The next big event of the ZEIT DEBATTEN series starts today! Everybody on the German debating circuit is on their way to Mainz. The convenors allure to German speaking debaters with a new breaking system new to the format of OPD (open parliamentary debate) which allows all speakers to enjoy five debates instead of the usual three. On top of that, they show great hospitality so typical for Rhineland-Palatinate: accommodation in a four-star hotel, free cider for everybody, winetasting under the guidance of the wine queen representing the wine-growing district around Mainz – and a masquerade! To learn more on ZEIT DEBATTE Mainz 2011, please do not hesitate to read the German version of this article.

The tournament series ZEIT DEBATTEN is organised by VDCH, the Association of Debating Societies at Universities, in cooperation with the weekly newspaper DIE ZEIT and German Telekom as well as with the support of ZDF, a German public broadcaster. It has been a decade now since the first ZEIT DEBATTEN series started with at least five big annual competitions. One of these is the German debating championship. Honorary patron of the series is the former German chancellor Helmut Schmidt.

apf / glx