On 26th April, the DBJW Pop-Up Congress took place at the Institute of Foreign Languages and Cultures of the University of Tartu (Lossi 3), organised in cooperation with the Department of German Studies of the University of Tartu, the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and the German Embassy in Tallinn as part of the German Spring.

We were honoured by the presence of the German Ambassador to Estonia, Anette Klein, the Deputy Mayor of Tartu, Lemmit Kaplinski, the Head of the Department of German Studies, Reet Bender, and the Director of the Institute of Foreign Languages and Cultures, Terje Loogus, all of whom participated in the opening of the congress with giving welcoming speeches.

The opening ceremony was followed by a variety of interesting and educational presentations. Maia Klaassen, from the Institute of Social Studies of University of Tartu, gave a presentation on “Youth and AI – The Future Perspective”, while at the same time in a separate room the renowned Baltic German archivist and historian, Manfred von Boetticher, gave a crash course in palaeography. Mikk Viilukas, a member of the DBJW’s Estonian office, followed with a talk on the cultural differences between Estonia and Austria. Next, Daina Auzina and Daniel Kulesza from the DAAD gave a presentation on studying and researching in Germany and opened a DAAD consultation desk to answer all questions regarding student exchanges. There was also the opportunity to take part in a language lesson with the teachers of the Department of German Studies, where both the absolute beginners and more experienced German speakers were warmly welcomed.

In between presentations and workshops, the congress guests were also treated to the delicacies from the German cuisine.

In addition, students from the Department of German Studies gave a presentation on a student trip to Potsdam and Berlin. Representative from the German-Baltic Chamber of Commerce gave a short presentation about their work in the Baltic States, and finally the historian and member of the German Culture Forum for Eastern Europe, Dr. Martin Pabst, held a lecture and a workshop on the Baltic-German comedian Robert Gernhardt, where everyone had the opportunity to try out their hand at poetry.

We are already looking forward to next year’s conference!