Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 2026

Dear alumni, dear friends,

As Christmas and New Year’s Eve approach, we take the opportunity to reflect on a remarkable year for our association and the LSE, celebrating its 130th anniversary.

In 2025, we held 30 in-person events across Germany, attended by several hundred alumni. Highlights included Christmas dinners and networking events in Frankfurt, Berlin, Cologne, Stuttgart, and Munich, as well as the alumni sailing weekend at Lake Tegernsee and our annual meeting in Frankfurt.

In July, 19 alumni enjoyed the sixth sailing weekend at Lake Tegernsee, making the most of excellent weather for a spirited competition, followed by a barbecue at Hotel Terrassenhof.

From 10 to 12 October, about 60 alumni attended the annual meeting in Frankfurt. The event began with an apple wine tasting and traditional dinner at Frau Rauscher Apfelwein Wirtschaft.

On Saturday at Villa Bonn, Prof. Michael Cox delivered an insightful talk on “The World in the Age of Trump,” followed by Prof. Kristina Spohr’slecture on “NATO in the Unipolar Era.” Both sessions featured lively discussions and Q&As, reflecting the intellectual energy and open dialogue of the LSE community.

The evening’s gala dinner included a keynote by Prof. Eric Neumayer, Deputy President and Vice-Chancellor of the LSE, who spoke on the School’s current state and strategic priorities, highlighting the vital role of alumni.

We also remembered Prof. Conor Gearty, whose recent passing is a significant loss to the LSE community.

The weekend concluded on Sunday with a guided “Best of Frankfurt” walking tour and brunch. Please visit our website’s “news” section for event recaps and photos.

Thank you for making 2025 such a success – through your participation in events, sharing ideas, volunteering, and ongoing support of our alumni group. Special thanks to our regional coordinators, board members, and cash auditor for their dedication.

We wish you and your loved ones a peaceful Christmas and a happy, healthy New Year 2026. We look forward to seeing you at our events in the coming year.

Kind regards,

Pia Wagner

President, German Friends of LSE

on behalf of the Board