The Berlin Debating Union (BDU) has elected a new executive board: Niels Schröter is the new president. He is supported by Bruno Davids (treasurer) and Julian Ohm, Christina Dexel and Marijana Todorović. They follow Dessislava Kirova (president) and Juliane Mendelsohn (treasurer), Kai Dittmann, John-Thomas Eltringham and Juliane Zeuschner. apf

68 teams, seven prelims and a quarters round make up for semis in Vienna. The following eight teams made it to semis of the German language debating championship (Meisterschaft im deutschsprachigen Debattieren or MDD): Berlin Stadt im Norden (Annette Kirste, Julian Ohm) Mainz Anton (Andrea Gau, Daniil Pakhomenko) Stuttgart CNC (Michael Saliba, Igor Gilitschenski) Berlin Flauschpfote (Hauke Blume, Niels Schröter) MS Hamburg Loki (Kira Lancker, Barbara Schunicht) Berlin HS (Johannes Häger, Georg Sommerfeld) Berlin Babes Bolay (Dessislava Kirova, Juliane Mendelsohn) München Alpha (Valerio Morelli, Marco Witzmann) (This is not a ranking. ) Learn more about MDD in the German version of this article and follow us on Facebook and Twitter ...

 

Die Debattiergesellschaft verhält sich schon in ihrem jugendlichen Alter von 10 Jahren wie eine adlige grande dame der Pariser Kunstszene: Sie ist eine rege Gastgeberin von mal größeren, mal kleineren Turnieren: Sie hat nicht nur zahlreiche ZEIT DEBATTEN und Regionalmeisterschaften für den VDCH ausgerichtet, sondern begrüßt alljährlich ihre Gäste zu einem Freundschaftsturnier. Diese Tradition ist Teil des Jenaer Selbstverständnisses: Als Debattierclub aktiv zu sein heißt nicht nur regelmäßig im Club zu debattieren, öffentliche Debatten abzuhalten und auf Debattierturniere zu fahren, sondern auch, selbst zu solchen Debattiergesellschaften einzuladen. Das Jenaer Freundschaftsturnier ist, verglichen mit den großen Events der ZEIT DEBATTEN und den ...

Georg Sommerfeld and Bruno Davids of Berlin Debating Union (BDU) won Saggsn Masders 2012, a tournament in the Saxonian capital Dresden. Georg was also awarded best speaker of the final. The other final teams were from Mainz (Willy Witthaut and Betty Braun) and of BDU: Sarah von Kaminietz and Martin Funck, and Hauke Blume and Marijana Todorovich). The top speakers of the tourney: Georg Sommerfeld Willy Witthaut Hauke Blume Sarah von Kaminietz, Dessislava Kirova The top team results of the league after Saggsn Masders: Mainz (53) Heidelberg Debating (44) Tübingen (44) Berlin Debating Union (36) Freiburg (26) Top speaker results after Saggsn Masders: Willy Witthaut (64) Almut Graebsch (45), Zsolt Szilagyi (45) Philipp Stiel (44) Please ...

Trauma overcome! Worlds' runner-up Dessislava Kirova gives Achte Minute'e appreciated readers an insight on how she and her team mate Juliane Mendelsohn have overcome their trauma of being defeated in quarters - and how the proceed straight on to the finals of the World Universities Debating Championships (WUDC or Worlds) in Manila, Philippines. (The story is in German, please check back later for an English translation.) ...

Female power straight on through to the final - Dessislava Kirova and Juliane Mendelsohn of Berlin Debating Union (BDU) are runner-ups to Omer and Sella Nevo from Israel who won the ESL final of the World University Debating Championships (WUDC or Worlds). Congrats from Achte Minute to all! The ladies gave Achte Minute an interview - please switch to the German page to read the full story or check back later for an English translation.

Today's sixth day of the Worlds Universities Debating Championship saw lots of joy and lots of heartbreak - it was the first day of final rounds! After yesterday's break announcement started with the open octofinals, followed by English as a Second Language (ESL) quarterfinals, open quarterfinals and concurrent EFL and ESL semifinals. ...

Debaters from all over the world are flocking in to Manila, Philippines. From 27 December 2011 to 4 January 2012, they assemble at De La Salle University (DLSU) to compete for the title of the World Universities Debating Championships (WUDC or Worlds). From under the roof of VDCH there will be the following debating society competing with around 400 teams from about 70 countries - all in a peaceful competition, the WUDC 2012 or DLSU Worlds: Berlin Debating Union: John Eltringham, Narendran Ramasendaran, Dessislava Kirova, Juliane Mendelsohn, Kai Dittmann, Matthias Winkelmann S.A.E.C.L.O. Greifswald: Rafael Heinisch, Ida Heidecker Debattierclub Mannheim: Jana Gilke, Katrin Sadroschinski Debattierclub Johannes ...

Since we guess that our appreciated readers follow us on Twitter your head will most probably be replete with impressions from Galway Euros. But what are the facts and figures about the European Universities Debating Championships (EUDC or Euros)? Or maybe you have been there yourself and want to sort things out now? Your Achte Minute team provides you with all you might want to know - and even beyond. By the way, you still might wanna follow the Hashtag #EUDC on Twitter - you'll find funny stories and how everybody copes with the ...

Tel Aviv A is double breaking at Galway Euros! That is in the open and in the ESL break. Something that is only possible at Euros, not at Worlds. Find the rest of the break to quarter finals below - we have it all for you: The open break as well as the ESL break. That was one exciting announcement ... my goodness! OPEN BREAK The competitors of the open break have to be early birds: Debate starts at 9 a.m., ... Quarter final 1: TCD Hist B King's Inn A UCD L&H A UCC Philosoph B Quarter final 2: Oxford A KCL A UCC Law B Warwick ...

Achtung, the Germans! The teams from the German speaking regions make up one of the largest groups here at Galway Euros, the European Universities Debating Championships (EUDC and Euros) held in Ireland this year. 17 teams from Germany and Austria are competing for the title at the western coast of the Emerald Isle. To make sure you keep your fingers crossed for the right teams, we are presenting you with the names: ...

Rain, rain, rain - all over Germany! But the brave debaters of the Boddencup never gave in and even did their BBQ in Greifswald. A short lesson on German geography: "Bodden are brackish bodies of water along the southwestern shores of the Baltic Sea, primarily in Germany's state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern around the island of Rügen," as Wikipedia has it. This year's Boddencup was staged by Greifwald's debating society for the third time in a row. It was also the final of the first season of Freie Debattierliga, or free debating league (FDL). Read more on a rainy weekend by the ...

New executive board in the German capital: The Berlin Debating Union (BDU) elected a new board. Dessislava Kirova was confirmed in her office as president. She is now supported by John Eltringham, Juliane Mendelsohn, Kai Dittmann und Juliane Zeuschner. Good luck to BDU, especially with the Worlds ahead!

Please read the German version of this article to learn more on how Miriam Hauft experienced the Elbe Open in Magdeburg.

East, West and North have debated all day long in Halle, Frankfurt and Osnabrück to select the best debaters at German regional championships. Format of this year's regionals is OPD, or Offene Parlamentarische Debatte (open parliamentary debate). Achte Minute has all the results for you. ...

Paris is very, very beautiful. Plus, it is the political, economic and social center of the French nation. It is de facto impossible to get the full impression in just one weekend. But the convenors of Louisa Leila Zhang’s team helped us get a good first glimpse on the first weekend of April. The about 150 participants of the Paris IV were offered hospitality and French cuisine, impressive technology and the art of partying plus a city tour – and all that in just under 45 hours. The debaters – from the Wordls finalist John Ashbourne from the London School ...

Egyptian queen in the German capital - The motion of the second masters’ debate of Berlin Debating Union (BDU) was especially directed to a Berlin audience: "Who is owning Nefertiti? This house would give the bust of Nofretete back to Egypt!" Georg Sommerfeld and Johannes Häger (Opening Government) talked about the rude and somehow illegal methods that were used to bring the bust to Germany in 1913. They also explained that Nefertiti is an important symbol for the Egyptian history and identity and so would belong to Cairo. Juliane Mendelsohn and Niels Schröter (Opening Opposition) disagreed. Nefertiti's bust has been exhumed ...

Reaching a broad public, debating controversial social topics, provoke thoughts – that’s the idea behind the Masters’ Debate. In this way the Berlin Debating Union (BDU) wants to perform its sociopolitical role. Furthermore the members of BDU want to show what is possible in a really good debate and that even difficult, controversial and contra intuitive motions can be discussed in a reasonable, ambitious and entertaining way. So early December's motion was a heavy one: “This house would allow disabled parents (in countries where pre-implantation diagnostics are allowed) to choose embryos with the same disability.” The Opening Government with Annette Kirste and ...

"Danke, dass du OPD erfunden hast!", verabschiedete sich ein Stuttgarter Debattant am vergangenen Sonntag nach der ZEIT DEBATTE in Tübingen von Michael Hoppmann, dem Godfather des deutschsprachigen Debattierens. Unter dem Motto "Nur die Vernunft lehrt schweigen. Das Herz lehrt reden." hatte am Wochenende die Streitkultur Tübingen zum Debattierturnier an den Neckar geladen: Knapp 100 Redner aus Deutschland, Österreich und der Schweiz gaben sich hier ein Stelldichein, ja, gar aus Bozen und Boston reisten Debattanten an, um bei der ZEIT DEBATTE in Tübingen dabei zu sein. "Die Turnierserie kehrt heim" schreiben die Organisatoren von der Streitkultur auf ihre Homepage, denn die ...

Die Berlin Debating Union (BDU) hat die ZEIT DEBATTE Tübingen 2010 gewonnen. Ein Team des Clubs setzte sich im Finale gegen ein Team des Debattierclub Johannes Gutenberg Mainz (DCJG) durch. Die Auszeichnung der Ehrenjury als bester Redner des Finales ging an Marcus Ewald vom DCJG, der auch von einer Mehrheit des Publikums als bester Redner bewertet wurde und so zudem die Auszeichnung als Publikumsliebling - bei der Streitkultur Tübingen traditionell ein Kaktus - mit nach Mainz nehmen konnte. "Soll die Ganzkörperverhüllung in Deutschland verboten werden?" lautete die Streitfrage, mit der sich sechs Redner und drei Rednerinnen am Sonntagnachmittag im Tübinger Rathaus ...

Trotz zahlreicher, frohlockender Demonstrationen, Kundgebungen und Volksfeste im Nordosten der Republik pilgerten am 1. Mai rund 50 Debattier- und Jurierwillige zu einem Punk-Turnier nach Magdeburg. Nicht nur die Raumbezeichnungen, sondern auch das gesamte Motto dieses Punks beim amtierenden Deutschen Meister, dem Debattierclub Magdeburg, sollten unter dem Stern "Machdeburjer Orjinale" stehen. Chefjuriert wurde es dennoch Nicht-Magdeburger Originalen, nämlich von Patrick Ehmann (Berlin), Jonas Werner (Magdeburg, ehemals Berlin) und Marcel Giersdorf (Mainz). Die zeitig angereisten 20 Teams aus der, nach Patrick Ehmann, "stärksten Region in der Ausrichtung von Punk-Turnieren" debattierten in den ersten zwei Vorrunden ...

Die Presse berichtet, die Clubs erzählen. Hier schon ein paar Stimmen zu den VDCH-Regionalmeisterschaften 2010. "Der Westen", das Internetportal der WAZ-Mediengruppe, berichtet über die Westdeutsche Meisterschaft (WDM) und das Debattieren an sich. Der Journalist Thomas Mader hat sich bei der WDM eine Vorrunde angeschaut. In dem Artikel "Reden ist Gold bei der Debattiermeisterschaft" schreibt er: "Das sind merkwürdige Studenten, hier an der Dortmunder Uni: Sie siezen sich und sagen Sachen wie: 'Aber mein Herr ... Sie haben doch gerade ausgeführt … Ist es nicht so … da fehlen mir die Worte …' Man achte auf ihre rechte Hand, wie sie in bester ...