In the fall, the Social Democratic Party's coalition fell apart. Former German chancellor Olaf Scholz (SDP member) called a "snap" election, which moved the election up from the spring to February.
What did this mean to me living abroad—and in a university town?
This was my first time experiencing an election in Germany. After sending my ballot back to the States in the fall, I had no idea what the election in Germany would entail or that the election would be moved up! My colleagues and students were also quite surprised.
What does living in a university town mean? Historically, German universities have always been a hub for political conversations and demonstrations, specifically during the Cold War. Göttingen, home to Georg-August University, is no different. From watching students place political stickers on lampposts, seeing signs and banners hang from student housing complexes, noticing messages scrawled in chalk on the sidewalk urging people to vote, and a few demonstrations in the city center, the election occupied the minds of many students and much of Göttingen.
The week before the election, I had the chance to go to Berlin, Germany's capital.
