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The Week in Germany: Culture July 4, 2008 Berlin-DC Capital Connexion: Young Professionals Party Like It's the Euro Cup Final at Black and White Summer Soccer Sneaker Ball
The classic combination of black and white never looked so good! Some 200 people donned their finest black-and-white duds to celebrate their love of the beautiful game at the German Embassy on June 28 - the eve of the 2008 Euro Cup final in Vienna in which Germany came in second to Spain. Tuxedos and gowns were optional at the "Black and White Summer Soccer Sneaker Ball." Revelers filled the Embassy's auditorium to capacity dressed in creative combinations of fancy and casual wear to mark the occassion. "In Germany soccer is a real lifestyle," said German Information Center USA Deputy Director Georg Schulze Zumkley. "It brings people of different generations and backgrounds together across the country to celebrate the beautiful game, which is of course universally beloved and followed by legions of fans around the world." "When you look at the semifinal - when Germany played Turkey - that tells you more than anything about integration in Germany," he added, referring to the Euro Cup match in which Germany beat Turkey 3-2 to proceed to the June 29 final and fans of both teams celebrated together across the country, which is home to over 2.3 million people of Turkish origin.
At the embassy event, visitors partied against a backdrop of a big screen projecting ever-changing images of key moments in the 2008 European soccer championships, including jubilant crowds cheering along the famous "Berlin Fan Mile" at the iconic Brandenburg Gate in the heart of the German capital - the same place people from across the globe gathered during the FIFA World Cup in 2006. "This has become a legendary gathering place for soccer fans to watch free games on giant screens and cheer on their teams," said Schulze Zumkley. "Soccer is all about having a good time in Berlin!" Revelers at the Embassy played Foosball, tried their luck scoring goals with real soccer balls at a "soccer wall", sat for portraits whipped up by a clever cartoonist and dined on a tasty traditional German-style buffet provided by the Embassy's own Chef Thuleweit. Organized by Things to To Do DC, which coordinates a broad range of events geared towards promoting networking and socializing opportunities for young proessionals, the event also featured themed decor, such as black-and-white balloons, and the popular "real live" DC United Soccer Club mascot, Talon. The Black and White Ball was hosted by the German Embassy with the support of the Austrian and Swiss Embassies - both latter countries served as co-hosts of the UEFA Euro 2008 soccer championships. It was the fifth massive party held as part of the "Berlin-DC Capital Connexion" event series, which was called into being three years ago by the German Information Center USA, a public outreach arm of the Embassy, to provide more opportunities for young professionals from both sides of the Atlantic to connect in stimulating social settings. "It's wonderful to have so many young professionals take an interest in Germany," said Schulze Zumkley. "The German Embassy reaches out to young people with leadership potential in the DC area." An avid soccer player himself, Schulze Zumkley moreover participated in a friendly local Sunday morning match on June 29 that pitted a German and Austrian Embassy Team against a Think Tank Team, a Swiss Embassy Team and a US State Department Team. In a runner-up, semi-victory that reflected Germany's own defeat against Spain later that same day, the Austro-German team garnered a respectable "second place" behind the Think Tank Team - "which included some great American players!" said Zumkley. "They were tough to beat," he grinned.
And, on Sunday afternoon, some 700 fans watched the Euro Cup final at a fully booked free screening held at the Austrian Embassy, during which Spain played some very impressive soccer against Germany to emerge victorious 1-0. The Goethe Institut also screened the final at its own downtown DC theater, which was totally packed with soccer fans. Although the Germans were clearly dissapointed that their national team emerged as the runner-up in the final, the German players still received a hero's welcome when they returned home from Vienna to Berlin, where they were greeted by cheering crowds at the popular Fanmeile. For more fun images of the Black and White Summer Soccer Sneaker Ball, visit the Things To Do DC website. Click here to view 206 images on 23 pages (go to 'Photo Gallery' on menu at right). Stay in touch with Germany and find out more about Embassy events by reading The Week in Germany and our sister publication, Deutschland Nachrichten (in German). Get your friends to sign up too and widen the TWIG and DN communities! Just click here to sign up at www.germany.info. Photos by Christophe Avril for the German Embassy. Links:
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