In June, a school exchange took place between Riverfield Country Day School in Tulsa and the KAV Gymnasium in Celle. The students were accompanied, among others, by German teacher Angie Novak and her husband Sean. In the summer of 2024, the couple had also helped organize the program for a visit by farmers from Celle to Tulsa.

Our treasurer, Dirk Heindorff, as well as club members Petra Heindorff and Jens Stumpf, volunteered to tell the Novaks a bit about Celle and show them around.

The visit began with a tour of the Celle Volunteer Fire Department, where they were shown around the fire station. As a highlight, they enjoyed a panoramic view over Celle from the training tower. After the fire department tour, they were invited by the German-American Society of Celle to a nearby restaurant, where they sampled local specialties. In addition to Pfannenschlag and Sauerfleisch, there was, of course, “Celler Rohe Roulade,” which was especially well received.

For Angie and Sean, a seasonal asparagus dinner was organized for the following Saturday, which they visibly enjoyed. The dish carried a distinct American touch, with the hollandaise sauce taking center stage.

At Angie’s request, the group visited Bergen-Belsen on Sunday, where an English-language guided tour had been booked. It was Sean’s first time there, and he was visibly moved, yet very interested in the events that took place in the camp.

Jens Stumpf, a teacher at the vocational schools in Soltau, was able to arrange seats for a tasting session. Final exams for chefs and service staff were on the schedule, and the examinees had to put their acquired skills into practice. Our guests from Tulsa were invited to help assess the results. The Novaks greatly enjoyed this event as well and expressed their thanks to our club members for accompanying them during their stay in Celle.

(Report by DAG member Dirk Heindorff)