Team break Out of the contingent of the Association of German Speaking University Debating Societies (VDCH) we are very happy to report the break of one team at this year’s Worlds in Malaysia! In the category "English as a foreign language" (EFL) the team Potsdam A (comprised of Mathias Hamann and Moritz Kirchner) broke in 4th place with 14 team points in total. The next round for them will be the EFL Semi Final on Friday, 2 January 2015. It will take place at 1 pm local time in Malaysia (which translates into 6 am local time in Germany) and will ...

The German language debating championship is about to start in Vienna, Austria. Competing for the title are 68 teams from Germany, Switzerland and Austria, or debating societies from Aachen, Bayreuth, Berlin, Bonn, Dresden, Frankfurt, Freiburg, Graz, Göttingen, Halle, Hamburg, Hannover, Heidelberg, Ingolstadt, Jena, Karlsruhe, Kiel, Klagenfurt, Köln, Konstanz, Leipzig, Magdeburg, Mainz, Marburg, München, Münster, Potsdam, Regensburg, Salzburg, Stuttgart, St. Gallen, Tübingen, Wien, Würzburg and Zürich. Learn more about MDD in the German version of this article and follow us on Facebook and Twitter (hashtag #MDD12). It's the first time the German language debating championship (Meisterschaft im deutschsprachigen Debattieren or MDD) is hosted ...

Break at ZEIT DEBATTE Karlsruhe 2011 - here it is! ...

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 ...

This article is not available in English, please read the German version.

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 ...

First things first: If you don't like Irish weather - just wait 15 minutes. It'll be better after that. And then again, after 15 minutes, it'll be worse than ever. And so on. That is only made up to by the people. They are amazingly friendly. You cannot get lost even if you are drunk as hell... there are people everywhere to help you. Only obstacle: The Irish accent. As soon as you get used to it, you're fine. It doesn't matter if you're booked for the finals at Euros or if you're ...

The German Debating Championship is getting more and more exciting. The motion reads "Soll die Wikipedia Weltkulturerbe werden?", or "Should Wikiepedia become World Heritage?". Read here who made it to quarters in Heidelberg: ...

This article is not available in English. Please read the German version to learn about which teams, free speakers and adjudicators made it to octos at the Deutsche Debattiermeisterschaft (DDM), or German Championship in Heidelberg. ...

A lucky streak for the Berlin Debating Union (BDU): After winning the Potsdam PULS Punk, they managed to emerge as victors at the Training Tournament in Dortmund on 4 June. The opposition consisting of the WUDC 2013 convenor Patrcik Ehmann, Florian Umscheid and Manuel Adams defeated the government team from Potsdam with Jan-Dirk Capelle, Mathias Hamann and Jana Bachmann in the final. The topic was "Sex sells – is it legitimate to use sexual services to motivate employees and customers?" referring to a current sex scandal at a German insurance. The prelims topics thanks to the CAs Julian Schneider (Debattierclub ...

Berlin beats Berlin in the Potsdam PULS Punk final on the motion "Should all jobs be payed equally?". The opposition side with Annette Kirste, Emre Yildiz and Franz Müller (Berlin Debating Union) won the palm against the government speakers Kai Dittmann, Arne Windeler and Philipp Cragg (also BDU). The so-called free speakers in the final were Arash Alawi (BDU), Nikolai Badenkoop (Streitkultur Berlin) and Kai Nosbüsch (Debattierclub Stuttgart). Tournament style was the German open parliamentary debate (OPD). The CAs Nils Haneklaus (Debattierclub Stuttgart), Rafael Heinisch (S.A.E.C.L.O. Greifswald) and Christoph Krakowiak (Streitkultur Berlin) had th efollowing motion for the prelims up their sleeves: Round ...

The convenor of Potsdam PULS Punk announced the CA team of the tournament: Nils Haneklaus (Debattierclub Stuttgart), Rafael Heinisch (S.A.E.C.L.O. Greifswald) and Christoph Krakowiak (Streitkultur Berlin). ...

Beginners take note: The Wortgefechte Potsdam organises the Potsdam PULS Punk on 28 May. The tournament will be held in German and the OPD (open parliamentary debate) style that is widely spread in the German language debating circuit - but without the characteristic Free Speakers. "PULS" is the university course application system of the University of Potsdam. The university accepts the participation in debating where students can get credit points. After four prelims there is going to be a direct break into the final. Afterwards the participants may look forward to a relaxed and romantic evening at the Griebnitzsee, a lake in ...

More impressions from the German regionals. Please read the German version of this article to learn more about what debating societies in Heidelberg, Mainz, Bremen and Tübingen have to say about their respective competitions and how the media in the Brandenburgian capital Potsdam cheer for the winners of the Eastern German regional. Der Westen even discusses the problem of minors breaking to the final - they are students from a school in Unna. glx / apf ...

We proudly present the winners of this year's German regionals: Heidelberg won the Western German regional. Potsdam won the Eastern German regional. Kiel won the Northern German regional. On the weekend previous to the other regionals, Tübingen won the Southern German regional. Congrats to everyone! In the West, Sven Hirschfeld, Kristina Seebacher and Jennifer Holm from Debating Club Heidelberg defeated Nicolas Eberle, Robert Lehmann and Caroline Moll from Debattierclub Johannes Gutenberg Mainz (DCJG). Free speakers - a characteristic of the format OPD, or open parliamentary debate - were Andrea Gau (DCJG), Martin Thelen (DC Bonn) and Sascha Schenkenberg (DCJG). Andrea was awarded most popular speaker of ...

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. ...

Take me to Manila! A first bunch of debating societies from under the umbrella of VDCH know for sure already: We are going to DLSU Worlds in Manila. In the recently published list, the convenors of the World Debating Universities Championships (WUDC or Worlds) at De La Salle University of Manila, Philippines have announced those deb socs followed their slogan “Take me to Manila”. It is a rough list of registration for DLSU Worlds only, containing many duplicates. But still, seven debating societies from the VDCH circuit made it to that list: Debattierclub Stuttgart, Berlin Debating Union, Debattierclub Johannes Gutenberg Mainz, ...

“Oxbridge“ among the top ten debating societies of the world? Of course, one may assume to find those two oldest deb socs in that list – but who else is to be listed there? Colm Flynn, former chair of the WUDC Council, is the founder and editor of the internet blog World Debating Website. There he has published his “Worlds Debating Rankings 2011“. According to this, the top ten comprises four Australian institutions and only two English ones – Oxford and Cmabridge Unions. Even an institution from the Philippines is listed among them. The most successful debating society from under ...

On his blog, Manos Moschopoulos compiled unofficial tabs for ESL and EFL respectively for the World Universities Debating Championships (WUDC or Worlds). He did so based on data provided by Leela Koenig, judge at Botswana Worlds, and the competition's language committee. So far, official ESL and EFL tabs have not yet been published by the adjudication team of CA Logandran Balavijendran. According to Manos’ compilation, a correction of the Top Five EFL Speakers has to be noted: “Simon Belak (Ljubljana C) and Andreas Lazar (Stuttgart A) are joint top EFL speakers (initially, they were announced as 2nd and 1st respectively),” Manos ...

We’re sorry, this article is not or not yet available in English. Please read the German version.

The full tab of the World Universities Debating Championships 2011 has been made available online already! The CA team put it on the homepage of Botswana Worlds. Naturally, Achte Minute does have a focus on the results of  VDCH teams and speakers. Hence, to lighten the burden for you, our loyal readers, we compiled their results. ...

Breaking news from Botswana: Results of our VDCH teams after round 6 leaked from Gabs and we have it all here for our loyal readers. Colm Flynn provided photographs of the tab on his World Debating Website. So how are our German and Austrian teams doing in Gaborone? ...

Preußen Punk Potsdam's Tab is now online.

The Berlin Debating Union won the Preußen Punk Potsdam tournament. The competition was held in German, the format was British Parliamentary Style (BPS). ...

Less than four months until the worldwide debating circuit assembles in Gaborone, Botswana for the World Universities Debating Championships (WUDC, a.k.a. Worlds) 2011 from 27 December 2010 until 4 January 2011! But before you open your new textbooks and work on your Setswana, the official language besides English, stop and check the technicalities. You need to make sure you have made your final payments. The conveners point out that banks charge a fee up to 25 US-Dollars for international wire transfer. Those who forgot about that fee may pay cash or with a check during physical check-in in Gaborone in ...

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On Saturday, August 21, thirteen clubs founded the Free Debating League (FDL). The FDL is a decentralized association of debating tournaments aimed at encouraging tournaments outside the ZEIT DEBATTEN series. At the end of each season the most successful clubs and speakers will be acknowledged. The general assembly of VDCH (Association of Debating Societies at Universities) received the initiative with a broad majority. The FDL charter states: “We believe that our project provides long-term planning options, raises the reputation of decentralized tournaments and increases the incentive to take part in these. All debaters in Germany are offered new opportunities to experience ...

Achte Minute scanned the tab distributed after the grand final. You can now find the EUDC 2010 Team Tab and the EUDC 2010 Speaker Tab online. Surely the tabs will be published officially soon. Top Ten Speaker: 1. Fred Cowell, ULU B (London) 2. Sam Block, Manchester A 3. Jack Watson, Cambridge A 4. Thomas Hosking, Oxford A 5. Harish Natarajan, Cambridge A 6. Gregg O'Neill, TCD Phil A (Dublin) 7. Rosie Unwin, ULU B (London) 8. Ben Woolgar, Oxford A 9. Daniel Swain, Team Australia (no break permission) 10. Kelly Butler, Team Australia (no break permission) Top Ten Speaker ESL: 1. Jeroen Heun, Erasmus A (Rotterdam) 2. Daniel Springer, Erasmus A (Rotterdam) 3. David ...

Debating club Wortgefechte Potsdam elected a new executive board today. Mathias Hamann was reelected as Chairman. Jana Bachmann was elected as new deputy Chair and Anne Schroeter as assistant board member. Markus Heilig was reelected treasurer. Congratulations and good luck for your work!

Florian Umscheid vom Debattierclub Wortgefechte Potsdam wurde bei der Deutschen Debattiermeisterschaft (DDM) 2010 von der Deutschen Debattiergesellschaft (DDG), dem Verein der Alumni und Förderer des Debattierens, als bester Nachwuchsredner ausgezeichnet. Gemeinsam mit seinem Teampartner Moritz Kirchner breakte Florian im Team "Rote Kaserne" souverän ins Viertelfinale der DDM. Dort mussten sich die beiden ihren Gegnern aus Berlin und München geschlagen geben. Die Achte Minute hat sich mit Florian über den Nachwuchspreis, seine debattantischen Erfahrungen, Erfolge und Pläne unterhalten. [caption id="attachment_3993" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Flo in Aktion während einer DDM-Vorrunde. (Foto: Florian Zeidler, Uni Münster)"][/caption] Achte Minute: ...