Q: Which American state capital is named after a German chancellor?

A: Bismarck (North Dakota)

This was just one of the questions posed at last night’s American Pub Quiz in Osnabrück, Germany. In cooperation with the University of Osnabrück’s Institute for English and American Studies, Democrats Abroad Münster-Osnabrück hosted its inaugural trivia night on May 23, 2019 at local student bar Unikeller. Eleven teams competed to answer questions about American geography, history, sports, politics, and music, as well as identify photographs of famous Germans in America. In the breaks between categories, the crowd enjoyed classic American tunes and complimentary Schnaps. The race for the main prize of Democrats Abroad merchandise and a free round of drinks remained exciting to the end, with only a half-point difference between the first and second-place teams.

Hosting our first-ever pub quiz was an ambitious undertaking, but one we felt would advance our organization’s goals. As one of the younger Democrats Abroad Germany chapters, we cover the region surrounding Münster, Osnabrück, and Bielefeld. Most previous activities have centered on Münster, as the majority of our members are based there. Our aim in staging an event of this scale in Osnabrück was to expand our presence in the other areas under our jurisdiction. A second goal was to generate interest among younger residents for our mission and activities in the region.

Participation in the event was open to all. Our crowd consisted of Americans, Germans, and persons of other nationalities. By inviting anyone to attend, we hoped to attract a larger number of participants, who would, in turn, spread the word about Democrats Abroad to Americans they know or meet in the city. With a turnout of 55 contestants, we consider the evening a great success and look forward to organizing similar events in the future!