Your Dignity, Not Your Happiness: The Principle Values of the German Constitution
1:00 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2008
Webster Hall Auditorium
Admission: free

The constitution is the central text through which a nation expresses its vision of its hierarchy of values, aspirations, and goals. The presentation addresses the foremost values that inform the constitution and constitutional jurisprudence of the Federal Republic of Germany and contrasts these with the foremost values lined out in the U.S. constitution.

With a German law degree (Freie Universität Berlin), graduate studies in German literature (Case Western Reserve), a doctorate in European History (Claremont Graduate University), and a long career in teaching at an American university (California State University-Long Beach), Professor Jutta Birmele is uniquely positioned to lecture on historical issues of the German Constitution and its implied cultural values and contrast these with the traditions and trends in the U.S. She has lectured in 19 countries, won numerous awards and grants, and is currently working on special projects for the Liberal Arts College of CSULB.