no more than20 percent of business people, I would say,really feel happy and competent doingbusiness in English rather than German.Maybe an element of the German psychecomes into play here: Germans like speak-ing English but, as with many things, theyfeel it ought to be done very well or not at all.”

Malcolm Sharpe is English and edits theEnglish-language homepage of SWRInternational (www.swr.de/international/en)radio in Stuttgart. He’s also worked as ateacher and English examiner in Stuttgartsince 1981.

“Rating Stuttgart’s English competencedepends on who we are talking about.People who have come through more aca-demic schools or through technical schoolsgenerally have a good-to-excellent grasp ofEnglish. Overall I think standards of Englishare either good or reasonable – at leastwith regards to dealing with queries fromEnglish-speaking visitors. People livinghere, though, will sometimes have prob-lems understanding native-English speakersif they suddenly bombard the non-nativespeaker with all the nuances or quirks ofthe English language. But honestly, formany football fans coming to Germany forthe World Cup a dearth of local English willnot be something they’ll be bemoaning –they’ll be hanging out with their fellowcountrymen here. And they’ll be able tocommunicate with the locals well enough.”

Reid Anderson, a Canadian, has been thedirector of the world-famous StuttgartBallet Company since 1996. Between 1969and 1986 he was a dancer with the Stutt-gart Ballet.

“Stuttgart’s English is reasonable, I think. But I don’t really get out much toknow for sure! I do believe that Englishcompetence has much improved though,over the years, especially among youngpeople. I just remember when I first arrivedhere how I found everyone incredibly help-ful, mixing what little English they knewwith German and lots of sign language.People really tried to communicate, and it’samazing how much one can express withthe face, hands and body.”

Rating Stuttgart’s English

Peggy Stinson:Positive feedbackabout English usagein Stuttgart.

Alex Woodruff:“English-languagemarketing materialsare getting worse.”

Reid Anderson:Communicatingwith hands and faceworks wonders.

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eA final word from a language expert

Dorte Süchting, Anglo German Institute

Accents’ English test results show there are enough people working in and around the main train station in Stuttgartwho speak at least enough English toanswer basic enquiries from tourists.There are also surprisingly few resultsshowing an absolute failure to speak anyEnglish. This is indeed positive. Whatisn’t so impressive is a lack of really top-quality English speakers, especially atpublic institutions, which tourists oftenapproach. There seems to be a need forinstitutions like the Deutsche Bahn, thetram and bus network, Deutsche Post –and I would add the police – to improvetheir English and to be able to tell tour-ists more than just, “Up. Straight out.You see it.“ They’ll be asking for morethan simple directions at the time of theWorld Cup!

Better rostering or organisation ofstaff seems to be a critical issue heretoo. It’s no good if you have a staffmember, serving the public, saying: “Oh.No English. My colleague,” if that collea-gue is not there – and this proved to bethe case a few times. Sometimes two or

three SSB personnel would be on duty,all of whom spoke Croatian as theirsecond language, for example. If servicestaff have English skills, then at leastone of them should be working on eachshift (if possible).

If Stuttgart really wants to present itself as an open and internationally ori-ented city, then officials should put moreeffort into preparing their service staff tocommunicate with tourists who do notspeak German. These staff members are the people who represent Stuttgart,who are the face of the city and who areresponsible for the impressions touriststake home with them from Germany.

English outside of Stuttgart

A comparison

In Heidelberg, Jonathan Graham

Testing people’s English in Heidelberg wasa humiliating experience. For me. Peoplegenerally had such a good command of thisforeign language that in some cases theywere correcting my English. And I’m a native speaker. It was hardly any use tryingto catch them out. I tried ordering things in German and sales staff would voluntarilyswitch into English to help me out. If that’snot a sign of confidence in a language I don’t know what is. I did find someone atMcDonalds who only had a “reasonable”vocabulary range but he spoke without blemish and with such ease that I had togive him top marks for both GrammaticalCompetence and Fluency. “Would you likea bag?” he asked. “Why are you speakingto me in English?” I replied. I’d been tryingto order in German. “Oh I always speakEnglish at work,” he said. With busloads of Americans and other tourists visiting the city every day perhaps all of Heidelbergis used to speaking English at work.

In Tübingen, Nichole Martinson

The man’s head in the bookstore at thetrain station is tilted down, focussed onstacks of magazines piled high on the

counter. Cigarette smoke starts to makemy head throb as I catch his attention, “I’m sorry, spechen Sie Englisch?” Hishead jerks up with a look of pure horror.“English? No.” That was that really. “NoEnglish books,” was the only other phrase I got out of him. Not to worry. I’ll try thecafé across the road. Inside, there’s awoman in her twenties waiting on tables,huddled in a corner with a middle-aged co-worker, probably from the kitchen. The younger woman is talking to a thirdwoman, apparently a friend. I go for theyounger staff member with my “Do youspeak English?” opener. But she just shakes her head and points to her left, toher friend. Okay, we’re in for a game ofcharades. I inquire about how to get to theold-city. The three of them crowd together,German flying at breakneck speed. Then I get the full focus of the friend’s attention.Two or three sentences are pressed outbut there are big gaps in her vocabulary;like the word “right,” as in the direction toturn on the street. Her words do help meto get where I need to go. But those twoexperiences, representative or not, do notgive me great faith in Tübingen’s English,at least in shops near the train station.

Arts and Culture

They are US musical imports with a tra-

ditionally strong support base in Baden-

Württemberg. After some lean audience

years, jazz and soul are beginning to

make a comeback. Arts Editor Stuart

Marlow has been ducking into cellars and

smoke-filled bars to check out the scene.

Stuttgart resident Bernard Bolden is anAmerican soul singer from the Deep Southof the USA, who remembers his fatherstrumming classic 1930s blues and gospelsongs while sitting on the front porch ofhis old Dixieland home. By day Bolden delivers parcels for United Parcel Service,but at night he sings in one of Stuttgart’sbest soul bands, The Funkaholics.

“Stuttgart audiences are just so loyal. Itis a great city to play music in. We like tocreate a kind of interactive friendly atmos-phere with our audience and that reallyworks well here,” says Bolden. Performinghis own brand of soul music is as rewar-ding for Bolden as it is for a range of emer-ging soul, funk and jazz musicians acrossBaden-Württemberg at the moment. After experiencing something of a declinethroughout the 1990s, these Americanmusical imports are enjoying a revival.

Like so many other aspects of Stuttgart’scultural life, the jazz and soul scene doesn’tshout at you – you have to go looking for it, but it is there in abundance.

Its history goes back to the 1960s, tothe heyday of the Atlantic Bar Nightclub,when well-known local jazz musicians likeWolfgang Dauner rose to prominence. Jazz became popular, and in 1972 a bunchof Stuttgart jazz enthusiasts founded theJazz Society of Stuttgart. They organisedsessions in their first cellar-like home at theKetterer in Marienstraße, calling the venueDixieland Hall. This state of affairs lasteduntil 1996 when falling audience numbersforced the Jazz Society to move out of theKetterer’s basement rooms and across theNeckar to Bad Cannstatt. The Society bask-ed in the ‘lowdown’ atmosphere of the Bad Cannstatt railway station for around sixyears before new development in the areaforced another move. The association withtrain station atmospherics survives in theJazz Society’s new base in the IntercityJazz Lounge at Stuttgart’s Hauptbahnhof.This location, with its 1970s ambience,makes a claim to being ‘the premier jazzclub in Stuttgart’. However the Ketterercellar has revived and enjoys the continued

backing of the Jazz Society. One unmis-takable sign of renewed zest in the jazzscene is that the Ketterer has now tripledits weekly bill of concerts: on Thursdays,Fridays and Saturdays you can experienceevenings of jazz in a ‘30s-style ambiencewith original art-deco lighting. Then you can swing over to one of the city’s mostfamous music venues, Romeo’s Kiste, formerly Roger’s Kiste. A variety of stylesof jazz can also be heard at venues such as the Theaterhaus, Rosenau and CafeMerlin in Stuttgart’s West district.

Proud heritage

A chance encounter at Frankfurt Airportwith a retired Canadian travel agent, DickHeinemann-Wright, or DH as his friendscall him, provided some fascinating insightsinto the development of the jazz scene inStuttgart.

DH recalls the days in the 1950s whenyoung European jazz musicians would travel to the US to study the work of jazzand blues greats like Duke Ellington, LouisArmstrong, Ella Fitzgerald and Count Basie.DH finds it amusing that what was essen-tially black and American became off-beat,

The return of the night owls

Jazz and soul music

accents magazine12 Arts and Culture

white and middle-class in Europe. “The split in musical tastes occurred in

the 1950s,“ says DH. “Most young peoplebegan to gravitate towards pop and rock.Folks with some kind of sophisticatedmusical taste, or guys over 30, just wantingto relax and take it easy, started to do jazz.The European imitators at the time werepretty good musicians.”

Perhaps the UK is most typical of thetraditional jazz scene DH refers to. Englandis Europe’s premier location for so-called‘Trad’ jazz. No other place in Europe hasproduced so many well-known jazz bandsand musicians. Typical of the off-beatatmosphere of any London jazz pub is thescene played out whereby one musicianshows up at six o’clock in the evening andbegins playing, to be gradually joined byothers over a period of up to two hours.This kind of laid-back eccentricity repre-sents the spirit of the English Trad scene.Stuttgart will soon be getting a taste ofEnglish jazz. The British Hot Jazz NightStuttgart Tour, in March 2006, will featureRod Mason (trumpet, vocals), lan Wheeler(clarinet, vocals), John Crocker (clarinet,saxophone), Roy Williams (trombone,vocals), Norman Emberson (drums), Jona-than Vinten (piano, vocals), Sean Moyses(banjo) and Bob Culverhouse (bass).

Stuttgart has been a stomping groundfor many other famous jazz musicians overthe decades. Beginning in the early 1980s,DH and his Canadian jazz-loving pals began

to check out schedules and made a point of visiting Stuttgart – among other places –both on vacation and while on businesstrips, to listen to local artists.

“OK, London and Amsterdam andCopenhagen are just the greatest for jazz.But in Stuttgart over the years I’ve seenpeople like Champion Jack Dupree, ChrisBarber, The Dutch Swing College Band,Monty Sunshine, Acker Bilk, Nat Adderly,Niels-Henning Orsted Pederson, the Pasa-dena Roof Orchestra, Stephan Grappelli,you name it! Stuttgart had some great littleblues bars back then. It was a great placefor night owls.”

Perhaps the night owls are returning.The rise of Bernard Bolden’s Funkaholicshas been accompanied by a boom in thenumber of performance venues in Stutt-gart. More and more restaurants and cafesaround the city are setting up stages tohost live music. When I caught up withBolden he’d just finished a long session atthe Rosenau. The encores lasted almost as long as the main concert. It must be asign that things are going right when theaudience won’t let the band stop playing.

The Funkaholics are all trained music-ians, but not full-time professionals whohave to go on stressful tours. Being anenergetic communicator or ‘show-master’is a key part of being a lead singer, accord-ing to Bolden. “We’re able to build up areal rapport with our audience. You canjoke and you can share things. Full-time

professionals who do mainly concert kindof gigs, don’t really get that kind of warm,informal feedback,” he says. “Still, it wouldbe kind of nice to have younger as well as older people at our gigs. Most of ourregular audience is over thirty.”

The pattern that seems to be emergingin Stuttgart reflects the situation else-where. Jazz fans might also get involved inlistening to soul or Big Band music but theattraction for the 18 to 30 year-olds stilltends to be towards rock, rap and othermusical forms. Nevertheless, accents read-ers are in the right place at the right time if they want to discover the sound and therhythm of excellent jazz and soul.

For Jazz lovers

www.jazz-society.de

www.german-jazz-trophy.de

www.swing-time-special.de

www.romeos-kiste.de

www.kulturcafe-merlin.de

www.ketterer-stuttgart.de

British Hot Jazz Night Tour 2006

March 28-29, Stuttgart

March 30, Karlsruhe

March 31, Bad Säckingen

A Trilogy of Dark Material

Book reviews

The Golden Compass

The Subtle Knife

The Amber Spyglass

By Philip Pullman

Published by Alfred A. Knopf

Each book 399 pages

A ‘classic’ fantasy book can transcendboth time and the age of the readers itwas written for. Many classics of litera-ture were originally written for childrenbut became just as popular with adults.And sometimes one encounters classicbooks of fantasy worlds that are packedwith scholarly knowledge without everappearing to be so; they simply tell agreat tale.

Pullman’s ‘His Dark Materials’ trilogy is outstanding for its depth as well as for its incredible storytelling. The trilogybegins with The Golden Compass, whoseprotagonist is a girl called Lyra. She is awild and unruly child, and is being caredfor by scholars at Jordan College, Oxford.Lyra and her daemon (a guardian spirit)hear a rumor that children are disappear-ing and being taken to a place where

cruel experiments are done on them.When her closest friend disappears, Lyraresolves to find out the truth about whatis happening and to rescue the abductedchildren. What she encounters is thetruth about her own parents; what start-ed off as a personal quest has becomemore serious and has consequences thatextend far beyond her own destiny.

In the second book, The Subtle Knife,Lyra discovers there is a world that existsparallel to hers. There is another Oxfordwhere there is no Jordan College andwhere the inhabitants have no visibledaemons. In this parallel world lives Will,whose father has disappeared during an Arctic expedition and whose mothersuffers from paranoia and cannot be leftalone. Will is searching for a way to savehimself and his mother from the authori-ties when he discovers a mysterious gap.The gap leads him to Cittagazze, a stran-ge spirit-filled world where adults areattacked leaving only children. Lyra andWill both slowly begin to realize that theoutcome of the battle of good versus evilis somehow in their hands.

The final and darkest book, The AmberSpyglass, continues to deal with the con-flict between heaven and hell, with vividand breathtaking images of both paradiseand the inferno. The pretensions of orga-nized religion come under attack withreferences to Milton, Dante, the Bibleand the visual imagery of moralist paint-ers. Lyra and Will face the bittersweetrealization that their childhood is behindthem and that they must make the pass-age to adulthood. Their personal decisionswill influence the future of their respect-ive worlds. Once you have begun read-ing, there is no stopping; these threebooks are well worth taking the time for.

Arts and Culture 13accents magazine

In action: Bernard B

olden, lead singer of The Funkaholics

accent on…

Ludwigsburg

The City of Palaces

By Steve Trevallion

I have travelled a bit. I have prayed in theVatican, ridden an elephant through anAsian jungle and tasted shark in Australiabefore the shark got the chance to tasteme. So forgive me, if you will, for scoffingat the editor’s suggestion of heading off toLudwigsburg to look at a few old palaces. I was hoping for something a little moreenergetic for my first assignment. But Iwas in for some (pleasant) surprises.

The City of Palaces? Isn’t that in Indiasomewhere? Well, no, the name belongs toLudwigsburg, home to some truly magnifi-cent buildings. Situated a scant 15 kilome-tres north of Stuttgart, The City of Palaceswas born in 1704 when Duke EberhardLudwig decided to build a royal summerresidence there. His vision quickly expan-ded and a whole city resulted. (“There arealready more than enough boring towns,”he said, as he raided the state’s coffers to

add more and more buildings.) In 2004,Germany’s largest baroque palace, Resi-denzschloss Ludwigsburg, also known asthe “Versailles of Swabia”, celebrated its300th anniversary after 15 years of renova-tion work at a cost of 92 million euros. Thepalace itself is actually made up of 28 buil-dings comprising 452 rooms. It will costyou a reasonable five euros to wanderthrough this beautiful complex. If you wantto visit one of the three new museums thatopened within the palace in 2004, it willcost you a little more, but it’s worth it. TheBarockgalerie boasts a collection of Ger-man and Italian paintings from the 17th and18th centuries, the Modemuseum show-cases three centuries of fashion, particular-ly royal clothing of the 18th century, whilethe Keramikmuseum displays a collectionof porcelain treasures. Within the palacewalls you can also view one of the lastgenuine porcelain craft shops in Europe,where artists are still producing goods

entirely by hand. Customers can make special requests for design alterations inobjects that they want to buy.

The gardens

With the splendour of the palace roomsfresh in my mind, I took a deep breath ofunpolluted air and headed out into the 30hectares of Ludwigsburg gardens. The oneblemish on the face of Ludwigsburg mustbe the busy, grey roads encircling the grounds, but I guess that’s what happenswhen a city is built up around a palace.Forgetting about the traffic, I spent sometime lazily strolling past numerous ponds,fountains, aviaries and flower displays.Check out the gardener’s cottage, nestledat the foot of a winding path and coveredwith some extraordinary plant life. Madeentirely of sharp hand-stacked stones, itreally ought to be inside the ‘Fairy TaleGarden’ and not behind it.

accents magazine14 accent on…

Info tips

General tourist information

Tel 07141 9102252www.ludwigsburg.de (also in English)For porcelain connoisseurs

www.ludwigsburger-porzellan.deFairy Tale Garden

Tel 07141 975650www.blueba.de (only in German)

A fairy tale garden? Yes, I was curiousas well. My brochure described it as “a fantastic magical world” designed mainlyfor kids. But I’ve since met plenty of adultswho found this garden as enchanting as Idid. It’s full of small huts, houses and grot-tos, each displaying a scene from a fairytale. There’s always something moving orsomething to touch, pull, knock on or listento. I discovered one young boy shouting atone display (I can’t remember the fairy talein question) to have his voice played backto him a few seconds later. I discovered Icould also shout at this voice-repetition boxand duck down behind a nearby bench toleave the next passer-by utterly bewilderedby this strange English voice emanatingfrom a grotto. Childish amusement, I know,but I was getting into the spirit of things.There’s also a maze to get lost in, a smalltrain ride and a log-boat ride. The latter wasexhilarating though you have to queue upfor ages before stepping into your boat.

Stretching the legs

A five-minute walk north of the palace(across Marbacher Straße) brings you tothe Jagdschloss Favorite, a ‘small’ summerresidence and hunting lodge of the dukesof Württemberg. It was built between 1713and 1723 by Duke Eberhard for his mist-ress, Wilhelmine von Grävenitz. The furnish-ings of the Favorite, which has a baroquefacade, are from the Napoleonic era. This

rococo masterpiece was expanded uponduring the reign of King Friedrich I of Würt-temberg and the murals inside the palaceare well worth a look. In the summermonths, the Favorite is a venue for cham-ber concerts and a prime location for theannual Ludwigsburg Palace Performing ArtsFestival – a program of concerts, theatre,opera, dance and exhibitions which takeplace within the palace and the parklands.There’s also a baroque fireworks display.

The 72-hectare wild game park aroundthe palace is another oasis of calm. As youwalk along the quiet wooded paths andsmall fields behind the Favorite, the localdeer are likely to trot over in the hope ofreceiving some food. This makes for a truly relaxing and lovely end to the day – although I suddenly realised that I’d donean awful lot of walking!

One tip about tickets: work out exactlywhat you want to see before you buy yourfirst entrance ticket. Each attraction is valuefor money but if you pay for one thing afterthe next, individually, you may soon findyou’ve run out of money. Buying a BarockeErlebniskarte for 13 euros might be yourbest bet. You gain entry to the palaces,museums and the gardens (including theFairy-Tale Garden) with it.

Ludwigsburg is one of the few remain-ing 18th-century planned cities left inGermany. Until well into the 19th century,the dominance of the Court of Württem-berg not only characterized the architecture

but also the culture of the town. Now-adays, Ludwigsburg has freed itself fromthose courtly constraints. It takes pride inits museums, in promoting experimentalart, multimedia shows and modern exhibit-ions. It’s a university town, boasting a tea-chers’ training college, a polytechnic colle-ge and the only film academy in Baden-Württemberg. However for most visitors,Ludwigsburg’s spectacular buildings remainthe main attraction. The city may not holdenough surprises up its royal sleeves for aweek-long break, but its architectural trea-sures and rolling gardens will easily fill aday or two, depending on your pace.

Above: SchloßFavorite in Winter.Opposite page:Ludwigsburg’s mainpalace at dusk.

Photos: S

tadt Ludwigsburg

Music

Jan 23, 8:15 pm, d.a.i., www.synapseproductions.com,www.linakorecords.comOn tour in the regionLord of the FliesAmerican Drama Group.Jan 31, 8 pm, Ulmer Theater;Feb 6, 7:30 pm, Theater Heilbronn;Feb 9, 11 am and 3 pm, Theater Marquart Stuttgart;Feb 10, 8 pm, Fischbach Friedrichshafen;Mar 17, 8 pm, Theater PforzheimPerformance: Poetry and Paper: Unfolding ee cummings and others Viviane Bertrand, CanadaJan 30, 8:15 pm, d.a.i. TübingenJan 31, 7:30 pm, DAZ Stuttgart

Music

BöblingenJames Blunt “back to bedlam” tour 2006.Jan 20, 8 pm, SporthalleMannheimChris ReaMar 19, Rosengarten Mozartsaal StuttgartThe PosiesJan 15, 9 pm, Manufactur,www.club-manufaktur.deAcademy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields & ChoirJan 16, 8 pm, Liederhalle, www.liederhalle-stuttgart.deThe Harlem Gospel Singers &Band Queen Esther MarrowJan 25 and 26, Beethoven-Saal,Liederhalle StuttgartThe EditorsJan 28, 9 pm, Manufactur, see address above Canadian BrassMagic Horn Tour 2006Jan 29, 8 pm, Theaterhaus,www.theaterhaus.com,see address aboveDavid GrayFeb 1, 8:30 pm, LKA Longhorn,

StageCarnival

Event

Jan 29 and Feb 5 at 3 pm, Roadside Theater, Patton Barracks,tickets 06221 175020, www.roadsidetheater.comLeonbergHairMusical in English.Co-Production of ARENA Theater & Festspiel GmbH and TimesSquare Productions LLC, New York. Jan 12, 8 pm, StadthalleOne Night of Ray CharlesMusical. Jan 20, 8 pm, StadthalleLörrachThe Steadfast Tin SoldierFairy tale by Hans ChristianAndersen, shadow, puppet, and dance performance in Englishfor adults and kids 6 and upJan 16, 5 pm, Burghof,Herrrenstraße 5, www.burghof.comTrisha Brown Dance CompanyNew York. “Glacial Decoy”, “How long does the subject linger on the edge of the volume…”,“Groove and Countermove”,Jan 24, 8 pm, Burghof, see address aboveMannheimHoliday on Ice: RomanzaFeb 8 -12, SAP Arena, www.holidayonice.comSindelfingenNight of the DanceBroadway Dance Company and Dublin Dance Factory. Feb 12, 8 pm, Stadthalle,www.nightofthedance.ccIn the Ghetto South African Musical Group,Johannesburg.Mar 6, 8 pm, StadthalleStuttgartUrinetownPremiere Feb 17 at 7:30 pm,Stuttgart Theatre Center – Kelley Theatre, Kelley Barracks,Vaihingen, general public welcome,tickets 0711 7292825, www.kelleytheatre.de10th International Solo DanceTheatre FestivalCompetition for contemporary choreographers and young dancers.Mar 6 -19, www.treffpunkt-rotebuehlplatz.deIrish Ceílí Irish Dancing taught every 3 rdSaturday of the month from 4 -7 pm,Saal, Bürgerhaus Botnang,www.danceirish.de/events.htmTübingenAudiovisual Performance road tripKasumi, New York and Nicola Lutz, Stuttgart

Opening Straßenfasnet Feb 23, 6:45 pmKinderumzugFeb 27, 2 pmSchnurren und SchnitzelbänkFeb 27, 7 pmBöblingenFastnachtsumzug Feb 27, downtownFreiburgGroßer RosenmendigsumzugFeb 27, 2 pmHerrenbergFastnachtsmarkt and ParadeFeb 28, downtownKonstanzStreet FasnetFeb 26, 2 pmHemdglonker-UmzugFeb 23, 7:30 pmKinderumzugStefansplatz, Feb 27, 2:30 pm,afterwards “Wurstschnappen” andother games for kids, MarktstätteKonstanzer GoscheteObermarkt, Feb 28, 4 pmVerbrennen der FasnetBlätzleplatz, Feb 28, 7 pmMannheim-LudwigshafenKarnevalsumzugFeb 26, 3 - 5:15 pm MeersburgKatzenmusikFeb 23, 5 amSchnabelgiere geht durch die StadtFeb 23, 2 pmHemdglonker-UmzugFeb 23, 7 pmParadeFeb 27, 2:30 pm, 6 pm, 6:30 pm,MarktplatzFasnetsverbrennenFeb 28, 12 midnightRavensburgHemdglonker-UmzugFeb 24, 7 pm, MarienplatzGroßer Narrensprung Feb 27, 10 am, downtownRottenburgTraditioneller HexentanzFeb 23, 7 pm, MarktplatzStraßenfasnetFeb 25, 2:30 pmGroßer Fasnets-OmzugFeb 26, 1:30 pm, downtownGroßer Narrensamen-Umzug Feb 27, 2 pm, downtownAhlandtaufeFeb 28, 2 pm, MarktplatzFasnetsverbrennungFeb 28, 11:30 pm, MarktplatzRottweilKinderumzugFeb 26, 2:30 pmHistorischer NarrensprungFeb 27, 8 am; Feb 28, 8 am and 2 pm StuttgartFasnetsumzugFeb 28, 1 pm, downtown Weil der StadtGroßer FasnetsumzugFeb 26, 2 pm, downtown

Stage

BalingenDance ObsessionDerryl Yeager and the OdysseyDance Theater Utah/USA.Jan 31, 8 pm, StadthalleHeidelbergBus Stopby William Inge. Jan 27, 28 and Feb 3, 4, 10, 11 at 7:30 pm,

Events

KarlsruheThe workshops for restoration of the “Badische Landesmuseum”Guided tour and get-togetherJan 28, 2- 3:30 pm, Staatl. Majolika-Manufaktur, main entrance, Ahaweg. Sign up at 0721 7569503, Deutsch-Englischer Freundeskreis (DEF),www.def-Karlsruhe.deTraditional “Pancake Race” Deutsch-Englischer Freundeskreis,Feb 23, 11:11 am sharp, KarlsruheMarket Square. Volunteers pleasecall 0721 7569503FreiburgOpen door day at the Carl-Schurz-HausGrand opening at the new location!Live music, drinks and finger food.Extensive program beginning at 2 pm, reading for children at 3 pm,multimedia slide show on New York City at 6 pm. Jan 28,Eisenbahnstraße 58 - 62,www.carl-schurz-haus.deImages from the Deep SouthPhotography by Axel KüstnerJan 28, Carl-Schurz-Haus, see address aboveStuttgartCMT International Exhibition for Caravan, Motor, Tourism. Jan 14 - 22, Messe Killesberg,www.messe-stuttgart.de 50th Ball of the NationsInternationaler Studenten- undAkademiker Club Stuttgart (ISCS) Jan 21, 8 pm, Beethoven-Saal,Liederhalle, www.iscs.s.bawue.de,www.balldernationen.deSparkassen-Cup 2006International Track Event.Feb 4, Schleyerhalle,www.sparkassen-cup.deValentine’s Day BallThe International Women’s Club of Stuttgart celebrates Valentine’sDay with a dance and a charity tombola. Feb 11, 8:30 pm,Naturfreundehaus Stuttgart,Steinbergle am Killesberg,Stresemannstraße 8,valentines@iwcstuttgart.org or 07156 927661 for tickets, 25/30 euros

Carnival-Fasnacht

Carnival Informationfor the following listings:www.narren-spiegel.de (in German)Markt = marketUmzug = paradeKinderumzug = children’s paradeBad CannstattNärrischer WochenmarktFeb 23, 10 am

accents

choiceaccents forum

Our informal get-together for readers and contributors.

Friday, January 13th, 7 pmat George and Dragon English Pub, Willy-Brandt-Straße 30,Stuttgart (take the stairs nextto Hotel LeMéridien)

Friday, March 10 th, 7 pm location to be announced

accentsmagazine

accents magazine16 accents choice

The Steadfast Tin SoldierShadow, puppet and danceperformance in English for adults and kids 6 and upJan 16, 5 pm, 55 min, see Stage listings

Lecture Work

Kids

Wednesdays, 6 pm, d.a.i., library,see address aboveKarlsruheLitNight in Englishreading and discussing literature,Jan 17, Feb 7 and 21, 7:30 pm,American Library, www.american-library.dePoetry PleasePoems in English read and discussed. For more informationcall Tom 0721 3540477 or theAmerican Library or simply stop by!Jan 24, Feb 28, 7:30 - 9 pm,American Library, see address above StuttgartThe Empire Study GroupA popular study group by LaurenceStallings and Scott Stelle, the newsession, “The End of Ideology/ The Fall of the One-Party Empire”,Jan 13, Feb 10, 6 pm, DAZ,Charlottenplatz 17, www.daz.org Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday World Advocate for Peace,Economic Justice and HumanRights. Lecture by Prof. Larry A.Greene, PhD, Jan 25, 7:30 pm,DAZ, see address aboveConversation CircleElections in Baden-Württemberg: If, What Coalition? Jan 20, 6 pm;German: An important EU language? Feb 17, 6 pm;DAZ, see address aboveBorn and Dying “in a goddamn hotel room”Lecture by Prof. Eric Denton,Feb 2, 7:30 pm, DAZ, see address aboveWomen Writers of the Harlem RenaissanceLecture by Prof. Ethel MorganSmith, Feb 7, 7:30 pm, DAZ, see address aboveIn the Spirit:Black spirituals and the Fisk University Jubilee SingersLecture by Erika Bahner,Feb 22, 7:30 pm, DAZ, see address aboveTübingenAn Evening with a Good Book

www.lka-longhorn.deThe ServantFeb 2, 9 pm, Röhre TübingenDale Wilde BandJan 27, 8 pm, SudhausOn Tour in the RegionIrish Connection Tour 2006Feb 9, 8 pm, Roxy UlmFeb 16, 8 pm, die halle ReichenbachThe Golden Gospel SingersJan 10, Stadthalle Aalen;Jan 29, St. MartinuskircheErdmannshausenThe Commitments (Rock)Jan 21, 8 pm, Jazzhaus Freiburg;Jan 24, 8 pm, TheaterhausWishbone Ash 35th Anniversary Tour 2006Jan 27, 9 pm, Sudhaus Tübingen; Jan 28, 8 pm, Turnhalle Winterbach

Tickets can be bought at Booking-offices, by calling Easy-ticket service 0711 2555555,www.easyticket.de orSWR 1 ticket service 0180 5929211

Lectures/Discussions

FreiburgOpen dialogevery other Wed, 6:30 - 8 pm,Carl-Schurz-Haus library,Eisenbahnstraße 58 - 62, www.carl-schurz-haus.de. Jan 11, The Caring Consumer;Jan 25, Is it just something you’re born into? Feb 8, Be My Valentine;Feb 22, Free Time and VacationsThe Disappearance of Utopia? This symposium is aimed at reach-ing both academics in the field of literary/cultural studies and a wideraudience. It comprises six lectures,a poster-display with students’work and a panel discussion.Jan 27 and 28, Wilhelmstraße 26,www.carl-schurz-haus.deNew Orleans after Katrina – Tales of the ReconstructionSlide show part 1, Craig Morris,Freiburg, Feb 7, 8 pm, conference-room Carl-Schurz-Haus, Eisenbahnstraße 58 - 62, 3rd floorHeidelbergDiscussion group with Dr. Steven Bloom Do people get the politicians they deserve? Jan 10;Does our understanding of “masculine” and “feminine”need to be re-examined? Jan 24;Is it always possible to resolve conflicts peacefully? Jan 31;Traditional Valentines Day question:What is love? Feb 7;How important should religiousbeliefs be? Feb 14;Is patriotism necessary? Feb 21;Tuesdays, 6 pm, d.a.i., library,Sofienstraße 12,www.dai-heidelberg.de English-Language VideoDiscussion GroupCitizen King part 1, Jan 11;Citizen King part 2, Jan 18;Robert Kennedy part 1, Jan 25;Robert Kennedy part 2, Feb 1;The Persuaders (advertising) part 1, Feb 8;The Persuaders part 2, Feb 15;Broadway – The American Musicalpart 1, Feb 22;

Jan 21, Goldilocks & Friends;Feb 18, come as your favourite character party;Children’s English Library (CEL),Etzelstraße 25 - 27,www.celstuttgart.de English Story-Telling for Children aged 4 - 8.Ticket reservations recommended, 0711 563034.Jan 22, Feb 12, Mar 12, all at 3 pm, kkt kommunales kontakt theater,Kissinger Straße 66 A, Stuttgart-Bad Cannstatt Rhyme TimeSinging and Rhymes for kids 0 - 3with parent. Mon 10 -10:45 am.Next dates: Jan 23, Feb 13, CEL,see address aboveCEL Workshops Australia Day, Children 5 and abovewill celebrate this day learningabout Aboriginal culture, modernAussie beliefs, animals and sport! Jan 28, 2- 4 pm, CEL, see address aboveAll about the Senses, Children 5and above will learn and appreciatetheir senses through activities andexperiments and be taught somesign language. Feb 11, 2- 4 pm, CEL,see address aboveHappy Days Non-native English speakers (ages 3 - 6). Mon 4:15 - 5 pm and Tues 3:30 - 4:15 pm, CEL, see address aboveLet’s Play – Mommy & Me English Class Native English speakers (ages 2 - 3).Mon 10:45 -11:30 am and Fri 4 - 4:45pm, CEL, see address aboveSinging and Story time Native English Speakers (ages 3 - 6). Fri 3 - 3:45 pm, CEL, see address aboveTübingenEnglish Storytime for Kids (ages 4-6), with AnneCrutchfield, 1st Wednesday of themonth, 4 - 5 pm, d.a.i, see address above

Literature with Walter Nilson Jan 13, 6:30 pm, Deutsch-Amerikanisches Institut (d.a.i.),Karlstraße 3, 07071 795260,www.dai-tuebingen.deWriter’s Club with Carolyn Murphey Melchers, Jan 27, 2 pm, d.a.i., see address aboveIn the regionThe Living Beat Amiri Baraka, USA, legendary Beat poet and political activist reads from new texts. Feb 14, 7:30 pm, DAZ, Stuttgart;Feb 15, 8 pm, d.a.i., Heidelberg;Feb 16, 8 pm,Carl-Schurz-Haus, Freiburg;Feb 17, 8:15 pm, d.a.i., TübingenThe U.S. News, Media and BlacksProf. Linn Washington Jr., USA.Black American journalist from Philadelphia. Feb 21, 8 pm d.a.i., Heidelberg;Feb 22, 8 pm, Carl-Schurz-Haus, Freiburg;Feb 23, 8:15 pm d.a.i., Tübingen

Workshops

FreiburgTeacher’s Training in EnglishTopic: Responses to the Challengesto the USA after 9/11 and New Orleans with respect to racial division, religion, civil rights and literature. Feb 24, 3 pm andFeb 26, 4 pm, 0761 31647,conference room Carl-Schurz-Haus,see address above StuttgartFilm workshop Ride to Freedom:The Rosa Parks Story (2002)In honor of the famous “bus rider”Rosa Parks, who recently died, weare showing a movie depicting thelife story of this civil rights pioneerand legend from Montgomery,Alabama. (DVD, OF, 97 min.). Jan23, 7:30 pm, DAZ, see addressaboveQuilting Bee: The Baltimore Beauties A multilingual, hand sewing quiltinggroup; guests are welcome.3rd Friday of the month, 9 -12 am,DAZ, see address aboveTübingenQuilting Bees: A Forum for Patchwork Quilters3rd Thursday of month, 3 - 5 pm,d.a.i., see address above

Kids

KarlsruheStorytime in English! Children aged 2-5 years,every 2 ndand 4 th Wed of the month at 4 pm, Jan 11 and 25, Feb 8 and 22,American Library, Kanalweg 52,www.american-library.deStories for Kids ages 6 and upThe Snail and the Whale,Jan 27, 4 pm;Be Nice to Spiders, Feb 17, 4 pm;American Library, see address aboveStuttgartListen inStory and activity for kids 3-6 yearswith parent. Sat 3:30 - 4:30 pm.

Irish Connection Tour 2006Irish Folk by Seán Cannon, the Stokes, James Cannon,and Pat Cooksey in Ulm andReichenbach on Feb 9 and 16,www.roxy.ulm.de andwww.diehalle.de, see Music listings

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Martin Luther King, Jr.Birthday World Advocate for Peace,Economic Justice andHuman RightsLecture by Prof.Larry A. Greene, PhD Jan 25, 7:30 pm

National AfricanAmerican History MonthPoetry Reading: AmiriBaraka aka Leroi Jones. This is a highlight for poetry fans! Feb 14, 7:30 pm

Deutsch-Amerikanisches ZentrumJames-F.-Byrnes-Institute.V. Charlottenplatz 1770173 Stuttgart0711-228180www.daz.org

Librari

Clubs &

Theate

International Women’s Club Stuttgart All nationalities and ages, every 1stWed of the month, 10 am - 12:30 pm,Kulturcafe Merlin, Augustenstraße 72,0711 6566340, www.iwcstuttgart.orgAnglo-Stuttgart Society0711 568113 Günther Jaumann,www.jaumann.de/assBritish Club Stuttgart0711 455464 Alison SeyerleDeutsch-Britische Gesellschaft e.V.0172 7391495 Peter Alderath, Gasthaus Hirsch, Bernhausen, 1st Wed of the monthAsia Circle International Club07156 29164, asia-circle@web.de,www.asia-circle.deInternational Choir of Stuttgart 0711 769600912 Carola, int_choir_stuttgart@hotmail.comStuttgart Singers07159 44991 Kathy Williams,www.stuttgartsingers.deStuttgart German-AmericanCommunity Chorus0711 463463 David A. BecknerEUCOM HarmonizersStuttgart-Vaihingenbarbershop and a cappella, 07146 20677 John GerrishGerman-American Seniors Club0711 2560867 Hildegard GöhrumEnglish Round Table, EsslingenConversation group, 0711 3451344, Claudia Stadelmann, info@bueroservice-jaeschke.deFáinne Irish Dance Group Stuttgart 0711 483901, www.fainne.deIrish Dance Ceili, Stuttgartevery 3rd Saturday of the monthwww.danceirish.deGerman Conversation Group07032 77919 Elena FieresELTAS e.V.English Language Teachers’Association Stuttgart, www.eltas.deInternational Toastmasters Club,Stuttgart, Heidelberg, Karlsruhe,Freiburg, Ulmpresentational skills in English, find links to all chapters atwww.toastmasters-stuttgart.de English-Speaking Stammtisch S-Untertürkheim0711 3041337 Derek EvansDeutsch Australische Freundschaft e.V.07031 607521 Jeff Gomes,www.deutsch-australische-freundschaft.deFriends Club International e.V.Böblingen-Sindelfingen07031 806522 Jan W. Boon“Here We Are” International Group Esslingen07163 8580 Alison UnrathEnglish Morning Tea Aidlingen07034 7339 Ellen Zeller, Wed 10 am - 12 pm Deutsch-Amerikanisches Institut Tübingen07071 795260, Karlstraße 3, www.dai-tuebingen.deAnglo-German Club Pforzheim07231 472155 Dr Maurice Claypole,www.agc-pforzheim.dePro Country e.V. Deutscher Country & Western Dachverband07150 33212 Ralf Russig, www.pro-country-ev.deEnglish-Speaking Circle Starzachand Landkreise Freundenstadt,Tübingen & Zollernalb07478 8290 Kevin MacInerney-MaySchorndorf English Club07181 64440 Marion RubeDeutsch-Amerikanisches Institut Heidelberg

06221 60730, Sofienstraße 12,www.dai-heidelberg.deGerman-British Society, Freiburg, Heidelberg, and Stuttgart0761 4098804 Dr. Susanne Press,06221 864761 Prof. Manfred Liedtke,0711 66721255 Dr. Christoph Selzer,www.debrige.deGerman-English Friendship Club e.V. Karlsruhe0721 7569503 Rose Schrempp,info@def-karlsruhe.de, www.def-karlsruhe.deInternational Women’s Club Karlsruhe e.V.Annemarie Frenzel, Postfach110448, 76054 KarlsruheVerein Deutsch-AmerikanischerFreundschaft Pfullendorf07552 6249 Dr Gary AndersonCarl-Schurz-Haus Freiburg0761 31647, Kaiser-Joseph-Straße266, www.carl-schurz-haus.deAnglo-German Club e.V. Freiburg07661 1324, Wehrlehof Straße 11,Oberried, peleube@hotmail.comFreiburg English Club0177 6553688 Terrence Barrwww.freiburg-english-club.orgNetwork of English-Speaking Women e.V.07664 962450 Candice Siegenthaler, NesWomen@web.de, www.nesw.deBritish International Villingen-Schwenningen07721 53278 Carol King,www.bivs.gmxhome.deDeutsch-Irischer Freundeskreis (dif) 0711 2361736, www.dif-bw.deRegion Schwaben, Verband der Deutsch-Amerikanischen Clubs e.V.07156 29164 Mi-Kiyoung Wöhler, www.schwaben-vdac.de.vu

Theater Groups

A.C.T.S. Anglophone Collaborative Theatre of Stuttgart0711 6858370 Stuart Marlow, smarlow@hdm-stuttgart.deKelley TheatreKelley Barracks, Stuttgart, 0711 7292825, www.kelleytheatre.deN.E.A.T. New English American Theater 0711 634320, Stuttgart,urban.spy@z.zgs.de, www.neat-theater.deOutcast International0711 634409, Stuttgart,www.outcast-theater.deAnglo-Irish Theatre Group Tübingen07071 67968 David Hegarty,dave@anglo-iren.de, www.anglo-iren.deThe Round Table Players, AalenEva Schumm, schumm@vhs-aalen.deRoadside TheaterPatton Barracks, Heidelberg,06221 175020, www.roadsidetheater.comTheaterhaus TiG 70621 154976, Theater Trennt e.V.G7, 4b, Mannheim, www.tig7.deThe maniACTS FreiburgUniversity English Department,www.maniacts.de

0041 71 6722727Hauptstraße 27, Kreuzlingen,Switzerland, www.iskk.chHeidelberg International School 06221 7590600, Villa Heinstein,Wieblinger Weg 9, Heidelberg, www.hischool.deInternational School Ulm/Neu-Ulm0731 3793530, Beyerstraße 45, Ulm,www.is-ulm.deEnglish for preschoolers and first graders in Freiburg0761 1378177 Cathy Plog, plogs@t-online.deLittle English House English and art for kids 3 and upwww.littleenglishhouse.deHelen Doron Early EnglishLearning English with fun andgamens, www.hdee.de

Libraries

Children’s English Library e.V.0711 3582215, Etzelstraße 25-27,Stuttgart, Tue 4-6 pm, Fri 3-6 pm,Sat 2-5 pm, www.celstuttgart.deDeutsch-Amerikanisches Zentrum Charlottenplatz 17, Stuttgart, Tue-Thu 2-6 pmDeutsch-Amerikanisches Institut TübingenKarlstraße 3, Tue-Fri 1-6 pm,Thursdays 1-8 pmKarlsruhe American Library0721 72752, Kanalweg 52, Tue-Fri 2-6 pm, Wed 10-12 am, Sat 10 am-2 pm,www.amerikanische-bibliothek.deDeutsch-Amerikanisches Institut HeidelbergSophienstraße 12, Mon-Fri 1-6 pm,Wed 1-8 pm, Sat 10 am-2 pmCarl-Schurz-Haus FreiburgKaiser-Joseph-Straße 266, Mon-Fri 11:30 am - 1:30 pm, 3-6 pm

Clubs & Organizations

Deutsch-Amerikanisches Zentrum/James-F.-Byrnes-Institut e.V.0711 228180, Charlottenplatz 17,Stuttgart, www.daz.org70173: English Spoken Stammtisch12:00 pm at Restaurant Plenum inthe B-W Landtag Building, contactAndrea.Krueger@wm.bwl.de fordates. Open participation. Founders:Andrea Krueger & Dr. Peter Mendler(both of the B-W Ministry of Eco-nomic Affairs) and Rainer Wieland(Member of the European Parliament) Stammtisch TRANSATLANTIKOnce a month at Plenum RestaurantStuttgart, info at DAZ 0711 228180Metropolitan Club e.V.social, educational & cultural eventsfor all nationalities, www.metclub.deStuttgart Conversation Club0711 8892252 Ed Wilson, 35 years and up, www.metclub.deBaltimore BeautiesQuilting bee at the DAZ, Stuttgart,every 3rd Fri of the month, 9 -12 am, 0711 243242 Judy Ehmer Stuttgart Book Clubwww.StuttgartBookClub.deGerman-American Club 19480711 814270 Eberhard SteinGerman-American Women’s Club Stuttgartinfo@gawc-stuttgart.de, www.gawc-stuttgart.de

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ools

Emerg

sulates

Emergency

Police 110Fire Department 112Ambulance & EmergencyMedical 19222Poison Hotline 0761 19240English Speaking PoisonControl 06131 232466Doctor for House Calls 0711 2628012

Consulates/Embassies

Australia030 8800880, Wallstraße 76-79,BerlinCanada 0711 2239678, Lange Straße 51,StuttgartIreland030 220720, Friedrichstraße 200,BerlinNew Zealand 030 206210, Friedrichstraße 60,BerlinSouth Africa 030 220730, Friedrichstraße 60,BerlinUnited Kingdom0211 94480, Yorckstraße 19,DüsseldorfUnited States of America069 75350, Siesmayerstraße 21,Frankfurt

Schools & Preschools

International School of Stuttgart e.V. 0711 7696000, Sigmaringer Straße257, Stuttgart, www.international-school-stuttgart.deBotnanger Kinderbetreuung Bilingual Kindergarden 0711 6993404 Gina Kussi,Griegstraße 18, StuttgartInternationaler MontessoriKindergarten e.V. 0711 93150510, Sulzgrieser Straße 114, EsslingenEducCare Bilingual Kindergarden0711 6581447, Hasenbergstraße31/2, Stuttgart, www.educcare.deEnglish for Kids!0711 6491537 Conny von Scholley,www.spielendsprachenlernen.deEuropean School Karlsruhe0721 680090, Albert-Schweitzer-Straße 1, KarlsruheEnglish GardenEnglish and music lessons, 07618866181, Hasenweg 34, FreiburgOberlin Kinderuniversität0761 85648, Am Mühlbach 13, Freiburg, www.oberlinkinderuniversitaet.deInternational School of Kreuzlingen Konstanz

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Political

siness

Reli

ygroupsKids & Playgroups

English Playgroup Stuttgart-West0711 6361169 Bryan Groenjes, EKiZ Ludwigstraße 41-43, 0-6 years, Wed 4-6 pmEnglish Playgroup Stuttgart0-9 years, www.englishplaygroup.deEnglish Playgroup at the DAZStuttgart0711 228180, 4-6 years on Tue 3-4 pm, 6-8 years on Tue 4-5 pmEnglish Playgroup Böblingen07031 287647 Stefanie Spence,0-7 years, Wed 3:30-5 pmEnglish PlaygroupHolzgerlingen/Böblingen area07034 654608 Anita Mayer0-5 years, Wed 9:30-10:30 amEnglish Playgroup Sindelfingen07031 873823 Christine Mitlacher,2-5 years, Tue 3:30 pm,Mitlacher-sifi@t-online.deSt. Georg MKK EnglishPlaygroup in BonlandenTue 3:30-5:30 pm, 0-5 years, Nicki 0711 3270748, 5-10 years, Mhorag Heger 07127 960046English PlaygroupHerrenberg/Nebringen 07032 77452 Erika Laudenbach, 0-5 years, Mon 3-5 pmEnglish Playgroup Calw/Nebringen07051 70712 Susan Rosa, 0 - 5 years,Fri 3 - 5:30 pmMeet, Chat and Playgroup Waldenbuch07157 8561 Elaine Rauhöft, Fri from 4 pm onwardsEnglish on a Friday AfternoonTübingen07071 930466 Günter Henke, Fri from 3:30 pm onwardsEnglish Playgroup in Rödersheim-Gronau (postal code 67127)06231 929616 Mrs I. Smith, Fri 10 am, Luise Koch Kindergarten English Reading Group FreiburgMütterzentrum Weingarten,Krozingerstraße 11, 0761 286803 Amanda Lampert or07666 99126 Fredi Trenkle

Political Groups

American Voices Abroad Tübingenfritz.hackert@arcor.de, www.americanvoicesabroad.orgDemocrats AbroadHeidelberg,06221 3780 Charles Keene, Stuttgart, 0162 9824870 Dennis O’Donohue,www.democratsabroad.orgRepublicans Abroad Stuttgart07146 20677 John W. Gerrish, www.republicansabroad.de

Business Organizations

American German Business Clube.V. Stuttgart, Heidelberg,KarlsruheStuttgart: 0711 2486078 PeggyStinson, stuttgart@agbc.de,Karlsruhe: 0721 6268760 RaymondJordan, karlsruhe @agbc.de,Heidelberg: 06221 23597 BarrySwanson, heidelberg@agbc.de

American Chamber of Commercein Germany e.V.0711 1667156 Prof Dr Roderich C. Thümmel, Regional Chairperson,www.amcham.de British Chamber of Commerce in Germany e.V.0711 25540460 Ralf Steppart,Regional Chairperson, www.bccg.deUSAforum Tübingen07071 55970 Bernd Zeutschel,www.usaforum.de

Religious Services

St. Catherine’s Church(Anglican) 07151 68973,Katharinenplatz 5, Stuttgart,www.stuttgartanglicans.deCity Chapel e.V. Stuttgart0711 6142956 Roland Krumm,Marienstraße 12, www.citychapel.deInternational Baptist ChurchStuttgart-Vaihingen: 0711 6874365 Pastor Jay McFadden; Heidelberg-Sandhausen: 06224 51516 Pastor Richard Blake;www.ibcstuttgart.deSt. Antonius Church0711 4597152 Odilo Metzler,Catholic Mass in English1st Saturday every month, 6:30 pmParacelsusstraße 87, Stuttgart-HohenheimFirst Church of Christ, Scientist0711 6207921 Heinz Clauss,www.christian-science-stuttgart.deUnited Methodist Church Stuttgart: 0711 251984 Dr Hans-Martin Niethammer;Reutlingen: 07121 78546 Harald Rückert; Karlsruhe: 0721 43721 Peter Vesen;www.emk.deChurch of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints Stuttgart: 0711 3419240 Ralf Gierschke;Mannheim: 06223 809040 Dr Frank Heckmann,www.lds.orgChurch of the Nazarene0711 551147 Mary Schaar, Friedenskirche, Bad CannstattEvangelical Students Community Tübingen07071 61928 Heidi AbeEnglish Vesper Service TübingenSun 6 pm, during the universitysemester, 07071 51475, www.institut-urchristentum.orgJewish Observance, Learning & Meditation, Tübingen07071 968590 Martin H. Potrop,SPIRITSHUL@aol.comSt Columban’s Mission Karlsruhe (Anglican) 0721 28379 (Fax also)Rev. Dr. Hanns Engelhardt,www.staugustines-wiesbaden.de/karlsruhe.htm, St.Columban@gmx.deCalvary Chapel Freiburg e.V.0761 7071333 David Pham,www.ccfreiburg.deAnglican Church of Freiburg 0761 904693 Minister Rev RobinStockitt, Katharinenstraße 9,www.anglicans-fr.orgEnglish Church HeidelbergErlöserkirche, Plöck/Schießtorstraße06221 804146

accents guide 19accents magazine

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The International Women’s Club of Stuttgart invites you to aValentine’s Party, Saturday,February 11, 2006, from 20:30 atthe Naturfreundehaus StuttgartSteinbergle am Killesberg, Strese-mannstraße 8. Join us for an eve-ning of great music and dancing.There will be a charity tombolaalong with a welcome drink and finger food. It is black tie optional.Ticket prices are 25 euros for members and 30 euros for non-members. Please contact valentines@iwcstuttgart.org or07156 927661 to reserve tickets.

Seeking to Rent

Family of four seeking to renta 3/4 BR apartment in or nearStuttgart-West, long-term. A child-friendly apt. with a yard or a terracewould be ideal. 0711 6361169

Classes

Halpin School of Irish Dance Children & Adult Irish Dance Classes Beginners, Primary & Intermediate Levels – New dancers welcome any time! Tel 0711 483901 Email ainehalpin@aol.com www.danceirish.de

English for Kids! Learn by playing,English and French, in Stuttgart-Degerloch. For kids 2 -12 years.Weekly courses and holiday camps.New child care class for kids aged 1- 3 on Thursday morningsfrom 9 -12 am. For native and non-native speakers. Call Conny von Scholley 0711 6491537, www.spielendSprachenlernen.de

Business Services

U.S. INCOME TAX RETURNSProfessional PreparationTübingen/Stuttgart 07071 968590or ZEELIG@aol.com

Need financial advice? Whetheryou require German or internationalsolutions to your insurance andinvestment requirements, we canhelp plan your strategy. You have a wide choice of products from anindependent advisor who knowsthe market. Irys Ehmann, Indepen-dent Financial Advisor, Eberhardstr.47, Stuttgart, Phone 0711 6333643,info@irys-ehmann.com

Bilingual English Accountantwith 14 years experience in Germany offers cost-efficient support for your business or private concerns. Telephone 0173 6586103 E-mail info@gittus.de

Art Nail Studio Stuttgart-MitteDear Ladies, we create person-alized and stylish nails to make your hands elegant and unique! Contact Anna on 0176 29482070

Employment

Native speakers wantedwith financial/technical/business experience and excellent inter-personal and language skills.Freelance work. Contact:andrina.rout@fokussprachen.com

Personal

Australian Babysitter availablein Stuttgart. Contact Emma on Phone 0175 7588343E-mail loveday89@hotmail.com

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Good to Know

Money Matters

Taking time to invest

2006 might be a good year to invest in

the European stock markets, particularly

in the German market. OK, you’ve pro-

bably heard these sort of predictions

before. But looking at the current eco-

nomic climate you may be considering

setting aside some money for buying

shares this year. There are some factors

you’ll need to consider.

Of course, the markets have not yet reallyseen much of Germany’s new Grand Coali-tion government in action. It’s not exactlythe kind of federal government that mostanalysts were expecting before the electionbut it does mark a new era in Germany,with Angela Merkel being the first womanto become chancellor.

The government’s plan to raise ValueAdded Tax (Mehrwertsteuer) from sixteento nineteen percent at the beginning of2007 is likely to encourage consumers tospend big this year, before the VAT rises.For this reason alone there are strong indications that German company profitswill continue to increase in 2006, and that

should encourage stock market investment.If you plan on being in Germany for any

length of time, consider setting up a securi-ties account (Wertpapierdepot) with yourlocal bank, to be used for buying and sell-ing your securities. As always, take thenecessary time to inform yourself aboutthe conditions and risks involved. If you’vedecided to open a securities account herein Germany, be sure that the bank you’vechosen can offer competent financial advice for expatriates. In many cases, youwill also want to consult a tax adviser – ideally one who knows the tax laws of yourhome country.

There are some special issues to beaware of if you’re an expatriate making aninvestment here in Germany. For example,you may be required to pay taxes on yourdividends here as well as in your homecountry. The regulations vary according toyour nationality and the type of investmentyou’re making. US citizens should be awareof possible restrictions on buying certainstocks. These restrictions are a result ofUS-laws, and therefore apply to the buyer

(you) and not the seller (the issuing bank.) I recommend that you study the issuingregulations of the stocks in question withyour financial advisor before you’re facedwith disentangling yourself from a financialsituation you certainly didn’t need in thefirst place!

Written by Günther Spieth, SEB Bank, for

accents magazine. With over five million

customers and 20,000 employees, SEB is

one of the biggest financial service provid-

ers in northern Europe. www.seb.de

An exciting and eventful year begins inStuttgart with the hosting of the FIFA

2006 FOOTBALL GLOBE in front of theNew Palace, from January 10 - February12. It’s part of the arts and culture pro-gram accompanying the World Cup. The20-metre-high globe becomes a museumand a ‘ball of fun’ by day; at night it con-verts into a multi-media cultural stage.More information is available at:www.fifawm2006.stuttgart.de.

There are more sporting highlights inthe Schleyer Halle: the Gymnastics Gala

on January 8; the Hofbräu-6-Day-Race

(cycling) from January 19-24; and the

Sparkassen-Cup: World-Class Indoor

Athletics on February 4. The German Dance Platform 2006,

renowned throughout Europe, takes placein the Theaterhaus from February 22-26.Visitors can see a variety of inspirationalchoreographies and dance productionsreflecting current trends in German contemporary dance. Musically, as well,there is much to hear and see: thePremier of Gluck’s Alceste at the OperaHouse on January 21; the ECLAT New

Music Festival in the Theaterhaus fromFebruary 9-12; and the International Bach Academy with its much-loved

Bachwoche from February 18-27. Still open at the Staatsgalerie, until

May 5, is the fascinating exhibition “The

Discovery of Landscape – Masterworks

of Dutch Art of the 16th and 17th

Centuries.” And from February 4 – May4, the Kunstmuseum Stuttgart presents a special exhibition, Fritz Winter: New

Forms. Works on Paper. 1925-1975.

Tickets and info

Stuttgart-Marketing GmbH

Tourist Information ‘i-Punkt’

Königstraße 1A, 70173 Stuttgart

Tel 0711 2228-0, Fax 0711 2228-253

info@stuttgart-tourist.de

Stuttgart in top form

Sports, culture and music

Send your comments and questions to:Günther Spieth, Director, SEB Bank Stuttgart. Email:Guenther.Spieth@seb.de

Photos, from

left to right: Theaterhaus, Opera H

ouse, Kunstm

useum

Good to Know 21accents magazine

Labyrinth

It’s certainly a major cultural shock for

many English-speaking newcomers to

Germany: coming to terms with the

disposal of household rubbish (‘trash’ or

‘garbage’ as Americans call it.) You might

come from a country where everything –

bottles, tin cans, paper, plastic – is thrown

into one big bin. But on arriving here you

realise that everyone seems to take great

pride and pleasure in washing out plastic

yoghurt containers and milk cartons for

recycling.

In short, there are at least four differentrubbish containers in most Baden-Württem-berg homes: one for glass, one for paper, abag for ‘green-dot’ packaging and a generalrubbish bin.

Glass is pretty simple to separate butsometimes cumbersome to dispose of. Youpay a deposit on many glass drink bottles,so return them in their respective crates tothe store you bought them from. (A depositalso now applies to various plastic bottles,so check first before tossing them out.)You will have to take other glass contain-ers, wine bottles and jam jars, for instance,

to glass recycling containers in your neigh-bourhood. Green, white and brown bottlesare thrown into separate containers. Paperand cardboard is also sometimes disposedof in special neighbourhood containers but mostly it’s collected in a separate bin,marked Papier, at your doorstep.

Most plastic packaging and tins arelabelled with a so-called Grüner Punkt, agreen dot, which means they can be recyc-led. They have to be cleaned of any scrapsand are usually put in special yellow orgreen plastic bags or ‘sacks’ which you getfor free from your city council or a hard-ware or grocery store.

Many households also have a separate,brown container for decomposable foodscraps – peels, tea bags, leftover food andother organic waste (Biomüll). If you don’thave such containers, your food scraps and(almost) all other rubbish can be throwninto your normal household garbage bin.However, rubbish containing poisons orchemicals, such as paint tins and fluores-cent globes, have to be taken to specialrecycling depots. Batteries also fall into thiscategory, though they can be disposed of

in containers at your local supermarket. Bulky items (Sperrmüll), such as old fur-

niture and large electrical goods, also haveto be taken to special depots, or you cancontact your city council to order a specialpick-up. Old shoes and clothes, if they’restill useable, shouldn’t be thrown out, butbagged and put into special neighbourhoodcontainers which are emptied by local charities.

Who’s to stop you ignoring all of thisadvice and tossing everything into a regulargarbage bin? Well, probably the neigh-bours. That bin is a particular size and anyoverflow – a plastic bag of rubbish placedbeside it, for example – will not be collect-ed. If you want a bigger bin it will cost youmore. So if your neighbours find you dum-ping giant-sized rubbish bags into sharedbins they’ll be onto you before you know it.Besides, all the effort put into separatingwaste has contributed greatly to reducingthe size of garbage dumps and cleaning upthe environment, so all that conscientious-ness can’t be all that bad.

Useful rubbish

Garbage disposal and recycling

By Liz Gaiser

Once upon a time a poor American girlwas fortunate enough to land herself arich German duke. Anxious to please hernew husband, as well as her mother-in-law, she decided to prepare a feast forthe duke’s family and friends. She peeledorganically grown vegetables, crackedfarm-fresh eggs into a batter, and openeda container of sour cream, as well as acan of this and a jar of that. The aroma ofa wonderful meal began to fill every roomof the palace. Alas, the duke’s motherwandered into the kitchen to check onthe proceedings. She nearly died ofshock. She found her new daughter-in-law with one foot in the trash can (Whywas it so tiny?) stomping all of her gar-bage into one bag.

“HALT!” screamed the mother-in-law.“What on earth are you doing?” TheAmerican girl froze – one hand holding an

empty (unwashed!) sour cream container,the other a glass jar. The palace guardscame running. They removed the girl’sfoot from the container and began dum-ping the now compressed garbage ontothe kitchen floor to sort it all out. Theoperation took a long time.

“Dirty plastic wrappers! Glass jars!Cardboard packaging! Food scraps” theyshrieked. “What sort of uncivilized king-dom does this girl come from?” The girlran to her room in tears.

That night she dreamed of being ledbefore a panel of judges. One wore a tra-ditional black robe, the second a canary-yellow robe made of recycled plastic, thethird a brown paper-bag robe that stankto high heaven. “You are charged withthe crime of disorderly garbage disposal,”said canary-yellow. “How do you plead?”

“I, but, what?” stammered the girl. “Guilty!” cried the judges. “You are

sentenced to one month of trash sorting

in the Yellow Sack Correctional Facility.” The girl awoke in a cold sweat but

she’d learned a couple of valuable les-sons. First, always clean and separateyour garbage. And second, rememberthat anywhere in the world a mother-in-law will never hesitate to stick her noseinto your kitchen.

The End.

A Dirty Fairy Tale

accents magazine22 Labyrinth

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SubscribeMy Two Cents

By Katharine A. Schmidt

A couple of years ago, I agreed to help traina computer to do automatic translations of restaurant and hotel descriptions. Therewere sentences like: “A fine Far Easternbreath floats over many courts, daily freshSushi and favorable menus.” Not very tan-talizing or informative. I thought it meant tosay: “There is a delicate hint of Asia aboutmany of the dishes; fresh sushi and low-priced menus daily.”

I haven’t yet run into anything quite sobad as computer-English, but sometimesrestaurants in Baden-Wuerttemberg stumble in their attempts to reach Englishspeakers. A colleague recently saw thatquintessentially Swabian side dish, Spätzle,translated on a menu as “German eggdumplings.” Somehow, that’s not whatcomes to mind when I think of the firstmeal my mother-in-law served me. Wouldyou be tempted to order a serving of eggdumplings? How about “traditional Swabianegg noodles?” And thinking about whatcould be stuffed inside Maultaschen whenit’s merely translated as “Swabian pockets”might put you off your dinner. I’d be muchmore tempted to sample “Swabian ravioliwith meat and spinach.”

Accents reader Laura Russell found the

German word Vollwertkost (whole foods)translated recently as “solid food.” It led tosome funny phrases, such as: “People wholove solid food will be delighted by the newsnack bar at the train station.” (Laura adds:“And those of us without teeth can have a hard roll to gum on?”) She also found afew translations that could keep you fromordering dessert. Little “pickled” orangeson ice cream, for instance. If they werereally “pickled” I wouldn’t mention it. Mostlikely, they simply sat in some kind of syrupuntil they met the ice cream. And by theway, many English-speakers are perplexedto see Vanilleeis, for example, translated as “vanilla ice” instead of ice cream. InNew York we had both ice cream and “ice”or rather “Italian ices,” which consisted ofsemi-frozen, fruit-flavored sugar water. InGerman restaurants however, you shouldbe served real ice cream, not frozen water.

Having finished your meal you mightwant to stop off at an establishment offer-ing a “Happy Cocktail Time.” (Found in alocal magazine.) Maybe you’ll see a bunchof margaritas and strawberry daiquiris smiling at you! I guess what’s meant hereis “Happy Hour,” a period of time duringwhich patrons can order cocktails or otherdrinks at a reduced price. Guten Appetit!

Comments, questions, and suggestions to

mytwocents@accents-magazine.de

or accents magazine, Libanonstraße 58,

70184 Stuttgart