German Obamania showed no sign of abating on Thursday as nearly 15,000 people gathered in Cologne to hear Barack Obama talk about activism, feminism, climate change and leadership.

The atmosphere ahead of the event was like a rock concert, with excited fans of all ages clearly trying to take Instagram pictures as close to the stage as possible.

"I think he's one of the most influential, interesting, intelligent figures of our generation…very empathetic. Especially when you compare him to Trump," Alex, 35, told DW.

Sarah, who has lived in Germany for eight years, gushed that "I saw President Obama speak twice in Austin, Texas when he was campaigning in 2008 and his energy was incredible…I am really looking forward to seeing him again and hearing his unwavering message of hope and optimism in a time where it is much needed!"

The desire, it seemed, to remember a time when US leadership was less focused on nativism and alienating allies was palpable on Thursday night.

Read more: 'History has not delivered its verdict': Ben Rhodes on Obama's legacy

The Obamas: 8 years in the White House Married ... with children When the Obamas moved to the White House in 2009, their daughters Malia (left) and Sasha were 10 and 7. Personable and friendly, they were the epitome of the ordinary American family.

The Obamas: 8 years in the White House Hands-on president Barack Obama comes across as approachable and down-to-earth. During a family visit at the Oval Office, he readily bowed his head so the little boy of a White House employee could touch his hair: "I want to know if your hair is like mine."

The Obamas: 8 years in the White House Super Bowl superlatives The president and the first lady donned 3-D glasses to watch the Super Bowl at a party at the White House - in their very own movie theater.

The Obamas: 8 years in the White House Family time The United States played Japan in the final match of the Women's World Cup soccer tournament in 2011 - a match that had the Obamas on the edge of their seats as they watched on TV. Pete Souza, the official White House photographer, captured this private family moment.

The Obamas: 8 years in the White House First dog A gift from Senator Edward Kennedy, Bo the Portuguese Water Dog joined the Obama family in 2009. Four years later, Sunny, a female of the same breed, made the family complete.

The Obamas: 8 years in the White House Your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man Caught in Spider-Man's sticky web - oh no! The most powerful man in the world, always a good sport, plays along with the child of a White House staffer in 2012, just before Halloween.

The Obamas: 8 years in the White House Behind every strong man ... ... there's a great woman, as we all know. Who stands behind whom in the Obama family? America's first lady is more popular than her husband - her ratings are almost constantly at 70 percent, while the president's dropped to 40 percent at one point. The Obamas are regarded as a dream couple.

The Obamas: 8 years in the White House Mom-in-chief Many Americans adore Michelle Obama for juggling her role as "mom-in-chief" and the more political role of first lady. Above, she and a group of students are harvesting sweet potatoes in the carefully tended White House kitchen garden - a pet project.

The Obamas: 8 years in the White House Not scared to mess around The world follows her political engagement just as attentively as her choice of clothes. Always in the limelight, Michelle Obama manages to show style even sitting next to Elmo (left) and Rosalita. "What I have never been afraid of is to be a little silly, and you can engage people that way," she once told "Variety" magazine.

The Obamas: 8 years in the White House 'This Is For My Girls' The first lady demonstrated this again in a clip for the cult series "Carpool Karaoke," which has received more than 50 million views on YouTube. While James Corden's car circled the White House grounds, Michelle Obama and Missy Elliott belt out "This Is For My Girls" for the cameras.

The Obamas: 8 years in the White House Inauguration selfie With such cool parents, Sasha and Malia sometimes display a little public coolness themselves. While their father was inaugurated for the second time as president in 2013, they posed for a joint selfie.

The Obamas: 8 years in the White House Passionate family man Malia celebrated her 18th birthday while still living in the White House. The outgoing US president used the occasion to show a less statesman-like side. "Just because it's the job of a father to embarrass his daughters, I've got one last job," he explained at the end of a speech - and launched into "Happy Birthday."

The Obamas: 8 years in the White House Bye-bye, Obamas ... Barack, Michelle, Malia and Sasha Obama, now 15, are now moving out of the White House. But they are not yet turning their backs on the US capital; Sasha will still be attending school in the city. In the fall, Malia intends to begin studying at the prestigious Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Author: Nina Niebergall



(Not) talking Trump

Obama didn't mention his successor by name, but the criticism was clear. When asked during what was less of a speech and more of a fireside chat, how he felt about the current administration, he spoke of the need "to listen to what other people care about and the struggles they're going through, sit across the table from people who aren't like you and listen to their stories."

He also emphasized the need for having women and minorities at the decision-making table. This, as with most of what Obama said all night, was met with deafening applause.

Later, in another veiled slight to Trump, he added that disputing basic facts and "ignoring reason and logic" were dangerous to democracy.

Smiling, he also conceded that "no one becomes the president of the United States without a healthy ego."

Obama's convoy caused traffic to stand still in Cologne

Political insight

Despite being obviously starstruck, Obama's interviewer, writer Cristian Galvez, called on the ex-president to defend one of the most controversial acts he undertook as president, and one of the major blemishes on his legacy — drone strikes in Yemen, which have often led to civilian casualties.

He said that drones led to less collateral damage than sending in soldiers, but that it was still one of the most difficult decisions of his tenure. "Saying that I don't want to deal with the world as it is, but only with the world as it should be, isn't a moral philosophy. It's a fantasy."

The former US leader was in Cologne as part of the vaguely titled World Leadership Summit, a series of motivational talks that would seem more familiar to a US audience and are still relatively uncommon in Germany. Perhaps that's why more than half the crowd got up to leave after his portion of the event was finished.

"I saw him speak in Berlin in 2008, and I think his charisma and his message strike a chord with everyone," said Holger, 37, beaming as he left. "But I also think he's a political rock star, and we're fascinated by that in Germany, we don't have anyone like that."

Throwing 'Shade' with Obama photos Easily accessible Award-winning photographer Pete Souza has documented newsworthy events throughout his career, from the Kosovo refugee crisis to the start of the war in Afghanistan. In 2009, after spending time shooting Barack Obama on the campaign trail, he took on the role of official White House photographer — and gained more access to a sitting president than likely any other photographer in history.

Throwing 'Shade' with Obama photos A man of the people Although he accompanied Obama on trips around the world, often Souza's most memorable images were those snapped spontaneously — like this one in the hallways of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, when Obama fist-bumped custodian Lawrence Lipscomb. The images, when released to the media, helped to create a narrative about Obama as a president who is also a friend-of-the-people.

Throwing 'Shade' with Obama photos The drapes The @PeteSouza Instagram was opened January 20, 2017 — Trump's inauguration and Obama's last day in office. After posting two seemingly innocuous photos, Souza made his opinions known with a third picture. That image, posted January 22, shows the former president in the Oval Office, with red curtains in the backdrop, as here. The shot was a jab at Trump's dissatisfaction with White House decor.

Throwing 'Shade' with Obama photos A barrel of laughs in the Oval Office "Shade" is not Souza's first book of images from his time with Obama. In 2008, before Obama's election, he published "The Rise of Barack Obama," which included images from his time as a senator and later on the campaign trail. In November 2017, "Obama: An Intimate Portrait" was released, featuring many images like these, which spotlighted the former president's ease with children.

Throwing 'Shade' with Obama photos Casual moments with the chancellor Although this image was snapped by a Reuters photographer, Souza captured the same moment — a private moment between Merkel and Obama at the G7 summit meeting in Krün, Germany — with his own lens. A similar image is included in "Shade" as a means of conveying the differences in the relationship the two presidents have had with the German chancellor.

Throwing 'Shade' with Obama photos Seeing yourself in the president In an interview with the New Yorker, Souza said that some days it was hard to know how important the shots were that he was taking. Like this one, above, which occurred spontaneously but in retrospect, held quite a bit of meaning as an image of the importance of representation for young people.

Throwing 'Shade' with Obama photos The man behind the lens Although Souza has risen to fame as a result of his award-winning photos and Instagram jabs, the photographer posts few selfies. Seen here on the other side of the lens, Souza's job as official White House photographer means he was present throughout the entirety of Obama's eight years in office. He claims to have only missed one day of work due to illness. Author: Courtney Tenz



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