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Jochen Wohlfeil on 25 Years in Berlin

For a quarter-century Wohlfeil has guided Duke students through the Duke in Berlin program

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Duke in Berlin resident director Jochen Wohlfeil, right, with his wife, Mechthild. Photo courtesy Jochen Wohlfeil

For more than two decades, Jochen Wohlfeil has been Duke's man in Berlin. As resident director of the Duke in Berlin since 1988, he has shepherded hundreds of students through the experience, taking on the roles of teacher, adviser, tour guide and occasional psychologist.

Wohlfeil, who earlier this semester celebrated his 25th anniversary in the position, came to the job when it was a pilot program enrolling just six students. These days, close to 100 Duke students report for each session.

Wohlfeil recently had an email chat with Duke Today about his experiences. Here are excerpts:

You've been helping Duke students studying in Berlin for more than two decades. What are the primary benefits of studying in that particular city?

For young students Berlin is attractive in many ways. The city has about 150,000 students. The thriving creativity and opportunities to engage in academia, the culture, economy, theater, film and social groups often mark the first step to become a true insider of German society. Like no other German city, Berlin continues to attract especially young people and in comparison to other European cities it is, still, affordable.

Students find that the federal government and the city of Berlin heavily subsidizes cultural institutions like opera houses, concert halls -- Berlin has three! -- and museums. There is a multi-ethnic population of Berlin reflected in the diversity of restaurants that offer unique dishes.

The club culture is world famous. Berlin is emerging as a center for fashion. Start-up companies are settling in with synergetic effects. And of course, we have plenty of sports here, soccer being the most popular.

How has Berlin itself changed over that time?

The city itself is a showcase for German history -- vestiges of the Prussian heritage, the world wars, division of the Germanies and unification all can be studied at original sites. The urbanscape reflects the dynamic process the city has -- it seems to be constantly redefining itself. The art and architecture are incredibly rich ranging from medieval to modern. The reconstitution of the capital of Germany saw the growth of the European Union and the internationalization of the city. The wall once divided Berlin into East and West right through Potsdamer Platz; it was a death strip, no mans land. A new heart has been implanted connecting and uniting the former halves.

Duke in Berlin

Is the study abroad experience for a student today a lot different than it was two decades ago? How has technology changed the experience?

I would say "Jein," a German term meaning a combination of yes and no. Actually being in Berlin, living with a family, going to classes, taking the U-Bahn, going to concerts, operas, soccer games, meeting German students, going to events in the city has pretty much remained the same.

But I remember how startled I was when a Duke student told me in the early 1990s that his computer could communicate with another computer in the U.S. With all the communication devices of today all the students are always reachable all the time.. I find it to be a relief when we need to reach out to the whole group especially in an emergency or change of program event.

Do students get homesick still, even being able to stay in constant touch with family back home?

We have cases of homesickness, especially when students come from a very protected social background and they are very close to their families or terribly miss their dear friends. The emotional experience abroad can be quite challenging for some. Leaving the "comfort zone" often means that they start to miss all the networks that cushioned and protected their personality. If a student had emotional challenges in the U.S. they will not be left behind but will accompany them to Berlin. We have trained specialists who will offer professional help if need be. But the growth of a person is often connected to the difficulties and challenges that are solved and not circumvented. So if a student overcomes the experience of homesickness, it indicates that they can eventually step aside and take on a different perspective about themselves.