July 12

On Friday we visited Villeroy and Boch, the famous German pottery.

We had a guided tour of the grounds and the museum, but visitors aren’t allowed to go into the factory for safety reasons. Located in Mettlach, Germany the pottery is very close to the borders of France and Luxembourg. The company was founded in 1758, by a Frenchman and a German. The families eventually intermarried and there has always been a family member at the head of the company. It is housed in a Benedictine abbey that was built in the 18th century. The abbey was once used as a family residence and was partially destroyed during World War 2. Interesting side note: This company produced the tiles that decorated The Titanic. Some of the tiles from the same batch are decorate the entrance into the main building.

The company made four different styles of tiles for The Titanic. Some of the tiles from the wreck have been recovered and are in the museum. In the afternoon we went to the Franco- German University, which technically isn’t a college campus. It contains administrative offices that coordinate between a network of 170 universities in France and Germany. Students study in both countries and earn a dual degree from two universities. Schools in the network must pass a rigorous evaluation of their programs (this is done every four years) or they will be removed from the network. The school has been in existence for 15 years and has grown from 1500 students to 5500 students. Half of their time is spent in Germany and half in France. Instruction is in both languages. They must speak both languages as well as be fluent in English before being accepted into the program. When students are completing the portion of their studies that requires them to go to school outside of their home country, they are paid a small stipend by the university. The university fosters and promotes dual degree programs between France and Germany. A third of the students are not from France and Germany, but from Southern or Eastern Europe or countries where French and German are the native languages. Saarbrucken was chosen as the headquarters of the administrative offices because it is so close to the French border. The university receives financing from both governments but they act independently of both governments. There are some difficulties with the dual degree track. Students must adjust to different teaching styles and expectations—mainly based on cultural differences-- during their time in the two countries. There are also some administrative issues: the languages required for admission in the program are not necessarily the first foreign language taught in schools. (Traditionally, only about 15% of French students are taught German in school, and vice versa.) Also the current financial crisis has impeded upon education funding, and the school is now having to seek private funding.