All posts by Carl Kruse

Past Events Berlin

Champagne and Art Exhibition With Jade Cassidy in Berlin


The Ivy Circle Berlin is happy to invite all to an art exhibit of artist Jade Cassidy taking place on Wednesday, February 12, 2025 from 6-9 p.m. at the Quantum Gallery on Kurfürstendamm 210 in West Berlin.

The event will feature complimentary champagne from the Lombard champagne company, who will be represented by champagne ambassador Fanny Thiel, and a complimentary open wine bar from 6-7pm.  A full cash bar goes on all night.

Originally from South Africa, Jade Cassidy is an emerging artist who resides in Berlin.  Her work explores themes of renewal and resilience, and the exhibition invites viewers to reflect through her paintings and sculptures on cycles of destruction and revival, often using the South African Protea flower for inspiration.

The event is free and open to all friends of the Ivy Circle and while an RSVP is not mandatory, it would be good to have a head count for the champagne and the bar.

For any questions (and to RSVP) contact Carl Kruse at [email protected]

Cheers and to a great gathering on the 12th in Berlin!

Carl Kruse
The Ivy Circle’s last event was a tour of the Boros Bunker in Berlin.

Past Events Berlin

Boros Art Bunker Tour in Berlin

Dear Alumni Leaders and Friends,

The Cambridge Society invites the Ivy Circle for a private tour of the iconoclastic Boros Bunker art collection in Berlin.

  • Date & Time: Tuesday, 19/11/24, 5:00-6:30 pm
  • Place: Boros Foundation, Reinhardtstraße 20, 10117 Berlin
  • URL: https://www.boros-foundation.de 
  • Cost: 35€

Spread over 3,000 sq m of a converted air-raid bunker, this is the fourth exhibition featuring works from the private collection of Karen and Christian Boros, showcasing international artists from 1990 to the present. The couple purchased the bunker, originally designed by Albert Speer to both house their contemporary art and to make it accessible to the public.  The redesign of the bunker was awarded the Beton Architectural Prize in 2008.

During the 1.5-hr tour in English, an art mediator from the Boros team will tell us about the exhibited works, the history of the building, and its architectural background. Christian Boros has often said he only buys art that he does not understand, so the tour will be interesting to say the least.

The event is to be followed by an optional dinner at a nearby restaurant.

Sign up here: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/germancambridgesocietyev/1461627

For any questions please reach out to me as soon as possible.

Cheers!

Carl Kruse
Ivy Circle Berlin

Past Events Berlin

Oxford Singles Bouldering Event

Dear Alumni Leaders and Friends,

The Oxford University Society (OUS) – Berlin singles group invites the Ivy Circle to a mixer at the Berta Block bouldering facility on Saturday, October 26 between 7:00-9:00pm. 

The idea is to meet in a fun, relaxed environment.  No prior bouldering experience is necessary.

Berta Block is located at Mühlenstr 62 in Pankow (Berlin).

If interested please contact Aravindh at +49 1525 6001644.

Cheers!
Carl Kruse
Ivy Circle Berlin
Berlin Chair, Princeton Alumni Association of Germany

Past Events Berlin

Art Brunch on October 5 at the Kauppila Art Studio in Berlin

by Carl Kruse

The Ivy Circle Berlin would like to invite all to its second Art Brunch at the studio of Helena Kauppila, on Saturday, October 5, 2024, starting at 11:45 am on the fourth floor of Ackerstrasse 81, 13355 Berlin

There will be a welcome and brief introduction by the artist at 12:15 am. 

A mathematician turned painter, Helena is fascinated by complexity and emerging systems. While her colorful paintings may appear random and disjointed, there is a systems thinking behind them, often anchored in mathematics. Her work touches on the structure of DNA, mathematical theories, and the human connection to nature and the world around us..

Kauppila resides in Berlin. She holds a Ph.D. in Mathematics from Columbia University and is the recipient of the Reginald Marsh and Felicia Meyer Marsh scholarship at the Art Students League of New York. 

Light brunch food and drinks will be served. Featuring “Elixir of Life” DNA Canapes and a color-changing welcome drink.  RSVP helpful (but not required).

At 1 pm other ateliers in the building open as well, so there will be further opportunity to explore other art and meet other artists.

For any questions please contact Helena directly at [email protected].

I look forward to seeing everyone on October 5!

Cheers!
Carl Kruse
Ivy Circle Berlin
Also find Carl Kruse at the Princeton Alumni Association of Germany

Past Events Berlin

Stanford Summer Event At TU Berlin

by Carl Kruse

The Stanford University Alumni group invites the Ivy Circle to their end of summer event hosted at the brewery of the TU Berlin. If you are not  familiar with them, they are one of the world’s top universities for Brewmeister training. The event will feature free flowing beer and a catered menu. Tickets are 49€ for adults. 10€ from every ticket goes to the charity of the TU Berlin.

DATE: 4 September 2024 – 18:30

WHAT: Stanford Summer Party @ TU Berlin Brewery


WHERE:  Seestraße 13, 13353 Berlin

HIGHLIGHTS

 Venue: We’re thrilled to have exclusive access to the renowned Versuchs- und Lehranstalt für Brauerei in Berlin (VLB), the Brewery of the Technische Universität Berlin–one of the world’s leading schools for Brewmaster certification.

Dinner & Drinks: A delicious Brewery-style feast will be presented, featuring a variety of gourmet appetizers, mains, and desserts. Enjoy unlimited beer brewed by TU Berlin, as well as soft drinks and water.

Tickets: Secure your spot for an evening of great food, engaging talks, and great connections— all for a great cause! €10 from each ticket will be donated to the TU Berlin charity.

RSVP:  To RSVP complete the Google form at

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSelYpkGGcFFNZt6uL2fc4-aWupVsrbmxthh2djZ7GTnsEXyZQ/viewform

PROGRAM

* Private Brewery Tour: At 18:30, Dr. Fontaine, Director of the VLB, will give us an insider’s tour of the brewery. Not to be missed.

* Keynote by Prof. Nick Bambos: Be inspired by insights from the R. Weiland Professor at Stanford University’s Department of Management Science & Engineering.

* Honorary Address: Hear from Prof. Frank Behrendt, Delegate of the Board of TU Berlin

* Special guest: TU Berlin President Geraldine Rauch, who will treat us to a preview performance of her upcoming musical.

TICKETS

* Adults: €49

* Current Students & Young Adults (under 18): €39

* Graduated within the last 5 years? Contact Tracy Prentiss ([email protected]) about the young alumni discount before booking.

RSVP & Payment Details

To join us, please complete payment by 1 September 2024 to:

German Stanford Association e.V.

IBAN: DE85 1001 0010 0915 9481 00

Let’s close the summer on a high note! We look forward to seeing you. For any questions or further information, reach out to Tracy Prentiss at [email protected].

You can also reach out to [email protected].

Cheers!

Carl Kruse
Ivy Circle Berlin
Former events include the Tour of the Documentation Center and the World Premiere of the Film The Presidents’ Tailor.
There is an ongoing Theater Discussion Group.

Past Events Berlin

Tour of the Documentation Center in Berlin

The Columbia University Club invites us to a private English-language tour of the Documentation Center for Nazi Forced Laborers to take place on Sunday, June 23 from 15:30 to 17:30.  The Center, located in Schöneweide, has the task of making the history of the 26 million men, women, and children forced into labor by the Nazis visible for future generations.  It is located on the site of an almost completely preserved camp.  

Address: Britzer Straße 5, Berlin-Schöneweide.  

Directions: From S-Bhf Schöneweide (lines S8, 9, 45, 46, 47, and 85) take the exit at the head of the train, turn left and walk one block to Michael Brückner Straße.  Cross the street and turn right.  Turn left on Fennstraße, which forks almost immediately.  Take the right part of the fork (Britzer Straße); the documentation center is on your right.  

The tour is free, but prior registration with Patrick Truhn ([email protected]) is required.

Cheers!

Carl Kruse
Ivy Circle

Past Events Berlin

World premiere of the Film “The President’s Tailor” in Berlin


Ivy Circle member Rick Minnich will be celebrating the world premiere of his latest film “The President’s Tailor” as part of the Jewish Film Festival Berlin-Brandenburg. The screening takes place at the Bundesplatz Kino on June 19th at 20:30.

The Ivy Circle will gather with Rick before the film at the Mexican restaurant “Alcatraz” beginning at 6pm for complimentary appetizers and drinks.  The restaurant is located at Bundesplatz 6, right across the theater.

“The Presidents’ Tailor” is a heartwarming story about the Holocaust survivor and star tailor Martin Greenfield, who dressed six US presidents and hundreds of celebrities. The New York Times wrote an extensive tribute to Martin upon his death in March at age 95. The Jewish Journal also ran a cover story about the film. 

An additional screening is planned for June 23rd at 5 p.m. at the Bundesplatz Kino.

There will be a Q&A session with Rick after the film for those interested.

You can reserve a place for the showing at http://www.bundesplatz-kino.de/  The Ivy Circle has 5 tickets, preferably earmarked for students and anyone under  hardship, but really available to all on a first come first served basis

For any questions please write me at carl AT alumni DOT princeton DOT edu.

See everyone on June 19 for what should be a wonderful evening.

Cheers!

Carl Kruse
Ivy Circle

Past Events Berlin

A Conversation With Artist Yury Kharchenko in Berlin


by Carl Kruse

The Ivy Circle invites all to a conversation between Russian-German Artist Yury Kharchenko and art historian and exhibition curator Dr. Eckhart Gillen this coming Tuesday, 11 June, 2024 at 8pm at “Der Zauberberg” literary booksstore on Bundesallee 133 in Berlin 12161.

The discussion will center around the recent publication of Kharchenko’s art catalog “Yury Kharchenko Painting 2018 – 2023,” which documents his works of recent years, created in reaction to wars and questions of memory. Various cycles of the artist’s work will be discussed, starting with family history, his radical Auschwitz pictures, which question the moral aspect of memory, the flower pictures, which were painted in protest against the Ukraine war, and his star pictures, and portraits of important Jewish personalities, created in response to Netanyahu’s judicial reform in Israel.  Throughout, Kharchenko seems to demand more ethics from a society facing a decline in historical knowledge

Eckhart Gillen is an art historian and curator, primarily for exhibitions on 20th century art. He is the author and editor of publications on German, Russian and American art of the 20th century and has received numerous awards, including the Unity Prize – Citizens’ Prize for German Unity in 2003 and the Friedlieb Ferdinand Runge Prize for unconventional art education from the Prussian Sea Trade Foundation in 2011, as well as the Federal Cross of Merit.

As space is limited, registration is required either by calling the bookstore at 56 73 90 91 or by email: [email protected]. There is a 10 € fee.

The discussion will primarily be in German.

I hope the summer is starting magnificently for you.

Cheers

Carl Kruse
Ivy Circle Berlin
Berlin Chair, Princeton Alumni Association of Germany

Current Events Berlin

Theater Reading Group in Berlin

by Carl Kruse

Niraj Welikala, a member of both the Oxford and Cambridge alumni societies in Berlin, founded a play-reading and theater group in Berlin last summer and is looking to expand the group to fellow thespians and those who love the theater.

The group’s objective is recreational play reading and perhaps putting on a production one day.  Details from Niraj below. You can contact Niraj directly at [email protected] or fellow co-founder Nigel Luhman at [email protected]

Cheers,
Carl Kruse
Ivy Circle

P.S. Carl Kruse ia also involved with Renselear Polytechnic Institute’s Milkyway@Home project.

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An Actor Prepares…

Calling actors and theatre enthusiasts!

We are a play reading group (in English), originally formed from members of the Oxford and Cambridge alumni clubs in Berlin and we are looking for new people to join us. We meet every 2 weeks on a weekday evening from 6-8 pm (usually on a Monday) at the Theaterhaus Mitte Berlin (https://www.theaterhaus-berlin.com/).

We aim to select and read a diverse range of plays. Plays we’ve read so far include Oscar Wilde’s ‘The Importance of Being Earnest’, J. B. Priestley’s ‘An Inspector Calls’,  ‘Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?’ and we are currently in the middle of ‘The Crucible’.  We usually start with a few minutes of warm-up exercises. During the reading, we switch characters to give people a chance to explore different roles and also experiment with different acting and directing techniques.

The play readings are meant to be recreational although we hope to put on a production as well. We have a range of experience in the group (from little or no experience to some with years of acting and directing experience). If you are interested, please email Nigel or Niraj mentioning any previous acting experience (but this is not required) and we will send you more details including our WhatsApp group that we use to organise readings. You are welcome to come to a session and see if it’s for you.

Hope to see you there!

Niraj, Nigel, Kaya and Justin 

The Berlin Play Reading Group committee

Past Events Berlin

The Mavericks in Conert on May 4 in Berlin

by Carl Kruse

Max Abrams (Princeton ’99) and his band THE MAVERICKS perform on May 4th at 8pm in Berlin at Huxley’s Neue Welt.

The show is sold out but Max invites a few of us to attend for free.

The tickets are extremely limited and available on a first come, first served basis.

Here’s a playlist of The Mavericks’ music:

Reach out to [email protected] if interested.

Cheers!

Carl Kruse
Ivy Circle Berlin

Carl Kruse is also involved with the Asteroids@Home Program, at the Charles University in Prague.