What do Americans do in Cologne?

Hi everyone,

I'm a long-time reader, seldom poster. I am also an American radio journalist, in Germany until next May (hopefully longer..Euros are better than dollars at the moment.) I am in country on a fellowship, researching immigrant life and German identity. I spent the summer in Berlin, now in Cologne, later in Munich. Primarily I wanted to focus on the Italians, Turkish, etc. but my editor here at WDR asked a question I couldn't answer: Was machen denn die Amis hier? Huh..yeah..what do the Americans do?

I was told many Americans and Brits come to work for Ford, though I don't know how true that is. I would guess students make up the bulk, seeing as Bonn is a Mecca of sorts for foreign students, but Köln has its universities as well.

This is a broad question, so I welcome your ideas. What do we do here? What is our slice of life segment? What radio story could give a piece of the American experience in Germany? Or are we just kind of here...surviving?

Thanks!

oakley

...I know, I know. But I thought I'd ask.

they live, love, and work just like everyone else!
Actually - I know a few of them and some work for Ford, some for ESA (European Space Agency), some work for Deutsche Post/DHL in Bonn, some work for the UN in Bonn, some work at The English Shop Cologne, others are bringing up kids in bi-lingual households, and yet more others are working behind Irish Bars across the region - what they ALL do is the following: drink at The Thursday Night Drinking Club in Flanagans, visit Hollywood's Comedy Nights (also in Flanagans), become members of English Speaking Cologne (a social network for English speakers) and they read an online publication for the Rhine in English (which I'm not allowed to write the name of here).
Check out all of those places (and the English Network in Bonn) and you'll start to get a picture of what the American's get up to in Cologne - with all the other Expats in the region.

Do you really mean "here" as in Cologne alone or all of Germany? Doing -- for a living? Or how did we all get here in the first place, why did we come? Answers to the latter are in the following thread:

Why did you come to Germany? Reasons for moving here

Even better, this one has a poll:

Reasons for moving to Germany: Work, love, study, etc.

WDR concentrates on NRW, but Amis in Germany in general would garner a picture. This station (103,3) concentrates on immigrant communities, mostly Turks, Italians, East Europeans, etc. But they have never had an American in their office, so I am getting these questions to demystify the current American situation here.

Inselaffe (nice name) thanks! I hadn't thought many Americans would be with ESA and DHL. I will look into the network here, too. Irish pubs...of course.

There are loads of Americans around - Bonn made a big effort to attract NGO's and environmental organizations when the government left town as well as to build up the business base. The program worked really well - the UN has 17 different departments in Bonn/Godesberg area, there is still a very small US diplomatic presence here as well. Deutsche Post - DHL is HQ in Bonn, from what I hear from friends there the working language is English and there are many many Americans there. Lots of people have come from the DHL side, which was an American company initially.

As to what we do, not much different than what everyone else does for the most part I would guess.

For your research you may want to reach out to the Mayors office in Bonn - they have a unit there that works with the International Community and they may have some info for you. Also for numbers etc Auslanderamt is a good place to start - my experiences with them have been pretty pleasant and they will surely have lots of factoids for you.

Hope this helps - feel free to PM if you would like any more details

I am an American living in NRW but not anywhere near other Americans (or many other native English speakers for that matter). I live about 1+ hour north of Düsseldorf. The closest cities to me are Kleve and Nijmegen(NL). Although, these too are about 15-20 minutes from me. How I can live in the countryside in the most heavily populated region of Germany is beyond me.

To answer your question simply, I live here. I go to work, I shop, I meet friends for evenings out. It was quite an adjustment. I have to admit it was a tough adjustment. I found the people narrow and close-minded. Something I don't think is true across Germany. Of course, happiness is a state of mind. You can be happy anywhere if you choose. With time, I've made some fantastic friends and have found the things that charm me.

I come from an American city of 4.2 million with a great cultural and generational mix. Here I find limited cultural differences. Plus, the genders don't seem to mix unless its a courtship of some sort. I'm much more used to a mixed crowd. The towns here close - I mean, they roll up the sidewalks at 6 p.m. Even my home town in the US stays up later(and I'm from a tiny town in the south)!

Here you won't find a culture of going out to meet friends like there is in the states. So, it is difficult to meet people. You have to belong to something - like a special interest/hobby group (ie cycling, knitting, beekeeping, shooting, soccer, church) to meet people. But there are beautiful people here and beautiful things to see and do. Just stay away from all the nasty small town thinkers - they will be the first to tell you that it can't be done or that is not how it is usually done - so you shouldn't even try. This is laughable now. It was not the first year.

I've been here for over 1 1/2 yrs. It is not home but it is wonderful for now.

some are also working as translators I think, either at agencies or freelancing. It's very lucrative if you're good at it.

Some Americans are part of the multi-cultural experience of attending a German language school. Some are in class for months, others just have the three month visa experience and jet back home. Depending on their ages and interests, American students of this sort might buddy up with fellow classmates to visit local events, a cafe, go grocery shopping, etc. Now days Facebook is another way they socialize with classmates. Some American students go on to enter the German uni system.

Oakley2 - venture out to Düsseldorf this Friday and come to the RhineBuzz Party!
I'll introduce you to Americans who are more than just surviving here! Maurice Allen Lee, our performer, for one!

An evening with the RhineBuzz community could be pretty interesting for you at anytime - I can't count how many nationalities have joined us, can only tell you that at our Launch Party last year at the NRW-Forum our entertainer Pamela Falcon from NYC went around with her mike asking where people were from and the director of the museum said he had never see such an international, eclectic crowd and of course, there are numerous Americans amongst us!
And before you ask - yes the Kölners join us too from EASA, Ford ...
Email us, party@rhinebuzz.com if you'd like to join us tomorrow; if you can't make it, come to our Stammtisch which resumes with the opening of the Robert Mapplethorpe Retrospective in February 2010 at the NRW-Forum.

Check out the movies from the previous Michel Comte exhibit or the Fish and Chips Party on our site to get an idea of who we are - a young, vibrant and very colourful crowd. I have a podcast from BFBS, which isn't on there, but I'd happily send it to you if you like.
You'd enjoy meeting us, I just know it!

Caroline