Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, Secretary General of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), the largest party in Germany and the party of Angela Merkel, visited Charlotte on Monday July 23.  Before her nomination as the new Secretary General of the CDU in February 2018, Ms. Kramp-Karrenbauer served as Prime Minister of the State of Saarland, making her the first woman to lead the government of Saarland.  Detlev Rünger, Consul General of Germany, and local German Honorary Consul Klaus Becker had invited representatives of the German business community to a luncheon in honor of Secretary General Kramp-Karrenbauer and her delegation.

Ms. Kramp-Karrenbauer was greatly impressed by the strong presence of German companies in the Charlotte region as well as the long-standing manifold relationships between Germany and North Carolina and emphasized the importance of strong civic liens between the United States and Germany.

On the eve of the International Champions Cup, Saturday, July 21, The N.C. Zeitgeist Foundation staged a welcoming reception for the top management of Borussia Dortmund, including BVB’s CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke and soccer legends Roman Weidenfeller, Patrick Owomoyela and Lars Ricken. Approximately 120 guests convened at Fahrenheit to celebrate and welcome one of the most outstanding German soccer teams. Mayor pro tem Julie Eiselt welcomed the guests of honor in the name of the City. Klaus Becker, Chairman of The N.C. Zeitgeist Foundation, himself a Dortmund native, had been instrumental in bringing BVB to Charlotte. Special thanks go to our corporate sponsors Evonik, Atrium Health, VS Furniture, GreerWalker, PNC, Huber Technology,  Lagadére, and Dachser, whose generous support made the event possible.

Photos by Brandon Scott Photography