| | Fall 2019 #12 | November 10, 2019
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Witnesses to History
MUDECers at the Berlin Wall: Before, During, After, Now
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Brandenburg Gate from the west-MUDEC Study Tour April 1989
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Brandenburg Gate from the west-World Cup Final 2018
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Brandenburg Gate from the east-MUDEC Study Tour 1989
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Brandenburg Gate from the east-2012
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MUDEC is now 51 years old and Berlin is "just" another great weekend destination for MUDEC students. It wasn't always like that.
For the first 21 years of MUDEC's, existence, Berlin was an island in the sea of Communist Eastern Europe. As former Assistant Director Maisy Dumont remembers, MUDEC students were fascinated by the possibility of going behind the Iron Curtain and visiting Berlin. A direct train from the West German border took travelers to West Berlin, from where they could get a visa to visit East Berlin for a day, transiting at Friederichstrasse. A mandatory right of passage when spending the day in East Berlin was to exchange money for “Ostmarks”. With the low cost of living in East Berlin, this allowed MUDEC students to live like kings and queens for a day.
This past weekend marked the 30-year anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, something that seemed utterly unimaginable until right before it happened. In honor of this occasion, this week’s edition of the MUDEC Méinden will include pictures and remembrances from MUDECers who went to Berlin before the Wall fell, who hopped on trains and went to Berlin the weekend that the Wall fell, who visited afterwards as Berlin was opening up, and who went to Berlin this past weekend to participate in the celebrations of the 30-year anniversary of the fall of the Wall. Enjoy!
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~Study~ - Study Abroad Fair Recap
- Parting Thoughts from Venelin Ganev and Mila Ganeva
- Amir Duranović Lecture Recap
~Engage~
- Alec Hoelker Attends the United States Marine Corps Annual Ball
- Beyond the Château Walls: Abby O'Rourke and F4A (Food4All)
- Mayor of Oxford Makes a Visit to MUDEC This Week
~Travel~
- 30 Year Anniversary of the Berlin Wall-MUDEC Testimonials
- Travel Photos
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Study Abroad Fair Photos MUDEC and Miami extend a special thank you to current student Alec Hoelker, along with Miami alumni Christian Betzen, Mandy Roszak, Lydie Schmit, and Pierre Scholer for volunteering to promote their alma mater to Luxembourg students last week! With all materials and goodies completely depleted, it was definitely a success. See some recap pictures below!
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Christian Betzen and Pierre Scholer talking to prospective students
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Lydie Schmit with a Miami t-shirt
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Andy Adams with Pierre Scholer and Christian Betzen
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Propsective student spinning the Miami "wheel of fortune" in hopes of winning a prize
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~Parting Thoughts~ from Beloved Professors Venelin Ganev and Mila Ganeva
"The nearly ten weeks we spent on the MUDEC campus and in Luxembourg opened our eyes to the diversity, richness and beauty of the country. We limited our travels to Luxembourg and the area in the immediate surroundingings -- Trier, Metz, Nancy, and Strasbourg -- in order to get an in-depth understanding of the historical importance and current culture in Lorraine and Alsace. These are places that we have read about a lot in our respective studies -- political science and German -- but have never had a chance to visit. The most far-away destinations were Paris and Brussels.
We are leaving Luxembourg tremendously enriched by the experience. We have learned so much about a variety of topics -- from German-French conflicts in the past, to Art Nouveau, to coal mining and steel mills, to the institutions of the European Union. We are leaving Luxembourg also inspired to develop new and exciting courses that we would offer in the future, especially if we get a chance to come again to MUDEC as faculty members for the year."
MUDEC will miss you both tremendously!
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Lecture by Dr. Amir DuranovićThis semester's lecture series continued last Tuesday night at 17:30. Dr. Duranović gave a fascinating presentation about recent Balkan history as well as the modern day political situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, an area which Professor Briot's SOC 337 students visited on their recent Study Tour.
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Annual Marine Corps Ball Celebration
Alec Hoelker
"The annual USMC ball happens every year around November 10th around the world to celebrate the birthday of the finest military soldiers of the United States. This year it was held at the gorgeous venue, the Chateau de Urspelt in Clervaux. United States Ambassador Randy Evans gave his thanks and personally thanked each marine stationed at the US Embassy in Luxembourg. It was a great night!"- Alec Hoelker, '20
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Alec Hoelker and Chloe Levy with US Ambassador Randy Evans at the USMC Ball
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Table setting for fallen soldiers
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MUDEC student Abby O'Rourke (middle) with F4A co-founders Xenia Ashby (left) and Ilana Devillers (right) at the Fit4Start Graduation Ceremony in September.
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Beyond the Château Walls: Abby O'Rourke and F4A (Food4All)
Students who study at MUDEC do not only get an amazing cultural experience and memories they’ll never forget, but they increasingly pursue opportunities in the local business community to build valuable skills for their future.In Abby O’Rourke’s case, she has been learning all about food sustainability with her semester internship at F4A (Food4All).
Read more about Abby's experience this semster in MUDEC-Beyond the Château Walls.
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Oxford Mayor Kate Rousmaniere Visits MUDEC This Week
Kate Rousmaniere, or "Mayor Kate" as she likes to be called, is nearing the end of her four years as the city of Oxford's elected leader. She will be visiting the Château for the last time in her current role this week with a delegation from Oxford. That delegation includes Dr. Helaine Alessio (Chair, Kinesiology & Health) and Dr. Brody Ruihley (Associate Chair) She will be spending time to see the campus and meet faculty. If you see her around the Château, be sure to say hello, or better yet, Moien!
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30 Year Anniversary of the Fall of the Berlin Wall
MUDECers have been going to Berlin for decades and saw the Wall in place, were present when it was opened in 1989 and saw the dismantling shortly afterwards.
This past Saturday marked the 30th Anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall that symbolically divided Eastern and Western Europe during the Cold War. This weekend in Berlin, President Frank-Walter Steinmeier thanked Eastern European neighbors for spurring on the peaceful revolution.
Among the attendees to the celebrations in the city were current MUDEC students, who got to participate in this historic celebration. Following are photos and memories from MUDEC Dean Emeritus Dr. Ekkehard Stiller, his wife Renate, and MUDEC professors and students through the years from their visits to this historic city.
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Dr. Ekkehard StillerDirector and Dean of MUDEC 1989-2009
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Dr. Stiller and his wife Renate November 9, 2019
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Ekkie Stiller grew up in Dresden and he and his family survived the fire bombing of the city in February 1945. He remembers first visiting Berlin in 1953 for a sports event which brought people together from different Eastern European countries. The second time that he visited Berlin was when he and his family escaped East Germany through Berlin in 1956 in order to start a new life in the West.
Thirty-three years later in April 1989, as an Economics professor at MUDEC, he led a Study Tour to Berlin, the first time he had been back to Berlin since his family's dramatic escape in 1956. Part of that Study Tour was an entire day's visit to East Berlin, where he revisted places from that earlier time.
"Berlin was the beginning of a totally new life that has brought me from Communist East Germany, with all of its horror and terror and injustice and multitude of problems. It opened the door to the wide world. I lived in Mexico, I lived many years in Hawaii, I lived in Canada, which without having had this opportunity I could never have experienced", said Dr. Stiller this past weekend, 30 years to the day since the Wall fell.
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Tom GhinderMUDEC 1982-1983
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Tom Ghinder (left) and his roommate Mike Miller at the MUDEC Christmas party at the Convikt Center 1982
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Tom Ghinder's piece of the Wall
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30 years ago this week, my best friend, Kirk, and I were watching the Friday night news with Peter Jennings reporting from Berlin. Kirk said to me “Let’s go. I have frequent flyer miles”. I somehow tracked down my boss, Ty Moyer, at home (I think I may have called Jim Burley to get the number). I asked if I could miss a couple of days to go to Berlin. He said sure. I had to get my passport from the safe deposit box at my fiancée’s (Daralee) bank early on Saturday morning (and her “permission” as we were getting married in six weeks). We raced to the airport, transferred in London and were in Berlin by Sunday afternoon. I still have my very tiny souvenir, carefully, and fearfully, pounded out of the wall with a borrowed hammer.
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Steve KleykampMUDEC 1982-1983A Luxembourg friend attended our study tour to Berlin. It was the second semester of 1982-83. Professor Gerardo Brown-Manrique arranged a tour of West Berlin and a detailed presentation of Federal Republic and the German Democratic Republic. We spent time in East Berlin and met a young soldier. Of course, my friend from Luxembourg knew German better than any of us, so she translated and helped us understand how the East German serviceman felt about living in a restrictive society. We listened but didn't know what to say. How could we tell him how much we appreciate liberty in the United States. This might have made him feel even worse in his home. My friend was so inspired by the trip that, in response to a prompt from her teacher to write about a topic that concerns young people, she wrote about divided Berlin, about learning from someone on the other side, and seeing both sides of the wall. Her teacher was not impressed and said that this was an old topic that young people didn't have to confront. The Berlin Wall fell six and half years later. My Luxembourg friend and our Miami University European Center were ahead of changing times.
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Professor Gerardo Brown-ManriqueMUDEC professor who led Study Tours to Berlin 1983-1984
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|  | Students on a Study Tour in 1983 looking over the Wall towards the mound marking the location of Hitler’s bunker
| |  | MUDEC students at the Potsdamer Platz overlook onto Leipzigerplatz in SP 1983. John Pierce (blue jacket), Louise Snow (the redhead in blue and orange at the top of the stairs), Ann Lindberg (blue parka, red hair, turned away from the camera) and Neil Bennett (an English HS student that took the course that year).
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MUDEC students at the Berlin Wall on a Study Tour in 1984 (Melissa Dean (Dallas) in the striped shirt)
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Chris BinstadtMUDEC 1988-1989
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Tarek, Dr. Stiller and Chris Binstadt in Berlin on the MUDEC Study Tour in April 1989
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Graffiti on the Berlin Walli
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Chris Binstadt and Todd Armstrong at the Berlin Wall on the MUDEC Study Tour in April 1989
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MUDEC students climbing the Wall-April 1989
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"Wakey wakey wakey" was the wakeup call each room got from Dr. Stiller while in Berlin at about 7am. Which wouldn't have been a big deal if we would not have got back to our rooms at 5am. Please tell him I use this calling about 5x per week with my own kids....seriously. (memories from the April 1989 Study Tour, only months before the Wall fell)
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| Andy AdamsStudent Activites Coordinator 1988-1990
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Behind the Wall in East Berlin April 1989
| |  | MUDEC students at Checkpoint Charlie April 1989
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When I was a MUDEC student in 1986-1987, I did not go to Berlin. When I found out that I would be accompanying Dr. Stiller and Mme. Dumont on the Study Tour to Berlin in April 1989, I was really excited, other than the fact that I was going sailing in Greece with students the week before and would somehow have to get to Berlin on the train from Athens. But we digress.
It was such a fascinating trip, especially the day we spent in East Berlin. After the official portion of the day, Dr. Stiller took Mme. Dumont and me to visit places in East Berlin that he had remembered from the 1950s. It was Dr. Stiller's first visit to Berlin since he left in 1956 and it was amazing to experience it together with him. But none of us had the slightest clue about what would happen just 7 months later.
7 months later I remember going to work at MUDEC on Friday morning, November 10, the morning after East Germans had first been able to pass through to West Berlin. Many of the students were just going to hop on whatever train they could get and just got to Berlin. My girlfriend at the time was teaching at the American school and did not get off work until 4:00 pm so there was no way we would make it. My consolation prize was when the students brought me back a piece of the Wall the following Monday.
The following summer, I went to Berlin to see the changes for myself. So much change in so little time, it was just impossible to imagine. I have gone back to Berlin many times over the years and no longer am sure when I cross from what was then East Berlin to what was then West Berlin or vice versa. I guess it doesn't matter anymore, though, does it?
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Inside the remains of the Wall in no man's land-Summer 1989
| |  | MUDEC students peeking out from inside the Wall-Summer 1989
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David (Dag) GraysonMUDEC 1989-1990
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MUDEC students sitting on the Berlin Wall on November 10, 1989. From left to right, Dag Grayson, Jeff Ryan, Jeff Brown, Mike Miller
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A few thoughts from 30 years ago...
I remember vividly that Friday morning in 1989 walking up the driveway to MUDEC at Avenue Monterey for core Economics, and being greeted by Dr. Stiller in his tan coat.
“And where are you traveling to this weekend?” I responded “Berlin.” And Dr Stiller’s face lit up. “You know they may be opening the wall today!”
The train from Luxembourg got traveling companion Mike Miller and I in to Berlin around 10pm that night. We went straight to the Brandenburg Gate to witness history happening. A lot of memories from that night - but more than anything, feeling grateful and fortunate to share in that incredible event.
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Rick Emanuel and Kevin KushmanMUDEC 1989-1990
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Rick: I remember with Kevin Kushman enjoying the free soup meant for all the East Berliners that just crawled to freedom through the newly chiseled hole in the Wall...
Kevin: Certainly...fond memories of downing a Dixie Cup of Volcanic Onion, saying hi to Peter Jennings and bedding down under a table, next to a portrait of Grimace in the West Berlin McDonald’s!
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Dylan Tober, Sam Perovsek, and Andy Evans-MUDEC 2019 Fall
MUDEC students Dylan Tober, Sam Perovsek, and Andy Evans visited Berlin this past weekend for independent travel.
"Two months ago Andy Evans, Dylan Tober and I booked a ticket to Berlin for this past weekend because we found a flight for 13 Euro round trip. By a complete stroke of luck, this past weekend happened to be the 30th anniversary of the Berlin Wall falling. There were many exhibitions giving valuable information and sharing stories of the Berlin Wall era all over the city. The weekend was capped off with a free techno concert which could be heard from miles away. There were almost a hundred thousand people in attendance. It was a great weekend to visit and my favorite weekend of being abroad."- Sam Perovsek, '21.
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Glowing artwork above where the Berlin Wall once stood
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Andy Evans, Sam Perovsek, and Dylan Tober at Checkpoint Charlie
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Flowers on the remains of the Wall
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Roses laid to remember the victims
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Independent Travel Photos Take a look at where our students journeyed to this weekend!
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Zurich and Interlaken, Switzerland
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| A Weekend in Luxembourg at a Bosnia vs. Lux Hockey Game
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~Birthdays This Week~ Wishing a very Happy Birthday to:
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We wish you the best birthday yet! Cheers to another wonderful year!
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Monday: Classes
Tuesday: Classes
Oxford Mayor Kate Rousmaniere, Helaine Alessio, Brody Ruihley visiting Luxembourg
Wednesday: Classes
Oxford Mayor Kate Rousmaniere, Helaine Alessio, Brody Ruihley visiting Luxembourg
Thursday: Classes
Oxford Mayor Kate Rousmaniere, Helaine Alessio, Brody Ruihley visiting Luxembourg
Friday: No Classes
Staff Absences: Philippe Briot-Friday
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Château Hours
Monday-Thursday: 8:00-22:00 Friday: 8:00-17:00 Saturday- Sunday: Closed
Administrative Hours
Monday-Friday: 8:00-12:00 and 13:00-17:00
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