Interview with Carol Kloeppel : "A door opener into life here in Bonn"

Carol Kloeppel about Bonn , Facebook groups for international people and about the new service GA-English.

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Bonn likes to call itself an international city. Is it?

Carol Kloeppel: Yes! People from all around the world live here in Bonn. Alone the United Nations has 18 agencies or programs here, and there are about 150 NGO’s. Deutsche Telekom and Deutsche Post DHL also have international employees, amd the University has many international students. And let’s not forget Ford, Toyota, Shell, General Electric, Federal Express, and organizations like OCCAR, EASA or the Paralympic Committee - they are all here in Bonn or the surrounding region. Employees of some firms like to settle with their families in Bonn, even if their job is in Cologne. There are also two international schools here, IBIS and BIS. Bonn International School alone has 780 kids from 74 countries.

What is missing for English speakers who live in Bonn? Are there any particular areas where it is lacking?

Kloeppel: I find Bonners to be very helpful and friendly, and many of them go the extra mile to try and understand those who are “German beginners”. But I have also come to the conclusion that newcomers to Bonn don’t have enough possibilities to find out what is going on in the communities where they live. Communication about news and events here is often passed on through informal means such as Facebook groups, school or church. There are families who come here with a limited amount of time due to work contracts that only run a few years. They want to get connected right away and make the best use of their time here. They want to experience typical German cultural events such as the Christmas Markets, St. Martin’s processions, Rhine in Flammen and other happenings.

How many international English speakers are we talking about?

Kloeppel: Good question! I belong to many different Facebook groups for international people in Bonn. Altogether there are more than 10,000 people in these groups. Add to that, the United Nations alone employs more than 1,000 people. My guess is that the number of international, English speaking citizens in Bonn is in the five digits.

How is the communication between the steadfast Bonners who have been here a long time and the newcomers?

Kloeppel: Bonn citizens who have lived here a long time try hard to communicate as best they can with people from other countries. Many are very proud of their city, and very generous when it comes to showing people and sharing with people from other countries their hometown of Bonn. By the way, I also find important that people who are foreign guests in Bonn should also try to learn the German language and culture. It was only when when I learned the German language that I felt truly comfortable here.