Tamerlano - A Night at the Opera
2026-03-27 19:00 - 21:00 (Europe/London) | Shoreditch Town Hall, 380 Old Street, London, EC1V 9LT, United Kingdom
Join fellow BGA members at Shoreditch Town Hall, London on Friday 27 March 2026 at 7pm for a new production of Handel’s opera Tamerlano featuring some of the composer’s most ravishing and astonishing music. This production, by the London Handel Festival’s Handel Opera Studio, has an exceptional cast with leading Handelian Laurence Cummings as Music Director with the Academy of Ancient Music and award-winning director Orpha Phelan making her baroque opera directorial debut.
Tamerlano is one of Handel’s most powerful psychological dramas that explores the extremes of human nature. This gripping opera recounts the story of the defeated Ottoman sultan Bajazet and his daughter Asteria, ensnared in a web of love, loyalty, and power struggles with the ruthless conqueror Tamerlano.
The evening offers an exclusive area of the bar for BGA members to gather during the interval and meet a member of the opera’s creative team.
Please note that booking tickets for Friday 27th March is necessary through the London Handel Festival website here. Please use code BGA%27MARCH when booking. Please also email Tamara Aberle, the BGA’s Programme and Membership Lead, at office@britishgermanassociation.org to let her know the booking was made.

Oxford’s German Literary Connections
2026-04-17 15:00 - 17:30 | Taylor Institution Library, St Giles', Oxford, OX1 3NA
Join us on 17 April 2026 for a 3.00pm start for a unique opportunity to explore Oxford’s rich German literary connections through two of the city’s most remarkable institutions: the Taylor Institution Library and the Bodleian Library.
This special event will offer a guided journey through Oxford’s German-language collections, highlighting rare books, manuscripts, and stories, including Professor H.G. Fiedler’s tour of Germany with the Prince of Wales in 1913, that illuminate the long-standing intellectual and cultural exchange between Britain and the German-speaking world. From literary classics to lesser-known treasures, participants will gain insight into how German-language texts have been collected, studied, and celebrated in Oxford over centuries.
The event will be jointly led by Emma Huber, Subject Librarian for German, and Martin Kauffmann, Head of Early and Rare Collections, who will share their expert knowledge of the collections and their historical significance. Together, they will bring to life the people, texts, and ideas that have shaped Oxford’s engagement with German language and literature.
This event is ideal for anyone with an interest in German culture, literature, history, or libraries, and offers a rare chance to experience these collections in an intimate, behind-the-scenes setting.
Please log in to your account before accessing the booking page linked below. If you are still unable to access the page after logging in, please check your membership is up-to-date, or contact us.
Booking Page – Oxford’s Literary Connections

BGA Stammtisch at Munich Cricket Club
2026-04-21 18:30 - 21:00 | Munich Cricket Club, Victoria
Book your space for our Spring Stammtisch at the Munich Cricket Club, Victoria, from 6.30pm on 21 April 2026. Whether you are a native speaker, language learner, or just want to meet some like-minded people, everyone is welcome.
Please note that registration is necessary for the event. Only logged-in members of the BGA will be able to see the registration link (starting https://) below. Once you have logged in to your BGA account, please navigate back to this page via the “Events” tab on the menu bar and register below. If you are still unable to see the registration link after logging in, please check your membership is up-to-date or contact us.

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A New World Order: The UK, Germany and the US in a Changing Security Landscape
2026-04-23 18:30 - 19:30 | Virtual Event
On Thursday, 23 April 2026, from 6.30 to 7.30pm, we invite you to join an online talk on Zoom titled “A New World Order: The UK, Germany and the US in a Changing Security Landscape.”
Prof. Richard G. Whitman, an expert in International Relations at the University of Kent, will be in conversation with Evie Aspinall, Director of the British Foreign Policy Group. The event will be moderated by Dominic Johnson, Foreign & Africa Editor for taz (die Tageszeitung).
Together, they will explore how the current political climate –particularly the United States’ shifting engagement with Europe – is affecting both the UK and Germany, with a special focus on security and the evolving transatlantic relationship.
Drawing on their expertise, the speakers will share insights into what these developments mean for the future of European security and cooperation.
Richard G. Whitman is Professor of Politics and International Relations at the Conflict Analysis Research Centre, University of Kent. At present he is Senior Associate Fellow of the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI). His current research interests include the foreign and security and defence policies of the UK and the EU. He is the author and editor of eleven books and published over sixty academic articles and book chapters on European integration and UK foreign and security policy. His book The UK and the War on Ukraine: Status seeking after Brexit is due for publication in 2026. Professor Whitman is a regular international media commentator. He was an Associate Fellow and former Head of the Europe Programme at Chatham House and a Senior Fellow on the Economic and Research Council’s UK in a Changing Europe initiative and held the British Academy and Leverhulme Michael Dockrill Senior Research Fellowship in British Foreign Policy in 2022.
Evie Aspinall is the Director of the British Foreign Policy Group. Her primary research interests are domestic consent for foreign policy, the UK’s role in the world and challenges posed by the UK’s strategic rivals. Evie holds a BA from the University of Cambridge and an MSc from King’s College London. She has previously worked at UN Women UK and the Future Leaders Network and was formerly the UK Head Delegate to the Youth7, the G7’s official youth engagement group. She also served as President of Cambridge University Students’ Union. She is a regular commentator in the media on issues pertinent to UK foreign policy.

Please note that registration is necessary for the event. Only logged-in members of the BGA will be able to see the Zoom registration link (starting https://) below. Once you have logged in to your BGA account, please navigate back to this page via the “Events” tab on the menu bar and register below. If you are still unable to see the Zoom registration link after logging in, please check your membership is up-to-date or contact us.

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Weimar: Life on the Edge of Catastrophe – Katja Hoyer in conversation with Julia Boyd
2026-05-12 19:00 - 20:00 | Goethe-Institut London, 50 Princes Gate, London, SW7 2PH
When: 12 May 2026 from 7pm to 8pm
Where: Goethe-Institut London Library, London
Language: English

The Goethe-Institut, in collaboration with the British-German Association, is delighted to invite you to an evening with historian and author Katja Hoyer, who will be in conversation with Julia Boyd about Katja’s new book, Weimar: Life on the Edge of Catastrophe.
In this timely discussion, Katja and Julia will explore the promise and tragedy of Germany between the two World Wars. Katja’s book offers a fresh perspective on this tumultuous period by examining it through the eyes of the people of Weimar.
Weimar looms large in German history: a crucible of democracy and dictatorship. Home to Goethe and Schiller, Liszt and Nietzsche, the town gave its name to the ambitious republic born after the First World War. Yet it was also a place where Bauhaus architects reimagined modern life while, not far away, Buchenwald was carved out of a beech forest.
Drawing on rich new archival research, Katja Hoyer takes us from 1919 to 1939, following the men and women who lived through the republic and Hitler’s regime. Through their choices and compromises, hopes and failures, Weimar leads us into the heart of a town that dreamt of a better world and woke to tyranny.
Katja Hoyer is a German-British historian. She is a Visiting Research Fellow at King’s College London and a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society. Her last book Beyond the Wall: East Germany 1949-1990 was a Sunday Times and Spiegel bestseller and long-listed for the Baillie Gifford Prize. Katja is a columnist for Berliner Zeitung and a regular contributor to British and American news outlets such as the BBC, Bloomberg, The Daily Telegraph and The Guardian. Her new book Weimar: Life on the Edge of Catastrophe will be published in May 2026.
Julia Boyd worked at the Victoria & Albert Museum before marriage to a diplomat took her on various foreign postings. After ten years in Cambridge, where her late husband was Master of Churchill College, they returned to live in London. She is a former trustee of the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust, and a former governor of the ESU. She is currently a trustee of Wigmore Hall and has just finished writing a history of the Hall for its 125th anniversary. She is also the author of Travelers in the Third Reich: The Rise of Fascism through the Eyes of Everyday People.
Good news: While in‑person tickets for this event are now sold out, registration for the free livestream via Zoom is still available. You can register here.

White Asparagus Supper
2026-05-15 19:00 - 22:00 | National Liberal Club
On Friday 15 May 2026 from 7pm the German Circle at the National Liberal Club is inviting BGA members to join them for their annual white asparagus supper. English will be spoken throughout the event.
Commence the evening with a glass of German sparkling wine before a short piano recital, followed by a traditional menu:
– Cream of white asparagus soup
– Veal Schnitzel, white asparagus, buttered new potatoes, hollandaise sauce
– Apple Strudel with vanilla ice cream
– Pear Schnapps
– Half a bottle of German Wine per person
Tickets Price £88
7.00pm Welcome drink in the Smoking Room
7.30pm Dinner in the David Lloyd George Room
Book your space here or alternatively call 0207 930 9871. Please put ‘BGA member’ in the comments box when booking, or state this if booking by phone, so BGA members can be seated together where possible.

The Merz Government One Year On
2026-06-10 18:00 - 19:30 | Houses of Parliament, London, SW1A 0AA
The British-German Association, in partnership with the International Association for the Study of German Politics (IASGP), is pleased to host an in-person event at the Houses of Parliament on Wednesday 10 June from 6.00pm, examining the Merz government one year on.

This event will bring together expert speakers Dr Ed Turner, Reader at Aston University and Chair of the IASGP, and Dagmar Seeland, UK and Ireland Correspondent for STERN magazine, to assess the government’s first year in office, exploring key developments in domestic policy, economic strategy, and Germany’s role on the European and international stage. The discussion will also consider the implications for the UK–Germany relationship. The event will be moderated by Julie Smith, Baroness Smith of Newnham, Professor of European Politics in the Department of Politics and International Studies (POLIS) at Cambridge University.

Guests will have the opportunity to engage in discussion and networking following the panel.

This event is currently fully booked. Please email Tamara at office@britishgermanassociation.org if you would like a space on the waiting list.

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Fantastic Kingdom: A Stranger's Notes on a Contrary Country
2026-06-17 18:30 - 20:00 | Mile End Institute / Queen Mary University, Bancroft Rd, London, E1 4DG
On 17 June 2026 at 6.30pm the Mile End Institute at Queen Mary University invites BGA members to the launch of Helene von Bismarck’s new insightful portrait of the UK as seen by an outsider

Global yet insular, tolerant yet suspicious, proudly pragmatic yet profoundly sentimental. The United Kingdom inspires fierce loyalty and endless argument. Ten years after Brexit, it is as divided as ever.
After twenty years of studying Britain, German historian Helene von Bismarck offers an affectionate and insightful portrait of the United Kingdom as seen by an outsider. From the enduring fantasy of Britain as a self-sufficient island to the profound devotion to a global monarchy; from imperial amnesia to modern multiculturalism, she explores the paradoxes and myths that shape British identity.
Clear-eyed and witty, Fantastic Kingdom is a letter from a friend, revealing why the question of what unites the country has never mattered more than now, at a time of dramatic geopolitical change when liberal democracy is under attack. Looking backwards into history, and outwards into the global context, she closes the gap between how Britain understands itself and how it is seen abroad.
Helene will be in conversation with Dr Robert Saunders, Deputy Director of the Mile End Institute, and signed copies of the book will be available after the discussion.
This event will take place on Queen Mary’s Mile End campus. The exact venue will be announced a week before the event.

Book your space here.

Hidden German Histories of London - A Guided Walk
2026-07-01 18:00 - 20:00 | Embankment, Villiers St, London, London, WC2N 6EZ, United Kingdom
Join us on Wednesday, 1 July at 6pm for a fascinating two-hour guided walk exploring the powerful but often overlooked impact of German-speaking immigrants on London’s history. The starting point is Embankment. Discover the stories of figures such as George Frideric Handel, Karl Marx, Heinrich Heine and Angelica Kauffman, whose lives and work left a lasting mark on the city’s culture, music, politics, and ideas. Along the way, we’ll also explore the deep-rooted ties between Britain’s monarchy and Germany, from the House of Hanover to the German heritage woven through the royal family for generations. Led by BGA member and City of London & Westminster guide Marcus Durst, the walk takes you through the West End and Soho, finishing near Bond Street.
We’ll wrap up at a local pub – perfect for continuing the conversation.
The event on 1 July is currently fully booked. Please email Tamara at office@britishgermanassociation.org if you would like a spot on the waiting list. Marcus is also offering a second tour on 2 July which is definitely going ahead. So if you are thinking to come and are available on 2 July, too, do email us and we’ll put you on the guest list.

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Hidden German Histories of London - A Guided Walk
2026-07-02 18:00 - 20:00 | Embankment, Villiers St, London, London, WC2N 6EZ, United Kingdom
Due to popular demand of the walking tour on Wednesday, 1 July, Marcus Durst will offer the tour also on Thursday, 2 July, at 6pm.
Join us for a fascinating two-hour guided walk exploring the powerful but often overlooked impact of German-speaking immigrants on London’s history. The starting point is Embankment. Discover the stories of figures such as George Frideric Handel, Karl Marx, Heinrich Heine and Angelica Kauffman, whose lives and work left a lasting mark on the city’s culture, music, politics, and ideas. Along the way, we’ll also explore the deep-rooted ties between Britain’s monarchy and Germany, from the House of Hanover to the German heritage woven through the royal family for generations. Led by BGA member and City of London & Westminster guide Marcus Durst, the walk takes you through the West End and Soho, finishing near Bond Street.
We’ll wrap up at a local pub – perfect for continuing the conversation.
Spaces are limited – please book now to secure your spot. Please log in to your account before accessing the booking page linked below. If you are still unable to access the page after logging in, please check your membership is up-to-date, or contact us.
Booking page – Hidden German Histories of London – 2 July

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Annual General Meeting 2026
2026-07-06 18:30 - 20:00 | Virtual Event
The BGA’s Annual General Meeting will take place on Zoom on Monday 6 July at 6:30pm.
At the AGM, we will be reporting on the activities of the Association and sharing details of our plans for the year ahead. We will be electing the Officers and Executive Committee members for the coming year. It is also an opportunity for you to ask questions.

Please note that registration is necessary for the event. Only logged-in members of the BGA will be able to see the Zoom registration link (starting https://) below. Once you have logged in to your BGA account, please navigate back to this page via the “Events” tab on the menu bar and register below. If you are still unable to see the Zoom registration link after logging in, please check your membership is up-to-date or contact us.

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Summer Drinks at Albert's Schloss
2026-07-07 18:30 - 21:00 | Albert’s Schloss, 20-24 Shaftesbury Avenue, London, W1D 7EU
Join us for a summer drinks Stammtisch at Albert’s Schloss on Tuesday, 7 July 2026 from 6.30pm. Everyone is welcome.

Please note that registration is necessary for the event. Only logged-in members of the BGA will be able to see the registration link (starting https://) below. Once you have logged in to your BGA account, please navigate back to this page via the “Events” tab on the menu bar and register below. If you are still unable to see the registration link after logging in, please check your membership is up-to-date or contact us.

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Grillabend at the National Liberal Club
2026-07-24 19:00 - 21:00 | National Liberal Club
The National Liberal Club is delighted to invite members to its Grillabend on Friday, 24 July. The cost is £60 per person and includes a complimentary German beer on arrival.
Guests can enjoy a selection of traditional grill dishes, including Würste, Frikadellen, Grillfackeln, and a vegetarian option of Gefüllte Pilze mit Obazda. Salads will include Kartoffelsalat, Gurkensalat, and Tomatensalat, followed by Rote Grütze for dessert.
A cash bar will be available throughout the evening, featuring a selection of German wines. A booking link will be published shortly.

Fireside Chat at the German Business Hub: Insights with Dr Markus Grueneisel & Dr Steffen Hoffmann
2026-09-07 18:00 - 20:00 | German Business Hub, 42 Essex Street, London, WC2R 3JF
On 7 September 2026 from 6pm, we are pleased to invite BGA members to an informal fireside chat at the German Business Hub in London. This event offers a unique opportunity to hear from Dr Markus Grüneisl, Managing Director of BMW UK, and Dr Steffen Bosch, Managing Director of Bosch UK, as they share their perspectives on the key economic challenges facing businesses operating across borders.
The German Business Hub is a SME incubator, specialising in helping small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) enter and grow in the UK. With a deep understanding of the business environment in both Germany and the UK, their mission is to bridge the gap between these two dynamic economies.
More details on the event and how to book will be made available shortly.

3rd Come-and-sing Evening of classic German hymns
2026-09-15 19:00 - 21:00 | St George’s German Lutheran Church, 55 Alie Street, London, E1 8EB
On Tuesday, 15 September from 7pm, With Cheerful Voice invites you to an evening of German hymns singing. German hymnody is one of the richest traditions in sacred music, and a jewel in European literary and musical culture. We meet again to sing a selection of classics from the last 500 years, in German, in this almost perfect setting. Full music and texts will be provided. As in previous years you will enjoy a short recital on the chapel’s historic organ. The evening will be led by Phil Price of With Cheerful Voice and the speaker this year will be Henrike Lähnemann, Professor of Mediaeval German at the University of Oxford, and Fellow of St Edmund Hall. Come and take this rare opportunity to sing these wonderful hymns in German, in London, and to enrich your knowledge of this beautiful tradition. A choir assembled for the occasion will perform a short choral piece. If you would like to sing with the choir please let Phil know in advance, and be ready to arrive early for rehearsal. Any questions, please do get in touch with Phil Price on phil@withcheerfulvoice.org.uk.

A Rilke Evening
2026-12-02 18:30 - 20:00 | Austrian Embassy London, 18 Belgrave Square, London, SW1X 8PQ, United Kingdom
Save the Date!
On 2 December 2026, BGA members are invited to an evening to celebrate the centenary of the death of Rainer Maria Rilke (1875–1926), one of the 20th century’s most influential poets. The event will be hosted in the Austrian Ambassador’s Residence in conjunction with the Austrian Cultural Forum and will include contributions by Prof. Charlie Louth and readings from Rilke’s poems.
More details on how to book will be made available closer to the date.
