Das Mittwochs-Feature: Mittwochs veröffentlicht die Achte Minute ab 10.00 Uhr oftmals ein Mittwochs-Feature, worin eine Idee, Debatte, Buch oder Person in den Mittelpunkt gestellt wird. Wenn du selbst eine Debatte anstoßen möchtest, melde dich mit deinem Themen-Vorschlag per Mail an team [at] achteminute [dot] de. jd./hb. Das Mittwochs-Feature: Mittwochs veröffentlicht die Achte Minute ab 10.00 Uhr oftmals ein Mittwochs-Feature, worin eine Idee, Debatte, Buch oder Person in den Mittelpunkt gestellt wird. Wenn du selbst eine Debatte anstoßen möchtest, melde dich mit deinem Themen-Vorschlag per Mail an team [at] achteminute [dot] de. jd./hb. Das Mittwochs-Feature: Mittwochs veröffentlicht die Achte Minute ab 10.00 Uhr oftmals ein ...

As a prominent part of the thematic focus on Europe, the VDCH – Association of German Speaking University Debating Societies – and two member clubs organized two “European Debates Conferences”. They aim to bring the participants of the other projects and many other debating societies together to jointly debate about controversial political, economic and societal issues. The participants are not only improving their knowledge about Europe and their rhetorical and argumentative skills. They also get to know students from up to 11 other countries and learn about the differences and similarities in their points of view on common challenges. [caption id="attachment_25351" ...

In the year of the European Elections, the Association of German Speaking University Debating Societies (VDCH) chose to make Europe the main focus of its work. For that purpose, it participates in conducting 22 public “European Debates” in 7 countries, to invite students and the broad public to actively take part in debates concerning the most important subjects of European policy. Also, this years’ German-Speaking University Debating Championship was held under the motto “Speaking German – Thinking European” and hosted participants from many other European countries. As a prominent part of the thematic focus on Europe, the VDCH and two member ...

The general assembly of VDCH (Verband der Debattierclubs an Hochschulen), the umbrella organisation of over 70 german-speaking debating clubs at universities, has elected a new executive board on August 31. Florian Umscheid (Berlin/Bamberg) was elected president by the representatives; vice presidents are Tobias Kube (Marburg), Jennifer Holm (Heidelberg) and Alexander Labinsky (Dresden).   The Achte Minute congratulates the new board and wishes them best of success for their term of office! kem

This article is only available in German.

While most debaters were still recovering form the WUDC-fever, another debating highlight took place in Berlin: on Januray 16th politics and competitive debating clashed. Streitkultur Berlin hosted an event where they debated professional politicians. The motion before the house was:" Should journalisim be publicly funded?" This article is only available in English. Please read more on this in the German version of this article.

The new ZEIT DEBATTEN series begins! This weekend (November 23 to 25), speakers and judges from all over Germany, Switzerland, Austria and even France flock at Tübingen. Language of the tournament, as in the whole series, is German, the ZEIT DEBATTE Tübingen will be held in Offene Parlamentarische Debatte (open parliamentary debate, OPD). Chief adjudicators are Philipp Stiel (German Champion 2010, Tübingen/Berlin) sowie Wiebke Nadler (Leipzig/Heidelberg) and Leonid Vogel (Karlsruhe). 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 ...

Various and peripheral judging workshops add to the quality of debates in tournaments and at home in the debating societies. Please read the German version of this to learn about the details of this season's first VDCH judging workshop to be held in Würzburg.

A good judging pool at tournaments is eminent for the competitions - and for excellent feedback. Achte Minute talked to Philipp Stiel and Leo Vogel, president and vice-president of the association of debating societies at universities (VDCH, or Verband der Debattierclubs an Hochschulen). Please read more on this in the German version of this article.

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On October 5 and 6, many presidents of the local debating societies from under the umbrella of VDCH (the Association of Debating Societies at Universities, or Verband der Debattierclubs an Hochschulen) are going to assemble at the publishing house of DIE ZEIT in Hamburg. The main sponsor of the tournament series ZEIT DEBATTEN is going to give insight into the work of the editorial team of one of the largest weekly newspapers in Germany. The debaters are going to talk to the editor-at-large, the chief editors of theprint as well as the online issue and many others.

The general assembly of VDCH (the Association of Debating Societies at Universities) elected a new president and his deputies: Philipp Stiel , Leonid Vogel, Nils Haneklaus and Anna Mattes constitute the new VDCH executive board.

The next big event of the ZEIT DEBATTEN is already announced: Streitkultur Tübingen will convene the first ZEIT DEBATTE in the 2012/2013 season. The German speaking debating circuit will meet in Tübingen from November 23 to 25. Language of the tournament, as in the whole series, is German, the ZEIT DEBATTE Tübingen will be held in OPD (open parliamentary debate). Chief adjudicators are 2010 German champion Philipp Stiel (Tübingen/Berlin), Wiebke Nadler (Leipzig/Heidelberg) and Leo Vogel (Karlsruhe) 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 ...

VDCH is calling the representatives of all debating societies under its roof. President Benedikt Nufer informed that the annual general assembly will take place in Bonn on the weekend of 25 and 26 August this year. Please read the German version of this to learn more about the details.

Here's the VDCH hall of fame - the new table after the ZEIT DEBATTEN 11th season: Rang Club Punkte 1 Berlin 66 (+3, +1, +5, +1, +4) Winner ZD Karlsruhe, Finalist ZD Magdeburg, Winner and twice Finalist NODM Kiel, Finalist ZD Münster, twice Finalist MDD Wien) 2 Mainz 52 (+3, +3) Winner ZD Magdeburg, Winner MDM Jena 3 Tübingen 45 4 Münster 42 5 (+1) Heidelberg (DCH) 37 (+1, +3) Finalist ZD Hamburg, Winner SDM Ingolstadt 6 (-1) Jena 33 7 (+4) München 21 (+1, +2, +1, +5) Finalist ZD Karlsruhe, twice Finalist SDM Ingolstadt, Finalist ZD Münster, Winner MDD Wien) 8 (-1) Göttingen 17 9 (-1) Freiburg 14 10 (-1) Bonn 13 10 (-1) Halle 13 12 Greifswald 11 13 Kiel 9 14 Potsdam 8 (+1) Finalist NODM Kiel 14 (+1) Magdeburg 8 (+2) twice Finalist MDM Jena 16 (-1) St. Gallen 6 16 (-1) Köln Tilbury 6 16 (+3) Hamburg 6 (+1, ...

Deb socs in Germany, Austria and Switzerland - get your applications ready for hosting a ZEIT DEBATTE in the upcoming season of 2012/2013! Please read more on the details in the German version of this article. More info is also available on the VDCH website. The ZEIT DEBATTEN series with at least five major tournaments has been staged in alternating cities for more than a decade under the patronage of the former German chancellor Helmut Schmidt. Part of it is also the German language debating championship (Meisterschaft im deutschsprachigen Debattieren or MDD) Behind the serie are VDCH (Verband der Debattierclubs an ...

Please see the German version to get a fuller coverage of the media review. It's the first time the German language debating championship (Meisterschaft im deutschsprachigen Debattieren or MDD) is hosted outside Germany. The MDD is part of the ZEIT DEBATTEN series. Behind it are VDCH in cooperation with the weekly newspaper DIE ZEIT, with the support of Deutsche Telekom and the media partner of a major public German broadcaster (ZDF). The series has been staged in alternating cities for more than a decade under the patronage of the former German chancellor Helmut Schmidt.

[caption id="attachment_12607" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Strahlende Sieger: Valerio Morelli und Marco Witzmann aus München (c) Foto: Debattierclub AFA Wien"][/caption] Valerio Morelli und Marco Witzmann haben für den Debattierclub der Münchener Universitäten die Meisterschaft im Deutschsprachigen Debattieren in Wien 2012 gewonnen. Sie siegten im Finale der Hochschulmeisterschaft gegen zwei Teams der Berlin Debating Union (Annette Kirste und Julian Ohm sowie Georg Sommerfeld und Johannes Häger) und ein Team der Universität Hamburg (Kira Lancker und Barbara Schunicht). Der 24-jährige Valerio Morelli, Mathematikstudent und gebürtiger Südtiroler aus Bozen und der 24-jährige Maschienenbaustudent Marco Witzmann sicherten sich mit ihrem Sieg den Titel des Meisters im Deutschsprachigen Debattierens. [caption ...

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 ...